In and Out of the Hoop , Plus Autumn Patchwork - A Fall Freebie

 One quilt out of the hoop and another is going in!

Eeeh, it is moving day for the quilt hoop!

I finished quilting the border on my Roll and Bake quilt. This has been my 15 a minute a day project for the week.

So now, Roll and Bake is officially out of the hoop.

If you missed these little free doodles that I posted a few years ago, just click on the colored links to visit the posts.

 Roll and Bake  ,   A Bowl of Gingerbread,  A Plate of Gingers  and   Gingerbread and Marshmallows

But there is binding to be added. I am using the Christmas fabric that came from the "Great bag of fabric" that my nephew gifted me a few years ago. So you can guess what I am going to be up to today. Binding!

2 " wide strips cut for binding

And then.... I will begin quilting this darling quilt sent to me by my sweet friend, Cheryle. She gifted me this quilt last year, but I wanted to save it to quilt during the "fall season". Isn't it gorgeous?

Swoon .🧡🤗 Just love those four patch pumpkins. Thank you, dear Cheryle. ❤😘

Inspired by Cheryle beautiful quilt , I drew up a little stitch to work on called "Autumn Patchwork" . I will be working on it today.

"Autumn Patchwork" is a CHOOSE YOUR OWN COLORS CHART so you choose whatever colors your sweet heart desires .

The colors that are depicted in the chart MAY NOT be the colors that I choose when I stitch my piece.

I will certainly let you know what colors I settle on as I work on this little pumpkin patchwork.

UPDATE! UPDATE!

Sept. 29, 2026- Autumn Patchwork is all stitched up.

 If you are interested, here are the floss colors I used. 

FLOSS  : SYMBOL  MOTIF:

DMC 301 ( C) Rail Blocks

DMC 437 (W) Nine Patch blocks, Center block 

DMC 601( X) Pumpkin  Stem

DMC 730 ( V) Border

DMC 921(B) Corner blocks, Pumpkin

DMC 3371 ( • )  Border, Nine Patch blocks , Rail blocks

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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FREEBIE ALERT:

Herrschners posted a Fall Bird freebie this week. It is a darling piece.

Herrschners Fall Bird Embroidery Freebie

Well Sweeties, I think I have enough to keep me busy on this Slow Stitching Sunday . Don't you?

Have a beautiful day stitching away your dreams and...

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"A day spent with needle and thread is a good day.  "- 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade- 2026 A parade of sunflower freebies up to September 3, 2026

🌞Autumn Parade March- 2026 Fall Parade A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 10, 2026.

🌞 A Stomping Stamp Parade 2026  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to June 2, 2026

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞A Christmas in July Parade of Past Freebies- 2026 A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of July 6, 2026. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

🌞Let's Dye Some Fabric- A tutorial on my process of dyeing Aida

🌞Color Tinting Embroidery Designs - Explanation on how I use crayons to color my designs for hand embroidery. - July 9, 2026

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

A little Sunday quilt stack from days past.

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I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet. 

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

💙💙💙 BLOGGER BLUES 💙💙💙

Oh dear, Blogger is  "acting  wonky " again. I am not receiving updates on my Reading List. So I do apologize if I miss any of my sweet blogging friends posts. I am trying to pop in to see if you post each day.  

Gingerbread and An Autumn Acorn- A Fall Doodle Freebie

 Good Sunday morning, Sunshine! 

It is a lovely day to enjoy some slow stitching so I won't keep you long.  For I am sure you are going to settle down with needle and thread of your own  and stitch the day away. 🤗

Meanwhile, here in the holler I am going to quilt on some gingerbread men on my Roll and Bake quilt.

This has been my 15 a minute a day project for the week.   A Plate of Gingers 

And....since I embroidered my Gingerbread girl for a future Christmas  ornament...

From A Very Vintage Christmas Doodles

... I will begin the little reindeer embroidery.

AND...

I am going to enjoy some needle turn applique in a little  Autumn Acorn block. 

I am appliqueing my acorn on a background piece measuring  7 1/2" x 8 1/2" ( unfinished)  ( 7" x 8 " finished) . Framed with 2 1/2" strips ( unfinished) and 2 1/2" (unfinished)  corner blocks. 

UPDATE OCTOBER 14, 2026: The applique and embroidery is completed.  I used 2 strands of DMC 898 using the back stitch and running stitch. Now it is time to put Autumn Acorn in the hoop. 

A little doodle just for you. You can use it for embroidery, coloring, needle punch, applique or whatever your sweet heart dreams up!  Enjoy

My doodles are hand drawn and are never perfect. ❤

Surely this will keep me busy.  Don't ya' think? 

So tell me what are you going to be working on today? 

May your heart be happy and your fingers nimble as your needle flies! 

Happy Sunday, Sweethearts. Love ya'! 

If you are interested in how I color tinted my Gingerbread embroideries, just check out the link below. 

🌞Color Tinting Embroidery Designs - Explanation on how I use crayons to color my designs for hand embroidery. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Slow days are not wasteful.Slow days are restful, refreshing and necessary.  "- unknown

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Stomping Stamp Parade 2026  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to June 2, 2026

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞A Christmas in July Parade of Past Freebies- 2026 A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of July 6, 2026. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

🌞Let's Dye Some Fabric- A tutorial on my process of dyeing Aida 

🌞Color Tinting Embroidery Designs - Explanation on how I use crayons to color my designs for hand embroidery. 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet. 

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Nina at Creations, Quilts, Art , Whatever by Nina for Off the Wall Friday

Alycia's of Alycia's Quilts for Finished of Not Friday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters

Gingerbread and Autumn Beginnings- A Fall Freebie

 It feels so so good to be back into the sewing room. 

Over the week , I sat down with a bunch of 2 1/2" scraps that I previously cut...

And worked on blocks for Melva's Sew Along called Lala's Irish Chain SAL.  

12 perfectly imperfect blocks pieced and a few more to go.  ( Don't look too carefully at my seams; I was off my game on this particular day. ) 

I am still waiting on a fabric order . A jelly roll awaits me to use for this quilt.  So I  am waiting on pins and needles. Hee! Hee! 

Meanwhile, I picked up this bundle of fabrics for a $1.00 at a yard sale. Soon they will be whittled down into 2 1/2" strips.  

Aren't they scrumptious? 

Excuse me a minute, while I do a Happy Jig for I have a finish!  💃💃💃

The blocks are framed with 2" finished squares. 

       Roll and Bake  ,   A Bowl of Gingerbread,  A Plate of Gingers  and   Gingerbread and Marshmallows

Yee Haw! Roll and Bake has its final borders. 

I added 4" borders.

With four patches as corner blocks made of 2 1/2" squares (unfinished). 

The photos are making the corner blocks look lighter than they are. 😏 Oh well...😀

Christmas fabric from the thrift store will make a perfect backing for Roll and Bake.

Backing fabric for Roll  and Bake. 

A new stitch is in the works, and  it is called Autumn Beginnings .

UPDATE:  August 21, 2026

Autumn Blessings is now finished. 🌻

These are the DMC  floss colors that I used for "Autumn Beginnings"  . 

FLOSS  : SYMBOL  MOTIF:

       DMC 610 ( U and T)       Border and pumpkin stem

DMC  782 ( Y)  Sunflower

DMC 3781 ( • )  Sunflower center

DMC 301 ( O) Pumpkin

DMC 919 (X) Pumpkin lines

DMC 730 ( G) Sunflowers stem and pumpkin leaf 

 Seeing Vicki's latest posts at Vicki's Crafts and Quilting certainly has got me in the fall mood. Did you see her gorgeous Maple Leaf quilt   and her Orange Pineapple and Stick and Stones quilts? Adorable!  Hmmm... I need to make a Stick and Stones. 

 Anywhoo.... Autumn Beginnings is just a simple stitch to wet my appetite for more fall stitching.  If all goes well, "Autumn Beginnings" should stitch up in two shakes of a lamb's tail. 

Autumn Blessings is a CHOOSE YOUR OWN COLORS chart. I will be stitching it in muted colors and will certainly update this post in the future with my floss colors and finish.

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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Well, that's what is going on in my neck of the woods on this fine sunny Friday. 

What are you up to? 

A Summer Display

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"When you focus on the good , the good gets better.  "- Unknown

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needleworkers to meet. 

Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday  Wait Loss- Wednesday

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down- Thursday

Nina at Creations, Quilts, Art , Whatever by Nina for Off the Wall Friday

Alycia's of Alycia's Quilts for Finished of Not Friday

Michelle  at From Bolt to Beauty for Beauty Pageant - Friday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters

Gretchen at Gretchen's Little Corner for TGIFF

Goings On

 Hmmm ... it has been a spell since our last visit . Hasn't it ?  I certainly did not mean to be away for so long. Ok. Ok. I know it was just a few days, but it seems like ages to me. Hee! Hee!

Sooo.... Let me tell ya' what's been going on in the holler! 

First, Mr. Pinker and I had a scare of our lifetime.

 During the grandsons' weekly sleepover, the Little One got choked on a marshmallow. His brother alerted Mr. Pinker who jumped into action and did the Heimlich on the little fella. At the time, the Little One could not talk or cough. He said that each time he tried to breathe the marshmallow felt like it was being pulled back further into his throat. Bless his little heart- he would not eat the rest of the evening and when he did eat the next day, I watched him like a hawk. 

 

Last week we had a few days where it rained cats and dogs here in the holler . I was one happy gal because it  alleviated the dreaded chore of watering the gardens. Everything is growing including the weeds.

 

It has been a blue spell since I have seen one of these. Yikes ! A hornet's nest.



Mr. Pinker spotted it on the eave of my sister's house the other day. ( This danger will be tackled later. )  

We are starting to get a few tomatoes. I see mater sandwiches in my future. 

  

The peppers are growing too! Eeeh!  Spicy! 

 

Hmmm... What else? Well Elmer has been moved to the other section of the farm in order to court Edna. 
The couple has been staying in the upper field so I haven't had the chance to get a photo of the two.  I guess they need their alone time. ❤🐴🐴Maybe they will come down the hill in a day or two. 

Edna looks awfully cute today! 

Now on to the quilting and stitching front! 

To be honest , I have been taking it slow and easy- hip hopping between stitching and quilting. 

Bent Creek's freebie Surrounded By Joy is fully finished. I simple used some cardboard covered with scraps from my stash. The jute string was from the Dollar Tree. It is all ready for the Christmas tree in a few short months. 

22 more weeks until Christmas! 



So let me show you my progress on The Gingerbread quilt which I am calling "Roll and Bake". 

The blocks are framed with 2" finished squares. 

After much debate, I decided to add 2 1/2" (unfinished) squares around each of the 4 embroidered blocks. 
I decided to go for the "country look" so I used lots of reds, greens, and tans . 
             Roll and Bake  and   A Bowl of Gingerbread

Hmmm... What to do next to Roll and Bake?  Well.... since it will probably be displayed in the kitchen , I am not going to make it too big. I will add a simple border in the next few days. I may add some four patches for the cornerstone blocks ( just brainstorming here). 

 A Plate of Gingers  and   Gingerbread and Marshmallows

I have lots of other projects in the works , but like I said I have been hip hopping  like a wild wily rabbit so I will show you some of those projects another time. 

Goodness, I don't want to chat your ears off. So I  will let you get back to what you were doing. Hmmm  .... I am curious.  What are you working on today? I bet it  is something lovely!  

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Slow down and enjoy the simple beauty of each day.  "- Unknown

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Stomping Stamp Parade 2026  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to June 2, 2026

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞A Christmas in July Parade of Past Freebies- 2026 A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of July 6, 2026. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

🌞Let's Dye Some Fabric- A tutorial on my process of dyeing Aida 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet. 

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday  Wait Loss- Wednesday

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down- Thursday

Nina at Creations, Quilts, Art , Whatever by Nina for Off the Wall Friday

Alycia's of Alycia's Quilts for Finished of Not Friday

Michelle  at From Bolt to Beauty for Beauty Pageant - Friday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters