Last Year's Halloween Decor

Thanksgiving is next week here in Canada, and we won't decorate for Halloween until after that, but I decided to share last year's simple decor for an everything Halloween link up party.





A few pots of mums, a straw bale with pumpkins, and a Halloween quilt I made a few years ago decorated our little porch for Halloween last year.




Another quilt I made using fun Halloween prints was folded in half and used as a table topper for the candy table in our entry. We get over 200 kids so that is just a small sampling of the treats.





This is the simple vignette I put together last year for the hall entry cabinet.





Check out the titles of these two black books used for props- Grave Secret and Ghost at Work! Perfect for Halloween and free in a box of books I was given.





A close-up of pumpkins, a little jack-o'lantern carved on a school trip, Hallowe'en themed tea light holders, a strand of Jack-o-lantern lights and a simple painted 'pumpkins' sign. This year I will be adding some Halloween plates and the Halloween banners I recently sewed.


We don't go all out for Halloween at our house, but I do like some fun decorations and decor for us and little trick or treaters to enjoy. I'm linking up to everything HALLOWEEN at midwestern {sewing} girl. I hope to see you there!





I'm also linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

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Last Year's Halloween Decor

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Toile, Plaids and Checks for Fall

Toiles, plaids and checks in neutral tones are really appealing to me this season.




I sewed a new pillow using some toile rose fabric leftover from a friend and some strips of drop cloth (free fabric and pillow insert I had on hand, so the cost is $0.) I used the strips to surround the squares of toile and it reverses to the same pattern on the back. This pillow may appear in another room at some point because the colour and style would work in most rooms in our home, but for now it is on the rattan chair I slipcovered for in our living room.






The flannel throw is one I made two years ago (for around $25) and occasionally use as a table topper. I love the tans, greys and beiges in the plaids and checks and it is incredibly soft. Just perfect for snuggling on this cool and wet Autumn day.


I'm linking up to some of my favourite parties this weekend...
Air Your Laundry Friday at Freckled Laundry
Under $100 Linky Party at Beyond The Picket Fence
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
White Wednesday at Faded Charm
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

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Toile, Plaids and Checks for Fall

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Signs of Quilting

 I love quilts and have added some quilt signs to my studio/sewing room.



I shared the most recent update with lots of photos for Where Bloggers Create at My Desert Cottage, but thought I would add a few more updates as they happen. I made this little sign for a basket on the top of the metal shelving unit, using a stencil. This is a handy spot for my ufo's (unfinished objects), out of the way but not out of sight. Why oh why do builders still use popcorn ceilings?!!!



I made this sign by using acrylic craft paints to paint over a sign I didn't like.



Then I printed off my lettering of choice on the printer and added the lettering to the sign using the pencil on reverse method.

The letters are traced leaving faint pencil lines. I used a small brush and black acrylic craft paint to fill in the lines.





A bit of antique glaze wiped on and off and a light sanding to give the sign a bit of age. It hangs above the door in my studio and adds a bit of interest.






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Signs of Quilting

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A Trip To Quilter's Nine Patch in Elmira

We took a trip to St. Jacob's and Elmira today. We stopped at one of my favourite shops, Quilter's Nine Patch in Elmira, Ontario.
 


It is attached to At The Crossroads buffet restaurant/gift shop and both the exterior and interior are very inviting. The photo above is from their shop in the fall. At this time of year the gardens and entry are overflowing with colourful summer blooms. I should have brought my camera!




 They have so many beautiful collections, but I was drawn to the civil war section to add to a collection I started.




I bought some civil war darks to go with the roll of lights I bought last summer. My plan is to make a log cabin quilt using the civil war lights/darks. Today I bought 4 fat quarters ($18) and I still need to pick up a few more darks when we make a trip back. I try to break up my purchases because I find fabric to be so expensive.




As soon as I finish organizing my hobby room and finish a UFO, I'm going to enjoy breaking into this collection of fabric.




They guys spent several hours in the livestock exchange and I browsed the market stalls and picked up fresh Ontario strawberries to make more jam. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. Perfect for enjoying Mennonite country. 

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A Trip To Quilter's Nine Patch in Elmira

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My Quilts ~ A Simple Picnic Quilt

We often pack a lunch, or stop for takeout, on day trips or trips to the beach. Having a picnic quilt really comes in handy.





I made this simple picnic quilt using red and blue twill, denim scraps and black cotton broadcloth. The coloured squares repeat in rows diagonally and it is bordered first in denim and then in black cotton. The backing is a blue bed sheet. It is very sturdy and easy to wash, perfect after a day of fun and sun. Do you have a favourite picnic quilt or blanket?

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My Quilts ~ A Simple Picnic Quilt

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My Quilts ~ Northwoods

Northwoods is the name I gave this scrappy quilt. The main fabrics I worked from are novelty prints with a lodge theme (moose, canoes, snowshoes, bears, pine trees, mountains...)





I made it around 2003 (I drew up the pattern after seeing a photo of a similar pattern done in flowery fabric.) This was an inexpensive quilt to assemble because all the fabrics were bought on sale or collected. Not a single piece of fabric was from a quilt shop. The off white fabric is muslin and the black borders are broadcloth. It was a great and cheap project for a young mom (me) on a budget.





Our oldest is hiding behind it to hold it up.



  
The backing is the same as the binding, a navy blue with white dot/cross-hatch that was free from a friend.





This quilt is also in our basement guest suite. I've sent a lot of the 'northwoods cabin' themed decor accessories to the thrift store this week trying to simplify, but I'm keeping this quilt.

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My Quilts ~ Northwoods

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My Quilts ~ Where It All Began

I have always had a love of quilts and grew up watching my mom sew. She made us dresses, dolls and doll clothes and kept the annual church bazaar full of hand sewn items. In later years, she even attempted a Sunbonnet Sue quilt and made beautiful stuffed animals and nativity figurines.





In 1992 we were married, bought our first home and my first sewing machine. It is a very basic Kenmore from Sears that I hope to replace one day with a new quilting machine. That year, I signed up for a beginner quilting course at The Hobby Horse in Glen Williams, Ontario with a friend. We purchased fabric for our quilts at the shop and each week we carried our sewing machine to the classroom in the basement to learn how to cut and sew a Log Cabin/Fields and Furrows layout quilt the Eleanor Burns 'Quilt in a Day' way, and how to 'stitch in the ditch'. These were the colours of our bedroom in that new home. Navy blue walls below the chair rail, and light pink above. Hello '90's!





Sadly the middle blue colour faded after the first wash. It was a defect in the fabric that the quilt store replaced, but the quilt was already assembled. We sold that first home and moved to our new hpme, the double bed became our son's bed, and this double sized Log Cabin quilt became a spare in the guest room. Simply made and faded, but loved all the same. 



I'm joining the air your laundry friday textile party at Freckled Laundry. 'See' you there!

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My Quilts ~ Where It All Began

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My Quilts ~ At The Lake

Today I am sharing a quilt in progress, At The Lake.





I bought this fabric at the Creative Sewing and Needlwork Festival in Toronto a few years ago because it reminds me of all the time I have spent in beautiful Ontario cottage country. And it has been sitting in my fabric stash since then. I began cutting and sewing the other night. No pattern in hand, just the fabric, a few hours to myself, and a need to keep my mind busy. I cut the panels into squares and added 2 1/2" strips in a log cabin style. I may or may not add sashes between the blocks. There are 28 blocks, so I will lay it out and decide.





Finding time to quilt is not always possible, but I enjoy it when I do. I dream of being able to buy any fabric I want, without concern for the cost. And a fancy quilting sewing machine! Forget shoes, this girl loves fabric! My fabric stash would be huge because while I love neutrals in our home, I have no problem with colour in quilts.





Working on organizing our basement guest suite has reminded me of the number of quilts I have made over the years. They are neither fancy nor perfect, but lovingly made and used. We have taken bags of items to the thrift store, but I'm not parting with my simple quilts. I took photos of some today, on their way to the washing machine, and I will be posting them over the next while as a way to keep a record of them. And as a reminder to appreciate what I have.

Wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm sharing this at Jami's air your laundry friday party! I hope you stop by.

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My Quilts ~ At The Lake

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My Quilts ~ Flannel Plaid and Ticking Quilt

The mini makeover in our basement guest bedroom is continuing. I made a whole cloth quilt with a large plaid flannel sheet and backed with a blue and white ticking stripe.



The natural cotton batting is a really nice weight, neither too heavy nor too light and not too lofty.






I've really been working on decluttering and I like the results so far. The night tables have already been changed to a cute pair I picked up at a yard sale last year and painted white. I'll update the photos once I hang the skis (from here).





Changing to white pillows and sheets is something else I plan to do. Currently the sheets are navy and the bedskirt is denim. I love the mixture in my favourite inspiration photo below -frilly white cotton, ticking stripe and blue denim. 





I also really like the landscapes in the photo below, from Country Living. I have collected three so far, but I'm not sure if the room will look too cluttered with a collection of landscapes and a photo gallery.





Lots still to do but it feels fresher already.









What would you do, landscapes, photo gallery or both (it is a large room)?


I'm joining the Handmade Tuesday party at Ladybug Blessings.

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My Quilts ~ Flannel Plaid and Ticking Quilt

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Quilted Pillows in Denim and Whites

Last night I made a bit of progress on our living room by sewing two new pillows for the leather couch. A log cabin pattern:



And a stripe with added crocheted trim in ecru and white:


I like all white rooms, but I wanted to add some denim and a bit of colour to our living room work in progress. Besides neutrals, I love blue in many shades and use it in most rooms in our home in some way.


I added some white and ecru crocheted trim for interest on the striped pillow. Both pillows have drop cloth backs to tie in with the ruffled pillows.


I also switched out the more formal gold lamps for these Restoration Hardware look-alike lamps from our family room.



I'm still considering all the suggestions on wall colour and working with paint chips for now.


The cost for these pillows was $0. I already had the bits of crocheted trim, drop cloth fabric, white denim left over from slipcovers, piles of denim from jeans and the down inserts. 



Denim and neutrals make me smile! Okay, serious infatuation here.


I could have gone to HomeSense and found some pillows that work. Maybe they would have been more trendy or stylish but these are ME. These suit our home and our casual family style. They also bring the denim and white I love so much together, into our living room.


I am finally learning what my design style is and I think these pillows suit the Prairie Pretty look that I like. I can't decide which pillow is my favourite.



I'm linking to WHISPERWOOD COTTAGE.COM  and the 2011 1st project of the year Party.


I'm also joining Jami's air your laundry party over at Freckled Laundry.



I'm also joining SNS #64 at Funky Junk Interiors.

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Quilted Pillows in Denim and Whites

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