November? I'm still trying to work my way through October! This probably accounts for my lack of posts. Lots of volleyball games and various other kid-related obligations has kept me away from my blog and my sewing machine. I sure hope November will be different.
There was a BIG birthday this past month. Cassidy, daughter #2 turned 13. Yes, I am now the proud mama to 3 teenagers (God, help me) and 2 ten year olds. Where does the time go? This little sweetie was voted best all around player of her volleyball team during the end of season team dinner. You should see her serve. . .oh, my!
I did manage a bit of sewing. I finished my Disappearing 9-patch quilt top. I deviated from my initial plan deciding against the raw silk, but kept with the linen. I also added the flying geese border to dress it up a bit. I love this fabric, Rouenneries, it definitely makes my favorite collections list.
Let's not forget a bit of Halloween fun! Bethany wanted to be a veterinarian~not very scary, but everyone thought she was cute and at once house, the kitties followed her out of the house and down the path~animals know a good heart when they see one!
Oh, and my ninja boy, Colby! Again, not very scary, but he did a little ninja warrior demonstration for several people. Grandma thought he looked more like a cat burglar. . .nice.
Here's a UFO I completed in October. Well, almost~it needs to be quilted. It's a giant, so off to the long arm gal it goes. The colors are more subtle than they appear. The fabrics are from a 3 Sister's line~Maison de Noel. Our lovely sunny weather hardly lends itself to the appeal of a Christmas quilt.
We had one good rain here 3 weeks ago, and sunny 80° days ever since. It has my lilies confused.
Evidently, it has some of the wildflowers confused, as well. The hibiscus has new blooms too and we're still picking tomatoes.
Happy November, everyone!
This might also be cute as a hair band.
Another finish! I need to thank Jacquie for her motivation. Each day I plug away at the "Need to Finish" pile. Binding takes me forever, it's the OCD in me; I want all the stitches to be uniform~like anyone's going to check. This is the quilt for Lisa. Lisa is Colby's aide in school. She is an unbelievable human being with more kindness, patience and dedication than anyone I've ever known. She loves my son, and for this I'm eternally grateful. Her birthday falls on Christmas, so I wanted her quilt to shout "Happy Birthday!" without a trace of "Merry Christmas!" I hope she enjoys it.
These little Friendship Bags are so addicting! It's a good thing, I'm making quite a few for the kids to give to the secretaries at their schools and their teachers. The kids will make something yummy to fill them with. Christmas is so much more fun when it's homemade. 
Speaking of homemade here is my version of carrot cake~cream cheese frosting and all. Hayley insists on taking pictures of every baked good that passes through the kitchen~which is a lot. I made this to go along with the traditional pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. It was a hit! 
Well, I've gone ahead and jumped on Jacquie's Joy In The New Year Challenge ~ I've listed the projects in my sidebar to help keep me motivated and it'll be fun to remove them as they're completed. I'm starting with these three; they each need binding. The top quilt needs binding and to be washed by November 23rd~it's heading down to the pediatrics department of Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento. The next, is a birthday gift for Colby's instructional aide, Lisa. She is a miracle in her own right~she deserves a whole houseful of quilts! The 3rd quilt just needs to be finished, the girls are using it without a binding, just a little embarrassing. 
In the midst of my sewing projects I'm finding time for my favorite Fall activity~baking. Each year we do gift baskets for our relatives and close friends for the holidays; they're filled with homemade goodies from the kitchen~banana bread (yep, that's it up there), cookies, candies, spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. All that's left of this loaf is one piece, the fab five and husband dear devoured it this morning.
I was in need of a quick and simple project; so I went with Rachel's Friendship Bag. What a great tutorial and a fun little bag. This one will go to HRQ as a store sample. The shop is fast becoming filled with holiday projects~the twinkly lights are already strung and illuminate at night~very festive.
I stitched a really fun little leaf motif along the straps. I used strips from a Honeybun~a wonderful Moda invention~for this bag. There are many more of these in my future. Simple~Quick~Cute.
