Autumn and Halloween Shoo Fly Quilt and Autumn Stamp- a Fall Freebie

Good morning, Sunshine!! What are ya' working on this Wednesday? Something fun I hope. Today , I thought I would share my little Autumn Shoo Fly that I made last year from scraps that were in the bin .

 This little quilt measures 11 inches square. 

The Shoo Fly block is one of my favorite blocks to work with . 

Super cute and simple.

 After I pulled this little piece out and started looking at it  👀 -can you guess what happened? 

Yep! I had to begin another one. LOL. 

This one is going to be made of Halloween fabrics. Can I tempt you in pulling out some fabrics and start making your on Shoo Fly blocks? I assure you; they can be quite addictive.  You can't just make one !

This is what you will need to make one block that measures 4" finished ( 4 1/2" unfinished) . 

My fabrics are all cut and I am ready to sew. 

Begin by taking your white and orange  2 3/8" squares and place right sides together. Draw diagonal lines. 

I use the Quick Quarter II for Quick Triangle Square piecing by Quilter's Ruler international to mark my diagonal lines.    Position Quick Quarter diagonally across the lightest fabric.  With a marking pencil , mark the center and outside line. The 2 outside lines are the 1/4" stitching line guides. 

Piece the two squares together by stitching on the 2 outside lines. 

After stitching, cut apart on the center line. 

Open and press seam . You will need 4 HST for one Shoo Fly Block. 

Lay out the units for your quilt block. 

Sew the rows together and press as you go. 

. 

 

It is sew much fun to see how different the blocks look based on use of fabric.

More and more Shoo Fly's are being made.  

If you would like to make a quilt similar to my Autumn Shoo Fly, the sashing/border strips measure  1 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished - Cut 12. The cornerstone squares measure 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" ( unfinished)  Cut 9. . 

Now onto some cross stitching. Last year, I stitched this little Autumn Stamp . 

        

                    

More crows and pumpkins.   I finished it on a Dollar General easel .

                     

 I mounted the stitch on batting covered foam board.The finishing fabrics were old shirts, and the bow was made from Dollar Tree ribbon, and shirting fabrics as well. I embellished the bow with a Dollar Tree wooden pumpkin sticker.

 If you would like to stitch this little piece, I invite you to check out the pdfs below. You can have it stitched lickety split and in a fall display in no time flat. 

                      Many of you know , but I always like to leave this little disclaimer.  

I stitch my little designs for fun and to decorate my home. I feel very blessed by this community and love sharing my little charts, but I am not a professional designer. And I do not have professional software. Thank you for understanding that I  have to put each page on separate pdf downloads because of the devices I use. I apologize for that.  And I am always grateful for your kind encouragement , your visits, and stitching my little designs.

 Click here for the instruction page

Click here for the colored chart. 

Click here for the black and white chart. 

                            

Today , I am going to be packing for another weekend  camping trip. I am not really for sure where we are going yet- the woods or lake. Who knows which one Mr. Pinker will choose. Either one will be fine with me  as long as there is some sun and a chance to relax. But I bet you a dollar it will rain. If you need rain, just invite me to go camping in your area and 10 to 1 rain will be following me. It happens every camping trip. Lol but it's all good. I can dance in the rain. ☔🌈💃🌧🌈

               

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to visit with me, my friends. 

                

Hope to share some camping photos once we get back. Have a beautiful and blessed week and as always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa. 

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all of the other seasons. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!    

Dedicated to my sweet sister, Amy. I miss you and love you!!!      

Pumpkin Picker - A Fall Freebie

Pumpkin Tuesday? Oh yes! Let's have a pumpkin Tuesday. During the summer we were enjoying Tomato Tuesdays . So why not.  Lol. 

Good morning, punkins!!! How is your day greeting you? I hope with a great big smile and lots of sunshine!!!  

My fall mug for this morning's post is a little pumpkin spice mug. It would be so nice to have some apple cider in it, but right now I have a bit of iced tea and a tad of cranberry juice added to it. 

Today's mug rug is a framed in crumb block made up of itsy bitsy pieces of Halloween fabric scraps. The crumb block was 3 " finished ,and I added a  1 1/2" border all around. A fun use of scraps. 

 Do ya'll remember my Tommy Toe  Snatcher that I stitched this summer? 

Inspired by that piece, I created Pumpkin Picker.

 This little crow is in a basket  with a little unamused jack dangling from his beak. I would be unamused too if I was plucked out of the field!!! .

 A small bittersweet vine winds its way out of the basket.  Originally, I envisioned a round finish, but alas, I had nothing in my stash of those proportions -so I happily finished it  on this little paddle board that I got from the Goodwill. It has strawberries on the other side. 

 I finished it on some batting covered foam board and added a bit of Dollar Tree jute twine that I twisted for the trim. Four Dollar Tree buttons finishes if off . I think it is "plumb purty".  

 I would be delighted if you added this little guy to your fall stitching list. Everybody needs a pumpkin pickin crow don't they? 🎃 

It is a small so you can have this whipped up in no time flat.  What's the dimensions you ask? Well it measures 38 x 36. I stitched mine on 14 count coffee / tea dyed aida so that would be around 2 3/4" x 2 5/8"- perfect for those scraps. 

 I used 6 DMC floss colors which are 918, 413, white, 782, 898 and 310 , but please choose your favorite fall colors. 

 If you are so inclined , please check out the pdfs below and don't forget my little disclaimer. 

Many of you know , but I always like to leave this little disclaimer.  

I stitch my little designs for fun and to decorate my home. I feel very blessed by this community and love sharing my little charts, but I am not a professional designer. And I do not have professional software. Thank you for understanding that I  have to put each page on separate pdf downloads because of the devices I use. I apologize for that.  And I am always grateful for your kind encouragement , your visits, and stitching my little designs.

Click here for instruction page.

 Click here for colored chart. 

Click here for the black and white chart. 

 Today's fall recipe is ... 

 OLD FASHIONED SOFT PUMPKIN COOKIES
Yield: 36 cookies 

Ingredients  

2 1/2 cups of all- purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter softened

1 cup of Libby's Pure Pumpkin

1 large egg

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract , divided

2 cups of powdered sugar , sifted

3 Tablespoons of milk

1 Tablespoon of butter softened

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets. 

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg,  and salt in a medium bowl. Beat sugar and 1  stick of butter in a large mixing bowl until well blended.  Beat in pumpkin, 1 egg and  1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth.  Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to greased baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes . Remove to wire racks. Combine sifted powdered sugar , milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a small bowl and mix until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. 

I have to tell you. It is always a joy  for me when you stop by for a visit.  Ya'll make this gal. happy .  Hope you pop back by anytime  and thank you so much . Have a beautiful and blessed day, my  sweet pumpkin pickers.. Love ya! and as always...

Happy stitching, ya'll. 

Melisa 

Pumpkin is the Spice of Life!!!

Hugs and Stitches !!! 

Dedicated to my sweet baby sister, Amy. - Love you punkin. 

 

New Starts and Pumpkins- a Fall Freebie

Good afternoon, ya'll. It seems  here lately my posts are more in the evening than morning times .  I am still adjusting to the curve ball that has been thrown into my  family's  life . Ya'll have heard the expression when it rain it pours . Lol  . That is what has been going on lately. Many of you know that , I am still deeply  grieving the passing of my sister. I so appreciate all of the kind well wishes and for all of those who check in with me to see if I am ok. I am adjusting each day. Thursdays and Sundays are particularly hard, but hopefully the pain of those days will ease in time. 😌

Well let's talk about quilting and stitching.

 I  have a finish this week. This was a freebie from SubRosa Designs and can be found on her blog in the Dec. 21, 2015 post. Click here to visit. I used DMC 890 and 221. I hope to finish it soon and have it on the tree by Christmas.  Ooops!  An accident!  Lol Do you see the water stain? I'm ok with it - maybe it will not show up so much in the final finish. 😳😃😬

This week I started my mourning quilt for my dear sister, Amy. It is a a design by Gretchen Gibbons and is called Pennies From Heaven.

                  

This book was published in 2010 and has 8 companion projects.  I will try to show some of the other projects in future posts. 

 Normally, I would create my own design for a quilt ,  but when I saw this one , I thought it was perfect. 

                     

 Now, I am not doing mine in wool applique' - though I love the texture and the look ; it just wasn't in the budget right now.   But I do think I can create a nice quilt with some  good ole' needle turn applique with scraps from the bin .  

Block #1 is complete and is called Celebrate Life. 

This week I hope to work on Block #2. Prep work will begin today. 

I started a new stitch last night. It was a fast one. So I thought I would share it with you. It is called Pumpkins. I have not FFOd it. I hope you do not mind that I am sharing it before it is fully finished.  

I was originally going to finish it on the Dollar Tree arrow that I finished Sunflowers on.  I shared that design earlier. 

However, after much contemplation , I have decided to make Pumpkins into a pin pillow , because I can already imagine it tucked into a dough bowl with pumpkins. 

If you would like to stitch it, please check out the pdfs below. 

Many of you know , but I always like to leave this little disclaimer.  

I stitch my little designs for fun and to decorate my home. I feel very blessed by this community and love sharing my little charts, but I am not a professional designer. And I do not have professional software. Thank you for understanding that I  have to put each page on separate pdf downloads because of the devices I use. I apologize for that.  And I am always grateful for your kind encouragement , your visits, and stitching my little designs. 

Click here for instruction page. 

Click here for charts. 

Speaking of pumpkins, I bought my first fresh pumpkin for the season. The sign said it is  pie pumpkin. I have never seen a white pie pumpkin, but am anxious to try it.  Have you ever used a white pumpkin in a recipe before? I would love to know what you thought about it if you have. 

I thought I would leave you with a little recipe that I have been eyeing. 

Double Layer Pumpkin Spice Pie

Prep Time : 20 minutes

Total Time: 4 hrs 20 min. ( This includes refrigeration time. )

INGREDIENTS: 

4 oz of Philadelphia Cream cheese, softened

1 Tablespoon milk

1 Tablespoon of sugar

2 cups of thawed Cool Whip whipped topping, divided. 

1 6 oz. graham pie crust

2 Cups of cold milk

2 packages ( 4 serving size each) of Jell-O Pumpkin Spice Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling

DIRECTIONS: 

Beat cream cheese, 1 T of milk and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup  of whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust. 

Pour 2 cups of milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. ( Mixture will thicken.) Spread over cream cheese layer in crust. 

Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Top with the remaining 1 cup of whipped topping just before serving . Store leftover pie in refrigerator. 

Makes 10 servings. 

Now doesn't that sound delicious? Oh, my tummy is already rumbling. I think I have all of the ingredients so I do need to get busy. Lol. 

Well, I am off to piddle the rest of the evening away. Thank you so much for visiting and for all of well wishes. 

Big hugs and as always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll. 

Melisa. 

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.  

      Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap

Frederique at  Applique Patchwork Quilting for Patchwork & Quilts #69

Beth at Love Laugh Quilt  for Monday Making

Judy at Small Quilts Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Lynette at What a Hoot!  for BOMs Away Monday

When life gives you pumpkins, make pie. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!

Dedicated to my sweet sister, Amy.  We had already made our fall decorating plans together. I miss and love you, Amo. 

Here Chick , Chick!

Good afternoon, sweet peeps!  It is all about chickens today! 🐔

That means  it is time to pull out my chicken mug!  No coffee in it. I like my sweet iced tea. 😀

Many of ya'll have been with me for awhile on my journey with my chicken quilt.  From the piecing, to the applique ... 

all the way to the quilting. 

Well guess what? I am so excited to announce that  it is complete!!!!

 I am doing a chicken dance right now!🐔🐔🐥🐥💃💃

I had to take it out to the farm for some photos. 

 Proudly displayed on the corncrib which is filled with hay bales. 

Then I hung it with my Beehive quilt on the fence. 

I am over the moon!!!

 I know where it is going to be displayed in the house, but it will have to wait for next year because Fall quilts are going up now. 🍂🎃

I shared the applique pattern and a little more information about this quilt in a previous post. Click here to get the applique pattern.  

Well now to my 2nd chicken quilt.

Here are nine little chickens with a bunch of nine patches which may be used in the finished quilt. 

 I am working on Little Hens for the Rainbow Scraps Challenge with Angela at So Scrappy. I am appliqueing them on 6 1/2" unfinished  background fabric.

 An orange chicken has joined the brood. 

    If you are interested in the Little Hen's applique pattern, just check out the pdf below. 

Click here for Little Hen. 

  A few orange and one teal nine patches were also completed today. They will be added to the RSC quilt. 

With one chicken quilt complete and  one well on its way , I think it is in order to start thinking of another. What do you think? lol. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing what is coming out of my Quilt Nest. It may be slow going ,but I am trying to be productive. Have a fantabulous weekend, my dears, and as always...

Happy quilting, ya'll

Melisa

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. 

Alycia's of Alycia Quilts for Finished of Not Friday

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict  for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop-Friday

Michelle  at From Bolt to Beauty for Beauty Pageant 144   - Friday

Wendy at Wendy's Quilts for Peacock Party - Friday 

Frederique at  Applique Patchwork Quilting for Patchwork & Quilts #69    - Saturday

Angela of  So Scrappy  for Scrap Happy Saturday

I never dreamed I would be a chicken lady , but here I am killing it!!!

Hugs and Stitches!!!

Dedicated to my sweet baby sister , Amy who also was a Chicken Lady.