Raining Cats and Jacks! And a Prim Halloween Freebie

It's raining cats and "jacks"  in the holler! 🌧🐱🎃

Happy Happy Saturday, sweet friends.  We finally are getting a spot of rain after a long dry spell. 

But before I get into my post , let me thank everyone for the sweetest compliments and visits on my last couple of posts. Blogger is giving me the blues and is not allowing me to reply back. Aaargh! 😜Maybe it will be better behaved tonight. Fingers crossed!

But back today's happenings. What to do on a rainy day? Well stitch and quilt ! Hee! Hee!

  Last night , cats and jacks jumped out of my attic as the rain began to fall. That is my Halloween decorations. 

Soon they were making their way onto the hutch. The theme of the hutch all started with Walmart's newest cat cookie jar. Swoon! Meow! Thumpity Thump!  I love it! 🤗😺🧡🎔

The cat cookie jar is my newest Halloween piece from Walmart. They have the dog cookie jar too. 

By night's end, most of the goodies were on the hutch . Today I will continue to wrangle those Halloween pieces and change out the quilts.

But I do want to work on a little Prim Cat and Pumpkins Pinkeep . 

UPDATE: OCTOBER 3, 2026- It did not take long to stitch up Prim Cat and Pumpkins Pinkeep , and I fully finished it - all in a few short hours. I added a gourd pin with a scrap of fabric and some buttons to one corner. Prim Cat and Pumpkins is stitched on 14 count coffee/ tea dyed Aida. 

Prim Cat and Pumpkins Pinkeep was stitched on 14 count coffee/ tea dyed Aida. 

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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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Have you started decorating for Halloween yet? 

Oooh While I am thinking about it , let me skip down memory lane for a moment and share some snippets and links to past Halloween hutch tours. 

Ghostly Hutch Tour 2025- My hutch was filled with lots of ghosts.

 

Boo Hoo, 😢 there was no Halloween Hutch Tour in 2024. Mr. Pinker and I were camping in Texas.

BUT  What about 2023? Hmmmm

Aaah yes, I shared my Witch Apothecary Halloween Hutch  for 2023. 

2023 Halloween Hutch - Witch Apothecary 

2022 was dedicated to all things Jack- o- lanterns in my  Jacks, Jacks and More Jacks  October hutch theme. There were 45 Jacks on this hutch. Wheww! That's a lot! 

A Modge Podge of Halloween was the theme of my 2020 Halloween hutch. 

So how are you spending your day today? Is it starting to feel like Fall in your neck of the woods?

Well Punkins, I am off to see what I can get into. I hope you find a little joyful mischief to brighten your day too. 

Thank you for the sweet Saturday visit! Love ya'! 😽🧡

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"I'm  so glad  I live in a world where there are Octobers.  "- L. M. Montgomery

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

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

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

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Yesterday, I shared my Pumpkins, Pumpkins and More Pumpkins Hutch Tour. If you would like to see all of that country clutter, just click on the link. 

Pumpkins, Pumpkins and More Pumpkins Hutch Tour

 It's time to change the hutch decor! In 2 shakes of a lamb's tail I had dismantled my "sunflower decor" and added my orange Dollar Tree plates to the small wooden hutch , Mr. Pinker created nigh 20+ years ago. Little doilies and Christmas lights were added for a bit of sparkle.  

With a hop , skip and a jump, I rushed out to the "she shed" to fetch my pumpkin cookie jar and the rest of the "pumpkin themed serviceware" rolled out of the attic. The "bones" were in place for my Pumpkin themed hutch . Now to get down to the nitty , I thought. Pouring in the clutter. Hee! Hee! 

The plates and large pieces are out . It is time to add in the decorations to the hutch. 

On the top of the hutch where the tins and the Coca Cola crates stay year round, I just added an Autumn four patch quilt and a couple tins in the Autumn colors. "What's in the tins? " - That is where I store some small  kitchen Christmas decor.  Christmas plates and mugs are stored in the bottom of the hutch. 

A little Four Patch quilt was carefully draped over the Coca Cola crates . 

Now let's work on the first shelf. Anything orange in color was fair game to be put on the hutch including old pitchers and a tall rooster. 

My only new addition was the pumpkin butter dish. 

Fall 1869 Crock  is a fall favorite. I have stitched a whole series of "crock " themed pieces over the years and I have a few more in mind.

Do you have any suggestions for a crock stitch? 

The sweet velvet pumpkin was a gift from dear Patricia . Thank you , dear friend. 🤗

The middle shelf was filled with more pumpkins. 

Pumpkin themed bowls cups and a cookie jar fill the 2nd shelf along with some stitching. 

I store the little pumpkin cups in the big pumpkin cookie jar when  I put these items away for storage. 

In the vintage bowl, I stacked plates, pumpkin cups and a biscuit cutter. In the background is my Autumn Jar- from the Mason Jar Series. 

A Pumpkin or Two was a quick stitch that I shared a year or so ago.

 

 The little pumpkin gravy bowl was filled with a stitch called Pumpkins and behind it is a wool applique that I worked on about 20 years ago. 

Can you tell that I love pumpkins and crows? LOL 

My Autumn Pumpkin Wool Applique was created from pieces of thrifted wool clothing and after completion it was   just popped into a thrifted frame. Wahlah! 

The bottom shelf was filled with a modge podge  of country clutter. Wheew ! Where do I start? There are stacks of little plates, mom's pumpkin pie plate  and a mason jar filled with  pears. 

I store small fall themed items in the pie dish when not in use. 

Oh and there is stitching  and other crafty pieces too . Like...

Little Prim Punkin  a small yarn punched piece that I shared last year. I just used thrifted yarns and whipped this prim punkin up for the fall season. 

Little Prim Punkin was yarn punched using thrifted wool yarns. A very easy peasy craft and quick too . 

 Fall Y'all  and  the Pumpkin Pie Stamp are nestled among jello molds, salt and pepper shakers and small plates. 

The painted wooden spoon and salt and pepper shakers were gifts from my sweet sis. 

And I must not forget the Mini Pumpkin Sampler .

Underneath the Mini Pumpkin Sampler, you may have spotted a little quilt

Mom's Pumpkin Pie was created in the 90's .   My how my applique has come along since then. 😀😄

Lots of teeny wonky scraps were sewn up and a big pumpkin pie was appliqued over the squares. 

Of course I had to include Mom's Pumpkin Pie recipe at the time. 

That's my fall Hutch in a Pumpkin Shell!  A lot to see . Right? Well, these roly poly's are coming down today! 🎃

There are black cats, ghosts and ghouls that are grumbling in the attic ready to take their place. 

Sooo... I will be trying to wrangle them into place. Perhaps if I get it done, I will show you next week where the cute jacks and cats landed. 

Hmmm... Now where do I store all of this clutter when it is time to put it away? Well let me show you .

In the toy room is a gigantic armoire which holds a lot of stuff including the following themed items : sunflowers, Halloween , Fall , Thanksgiving and Patriotic. 

This armoire holds patriotic in the bottom drawer and in the basket on the shelf. Fall and Halloween is in the large section of the  armoire

In the armoire are stacks upon stacks of small shoe box totes that are labeled. Here I have pulled out my Fall Salt and pepper shakers. They are wrapped and tightly  packed.

Fall Salt and Pepper shakers are stored in shoe boxes. 

My Pumpkin themed pie dishes , bowls and such are stored in the attic. 

I wrap all of my breakables with newspaper or plastic wrap that I buy at Harbor Freight on a spool. This gives the pieces a little protection from any chips. 

I wrap all of my breakables in plastic wrap for protection. 

Do you see the yellow bowl in the background? It sits high on the counter. In it are  some of my salt and pepper shakers that rotate in and out of the seasons.  I use every nook and cranny to store my clutter. Hee! Hee! 

Now as far as my stitching storage- well I haven't perfected that yet. I did buy another armoire a while back,  so I am aiming to organize and store some in there, but that story is for another day. 😏😊

Gosh, I guess I have rambled long enough. I do hear the moans and groans of my Halloween decor calling so I best get to work. 

So tell me . Do you have a special place that you like to decorate seasonally? 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Create something special that brings joy to your day.  "- 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy  who loved decorating for the holidays even when she was just a youngster. 

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

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

Picked up these pretty vintage calicos in Texas while thrifting. 

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Apple-icious Hutch Tour

 "Uh-oh!" replied Mr. Pinker as he stared at me wide- eyed. I was busy dismantling all of the bee decor displayed on the little country pine hutch. 

Bye Bye, Bee decor! 

"Is it redecorating time? " he asked with a grin. 

"It sure is, " I said  as I began to pull out my new themed decor.

"What is it this time?" he inquired. 

"Apples, silly. Didn't you notice all of the reds?" I replied with a smile.  

Blessed 4 YR IG Anniversary Chart

Mr. Pinker nodded and retreated to the safety of downstairs for he knew it would be no time that plates galore and lots of knick knacks and stitching would be flying this way and that as I puttered with my little country hutch.

Little saucers, plates and a vintage Betty Crocker cook book

 

"Hmmm... now how many plates can I pack onto this wee hutch? " I asked myself. 

I layered in lots of thrifted and Dollar Tree red and white plates on one shelf after the other. 

Then bits of Watt's pottery was tucked here and there. Some stacked on little saucers. 

It was not long before the first 2 shelves were filled to the brim. I have to admit that I stepped back and gave myself 2 pats on the back. My "Apple-icious Hutch " was coming together. 

I even added in my Dolly Parton cookie jar.- So sweet. 

Once I reached the bottom shelf, I began to throw in a modge podge of all things red and apple related. 

The vintage juicer was filled with a bowl of old jello molds.

 The newly thrifted potato masher was good to hold some tins and I even included a little stitch called STAMP 1 - A BASKET OF APPLES,

The darling hand appliqued and quilted apple pie quilt gifted to me from dear Donna inspired me to add my Betty Crocker Pie Parade  Cookbook.  

"Ooooh that looks pretty! " I said to no one in particular. 

As I continued layering , I ran to my "stitching basket" and snatched up my newly completed Apple Jam Jar  which I shared a few weeks ago. 

"Eeeh perfection!"

The Pear Stamp soon followed. 

It was not long before the 3rd shelf was overflowing with apples galore!

After stepping back, taking a look and dusting myself off, I went to the downstairs door and yelled , "Honey, come here. Quick!"

Mr. Pinker came barreling up the stairs. 

"What's up buttercup?" he asked. 

"Lookie! Lookie! My hutch is all decorated for September.

My kitchen is decorated in reds so the apples themed hutch fits in perfectly. 

"OOOPS wait! " I ran back over to the hutch, surveyed around me and chose a red tin to add to the top of the hutch. Most of the items on the top of the shelf always stay there, I just change out a little nook each month which this time I added an "Old Maid Raisin Cookies" tin. 

"Now look , Sweetie. "

The old hutch is decorated with all things red. 

"Hmmm... Yeah, " replied Mr. Pinker. " A lot of stuff. "

"Yep! Just the way I like it, " I replied with a twinkle in my eye.

"I know . " Mr. Pinker replied ( Hmmm... I swear I saw him roll his eyes. Hee! Hee!  Oh well) 

 Finally, Mr. Pinker nodded and said , "It's pretty, but I would rather see an apple pie. "

"We shall see. We shall see, " I said with a grin and with that I began thumbing through my recipe books . 

STAMP 3 RAKING LEAVES

Well, Sweethearts, that is my "Apple-icious Hutch " Tour in a nutshell. I know it is a lot to take in, but loads of color and clutter is my style. I am so very grateful that you dropped by for visit. 

Just give me a few hours and I will have that apple pie out of the oven.  

Have a super duper day, friends and remember....

You are the apple of my eye! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Hope is like an apple seed- it grows into sweetness.  "- 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

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

🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎

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