"This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween..."

The Zombie quilt is coming along just dandy. I finally decided this odd design 'feels' like it belongs here. I snuck in a few good hours this morning, and plunged into the project. It'll be done by evening for my Zombie lover.

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

Two days left 'til All Hallow's Eve! Don the costumes! Buy the candy!

If you were a good parent, and you had a child who was creeped out by Zombies, Zombie movies, and everything to do with Zombies, what would you do? 

Forgive me now. Or hate me. Meh. Either way, I made him a Zombie quilt. Let me justify this by saying he was nearly 21 at the time I started it, okay? The prints were adorable, and I knew I had to make this quilt. Maybe it would help desensitize him along the way. 

Modern Improv Top Assembled

There's that defining moment when you sew the very last seam, and flip that top open to see what you hope is a beautiful piece of work. Your heart almost stops, and your breath is shallow. I looked. It was good. I hurried upstairs to show my husband, and he said, "That's nice. Is it supposed to look like that?" No, there was no ball game on, and I had woken him up. He was just tired from working on the barn, and I forgave him. But, what was really spectacular was the way the afternoon sun was shining through the quilt, and I said, "Yes! Isn't that neat?"

Brights, Camera, Action!

Do you have a good friend who will give you honest feedback? (If you ask her if your derriere looks big in something, will she tell you the truth?) My mother-in-law is not a good liar, and she is very nice--so she tries hard to pad the truth. Sometimes she'll fudge it a little, but with enough coffee and chocolate I usually get a pretty good read--even with my wild stuff. She'll hem and haw, but I'll keep rearranging until she says it's better than the last one, and I take that as good.

Meet Up at Jo-Ann's. New Towne Mall, Nov. 4th from 6-8:30 p.m.

Currently serving as a storage room, but ready in a flash.

Several local people have expressed to me their desire to have a meet-up. They want to meet other quilters, knitters, etc., and desire something without 'strings attached'--pun intended. In other words, they don't want the commitment of formally joining a guild just now, or taking a class. They just want to do their thing in the company of others, trade ideas, and share some time. Friends, let me announce, we have a Meet Up location and date planned. Woo-hoo!

Deconstructivism

 Yesterday's deconstruction project started on the barn.

What's It All About, Julie?

Happy Wednesday, a.k.a. Hump Day!

What a great week so far! I woke to freshly baked gluten-free pumpkin muffins thanks to a nocturnal teenager. The rain should be taking a break, and we might get a chance to be outside today. The barn is coming down piece by piece this week. The concrete panels are being poured every day, and showing up on site. And yesterday, I spent the day with a good friend. It doesn't get much better than this.

Weekend Recap and Wonky Blocks

I woke up this morning, and took a look at the house. Whoa.
What happened here, and where did the weekend go?

The Autumn Blues-- and Greys, Pinks, Limes, and Citrus

8:40 a.m. and the outside lights haven't turned off yet.

Fall brings grey skies with little sun. We have lots of rainy days here. The plants look tired, and darkness creeps in from both edges of our day. Some of us embrace the change, and some of us are prone to seasonal melancholy. It sneaks up on us. I had a moment the other day when I was thinking of my brother whom we lost a couple years ago. It blind-sided me from out of the blue while I was driving, and I remembered what someone told me along these lines:

If you find yourself caught by the current, breathe slowly, and don't fight it. Swim with it. You will float, and come to shore on your own.

My 'Katie Jump Rope'

This is my interpretation of the Katie Jump Rope pattern. When I first starting back into quilting a year ago, I saw this pattern on the FreeSpirit website, and loved the pattern done with the depression era prints. Most of the fabrics were unavailable then, and I wasn't fully vested in quilting yet. I searched through what stash I had on hand, and filled it out with inexpensive fat quarters from the local fabric and craft store. I bought an acrylic tumbler template from Missouri Quilt Co., and this top came together in just an afternoon. It was close enough to make me very excited.