It's September Already!

It's hard to believe that summer is over and fall is here and it's time to show our three projects for this blog hop!  When I signed up for this one I thought how far away that date was and that it would be forever until my projects would be due.  A friend recently told me that life is like a toilet paper roll....the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.  I think summer is like that!

But for once in my life I didn't procrastinate - yea for me!  First up is my gingham project and it's one I've already use and fallen in love with.

This zippered bag is quite large and is perfect for holding lots of stuff....lots.  I used Riley Blake's black gingham for the outside and red polka dot laminate for the lining.  I'm not a fan of sewing on laminate but it's the perfect thing for this.  I don't want any accidental spills to get on what I'm carrying in this.

When I travel I like to take my mini IPad, a box of note cards and a pen, an extra pair of reading glasses, and of course the cords for the IPad, my phone and my computer....and it all fits in this bag easily!  I could have gotten more in here....a granola bar for a late night snack, my prayer journal and maybe even my travel Bible, though I have a copy on my IPad.

I added a bit of lace to the top just because it's pretty.  :)  This is recycled lace, taken from a pillowcase found in an antique store.  The pillowcase itself had holes in it but the lace was in perfect shape.

My second project is a wool piece - I'm not sure if I'd call it a table topper because it probably won't be used that way but that's the size of it.  This pattern was a free one from Primitive Gatherings early this summer - designed to be the center of a large quilt but perfect for what I wanted.

The flowers and vines are wool and the background and borders are cotton.  I did a blanket stitch with Valdani threads on the applique.

The binding on this is from fabric that was one of the first pieces I bought when I started quilting in 1995!  Cleaning out your stash closet results in some great finds.  :)

I did some machine quilting in the background - just some curved lines - and then hand quilted around the corner flowers.  This piece was the perfect size and colors I needed for a particular place in my sunroom so it's now in it's home and brightening up that little corner.

A couple of years ago I started an embroidered quilt called Betsy's Closet - some of you may remember it.  We even had a blog for those who were working on it, which I can't seem to find now.  It's taken me a long time but I finally finished it this summer

This is a pretty good view of the borders I think....there are three including the sashing.

The embroidery pieces used mostly pastel colors and some are a little difficult to see in this light but the soft colors are really perfect for these paper doll clothes.  I did a free motion echo around the embroidery, some straight line quilting in the first border, followed the print in the second border and free motion quilted each flower petal and leaf in the outer border.

This is a closeup of one of my favorite blocks...I would have loved this dress when I was a child!

And for a bonus project....yes I did...I used the rest of some gingham I had to make this adorable apron.  I started with a white apron bought at Hobby Lobby, added the ruffles and the ghost face along with some rick rack.  I loved the ease of using a premade apron!

It's a bit long in the torso for my model, who agreed to model when I promised not to show her face, but that could be fixed by shortening the neck strap.  Wouldn't this be fun to wear when handing out goodies on Halloween?  :)

I think I'll do a giveaway for one of my followers - hmmm, what would you like to win?  How about this:

There's something for everyone I think...Reflections, a quilt pattern by Yellow Creek Quilt Designs, She Quilts-I Cook - a wallhanging pattern by Block Party Studios which includes the center panel, and a sweet package of 10 different Riley Blake ginghams.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE - only one comment!  If you're commenting on this post and want to be included in the drawing, just add the words I follow .....  (by email, on Bloglovin', etc.).  I get your comments in an e-mail so when you make two separate comments I get confused.  Of course, it's easy to confuse me.  :)

Thanks so much to Shari at Living With Purpose for the wonderful way she's kept us up to date on this hop and to Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt for her continued support of quilters in so many wonderful ways.  Don't forget to go visit the rest of the blogs who are posting today.  And just in case you missed the first couple of days' offerings I'll include those as well.

Wednesday, September 3

Sew Incredibly Crazy
Bumbleberry Cottage
Thimblemouse and Spouse
Mad Quilter's Disease
In The Boon Docks

Thursday, September 4Jane's Quilting
Life in the Scrapatch
Sew Many Yarns
Gracie Oliver Arts
Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Friday, September 5Stitchin' By The Lake
Coeur d'Alene
Words & Stitches
TheSlowQuilter
Pig Tales and Quilts
All Thingz Sewn

Monday, September 8Quilting Quietly
Creatin' in the Sticks
Procrastination Queen
Lovelli Quilts
Cherry Blossoms

Tuesday, September 9Just Let Me Quilt
Marjorie's Busy Corner
The Quilting Queen Online Blog
Marla's Crafts
K and S Sweets and Stitching

Wednesday, September 10Secretly Stitching
Buzzing and Bumbling
Quilt n Queen
Quilted Delights
Grandmama's Stories

Thursday, September 11Susie's World
Needled Mom
Cate's Linens
How ART you?
I Like To QuiltBlog
Quiltscapes 

Friday, September 12Sunshine-quilting
Sew Peace to Peace
MoosestashQuilting
More Stars in Comanche
Living With Purpose

Monday, September 15I Piece 2-Mary
Till We Quilt Again
Vroomans Quilts
Nini and the Sea
Seams To Be Sew

My Quilting Journey

Tuesday, September 16Life, quilts and a cat too
Meadowbrook
Apple Avenue Quilts
Just Keep Swimming
Patchwork Sampler
Sew We Quilt