{Post 1,261} Out With The Old...

When I started making the Count On It quilt series, I followed all the directions.  The October one was the first one I made.  I developed my own style for them after this first one.  I am blaming or crediting (depending on how you look at it) Michelle for getting me hooked on these.  Hers are soooo cute.  Click on "count on it quilt" at the bottom to see all the ones I've made so far.  I plan on making April thru August soon.

Today I made a new OCT quilt and have listed the old one on my Etsy shop.  The differences?  New one has a lighter background.  New one is not blanket stitched but zigzagged with invisible thread.  The hanging sleeve is applied differently.  That's just for ease of construction for me.

Which one do you like better?

{Post 1,260} Few Fall Decorations

I really like seeing the way people decorate their houses.  This AM I went to weigh-in at the doc's (a once a week thing).  To my complete astonishment (this is my first week), I.  LOST.  SIX.  POUNDS!!!!!  Hallelujah.  I don't know WHY it happened, but I saw that it did.  I was so overjoyed that I burst into tears, right there on the scale.  I have been tracking calories for one week.  I am supposed to keep it under 1,200, which seems low.  In actuality, I'm eating an average of 900 per day.  I am eating well, but I've never been a big eater.

Up until now I have resisted buying mums for my front stoop.  Maybe the victory weakened me, but better mums than a donut, right?  Here are two mums I got this AM plus a piece of burlap for a "tablecloth" (I had to cover the hole in the table with a cutting board, and the burlap covered the board), plus a few things pulled from my house (the 2 fake pumpkins and leaf garland).

Well, come on in.  Just ahead is a table in our foyer.

Looking past the steps going downstairs (and the pumpkin quilt on the half wall), you are looking into the living room.

I change things up a little bit every year, adding a new this or that.  Rachel is just glad the sticks are off the mantle!  They will go back up for Christmas!  You can see them here (for Independence Day) and here (for Christmas) and here for spring.  Got my money's worth out of those $3 sparkly sticks.

I spray painted the star.  It was natural grapevine.  Since my brick wall and mantle are so dark, I try to lighten up the decorations so they show up well.

The vase on the left side is also new.  The vase was $3 at Wal-mart, and I got the flower "bush" for $2.50.  I find that buying a pre-assembled "bush" beats the cost and usually the look of selecting my own stems.  I like it!  I have found that having tall items on there is a good thing.  I filled the base with "gum balls".  Those are the things that cause great pain when you step on them outside.  They are from sweet gum trees.  Never ever think about trouncing around outside w/o shoes on.  It seriously hurts to step on one of the spiny dry "gum balls".  They are about as big as a ping pong ball and look lovely hiding a bare stem in a tall vase. ;)

{Post 1,259} Long Time No Post

I have been busy with this, that, and the other.

Sewing-wise, I've been making Christmas ornaments to sell on Etsy.  So far no bites, but hey--they're there!  Clothespin snowmen and selvage trees.  Check them out here.

I've also sewn several tote bag/zip pouch combos.  I would like to sell some of those at a local Christian college.  Time will tell on that.

Rachel and I went to a quilt show last week.  Here's a few of the ones we liked: