My "side-tracking" started on Friday night after all the trick or treaters were done (we only had about 30 kids but some were so cute and they were all so polite!) and I went back to my sewing room to clean up my Halloween fabrics. I still had a pile of Christmas fabrics to clean up from making Nannette's cottage blocks but I wasn't ready to tackle that pile because I have some other Christmas projects that I'll make from those fabrics. So I started organizing my Halloween stuff and decided to store it all neatly in an old black suitcase (somehow seems appropriate for Halloween). And that's when I got "side-tracked" big time!! I have this piece of Halloween fabric that is so cute and has so many jack-o-lanterns, ghosts and such on it and, I thought, wow, how cute these would look in cottage block windows. So, I started fussy cutting window squares for cottage blocks. I also cut enough to make a couple of Ayumi's fabric baskets. Instead of cutting 2" squares, I cut 2 1/2" squares for the basket as I needed the extra 1/2" for better fussy cutting. On Saturday afternoon, I got all the squares sewn together to make two baskets. Had to stop sewing to do some laundry, a haircut for my husband, bath for the dog, and a little vacuuming. And then it was time for supper and I had promised I would make spaghetti. So the little basket sits unfinished on my sewing machine. I am adept at unfinished projects and starting new ones so that I may add to my list of unfinished items. :-)
I was determined to put away the Halloween fabrics once and for all, so last night when I planned to "be back in a bit", I started cutting the roofs, the walls, etc. for nine little Halloween cottages. I am really pleased with the fabric choices and think they will look so cute in a finished quilt for next Halloween. You see, I'm not late for this Halloween........no, I am really early for next Halloween. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! My grandson is coming over next weekend and I think we will have fun doing this early Halloween project. He likes to craft, too and here's what I left for him while we went away on retreat..................
Last year, I sorted out all my Halloween fabrics and separated the cottons from the poly-cottons (sometimes you can tell b
y the feel of the fabric but when "in doubt", I do the "burn" test and - cut a small swatch of fabric and carefully light a match and burn a corner of the fabric swatch - if the fabric curls and becomes hard like plastic, then it's poly or poly/cotton and if it is soft and crumbles, you can almost guarantee that it's cotton). I decided to split the poly/cotton's between my grandson and our neighbor girl and make them each a craft pack. I included lots of fabrics, cardstock to make a picture, blank envelopes and notecards to creat Halloween cards and ribbons with greetings to add to the cards. I kept just a few pieces in case I want to make any cards in the future.
Then, since we were all getting "goodie bags" at the retreat, I bought a little bag at the Dollar store and filled it with candy, stickers, tattoos, and such for a special treat just for Jacob. I suspect he liked the car the best as he loooooovvvvvves all his little cars.
Well, that's all for now and I really will be back "in a little bit" with more on our retreat!
P.S. Weather today here in Minnesota is unbelievable. It's near 70 degrees and is so nice outside that I decided to sit on the front porch to eat my lunch. This is November and we are usually wearing winter coats by now! I'm not complaining, just telling it like it is. :-)
2 comments:
All the way across the country from you here in NJ it was in the 60's, and I'm not complaining (honestly, what is the big deal about global warming, I happen to like warm weather LOL)
You are funny. I guess I do the same thing. I start doing something and then realize I need to do something that is more important or needed sooner! The Halloween things are so cute. It is hard to put them away. The weather here is mild too. It did rain yesterday but it was lovely rain.
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