Saturday, October 31, 2009

Before Halloween Fades Away

Well, it's officially Halloween tonight.

I want to wish all of you, dear and freakish friends, a very scary night and a frolicking one, as well. I plan to hold up in my bed reading "Vampire Darcy's Desires," as we have no little Halloweeners in our community, sadly, ...55 and older...you know. But, I am probably well "spent" after the rush to get things to my little grands this year. In addition to the boys' quilts, my grandgirls received Halloween trinkets and books, so they all were treated by Grammie and Grampie. Actually, we aren't your creepy, satanic type Halloweeners...just kindly, homemade baby 'treaters. :]
Above is Kellan's Quilt finished. This is the front side. The spooky house is the back side. I love how this one came out. It was mailed off a few days ago so I hope he gets it today ... or Monday at the latest.


Some beanie bags! Stuffed with Grampie's lentils... :} Wouldn't it be great if Grammie could take better pictures??

Here's a close up of one of my roses planted by DH. It is soooo fragrant that the whole back yard is perfumed by it. I hope it's not the last of the roses for the season! We tend to have a very long growing season because of our sunny, warm climate all year. I just love this rose. :]


Now.....it's on to Thanksgiving and Christmas for us all. I look forward to seeing all of your wonderful stitching. I'm going to try just to catch up on my WIPs and to start my little grandgirls' Christmas quilts. There will be 3 of those: Hadley, Ella and Amelia.
Thank you all for following me throughout Halloween. It's been fun. Congratulations to all of you who won in Missy Ann's Giveaway, and in Kathie's, and in Pumpkin Patch! Wasn't that fun!? (Well, for some of us, anyway... :l) LOL
Love and hugs,
Deb

Friday, October 30, 2009

Missy's Giveaway is Drawing Nigh/Neigh/Ni/Near


Go forth, dear stitchey and witchey friends, to the land of Missy Ann and don't miss her fabulous Halloween Giveaway. Once and for all, you have to try to win one of her ghoulishly gorgeous prizes. This is the Halloween giveaway of the century! Truly, she's made the gosh darndest treats of crafting you've ever seen...they are amazingly fun and darling. (I'm not kidding)
Let me be your channel and direct you there: http://www.deepinsidemissy.com/ This may be your last chance and it's been such a hoot!!
I'm here to tell you that our friend, Sharon, of Daffycat, had the audacity to bump me out of the Crafty Cauldron so she could get Missy's last prize...you have to go to her blog to see part of the gift. I was shocked that Sharon would betray me like Queenie did yesterday...but, of course, they have no shame. ;{ They both flaunted their "thanks" on their blogs. Sigh.
I guess I have to forgive them and to wish them both joy in their wins, but as I told Missy Ann... that stinkin' Cursed, Crafty little Cauldron needs a kick in it's black-bottomed little heart to mix up the rest of us still floating in there!! And, so certain, special personages of us will rise to the top...no names in particular, you understand.
In humility I remain your fast fading, witch-stitchey friend,
Deb
PS: Please go down to my Oct. 28th entry to find more Giveaway information on Pumpkin Patch and Kathies Blogaversary! You have to hit those too!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Patti and Missy's Giveaway

What!!??? Patti (we all know who she is...see side bar for Tapestry of Dreams) won Missy's Giveaway prize yesterday! Well, that little witch! She and I were battling it out over comments and I can't believe the Fates made this misstep. They had to have mixed our names up in the Cauldron of Cast Spells. All I can say is, "Congratulations, Queenie, the best witch may have won this time, but another one will live to triumph again!"

Do check out Missy's Giveaway for yourselves at http://www.deepinsidemissy.com/. Missy is an incredible crafter. I can't imagine how she's gotten all these gifts finished for her Giveaway. (And, I'm not "suckin' up," Queenie! :P) Sigh.....

You know it's only 3 days 'til Halloween. Isn't it sad?? :[

If you've won any Giveaways in the past month would you please leave me a comment and tell us what you won? I may as well chalk all of them up to a malfunction of my Cauldron Ckeeper.

Your giftless and witchless, wistful friend,
Deb

PS: Please see the Giveaways I've listed below, as well. "Pumpkin Patch" and Kathy's Blogaversay... these are wonderful and generous ladies whose blogs are both inspirational and good fun to read.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Pumpkin Patch and Blogaversary Giveaways!!


Oh, bother...as Pooh would say...I have one more thing to tell you today. Please don't forget to check out Pumpkin Patch Primitive Quilt Shoppe's Fabulous Giveaway happening on Saturday, October 31st! Go see the Fat Quarters Prize at http://pumpkinpatchprimitivequiltshoppe.blogspot.com/ . Do yourself a big favor, quilting friends, please go see this blog for the amazing prizes. She's also including a $100 gift certificate to her shop! And, you would do me a big favor if you'd mention you heard it from me! :]



Can you believe what a wild ride this Halloween time has been!? I just don't know how the rest of the world lives without it! :B

Halloween howls from your non-pagan friend,

Deborah
PS: Last, but far from least, Kathy is having a Thank You Blogaversary Giveaway for Oct., as well. She's such a darling. You have to go see her at: http://kathystitchcomments.blogspot.com/
Good luck everyone....although, Queenie (Patti) will tell you I'm a very witchey friend at the moment and may not be sincere about that... :P

Skype: Do yourself a favor and get it!!

Thanks to all your comments below, dear friends. In answer to your questions, yes! I do have Skype and this past weekend my children finally got "hooked up" and I was able to see and talk to them. It is an awesome thing to have if you don't already have it with your computer.

Please let me know if you do, so we can call eachother sometime! And, those of you who don't have Skype or don't know what we're talking about....Quick!! Go get hooked up!! :]

Hugs and thanks for the sweet comments below, Your Halloweenish and Haggish fiend - I mean, friend, Deb


PS: Let us not forget Missy's ghoulish giveaway once again http://www.deepinsidemissy.com . I'm living in torture about the whole thing, myself. Her darling things give me daily hibbie gibbies..... :L

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Of Books, Bats and Blanking-Out

Remember these fun with kids Fall days? I wish I were there with Kellan and DD while they had fun this past weekend. Kellan loves baseballs, basketballs and footballs!

Shaking fingers with Mr. Skelaton! He's not quite sure if the old guy is real or not!
Kellan was not letting go of his pumpkin! "Oh, I'll take that, thank you!"
Below: The before as Cap'n Spooky is ready to leave home to go to his school's "Trunk or Treat" Fall Festival. They make Halloween a safe and fun time for the children. Kellan's got his squishy frog all ready.
And, finally, two of my very favorite people...DD, Jessica and my grandson, Kellan, as his school's Halloween Fall Festival draws to an end. His favorite candy was a lollipop which he got all over himself, his tv chair, his daddy, and his mom. All's well that ends well....
Books:
My newest reads are: "Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation," which is so thoroughly entertaining I wish I could send it to all of you! My face is surely glowing with delight, and I know I'm smiling through chapter after chapter as I read. Not so much for the vampirish details, but for how easily each piece fits into the mysteries of Darcy in the original Pride & Prejudice. The author, Regina Jeffers, is a teacher and specialist on Jane Austen, which makes this book heads and shoulders above other adaptations, I think. I'm loving it!!
"The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf," by Stephanie Barron. We know S. Barron as the author of those Jane Austen mysteries that have been so popular such as; "Jane and the Ghost of Netley." She is also the author of, "Flaw in the Blood." I can't wait to read this new book of Barron's, because she never fails to produce good writing and a wonderful story.
Other exciting bookish news! Anne Rice has a new book coming out this week called "Angels..." not quite sure of the whole title. The reviews say her Lestat readers will be happy to know she's returned more to her old style of writing. I'm sooo happy about that. I'm such a Vampire and Mayfair Witches fan. :F
Also, my other very favorite author, Joyce Carol Oates has a new book out called, "Little Bird of Heaven."
I've downloaded all of the above books to my Kindle, "Stella," and I'm reading like a maniac and blanking out the real world. Afterall, it is Halloween and one can not be expected to act rationally. I've been staying up late reading, getting up early to work on Kellan's quilt and reading, and reading....my eyes are stinging and stinging!
Now I have wild, stringy hair and blood shot eyes! Are you starting to get the picture here???
Please leave any comments you may to bring me back to reality! With hugs from beyond, Deb

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Halloweenie Beanie Bag


Cyn asked for a picture of one of my beanie bags for the grandchildren. Boy, Cyn, you caught me just in time! I had already sent them off and given nearly the last of them to my sons. I had only this one left for little Ella that her daddy is picking up for her this afternoon! It's the sqare piece that has tiny ghosts and pumpkins on in, backed with grey. Hard to see how "full of beans" it is. LOL I used lentils because of the softness for the babies. I don't expect these to last very long, or I probably would have used a hardier bean like navy beans. But, the lentils were just the lightness and softness I wanted for them...wouldn't hurt them if they landed on their little heads! :]
You can also see that someone got into the Halloween M&M with almonds... :P Just wanted you all to see the slim pickin's that were left....by this selfish little elfin being. The nerve!
You may have seen my Halloween smallies here that I hope to make into fobs...someday...maybe this year. If any of you get one it will be a miracle this year because of all the quilting I've had to do. Maybe next year....
Check out Georgie's darling Halloween decorations (see her blog addy on my side bar). And please don't forget about Missy's (see side bar) Gigantic Giveaway!
Hugs, Deb

Friday, October 23, 2009

Kellan's Halloween Quilt


Yay!! As you can see, I've at least gotten the topper finished. I'm hoping to get this mailed out on Saturday. My little grandgirl, Ella, and her daddy and mommy are coming to Naples to see Grammie this weekend...so I have to stitch fast today!! :P
Here's what the back will look like. I still need to sew today! Jessica picked this center panel out last year, and she cut out all the 6 1/2 in. squares for it, too. Making it easy for Grammie to put together in the long run!
I'm so psyched/psycho to have gotten my two grandson quilts, and grandgirl beanie bags completed for Halloween...plus my RRs! Who knew I could be so productive? Don't ask if you can see a picture of me and my hair, though. I could qualify for the scariest Grammie in the State for Halloween! EEK!!
Hugs and whoops! Deb

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Missy's Giveaway! Nearly Forgot & RAK

Look above at my darling RAK from Anne of Feather Stitching (see my side bar). Anne was my very first friend when I started blogging a few years ago. She's a special friend. Thank you so much, Anne. The darling scissors fob goes perfectly with my flowerpot scissors.


Don't forget Missy's giveaway at: http://deepinsidemissy.blogspot.com/ And, here's her cute little box, too. Go there or be (you know) square!
Please see my blog below for my biggest entry of the day!

Halloweenie Quilt, RR, and Stash!

My grandson, Jack's, (pictured waving in my earlier post) Halloween lap quilt!! I have just 2 sides left to border and it's off in the mail today for his 2nd birthday. I hope he'll like it. It's going to be the first Halloween he understands, I think. Still needs pressing, as you can see. And, I have to get on to making Kellan's quilt now. The little grandgirls are only getting bean bags this year. Next year will be their turns for the Halloween laps.

This has been so rewarding to do. If anyone wants directions, please just email me.... :]
The center panel. You can really see my ties here. I used yellow DMC Perle Cotton in #5. Quilt is still wrinkley...haven't pressed it yet.

The back is covered with flannel ghosties. LOL
Here, below is my finished part on Edgar's piece for our "Emblem of Love Quaker Sampler," RR. I've done the two medallions: bird in tree and swan with willow. Isn't Edgar's color palette awesome? I'm mailing it off today!

Stash bash! I've been collecting these for about a month. The holiday charts are calling to me first...but I have "miles to go before" I can pick them up! Halloween is still nipping at my heels!
Have a ghostly and goulish Halloween in the makes, dear fiendish friends. I'm frantically working on my sewing machine and final stitches on other RRs!!
Hugs,
Deb

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Missy's Big Giveaway!

Have all of you checked out Missy's big "13 Days of Halloween" giveaway@deepinsidemissy.com ? It's huge....go there! :] Happy pre-Halloween! Deb

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Big Head, Little Dog

I just wanted to share this picture with you of my DH and our Clara. DH has written some children's books about "Grampy and Clara," which are just darling, and I'm so proud of him. Anthony and Clara do get into so much trouble together and into odd adventures, it's hilarious! Anyway, here's a picture of the two of them looking absolutely "normal," in Key West.

Oh, my Goodness, you all can make a girl's head swim!! Thank you so much for all your comments on my darling little grand, Jack. I think he's awesome, too! :] And, I appreciate your kind compliments on my beading..it's so easy and so quick, you all need to learn, honestly! You've made my week.
A follow-up note on Elaine & Quilt: She's taken it to chemo with her and reports that it's getting compliments on its beauty. One of the nurses asked her about it and told her it was beautiful and she told him the story behind it...he said, "That makes it doublely beautiful!" She feels surrounded by our prayers and thoughts that uplift her and keep her heart going. You are all good friends to keep her in mind... whenever or wherever she pops into your mind, just say a little moment's prayer for her. She needs us now. I think she said they are cutting back this (possibly final) chemo because she is having a problem with her blood counts.
Keep on stitching! I am! I'm up against deadlines with my RRs. And, I'm still hoping to finish those little lap quilts for grands before Halloween!
Hugs to you, dear stitching friends,
Deb


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Stitch and That...

Below are pictures of the beading I'm doing with Elaine and Darlene. We took a beading class, I think I already told you....and we've been making bracelets! This is my beading chaotic tray. The first pic. is of some different clasps I'm going to use, and a wonderful glass, vintage button that I plan to sew in as a centerpiece of one of my bracelets.
This pic above is of my finished (first) bracelet at the top, and some of those gorgeous vintage glass buttons I spoke about that I plan to use as centerpieces in future plain peyote bracelets.


This above is just another view of my beading tray. There are more clasps in the packets, and more beads that are future bracelets or necklaces.

Closest to you is a new bracelet I'm making using another color theme. I don't know why the sparking beads and the bright silvers aren't showing up in these pictures!! Can you just imagine them???? My first bracelet isn't just grey and white....it's blue greys, and sparkling silvers with irridescent greys. Oh, well.... This second bracelet also has sparkling beads along with silver and flat colored beads in a plum color theme.
Better close up below.
Close up of first bracelet with clasp, which I love.


Here's a pic of my other little grandson, Jack. (I mean other than Kellan) He's waving "hi!" Isn't he the nuts?!! My youngest son, David, and Jack, and Mommy, Adrianne, live in NV. I haven't been able to see him since he was a baby....he's soon to be 2 years old. Jack will be getting the "Bats..." pillow for Halloween! Okay, bragging grammie will stop now... :P

My current progress on "Beatrix Potter...Ackworth Sampler." I wish I were making more progress, but I'm spreading myself around with 4 other RRs and SALs. I really like it that way because of the diversity of stitching. "Beatrix..." is awesome, though, no matter how you color her.

Fresh from Market, I purchased:

CHS's "Christmas at HRH"
Blue Ribbon's "A Sampling in the Square"
Cricket's "The Great Pumpkin Conspiracy"
Primitive Needle's "Tombstone Spots"
Mirabilia's "Sweetpea.." and replaced lost "Mermaid of the Pearls
and
Kelmscott's new Rose scissors
and "Adam & Eve" needleholder
I know you all know what these all are, so I won't picture them. :]
Now, to quote Eva Perone of South America...."Have I said too much??....well, it's all true...! Don't cry for me Argentina!"
I love you all! Deb PS: If you don't leave comments, I'll never know you're there...:[

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sew Red, So Key West, and Sew Halloween



See above my happy finish of Carol R's (see her blog addy on my sidebar) "Sew Red." I just adore Carol...we've been friends for a while, and I was happy that she's started designing some little quakers of her own. You can get this chart free on her blog. She's also designing a "Sew Blue." I've made this one for my daughter, Jessica, for Christmas...to be framed, and personalized it with my initials. It's also been highlighted with her initials, her baby son's initials and his birthdate, as well as a family number that's special to us. I loved working this one for Carol and Jessica!
Really can't believe I bought this newest Diana Gabaldon. I'm a fly-by-night fan of hers, but this one looked so good, and there's been nothing like it in reading recently. I've read the first couple of chapters, and, holy moley, I do like it! I like it along with Pomegranet and rose petal tea and short bread bisquits..... :]
It's all about Halloween around here! The above picture is of my new start on the batty, "Bats in flight spOOky night," pillow. The on below is my little pumpkin guy. That is the first of my smallie pillows for my sweet little grands. So quick and easy that I hardly knew I stitched it! Here's a picture, below, of my Kaffe Fasset stash from Key West along with a new book about using them and the jelly rolls below. DH and I made a quick trip to Key West week before last and had a wonderful time on the beach, seeing a cruise ship, walking about, seeing some shops (buying some small things), and looking through Mel Fisher's Treasure Ship finds from the sunken Spanish Galleon ship wrecked the coast of Key West. Phew!! Those are the pictures at the start of my blog.... Oh, boy!!
In particular, I raked in the above quilting jelly rolls, an old book biography about Charlotte Bronte, and a great Kaffe Fasset quilt pack, too. Oh, and also a sweet laying tool with crystal topper in greens and ambers and smoky saworovski (sp) crystals, and that cute little bee measuring tape we see for sale from Nordic Needle. So much for my happy trip!! :]
Well!!! Happy week you princesses of patterns, you sisters of stitching!
Hugs and love, your friend,
Deb

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Elaine's Note




Elaine has seen her quilt and loves it. I've been away so have delayed the process, but I took the quilt to show her. I just have the binding to finish today. She had tears in her eyes when she saw it and she loves the tied style, she said, better than the design quilting style. I chose that method to give the quilt a softer feel. It also has a fairly thin layer of batting so she can easily fold it to take with her to chemo.


Elaine is doing well at this time, and is continuing with her chemo. We found a couple of weeks ago that the cancer has advanced despite her chemo treatments...but she continues on like the very brave and beautiful spirit that she is. I wish each of you could know her in person. She is a wonderful friend to me and our other dear friend, Darlene. Actually, Elaine and Darlene have been friends since they were young girls...they have a close "sister" relationship. I don't know why they let me in several years ago!


Here is Elaine's note to all of you who lovingly contributed to Elaine's Quilt, who pray for her, and who think of her, who have sent cards, etc...


"I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and of course all the beautiful fabric. I can't begin to tell you all how touched I was.

Deborah is in the rocess of making me what I am sure will be the most beautiful quilt and the most special, since it is being made with love and wonderful wishes from all of you.


Deborah is one of my dearest friends (more like a sister) and has been with me throughout my journey. I am so lucky to have her in my corner, I don't know what I would have done without her. She is such a special lady; I can only hoe that everyone is lucky enough to have a Deborah in their life.


Thank you all again for your prayers and good wishes, I am very touched.

With love. Elaine