Pumpkin Patch

     Don't you just love the sight of a pumpkin field. I love pumpkins! My mom, sister and I went to our local pumpkin patch and picked up a few for our Pumpkin Party this weekend. We have about 30 people coming over to carve and have fun.... keep you posted on that one.



Which one should come home with me?

Me with the pumpkins at The Red Barn Market.

       The three of us had a really great day, the sun was shining, one of those perfect fall days.  My sister has already carved some of her pumpkins. Using different stencils she carves all different characters, this year her favorite is Alice in Wonderland.

     We just got our Accuquilt Go! in at the store, can I find time this weekend to play? I'm sure if I try really hard there will be time. I can't wait to use the tumbler dye, it has always caught my eye. There are so many projects that can be done with this cutting system.....hmmm new club?  I'm just learning that I LOVE gadgets, this is trouble.

I leave for Houston in.... 6 DAYS! I'm starting to get excited now and can't wait to see what's new in the quilting and sewing world. My sister is REALLY excited, she has a game plan for all the booths she wants to see. It is probably a good thing we can't buy from the booths directly! She'll be coming home with heavier bags than when we left.
I'm hoping to be sending some blogs from Houston, I will be taking lots of classes and ordering new "stuff" for the store, you'll be the first to know!

Well better sign off, have a great weekend everyone.

Natasha

 





Fall...what a great time of year!

I just love the fall, cool evenings, sometimes nice days, thanksgiving and Halloween. The colors are so rich and inspiring.


This past weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving and I have to share with you all, my favorite Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe. It tradition in our family and very easy to make. If any of you get the What's Cooking Magazine from Kraft you may already have the recipe. If you don't get this magazine you should, just visit Kraftkitchens.com and register and quarterly you will receive the magazine FREE! There are always easy meals ideas and I look forward to getting it every season.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake


Prep:20 min   Total: 5 hours including refrigerating


18 Peek Freans Ginger Crisps (1 sleeve crushed)
1/4 cup finely chopped Pecans
1/4 cup butter melted
3 pks (250g) Cream Cheese
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp Vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves


**** I have used Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of the above spices and it works great****


Preheat oven at 350 degrees (300 degrees if using dark pan). Combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into the bottom of 9" springform pan.


Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.


Remove approx 1 cup of batter; place in a small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of reserved plain batter. Cut through batters with knife  to create a swirl effect.


Bake 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool completely. refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.


Enjoy!

Now our next event Halloween! My sister is a HUGE fan of Halloween, but this year my sister will be traveling with me to the Houston Quilt Market. I will be going as a buyer for the store, taking classes and learning new stuff! My sister is coming to keep me company and give her opinion when needed. The trip is right over Halloween though. Sooo... we are planning a pumpkin carving party for the weekend before we go. So this weekend my Mom, Sister and I got the ball rolling. We love the harvest side of  Halloween and enjoy seeing kids picking their pumpkins and just being with friends! Have you guys met my sister yet? I don't think so, everyone meet my sister Miriam.

This picture was taken a couple years ago when we went to Mexico. These are Ridley Turtles that were just hatched and being rescued by a Sea Turtle Conservation Centre. It was  a special treat to get to hold the turtles!

Anyway back to Halloween. I pulled out my Cuddlebug and we made our invites. I have to say it was fun to work with a different craft medium!  Here's a pic of  our invitation.

Just as I'm finishing up my blog, I just got the call that my friends Maria and Michael are going to have their baby tomorrow! I better get going I'm watching their son Matias while they do their check in today for c-section. A new baby, no better blessing! Have a great day everyone.

Natasha

Fun times with my Ruby

What fun I have been having! Last Saturday I had class to show the new Cutwork Needles put out by Inspira. Who would have thought I would have so much fun. My favorite project fabric covered journals. I embroidered the designs in tone on tone on the fabric first and then stitched them out in a contrast and had the needles "cut" them out.

I have also been using my embroidery machine for machine quilting..... I LOVE IT! You just hoop the whole quilt with backing and batting, select your design and off you go. So easy and the tension is great everytime. I made up this Christmas quilt to showcase the designs and I never thought I would like it this much.

 I was recently visiting a friend in Parksville, we stopped by a second hand store and I couldn't believe that there were these brand new crocheted baby blankets. I bought 2, to set aside for future baby gifts, they are so soft and sweet. Get this they were only $3, it costs more for the yarn!

Paulette over at Sweet Pea Quilting has photo's of a quilt show held at Cloth Castle and mentioned that she didn't get a full photo of this quilt so here it is. I adjusted the pattern to make it into a quilt rather than a wallhanging. I apologize but I don't know who's pattern it is.

Happy quilting and sewing, Natasha

Friday Night Sew In

      Last night I decided to join The Friday Night Sew In group. It was a great way to work on projects, by the time I got home it was after 9pm so I didn't have a lot of time. I had to get a baby gift done for Saturday so I worked on that. I love Minkie fabric, there is a new brand put out by Shannon Fabrics called cuddle, it is so nice for baby gifts and quilt backings. I made a little stroller blanket for the baby with machine embroidery on it.

    This past week I have been working on a sample for one of my classes, Strip Tube Quilt. That was a lot of fun. If you haven't tried the strip tube ruler you should, really quick and easy. You can use Jelly Rolls for this quilt and make up top in a weekend easily.

This is what the ruler looks like, from Cozy Quilt Designs.

Sew 2 Jelly strips together and then cut a plain strip to match the width of the 2 sewn strips, should be around 4 1/2" wide.

Follow directions on ruler and cut the correct triangle.

And  open up your triangle and you have a really great 1/2 square triangle.



And here is the quilt all put together, I still have to add borders but looks pretty good!

    I better sign off it is 7am and I have to get ready for work. I have Victoria, BC's version of Friday Night Sew In...... Cloth Castle Quilt Till You Wilt tonight from 6pm -12am. I'm teaching last session of Beginners Quilting this morning, working at the store, baby shower and then Quilt Till You Wilt, busy day ahead! My beginner class, their quilts are looking really great will try to post photos!

    Have a great weekend!

Natasha

What a Welcome, Thank you!

    Wow, thank you everyone for your welcome and your comments. I have been pretty busy this week and just had time tonight to check out my blog and surprise.... I have many new friends! I was so excited! Paulette you are so generous to send your friends over, thank you. I would like to make one correction, The Deck The Halls Wallhanging is not one of my patterns, I can't remember the designer but I will get the info and post asap.
     I can't believe we are on our way to fall already, with fall comes the beginning of classes. We had quilt club this week, I love the September class. It is like the first day of school for quilters! The ladies haven't seen each other all summer and now they are catching up, all in 2 hours. It is great, the enthusiasm and excitement is contagious. The show and tell was so great, I was so busy that I couldn't even take photos. I will try to get one the ladies to take pictures next time. The pattern I designed is called Polka Dot Panache, I love dots in all sizes and colours!

You can't see them but the center of each circle has a button. So cute.

 Have you ever tried the Olfa Circle Cutter? This is the best tool ever, I love it. It can cut up to 8" circles in no time at all. Makes cutting the circles for this quilt super easy.

You can just see the pivot point and where my hand is a 28mm blade. You hold the handle (above my thumb) and away you go. Have I mentioned I LOVE this cutter. It would work also for scrapbooking and card making too.

     I fused all the circles with Heat'n'Bond on base of Muslin. After the quilt was done I washed it and it came out looking very vintage. It is really cute. The night before Quilt Club I started the quilt but with Christmas prints it is also really cute.

      My sister has been working on some cross stitch and thought I would share some of them with you. They are really pretty, hope you enjoy them.

     Well I better sign off, I want to start playing with my Strip Tube Ruler for a class I have coming up. I'll keep you posted and once again thank you everyone who has become a follower and leaving comments....this is so exciting!

Natasha

Time to retire my Favorite Quilt

Well it is time for me to admit that my favorite Log Cabin Quilt has to be set aside. This is one of the first larger quilts I ever made for myself. When quilters flannel first came on the scene they were actually brushed cotton, not very thick and really only plaids and a few prints. I made this quilt just to try it and see if I liked Log Cabin, who new that I would later have so many Log Cabin quilts and that even today it is still one of my favorites. If only you could feel this quilt, over years of washes it has become the softest and most thread bare quilt I own. I have been teased by my friends and family about how I drag this quilt everywhere with me, just call me Linus! There is something about a quilt from home that gives comfort when you need it. This quilt has traveled to Disneyland at least 5 times, it has been to Europe, Mexico, USA and where ever I travel in Canada. It has been through happy and sad times, collected many tears and laughs. How do you retire a quilt that is a part of your life story?  I have a new flannel quilt but funny enough I feel disloyal to my favorite, that is so sad! Oh well we all have our comfort items and some are harder to let go of than others. The funny thing about the quilt is that it is so thread bare that at night the threads tickle my nose, driving me crazy!  As you can see my sisters crazy cat, Gammie, likes it too!

As you can see there are parts of the quilt missing and the batting!

If there is a quilt around this cat finds it.

Besides contemplating my quilt I actually have been pretty busy this last week. First the most exciting part... I bought a new Sewing/Embroidery Machine! I have been taking so much training on The Ruby from Husqvarna I HAD to have one. Good thing I'm not married I would have a lot of explaining to do! I had a Topaz and totally loved it but this machine has a few more features that just make things easier. I'm sure having fun. I have sold my Topaz and it is going to a good home, but for now, until it goes to it's new home I have 2 really good sewing machines and that means I can sew twice the amount of projects! I have been working on a cutwork tablecloth on the Ruby and then on the Topaz all my other sewing, I just finished my sample for my Christmas Tea Class, so that is one thing off my list, only about 20 more to go!

This the Ruby stitching out the Cutwork design.......

and here is Topaz with Christmas Tea Sample being quilted.

Well I guess I better sign off, I was supposed to be working on my patterns tonight....oh how I love a good distraction!

Natasha

My First Entry

     Well this is it, I finally have branched out and started by blog. I love to craft but currently my biggest hobby is quilting. Starting this blog, my hope was to connect with other quilters and crafters. I also enjoy scrapbooking and cardmaking, I don't have a lot of time for it though.

     Four years ago I started a quilting pattern company with my dear friend Michelle, m&n pattern designs. Michelle sadly passed away about 1.5 years ago but our friendship grew over our love of quilting. When Michelle was on maternity leave with her daughter Rachel, we would get together every Monday and quilt, most Mondays though it would just be a gab fest. Although I miss her daily, the work and projects we worked on are a great memory. We had some very good days sewing, having lunch and going shopping. Shopping really was a good distraction when we supposed to be preparing for our quilt club!

       Yesterday we had a Quilt Show at The Cloth Castle, store where I work, Log Cabin Quilt Challenge reveal. Customers came by and voted for their favourite quilts. Viewers Choice Winner was ....me! I was pretty excited. The quilt I won for was my Bali Friendship Log Cabin, approx. 90" X 90", it was  a bit if work finishing. The friendship log cabin  was a fun day of sewing. Collect 12 of your closest quilting friends everyone brings 24 of their own center squares. When everyone is ready and settled everyone get 2 of each persons squares. Then each person sews on a strip of their fabric. Press and trim and then pass the stack to their neighbor. So as you continue around, each person adds a strip of their fabric. Then you go home and put it all together in any pattern you like and if you are me you go home and "fix" up colours. I ended up making 12 more blocks so I could make a larger quilt and then expanded it's size with borders. I love how it turned out.

      Well I better sign off and get some work done. I'm heading off to Vancouver for more sewing machine training tomorrow. 

Natasha