Happy Halloween!

Superman!

Trick or Treating...........

first stop........

Daddy came direct from work......as himself!

 

After the first couple of stops Matthew got right into it!

Trick or Treat...........

I think he was slightly dubious about "Elvis"!

 Happy halloween!

This was the last stop at the home of friends where we went in to enjoy some adult type treats!

Smith Mountain Morning

This Bonnie Hunter design quilt has been on my list for a year or two since I quilted Andee's beauty.
I think it's my all time BH favorite so when I saw this post on Andee's blog I thought I must join in with Jo's challenge and finally get to work - isn't it beautiful?

Andee had given me her left over bits so I have incorporated those with my own fabric choices and been busily cutting.

It may not look like much but it is some hours work, and there is still much to do- I have yet to cut the strips for the Log Cabin/Courthouse Steps blocks and all the pieces for the borders!
And here I am also committed to Bonnie's newest mystery, Celtic Solstice which begins November 29th.
Sigh, this is absolutely all that I can cope with at one time, in fact SMM may have to become an ongoing project with no set timeline! Andee seems to be able to juggle a lot of different projects at one time but I cannot!

Walk For Autism

Today was the 8th Annual "Walk Now For Autism Speaks", here in AZ. at Tempe Town beach and all four Grandparents and an uncle came to walk for Team Matthew. We had a great morning and when we returned to the car we had walked over 4 miles, didn't need to go to the gym today!

Here is Nanna taking a picture of Grandnanna!

Left to right, Grandfather, Uncle Josh, Matthew, Poppa, Nanna and Grandnanna!

 Yah, we made it! It was quite warm by the time we finished so we are all happy it is now late October and no longer triple digits. There was also a 5K race but we decided to walk!

 A short break for lunch before heading home. Sprouts stores are one of the major sponsors and they had all kinds of goodies for participants of the event. Matthew even took a bite of hot dog, a new "adventure" for him.

Matthew has a whole selection of "goofy faces", he can be quite the little clown and he knows he is funny!
Nanna and I decided that next year we will be much better organized, we will have T-shirts made and try to do some fund raising ahead of time.

Thanks to all the generous supporters of Autism. Matthew is an amazing, clever and totally delightful little boy and we are so thankful for the opportunities now available to open up his world to us and our world to him.

Block Of the Month

We have only two more months to the end of this BOM from 35th. Ave quilt shop. I believe that next month we will make four more of these sort of blocks, and in December we receive lay-out directions and instructions for the optional applique stars for the border.

 I am not at all sure that these are correctly constructed, there is no color shown in the pattern directions [below] and the written instructions leave me wondering if I have interpreted aright!

Following the pattern I have done the best I could, referring to the actual picture of the quilt here.
I checked over on Andee's blog and her blocks look the same so I assume that we are both correct!
One more quilt completed, Floorplan-below- now has the binding. I do not like UFO's!

Butterfly Quilt

This one is also Hannah's.

The border is butterflies and there's an applique butterfly in the middle of the quilt. The batting is Quilter's Dream Angel, their non flammable batting without nasty chemicals! 

 Hannah prefers less dense quilting, the end result is a softer more "cuddly" quilt. The thread is a soft pink from Superior Thread Company that blends in nicely.

 The panto I used has flowers and butterflies all over - it's from Deb Geissler. These will go back to Hannah tomorrow for binding.

Hot Off The Longarm!

This pretty quilt is Hannah's creation for a family member

 I used a panto called "Garden Patch" by Donna Reinarts.........

 off white thread and Hobb's Heirloom batting.

The quilting design can be easily seen on the tone on tone backing.

I think it compliments the quilt top quite well.

The Grim Ripper........

Saw this very cute wall hanging on a friend's blog, Gari had made one, the pattern is from Fons and Porter. I came across it right when I was ripping out the quilting from Tobacco Road, and it seemed a very appropriate thing to have hanging on the wall in my longarm area. It's also "that" time of year, Halloween, when these type of decorations are all around us!

I used a novelty black fabric with sewing notions printed on it, "Bare Essentials" from RJR fabrics. The background and ripper handle are printed with quilting/sewing words, "TangledThreads" by Red Rooster fabrics.
After I was all done I realized I should have embroidered Grim Ripper, darn! Perhaps I will make another some time, it didn't take long.

Tobacco Road

Kathy made this one and I was able to finish quilting it [late] last night to return to Andee and Kathy today at the BOM pick up along with the Swoon quilt.

 I am so much happier with this panto, Maple Breezes by Judy Lyon.

You can see it from the back, it really doesn't show up on the front, except in the borders.
I will take a short break from the longarm and finish up a small wall hanging, then load another quilt mid week.

In Memory of Mum

January 13, 1918-October 18, 2001
I miss her still.

Andee's Bed Quilt

This delightful quilt Andee is keeping, it's for her bed! 

 The lady gives away almost everything she makes so it's nice to know that she will enjoy this one in her own home.

 The batting is Hobbs Heirloom and the thread Superior So Fine in white. The quilting is more dense than I would normally do, but Andee has puppy dogs and at least one kitty I think, and if they spend any time on our beds our quilts need to be very sturdy to survive our four legged friends and the additional laundering they often require!
Tomorrow I hope to begin again on Tobacco Road, I would like to deliver both quilts to Andee at the 35th. Ave. store on Saturday when we collect our BOM.

OPA!!

This weekend is the 53rd. annual Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
Opa is an expression of celebration but seems to be used in Greek for other meanings as well.

Youngest son, JW, usually helps out along with his friend Rob running the Saganaki food stand.
Saganaki is a Greek cheese, grilled and flambeed with Metaxa a type of Greek brandy.Yum!
 The cheese used is one called kafelograviera but I am told that you can also use Kasseri cheese.

Everyone yells "opa" as the Metaxa flames on the cheese. It's then sprinkled with a little fresh lemon juice and served on pita bread. Double yum, but I had to forgo the pita, I am endeavoring to live gluten free.

That's JW on the left, Rob on the right hard at work grilling the cheese.

On with the Metaxa.....

fire on the cheese!

Lots of other Greek delicacies..........

I didn't have room for the calamari unfortunately, probably shouldn't eat it anyway the batter surely has gluten in it!

The guy on the left appears to have already had his fill, LOL!

These are the Greek fried donuts, drenched with a sweet honey syrup, yummy, not for me though!

Baklava sundae, oh my!

This was my choice, lamb shank.

I passed on the Ouzo, though when I was young I drank it on the rocks!

 Both red and white Greek wine...........

 even a Greek market or "Agora"...........

 T-shirts with different Greek messages............

 Jewelry from Athens...........

and Holy Honey! And not just all kinds of edible honey but also some skin care products.

I purchased these for my friend who has breast cancer and needs surgery, a lovely soap and a skin cream. They are fragrant, vegan and pure and will be kind to her skin.

And I found these honey sticks, for my tea!

There was entertainment for young and old.

 Bouncy things.........

 sliding things............

and it wouldn't be a Greek festival without lots of dancing

We had a lovely evening! If you live in the Phoenix area you can check it out tomorrow evening too.