Calorie-Free Treats

It's Halloween here in the States. I don't go in for the horror aspect of the holiday but regular visitors to The Magpie's Nest will know that I enjoy the macabre. A couple of years ago when it became apparent that handing out treats at the door wasn't worth the risk involved to my health I chose to make up for that deprivation by leaving my more favorite decorations out all year round. To that end I created this display in a hallway:

I also have this photo of our second granddaughter from when she was about three years old:

No surprise then that we're big fans of Tim Burton's animated movies and Dia de Muertos!

On a quilt-y note, here are some of the blocks I've already sewn up as a result of having cut remnants into patches.

Rather than color (as in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge) I've been focusing on prints that could pass as reproductions of 19th century fabrics, which helped made the decision about block patterns easier. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this palette going but at least it's a place to start. I've moved some things around, emptying boxes that now corral the patches I've cut and haven't used yet. It's all a process, and will continue as long as it's effective!

Planning Ahead

I've had several bad days since my last post. But I've also been thinking about how best to prepare for such days in the future. There are days when I can sew as long as I don't have to think about what I'm doing. So while my brain is functional I've developed a cutting menu. 

Over the last two days I've managed to cut almost a dozen small pieces of yardage into patches! Some have been paired up - focal prints and backgrounds - but others are only the equivalent of  half a block.

I'm thinking now that I'm going to need some sort of container for these pre-cut patches. I'll need to be able to label them so I know what blocks those patches are intended to become! Meanwhile, I've been able to sew up some random blocks I had prepped earlier.

I will be linking up with the RSC on Saturday. Hopefully I'll be feeling well enough then to get around to see what everyone else has been up to. ;- ) 

Barely Stitching Along

There hasn't been a lot of hand work happening here in The Magpie's Nest since the last SAL check in. I put in a small section of stitches on the koi needlepoint canvas. This is how it looked the last time I shared it:

I've filled in a bit more of that section next to the tail since then.

I've also begun work on a new stitch & zip coin/card case.

All I've done so far is some of the white background. Can you even see it?

Others have no doubt made more progress on their stitchery projects You should go and see!

• Avis at http://sewingbesidethesea.wordpress.com
• Claire at http://claire93.wordpress.com
• Gun at http://rutigt.wordpress.com
• Carole at http://aslightobsessionwithbooks.wordpress.com
• Wendy at http://thecraftersapprentice.blogspot.co.uk
• LucyAnn at https://lucyannluna.wordpress.com
• Jess at https://everthecrafter.wordpress.com
• Kate at https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com
• Constanze at https://textiledreamer.wordpress.com
• DebbieRose at https://sewrosey.wordpress.com
• Christina at https://petalsandpins.wordpress.com
• Susan at http://susanpblog.wordpress.com
• Kathy at https://livinginrapidcity.wordpress.com

Orange You Scrap Happy?

Today is an opportunity for me to link up with both the RSC and Scrap Happy Day with Kate and Gun. I thought I might have done something with more of the scraps from my liberated medallion effort but that hasn't been the case. I got tired of those dark tones so I pulled out some oranges for the RSC palette this month.

I also pulled out my orange Ohio Stars from last year. I'd started making stepping stone blocks to go with them but I knew I needed more. Before I could think about making anything for this project a new postage stamp star crept in to the mix.

I only made two more stepping stone blocks but what a difference in the overall appearance!

I have to decide how big I want this to get. I'm not enjoying the stepping stone block construction a whole lot. This may very well become the center of a new medallion quilt. Maybe I can get more stepping stones made if I branch out and make other blocks in orange on white...

I'm linking up with both the Rainbow Scrap Challenge bloggers and those playing along with Kate and Gun for Scrap Happy Day.

Now I have to hurry up and write a post for tomorrow's Stitch Along  post. We lost our power yesterday when the first arm of the disintegrating typhoon hit us. The second front is supposed to be even stronger so we 're in Preparation Mode!

One Step Closer to Finished

Since my last post I've done more cutting than piecing. I've also made three trips to my local quilt shop but only one resulted in fabric actually being purchased. There's a better-than-usual sale going on. There have also been groups sewing in the next door annex. The first time I tried to shop my nose stopped me as soon as I opened the shop door. I had to turn around without even stepping foot inside and go back home. I made it into the store on the second trip but there were so many customers I didn't feel safe sticking around. People don't realize how very fragrant they are between the laundry products in their clothing, scented hair products, deodorants and of course, perfume. 

On my final attempt I was at least able to buy fabric to back two quilt tops. It took more brain power than I was prepared for however. There wasn't quite enough yardage of the ideal print for the back of the Macabre Medallion, and nothing that looked quite right to back my Precious Gems top. Eventually I figured out ways around those issues. I also bought some of this batik to potentially use with my F2F2 blocks:

I have another print that's also a black background with yellow and orange splashed on it that I might use as sashing. The batik would be borders. Here's a quick reminder of the blocks I received:

I haven't yet decided - or even given much thought to - how I'll set these. I always strive to do something unexpected or out of the ordinary though.

The cutting I've been doing has been to trim four quilts in preparation for binding. I don't have detail shots yet of the quilting; I'll try to remember to get those for you. James was busy with our local Shakespeare Festival during the summer months and then had one thing after another go wrong with the third-hand long-arm machine he uses. He had a pile of tops and backs and now I have a pile of quilts to bind! The largest quilt I had to trim was my F2F quilt, which I made to fit our double bed. The other three are donation quilts and are all smaller (thank goodness!).

The trimmings from these four quilts made my scrap pile grow so high it was in danger of toppling over.

Here the scrap pile is leaning up against my sewing machine.

I'm going to have to find somewhere else to store them or something to toss them into! I'm beginning to give some thought to what I might do for next year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Not sure I can wait that long to do something about this pile however. ;- )