Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Ya'll

Yesterday, we decided to carve our pumpkins. Jack and Emma had picked out their pumpkins, but we had yet to get Mark his.  I am never sure how much he will want to participate in the holiday activities now that he is a High Schooler.  Since he did not have a pumpkin, the boys set out to find just the right pumpkin.  7 stores later they trudged through the door with (and I quote) "The last pumpkin  available in Lexington."  Seriously?  John said they went to 7 stores and not one had a pumpkin in site.  Everywhere he asked, he was told they had sold out.  He also mentioned that people looked at him like he was the dumbest dad ever.  I Mean Really!  Who waits till October 30 to get a pumpkin!  When the boys did find a pumpkin, they came home with a tiny pie pumpkin.

We set to work cutting open the tops to the pumpkins.  I had no problems with Jack and Emma's pumpkins, but I could not get my knife into Mark's pumpkin.  I had John try and he got the knife in but could not get it back out.  Mark took off with his pumpkin and came back with a chisel wedged deep inside the pumpkin.  Great. Now we had a knife and a chisel stuck in the mini pumpkin!  After a few wiggles and a few curses (by dad) we were able to free the tools.  The pumpkin got microwaved for a few minutes in attempt to make it softer.  We failed miserably.  That was apparently the limit to John's patience.  Next thing I knew he and Mark were in the Garage with the pumpkin clamped into the vise cutting through the pumpkin with the jigsaw.  I have to say while I have never see that particular approach to pumpkin carving, it was effective. And for a 14 year-old boy, it was AWESOME!

Jack and Emma took the more traditional approach and  used patterns and hand carving tools.  Mark and Dad's more untraditional approach still yielded a great jack-o-lanturn.

For those of you who want to see the pumpkin project for yourselves Mark got every bit of it on video.

Halloween Quilt!

 I submitted my Halloween quilt in the Quilting Gallery's Weekly Themed Quilt contest.   If you haven't already guessed this weeks theme is Halloween Quilts.  Head over and be inspired by other Halloween Quilts and Vote for me!



http://quiltinggallery.com/2011/10/28/vote-now-halloween-quilts/

B.C. vs. A.D.

Of all three of my kids, my middle child teases me the most.  He is quick witted with a great sense of humor.  Don't get me wrong, the teasing goes both ways.  We banter and jab at one another in good clean fun, which usually leaves us both giggling by the end.

 The other day he asked me what school was like when I was little.  I told him about checking out library books with out computers and bar codes.  I talked about the typing lab, not computer lab and we discussed the lack of cell phone and texting.  "How did we manage back then?" he wanted to know.  "Were you born in the dark ages?"  he asked jokingly.  "I mean you did have electricity back then? Right?" I said yes, that was AD not BC.  He joked and said, "I think you were born BC.  Before Computers"  He giggled and laughed himself silly at his own joke.  Then he proceeded and said,  "I guess that would make today, AD... After Digital."

Confession

Hi. I'm Kristin and I have a confession.  I hate binding quilts.  Okay, maybe hate is too strong of a word.  Strongly dislike perhaps would be better.  You see here is the thing.  I love the creative aspect of quilting.  The ideas that simmer just under the surface.  The ideas that have you waking in the middle of the night saying, "That's IT!"  The Ah-Ha! moment.  I love having the process unfold before me.  Watching my ideas come to life before my eyes is miraculous.

Binding a quilt holds none of this.  Binding a quilt is tedious, monotonous work best left for in front of the TV or sitting at a soccer game.  Somewhere, anywhere, where I am able to focus on something other than binding.  How much allure does repeatedly stabbing yourself in the finger, palm, leg really hold?  Truth be told I would much rather hand quilt than bind. (wait did I just say that OUT LOUD?)  At least hand quilting is creative. Binding, not so much.

Secretly, I have 2 of the 3 quilts bound AND put up for sale in my etsy shop. I had to take a break.  Enough is Enough.

I sat down and sewed up these 2 little baskets.  I used only scraps I had and I think the recipients will love them. This is a pattern from the Pink Penguin. One I have used before and return to often.

Unfortunately, since they now are finished, this means I have "time" I could be using to bind my last quilt. Wait what's that?  I think I hear my mom calling.

In a bind.

In the past 3 weeks I have pieced and quilted these three quilts.  I have yet to get around to binding them.  I am really pleased with the quilting.  The two OSU Quilts will be going into my etsy shop. The other, Jean's Diamonds will be going to my mom.

I quilted leaves and flowers over the surface of this quilt.  I tried to center the flowers over the diamonds. The quilt need movement.  As hesitant as I was to start the quilting, in the end it turned out great!

I added interest to the back, even though it will be a wall hanging. I love the strip of diamonds added to the back.

This quilt really stumped me for a while.  I had no pattern or real idea of what I wanted, I just started cutting and sewing.  I had a hard time deciding what size to make it.  Finally, I asked my son and he said, "It's the perfect size for a baby."  Indeed it was.  And what goes perfect for baby quilts.  Minkee!  I added a minkee backing and TA-DA.  I only wish I had known what a mess the Minkee pile makes when cut.  I had red fuzzies everywhere, still do.

I have limited experience with Minkee, so just to be safe I just meandered this quilt.  But let me tell you, it is so cuddly!  Everyone at my house is trying to claim this as theirs!

The finally quilt is one that I planned. (shocker, isn't it!)  It is a pretty straight forward OSU quilt.  I jazzed it up a little with the quilting.  I used stippling, my OHIO loops, leaves and vines and hook paisley.  I think this will keep someone nice and warm at a tailgating party!

Now if I can only get a few minutes to sit and bind.

Bragging Rights

Here is my daughter (229) and her friends prior to her one mile run with the High School Cross Country Team.

You heard me, My Daughter.  Me.  The person who cannot go up to the mailbox and back without driving.  Don't get me wrong, back in my "athletic period"  I could run.  Okay, I would sprint.  Some of us are built for long distance, while others quite clearly are not.  I have friends who run.  I look at them and I am amazed.  Not just amazed but inspired to do so.  So I tried it.  And for a while, I ran.  Not a 10K or 5K or even a mile,  yet I was trying.  And then...I had a groin strain.  Not a comfy thing.  I iced my groin"( not fun) took meds and limped for a week. Thus ended my running career.

My Daughter IS a runner.  And she is amazing.  I am so in awe of her talent for running. She started running 5Ks at 6, yes as in 6 years old.  She loves to run.  She likes to win but she loves to run and it is AWESOME!  I am so proud and blissfully happy for her.  You go girl!

Sweater weather

Last week the Family and I took off for our annual camping adventure.  We, John and I used to camp more frequently, and then we had kids.  As many of you know kids come with stuff, lots of stuff.  Now when we camp we have 3 tents and 3 kids, a dog and 2 cars to haul it all in.  Camping is still an adventure, and the kids love it.  They look forward to our camping weekend every year.

This year we camped in Poinesett  State Park here in SC.  It was a beautiful park, with a pond for canoeing, hiking trails and beautiful campsites filled with large trees that held tons of Spanish moss.

The we hiked, canoed, fished, sat around the campfire, played horseshoes and ate a ton of smores. Yummy.

While out and enjoying the cooler weather, I finished this baby sweater.  Yes, I finally broke down and just ordered the darn toggle buttons.

I also knit up this adorable little shrug.   It is so fluffy.  My intent was for it to be for Emma, sadly I hardly ever check my gauge and thus it did not fit.  :(  So it will have to be for someone a bit smaller:)

I used this pattern or here. It was quick and simple.