Let the Holidays Begin!

New apron!

It's hard to believe that we're celebrating Thanksgiving here and the Holiday season has begun!  I can't wait to pull out the Christmas quilts again and decorate the house, can you?  Maybe you're already ahead of me, but I just can't pull Christmas out until after Thanksgiving.  One holiday at a time, please!  

The sewing machine has been humming away embroidering dish towels for my daughter, and she took 25 back with her today.  Amid all the towels for her museum fundraiser, I took the time to embroider an apron to wear in the kitchen on Thanksgiving.  So cute!  (The embroidery download is from Embroidery Library.)  

close-up

It will be pretty busy around here for the rest of the year.  I'm helping with costumes for a Christmas program up at church, as well as playing guitar and singing - so lots of evening rehearsals coming up over the next two weeks.  I'm also on the committee to put on the Women's Advent tea at church, and there are several museum events in December too.  How's a woman to get any quilting done?!  I'll just have to look forward to January, which is always a very productive month for me as far as quilting goes.  Quilting is the best thing to do during a Minnesota winter!  

So, let the Holidays begin: quilt on!

An afternoon at the Expo

It was a cloudy and blustery November day in Minnesota today, but it was also the first day of the Sewing & Quilt Expo.  So, there was a ray of quilty sunshine!  This year the event is being held right here in Bloomington, so I popped over for a couple of hours this afternoon to check out the vendors and see what was new.

They usually have several quilt displays which are such fun to see.  There were some wonderful art quilts in one area.  In another spot was a series of very artistic small quilts and fabric art pieces called "Breast Pockets" to honor women (and men) who have had mastectomies and have decided against reconstructive surgery.  I should have snapped a photo of some, but you can learn a little about it here.  

My favorite was group of wall-hanging size quilts had Autumn themes.  All were so very creative and a delight to see!  I snapped photos of a couple that inspired me, and actually seemed within my skill set.  Maybe they will inspire you too!

The First Leaf to Turn by Zeeta Magnuson.
I love these brilliant sumac leaves!

Branching Out by Carol Carter.
It's hard to see, but the background is scrappy neutral diamonds.
Lots of layering in the leaves, and some even 3-D.

Wish I could give credit for this one, but as you can see,
I cut off the title and didn't realize it.  But I love the quilt!
The quilter is from Wisconsin, and the title might be Fall Abundance.

The Expo runs through Saturday.  Here's a link for more information if you live in the area.