Boo To You Progress, Mama's Birthday and Pumpkin Bread

Happy Monday, Friends!

We had a beautiful Saturday with plenty of sunshine and cool temperatures. We took my mama to lunch at a local restaurant that we only enjoy during special occasions. 

Then we went to get her birthday gift. She loves to sit on her back deck and enjoy the views so we got her a new rocking chair. The furniture store carries the rocker in different finishes to we had her choose her favorite.
                                            
We spent quite a bit of time with her on Saturday so I started on the Boo To You quilt a bit later than I expected.  I only got Week 1 assignmnet completed.
                                
Sunday was rainy and cold so hubby made a nice chuck roast with carrots, potatoes and onions. He requested pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting for dessert.  So I obliged.
                                            
My recipe is for two loaves of bread. We froze one and I frosted the other.  It was delicious!
                                          
Halloween was quiet here on the ridge. We never get trick or treaters up here. Our Main Street was closed so the merhants could hand out candy. We didn't go but I would love to one day. I imagine the kids are adorable.

I hope you have a great week ahead and I'll see you soon!

A Hike, Crochet, Knitting and Cutting, OH MY!

Happy Monday, Friends!

Our weekend weather was spectacular. Hubby and I went for a long hike at the Biltmore estate on Saturday, then enjoyed lunch at one of the restaurants there.

The sunflowers were still showing off.

It was a great day to spend outside.

Sunday was equally as nice weatherwise but I needed to finish a couple of things and never went outside.

The first finish was a knit hat for my husband. I started this for our Hooks and Books book club a couple of weeks ago.

The pattern is Elphaba Hat by Kristel Nieves for Malabrigo. I used Rasta Super Bulky yarn in the color Laguna Negra.

The next finish is something I started a while ago to use up leftover yarns from other projects. I shared my progress a while ago. I finished weaving in the threads Sunday afternoon.

One big granny square...

It will be used in the living room during the cooler months.

The last thing I did on Sunday was cut out the Boo To You quilt. It was a four week quilt-along hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop. I do not think I ever shared the kit with you. The QAL was to begin in August. I was too busy with travel and getting ready for a retreat that I never started it.
                                        

Photo from Fat Quarter Shop Website

I cut out the pieces per the pattern's weekly releases. Excuse my messy sticky notes...I wanted to get this part of the process done!
                                                  
Fat Quarter Shop is so generous with their quilt kits; always a lot of leftover fabrics.
                                                
I'm planning to start the quilt on Halloween. Too late for this year but I am determined to sew up the kits I have and not let them linger.

My week will involve a good amount of time in the car and I will be stitching when I'm not driving. I hope to see you Friday with a floss update. In the meantime, have a great week!

See you soon,

Apple Festival and Retreat

Happy Friday, Friends!

Last weekend's Apple Festival was a big success in spite of the rain and chilly temps.
                                            

Lots of vendors selling their wares.

Our local apple orchard was there offering bags of apples, tarts, doughnuts, turnovers, cider and more.

The Apple Festival Cross Stitch Retreat hosted by Anabella's was also a success.  There were approximately 60 attendees.  Unfortunately, the guest designer could not make it. Priscilla from Stitching with the Housewives got a terrible stomach flu the day she was to fly from Chicago and had to cancel.

She still provided us with two exclusive designs, as well as the fabric and floss to complete them.

I started and finished the smaller design over the weekend.

I secured Table # 6 and invited these four ladies to join me.

We played a game called Left Right Center with DMC floss. I've played this game many times but have never won. That is....until now.

I also won TWO raffle prizes...

A wool candle mat from Penny Lane Primitives

Lori Holt's new cross stitch book, some of her chunky thread and her crochet hooks

Before I started the smaller design from Priscilla, I started Pinkie Santa.
                                            
This is where I stopped before picking up the new design.

Since the weekend, I've been catching up on exercise (if there is such a thing) and getting my steps in at the lake. Just wanted to share a photo and let my long-time friends know that the ghosts are back...

And they've added some pumpkins to the waterfall...

Sadly, the waterfall will be turned off soon. We are already getting into the 20s and 30s F in the mornings. Although, the afternoon temps are hitting the 70s and sometimes 80s still.

My cousins from Florida are in town visiting. Even though some of them are staying in a hotel, and some with my mom, I'm not sure how my weekend is going to go. I'm hoping to finally start the Boo to You quilt from the Fat Quarter Shop. We shall see...

My friend Diann at Little Penguin Quilts mentioned her son just made a sourdough pumpkin bread. I'm looking all over the county for a bakery that has one. It sounds so good.

What are your plans for the weekend? Tell me all the things...and I'll see you soon!

Did I Sew? And A Fair...

Hello, Dear Friends!

I mentioned on Friday that I would be attached to my sewing machine during the weekend. And I was...just not working on the things I thought I would be. I may have mentioned before that my Mom purchased a townhouse recently. She wants to use draperies she already has for the new place. They needed some hemming so that is what we did. I will share photos once they are laundered and hung.

It is fair season in the mountains. Last year, I got up enough courage to enter a cross stitch piece in the crafts exhibit and earned a third place ribbon.
                                        

Red Bird Sampler by With Thy Needle and Thread

This year, my family encouraged me to enter a quilt. My daughter selected the one she thought I should enter. It was Flea Market Flowers by Lori Holt.

Hubby and I went to the fair's exhibit hall where we found my quilt hanging SIDEWAYS! Apparently, men on a scissor lift were hanging the quilts and no one was providing guidance. They were draping the quilts over a cable and attaching them with clothes pins. You can see in the photo below that the clothes pins are on the left side...I rotated the phot0 so it would show properly.

We found the first place quilt...

Not my quilt.  Exhibitor AB.

I missed getting a photo of the third place quilt. It was cute, made up of bird blocks. And we couldn't find the second place quilt for the longest time. 

Finally, my husband stood at just the right angle to find the red ribbon attached to mine.

I was  excited to earn a ribbon at the county fair. But I think I'll try entering one of the regional fairs next year where they publish the judging criteria.

I hope you had a nice weekend and wishing you the best for the week ahead.

I'm linking up to Melva's Sew & Tell

See you soon,