100 Blocks - Day 2

Thanks everyone for saying such kind things about our Uncle Sam's Hat block. It was fun to make and really uses up your scraps (if you happen to have a lot of red, white, and blue scraps like some people). The winner of "Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks" magazine is:

Carol in E TN

Carol, email me here and your magazine will go out to you shortly.




How is your week going? I heard today is Friday the 13th. No worries. It can't be any different than the preceding week. For every step forward I took - I took 2 steps backward. On Monday I had about 1 full day of applique work to do on a quilt - and it would be finished. Ask me how much more work I have to do on it. Yes, that's correct - 1 full day. I have run so many errands and logged so much time in my car that I started and finished an audio book in the car this week. Yes I looked. The audio book is 13 1/2 hours long. I hope to settle down on the couch later today with a good movie in the dvd player and finish that thing. After I run a few errands, of course.

Because this is Friday the 13th, I am going to pay it forward, so to speak and try to change my luck. I let the random number generator pick a couple more winners and...

Christy &

Kris - you can also email me here for a copy of the magazine.

Don't walk underneath any ladders today, folks.

Laurie

100 Blocks!

"Follow the 100 Blocks Blog Tour daily Nov. 9-13 at quiltmaker.com/quiltypleasures for inspiration, ideas and giveaways galore! Look for 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers in your local quilt shop, or purchase it at quiltmaker.com/100blocks.”

Are you ready to Blog Hop? Have you been following along all week? Today is the day when we were asked to join in. Comment below and you could be a winner of this....
Good Luck!

September, October, Nowonder

It seems that school just started. How is it possible that it is almost Thanksgiving?
For those of you that asked, the Autumn Potato Salad from the previous post was delish. It certainly will become a fall staple here at Chateau Simpson. I found small blue potatoes and some rosy flesh fingerling's at the market. I hadn't used those before and they were great. Speaking of blue, and Fall, maybe the early sunsets have meant that I seem to have more time in the evenings lately. I picked up some hand piecing recently and have been really enjoying it. It certainly seems like a long time since I have been able to hand piece. Here is what I have been working on.

Here are the blocks in construction. They are on my lap desk that is full of sewing tools and such. The top is covered in very fine sandpaper. If you hand piece (or would like to) and haven't used a sandpaper board - I heartily endorse one. It makes marking much easier, finer, and is a great tool to have. Just lay the fabric to be marked on top of the sandpaper board and trace around your template with a suitable marking pencil. The fabric won't distort and much less force is needed to leave a legible mark. You won't believe how easy this will make your life.
My blocks are almost ready to piece into my quilt top. As a good friend once told me - keep watching this space - "More will be revealed."

And.... we do have a winner - or winners for the coated fabric. Sherri and Izzy - please email me here and I will get your prizes off to you.

Laurie

Fabulous Fall

We are getting quite a treat today. A perfect Fall day. Crisp, clear, and bright. I went to my usual haunt this morning - the farmer's market. You have seen enough pictures of that place. I thought I would show you what is across the street - Zingerman's. I went this morning for a cappuccino and a pastry to treat myself. This was the view when I sat down to dine.I sat on the porch and took it all in. After a few errands I found myself in a place where I should know better than to be. The intersection of Main and Stadium. On a Saturday. In the Fall. I was here for awhile people watching.
Seems there is some sporting event today. I am back home and later today I will make this. I will let you know how it turns out.

Make sure to stop by next week as there will be a "blog hop" relating to this:
There will be give-aways and other stuff. My cramped house is your gain, people. Oh heck. Lets do it now. I have a piece of this coated fabric - over 3 1/2 yards - that needs a loving home. It is from our Bar Harbor collection. Make a comment about why you need to have this lovely piece of Moda fabulousness. Comment before midnight on Monday the 9th and it could be yours.

Laurie

Breast Cancer

I live in Naples, Florida and I do like living here. I have a spot in Naples that I really do adore, the area is special and so are all the establishments - it is Olde Naples. While downtown the other day to get a hair cut, I was taken with the tree in Olde Naples that is highlighted during the Christmas season. As I drove by - there was a hub of activity and when I parked my car and spoke to those around the tree - I found the tree was being decorated with pink lights to honor our fight for Breast Cancer. So tonight Tom and I went uptown for dinner just so I could photograph the tree at night. It is a special tree that is decorated for different occasions = but probably none as important as this one - our fight for Breast Cancer.
I have a friend in Vancouver, Washington who is currently about half way through her treatments to fight this disease and she is doing fine and will be just fine. But seeing the tree and knowing that Laurie and I have had friends for years involved in this fight - we decided to show the tree that is lit here in Naples and to encourage you to write in your friend or family member who is fighting this or who has battled this disease.
Eventually we will win this battle!My friend is Norma Searle from Vancouver, WA
We would like you to write in your friends or family members who you would like to be remembered during this time and to join in for a "group hug".

Polly

****p.s. Polly will be in Greensboro, North Carolina November 6th and 7th for a Breast Cancer Benefit. It will be held at The Saltbox - a folk art gallery that is celebrating 35 years in business and the benefit will be an show featuring 10 Folk Art artists and their works.

Laurie

Halloween Winner!

That was fun to read about everyone's favorite costume. Thanks for playing along. I went to www.random.org and typed in our numbers and the winner is:

Helen

Please email me here and I will get your prize out to you shortly
Bill wanted me to post his favorite Halloween costume. It is of my step-daughter Lorelei when she was around 4 years old. Here she is as Wonder Woman. The costume proved to be prophetic as she grew up to be a Wonder Woman herself.

Laurie

Halloween

Happy Halloween Eve, everyone. I found this picture online. It is a painting by Ray Bradbury to illustrate his book, The Halloween Tree. I had no idea he could paint too. It's lovely, isn't it?

Not a whole lot going on here. No kids costumes to make and very few trick or treaters anymore. How sad. I know if I was a parent of a little one, the trick or treating would have to be chaperoned and probably a party would be more practical. Was our generation the last one who could totally go wild on Halloween when we were kids? It was OUR night. We literally had the run of the whole town. We could trick or treat anywhere and everywhere in our small town as long as we were done by 9:00 sharp when the fire station whistle blew. Good times. It was my favorite holiday and I was trying today to remember my favorite costume. I was thinking of this when I was out running errands today and I drove by a fender-bender. Minor. No one was hurt just a young guy and the Easter Bunny waiting on the side of the road for the police to show up. I wasn't fast enough with my camera. Sorry.

My favorite costume was easy. The nun. It was a great costume. It was so realistic that back in the 60's when I wore it - quite a few people were shocked. So much so that candy was denied me and our mother received a few pithy phone calls the next day. People don't shock like they used to. The costume was "real". I mean that it was made for a stage play. It was handed down to me from a friend of my mother's who let her daughter wear it a few years prior. Before that it came from "I don't know where" but the other girl's uncle did act on Broadway and the movies. Very heady stuff for the 1960's Midwest. Here I am before going out to trick or treat.
What was your favorite costume? Comment before midnight Sunday November 1st (ooooohhh, spooky!) and you could win 3 yards of our now beloved and very hard to find "Scaredy Cat" fabric.

Laurie