WIP Wednesday #16

Okay, WIP is gonna be a little different today, because while I'm diligently working and am trying to make progress, I'm still having some tension issues like I mentioned in my last post...

So, who can help me with this??

WHAT IS UP WITH MY THREAD????

I've changed needles, thread, tensions, feet, etc...  I'm not sure why my thread tension is so tight that it's ruining the thread.  I believe it's tight between the first tension disks and where you loop back up to thread the loop that moves up and down when you sew.  I know, I know, technical terms.  But all machines are different and I just know that every machine I've ever sewn on has tension disks and a loop that goes up and down with the needle.

So, who's got suggestions?

Here's how it's looking overall.  If I could get the tension issue worked out, I'd be done.  FMQ came back to me easily enough, but my thread keeps breaking when I get in a good rhythm.  AAAAHHHHH.

On a happier note, I've also made progress on my mitten(s).  I knitted during Emma's dance class this week.  There were 4 parents/grandmas in there.  One Grandma was crocheting, one Mom was hand-sewing.  I was knitting and the lone Dad was on his phone searching the net or something.  Poor guy!  ;)  It did make me laugh though.

 

So, that's my contribution to WIP Wednesday today.  Go over and check out Lee's progress and all the lovely ladies that link up there.  And please, offer any suggestion you've got about my tension.  Because my machine is causing me tension too!! 

Giveaway Winners!!

  I was so excited to see that so many of y'all came over and said hi during the giveaway!  I mean, between both prizes we had 85 entries!!!  WOW!  I couldn't believe it.  A big thank you to everyone who became a follower.  It means a lot to me, really.  Emma likes to always have more followers than me (on her imaginary fashion blog that she runs), so whenever I'd tell Chris how many I had, she had about 100 more.  She must have had an AWESOME giveaway on her blog...Once she told me she was up to 1100 followers.  Oh to be 7 again!

Anyway, onto the goodies...
I did use random.org, but I don't know how to do a screen capture, so bear with me...
GIVEAWAY 1:  IT'S A HOOT CHARM PACK
    goes to:   MaryAnne who is a long-time follower and LOVES peach cobbler which I also share a soft spot for!

GIVEAWAY 2:  $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO CONNECTINGTHREADS.COM
    goes to:  Gayle Himmelwright who said she has a healthy apple crisp recipe and is also a follower.  Healthy dessert...I'm all for it!
  **Edited to add, Gayle, you are a no-reply blogger!  Please email me so I can get you your prize!**

I wish I had a little money tree in the back yard so that I could get something special for each of you who entered.  It warmed my heart to see so many emails in my inbox!  I was just hoping a few people would enter.  I'm blown away by the response.  Of course, if I had a money tree in the backyard, I'd need a bigger sewing room to store all my stash too!!!

I was surpised to see how many of you LOVE apple crisp or crumble.  But, all of the goodies you mentioned sounded so good.  I'm going to have to start running a few more days a week to be able to try them all this fall. Mindy said she had a DELICIOUS recipe for apple crisp, and she was right.  We made it Saturday night and both kids asked for seconds!

I also spent some time this weekend getting my Fall Pops top quilted.  I decided on a loopy free motion because I haven't FMQed in a LONG time and never on my new machine (which I got in January, so that tells you something...)  I'm having some tension issues causing the top thread to break and would welcome any suggestions on that front, but otherwise, it's coming back to me.  I'm very rusty and my loops are nowhere near perfect, but it's not so bad.  Chris says it looks good, and as I told my friend Debbie, a imperfect quilt on our couch to cuddle with is better than a quilt top waiting for perfection in my WIP basket, right?  I"m halfway through...Emma's already called dibs on who gets to snuggle in it first.  Ahhh, just another  reason I love quilting!

Sorry for the wierd coloring.  We've had nonstop rain here for like 15 hours straight!!

Thanks again to everyone who visits here and takes time out of your day to share with me.  I'm so glad you're here.

I'm in Love (with my quilt blocks!)

***Don't forget to enter the giveaways if you haven't yet!!  Click here.***

FINALLY!  I finished up my 2 blocks for the first month of do. Good Stitches.  I mentioned the other day that Ronit requested we each make 2 of this awesome block in a fall color scheme.

via here

I chose these fabrics:

 And turned them into these beauties!!

This is before trimming as you can see some edges are uneven and there are threads hanging.  I couldn't wait to take them outside to photograph!

  She said she wanted scrappy and it would be cool if any of us wanted to do a reverse or a solid color or anything just a little bit different.  I took the challenge and made one like the original and made one in a reverse color scheme.  I severely doubted myself throughout the process, especially with the reverse.  There's so many little triangles it's hard to see the final product while you're making it.  But that is one reason I signed up with this group.  I wanted to challenge myself and try new things.  So I kept plugging.

But in the end....I LOVE them both!  This is a color scheme I would never have chosen for myself.  I've said it before--I love everything about fall, colors included, but they're not the colors I gravitate towards.  That said, I want to use my scraps to make a new pillow for my couch I love them so much.

I'm excited to see everyone's blocks and the final quilt.  Month 1 down...I can't wait to see what's next!

P.S.  Do you notice any errors in the two blocks above?  Because after I photographed them, I did!  The square second from the right in the top row on BOTH blocks is upside down!  Duh.  How did I miss that on both blocks!  haha  Oh well, a little time with a seam ripper never hurt me before...

P.P.S.  Thank you so much to everyone who has entered the giveaways and especially those of you who became new followers!  I never ask that anyone follow because I want you to stop in and read because you want to, so it means a lot that all of you wanted to come hang out with little ole me!  I can't believe I'm over 100 followers!  EEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Celebrate Fall with a Pumpkin Breakfast

Today is picture day at school.  I am hoping that my two made it to picture day still looking like they did when they bailed from the car this morning in the dropoff loop.  Because, man did the photography company want an arm and a leg for the most basic package.  I take a lot of pictures of my kids, but I mean, c'mon...you've gotta have all 13 of those posed pictures with the grayish background for the album, right??

   To help get them out the door in good spirits, I made one of our favorite fall breakfasts.  Spiced Pumpkin Waffles.  Maybe last year sometime I saw that Amy (from Angry Chicken fame) mentioned these delicious waffles she'd made and I had to try them.  You know, me with the freezer full of pumpkin and all...  So I did.  And the reaction--YUM!  The kids love them.  Chris is gone by the time the kids and I get up in the morning so he never eats breakfast with us during the week and he makes breakfast on the weekends, so I'm not sure if he's ever had any of my delicious pumpkin waffles, but he's missing out.  ;)

  The recipe is from Country Living.  Make these this weekend.  You'll be glad you did!  And just on a side note...these are also great served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and warm maple syrup or even caramel sauce for dessert...I'm just saying if you wanted to go that route...

photo via  Country Living

SPICED PUMPKIN WAFFLES
INGREDIENTS

  2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
  1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
  2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
  1 teaspoon(s) ginger
  1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
  1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground nutmeg
  1/4 teaspoon(s) cloves
  4  large eggs
  2 cup(s) buttermilk
  1 cup(s) pumpkin purée
  1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
  1/4 cup(s) (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

    

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat a waffle iron. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin purée, sugar, butter, and vanilla in another large bowl until smooth. While whisking, add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.
3. Generously coat the waffle iron with vegetable oil and cook the batter in the waffle iron as recommended in the manufacturer's instructions. Repeat with remaining batter.

Enjoy and have a very wonderful weekend!  Hopefully I'll check in with some real progress on my bee blocks and fall quilting...

WIP Wednesday #15

**DON'T FORGET ABOUT MY GIVEAWAYS!!  CLICK HERE.**  

  
Whew...just walked in the door...another long day.  But a good one.  I spent the day volunteering in Em's class then we headed to the "big city" for a Dr. appt, tux fitting and a trip into Justice in the mall for Emma.  Then we ran by JoAnn Fabrics because I needed thread, all before grabbing supper and heading home.  I'm tired just telling y'all!  But a day spent with my kiddos is a good day indeed.  The tux fitting was for Oren.  Since he's going to be the little Homecoming King so he has to wear a little tux.  He was so precious, I'm mad at myself for not snapping a quick pic of him in that tux jacket, khaki shorts and tennis shoes.

Completed Projects:
 --Nothing fully completed this week.  It's one of those weeks.  Oh well, life is good.  Life is a work in progress, right??

Works in Progress:

--Summer Sampler Quilt--I am determined to finish this bad boy so it doesn't end up down below in the UFO list.  I actually don't have much to go to finish the blocks.  I've got my next Evening Star block cut out and ready to rock.  I just need to find the time to rock it.  It'll get there...probably Friday.

--Fall Pops---I managed to iron and baste this guy.  I had some doubts on thread choice and that's what I got thread for today.  I'm going to spend some time tomorrow or Friday practicing my FMQ since it's been QUITE a while since I did anything big and then I'm all set to turn on some music and go.

This one is basted and ready to go in the morning. 

--Mittens--I took a few days off from these because honestly, I was so darn tired by the time I got the kids in bed I just vegged on the couch for an hour while we caught up on DVRed shows.  But, I've got the thumb of my right mitten made and am working up the fingers.  HOPEFULLY I'll be done with mitten 1 and moving on to mitten 2 by next week.

--do. Good Stitches--I've got my fabrics for this beauty all cut out and have some half-square triangles to get sewing.  :)  I am so excited about this one.  

--Gator Greek Crosses--I think I may just go ahead and cut the pieces for this one this weekend.  I can't stand to look at this beautiful pile anymore and am ready to get busy on it.

I have added in a few more oranges and blues and even a few greens.  CAN'T WAIT!!

  
Poor, lonely Unfinished Projects that have been cast aside:

--"Sent with Love" postage stamp quilt.  Just waiting on my swap blocks and this little lonely is making his way back to the WIP list!

--Mosaic Swap quilt.  Actually, I think this one needs one more row sewn on before I can quilt it.  But I haven't touched it in like 4 months, so I'm not sure on that one.  ;)

--My poor Sewing Room Sampler is getting moved to the UFO list.  I will finish it, but right now, it's taking a back seat to my other projects.  


  I've got tomorrow morning and most of Friday to sew this week, so I'm hoping to make BIG progress by the weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!  And as always, go check out Lee and all of the lovely quilters that link up! 

Celebrate with me and score some loot!

Small Town Stitcher is a year old today!!  I can't believe it.  Blogging really is so much fun.  I've learned so much and enjoyed making new friends in this wonderful online community in the past 12 months.  What I love most is the encouragement to keep on keeping on.  If I didn't have my blog and blog-friends, I know for a fact I wouldn't get as much done.  But knowing that I have to have something to post about and knowing that it will only happen if I make one of the million cool ideas I've found online or thought up a reality is what keeps me going.

a sample of the projects I made in the last year that are documented on this blog

I want to thank everybody who has supported me this year and read this blog and left comments.  I want to thank the other bloggers out there who support each other with linkup parties, quilt-alongs, sew-alongs, and tutorials.  I am so glad to have found this place where I can be creative and inspired.  :)

So...to thank everyone with more than just words, I've got a GIVEAWAY for y'all!  But, I actually decided to do two giveaways.  I love y'all that much!!  That and the fact that  I HATE having to jump through hoops to enter a giveaway.  I don't want to sign up to follow someone's blog just to win something if I wouldn't follow it anyway.  I don't do twitter and I hate clogging up my facebook to the point that I don't see my actual friends' posts.  Please understand, I'm not trying to be negative or say that I think people who require all of those things are wrong.  I think to each his own, and if it works for you, go for it.  But I have limited time online between my dialup connection and everything I do all day.  AND...I'm easily distracted, so I don't need anything else to use as an excuse for not getting the housework done!

BUT....I wanted to reward those of you who click the follow button and keep up with me.  It means a lot with all of the blogs out there that you want to read what I have to say.  When I started this blog I said I'd be happy to get to 25 readers.  And I'm up to 78!!  Wow!  It means so much to me when you out there take the time to press the follow button and even more when you leave a comment.  It's less of me talking to myself and the lonely internet, and more of a conversation between friends, right?

So, I decided to have 2 giveaways!  Giveaway 1 will be for non-hoop-jumpers like myself.  All you gotta do is leave a comment.  Giveaway 2 will be to reward followers, old and new.  So, enough chatter, let's get to the fun, right???

GIVEAWAY 1:
  This one is for a charm pack of It's a Hoot by Momo from Moda.  I LOVE this line and bought the charm pack awhile back, but haven't used it yet and I always think if you want to keep it, it's a good gift!  Just leave a comment at the end of this post.  But...let's make it interesting.  Leave me a comment on what your favorite fall dessert is.  I LOVE sweets, so lay some new goodies on me!

GIVEAWAY 2
   This prize is a $25 giveaway to Connecting Threads!  Have you shopped there?  I love it because their prices are reasonable and they are coming out with more and more cute fabric all the time.  Plus, they just had a fabric design contest that we're still crossing our fingers for Lee to win, so there'll be even more cute designs before long!  I've used both fabric and thread from them, and both were high quality.  Plus, I love that you can load up your cart a little more there with $25 since their prices are lower.  No, there's no Moda or other famous designers, but the fabrics are great and there's something for everyone.
   This giveaway is to reward my faithful followers, so to enter this one, just leave me a comment telling me you follow and you're all set.

So, one more time through the details and we're ready to play...Giveaway 1 requires a simple comment telling me your favorite fall dessert and you're entered to win the It's a Hoot charm pack.  Giveaway 2 requires you to be a follower (new or old) and leave a comment saying you are and you're entered to win the $25 gift certficate.  You can enter both giveaways, of course!!  And I'll close the giveaway one week from today, so you've got till noon (EST) on October 10 to enter!!   I'll let the random number generator (or my husband) choose, but I promise everyone's got an equal shot!  And no one is sponsoring this giveaway other than me. All prizes are courtesy of me and my choice in giving.  Now, if someone wants to start sponsoring giveaways on this blog, I'm all for sharing the goodies with you...

Thanks again for being here and going on this journey with me.  I can't wait to see where Year 2 takes us!

So glad to do. Good

Awhile back I filled out an application to become a member of the do. Good Stitches {Charity Quilting Bee}.  It's a group on flickr that's run by Rachel.  I got my group assignment last weekish and I am now a member of the Empower group!  We will be making quilts for an organization out of Detroit called Alternatives for Girls.  And October is our first month that we'll be stitching together.  I am so excited to join this group for lots of reasons. I get a chance to meet new quilters, make new and interesting blocks that I might not have chosen for myself, organize a quilt all on my own and then quilt it, AND use my skills and favorite hobby to help others in need.

  In each group there are sewers, and quilters.  Sewers are just responsible for sewing up the assigned blocks each month and sending them to the quilter-of-the-month.  Quilters also do that, but we have the added responsibility of taking turns being in charge of a month--meaning we'll take turns choosing the quilt block and colors for the quilt and let everyone know.  Then at the end of the month, when we've received all of the blocks, we are responsible for putting the blocks together and quilting it before sending it to our assigned charity group.

  Ronit is the host of our group and took the first month to give us all an idea of what to do.  This is the beautiful block she chose for each of us to make.  Our color scheme is "fallish."  She told us to "please use bright white (not cream, but whatever bright white you have on hand is fine) and warm fall colors -- deep oranges (not Halloween or traffic cone orange), golds, cranberries, magentas, and reddish-purples."

found here

  I can't even imagine how beautiful this quilt will be when finished.  We're each making 2 12.5-inch blocks.  WOW!  So, I went through my stash of fabrics and found that I am woefully short in the reddish-purple category and not too high on the non-traffic cone orange either.  Apparently, I need to diverse a little more when fabric shopping.  But, I pulled a few fabrics together and came up with this.  What do you think?

I'm hoping to get these blocks started tomorrow while the kids are at school.  It doesn't look difficult--it's just half-square triangles.  But I never use the word easy until after I've finished something...know what I mean??

  The online community of quilters and other crafters has been such a blessing to me.  I have made new friends and learned so much.  This bee is a perfect example.  I am so glad to be a part of it and to use my blessings to help others.  I'm the quilter for the month of December, so I'm already looking for ideas and color schemes...there are so many great options.

P.S.  Deborah from Whipstitch just posted about this same topic the other day (but I'm just reading it today).  It just goes to show what a good thing giving can be.

P.P.S.  This week marks one year that I've been blogging...stay tuned for a special giveway coming up to celebrate and reward those of you who come back day after day to read my silly ramblings.