Quilt Shot Block #50~ Courthouse Steps

for Midnight Mystery Quilt Along- 19 inch square

This is one of the memory quilts
being made from Mother & Dad's clothing.

This square called for a LOT of fabric.

Had to make NINE of these 19 inch squares.

Used Dad's light blue shirt for middle,

Mother's green slacks, and

all of 2 of Dad's white shirts and part of another.

To utilize the fabric in the shirts with little waste,

I cut the shirts in 3½ inch strips,

then sewed the strips together into one long strip

 before applying to the square.

This is a scrappy quilt, so it didn't matter where the seams fell.

The 9 squares won't even fit on my sewing table. 

This is going to be the biggest quilt ever for me.

Remember it goes with the Flying Geese made for August

and Square in a Square for September

 This Quilt Along by Meadow Mist Design is over in March.
Is this going to be a monster size quilt?
Can't wait to see November's directions.

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Sharing at several Linky Parties
http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com

 

You MUST check them out for great ideas!

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  PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Fri Foto ~ Honoring Our Most Recent Trip Including Ohio

Sharing at several Linky Parties

You MUST check them out for great ideas!

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Thanks to the FREE program

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo & other alterations to pictures.

Candy Corn Bookmarks- Free PES File

         More non-candy treats.  These can go with the Pumpkin Bookmarks.  They could be used as a "FALL" bookmark as well.
          This post shows how I used scraps to make a set of 6 bookmarks.  Go ahead, download the free PES file.  Don't use PES files?  There are free programs to be found online to convert the file. 
           I used to think I would never justify using an embroidery machine, because I wouldn't need flowers on my clothing.  Check out my new page found on the top bar of this blog entitled Free Embroidery Files and see the files I have created.  They are not clothing embellishments, AND they all are FREE!

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 Begin making these like the Pumpkin Bookmarks.

Frame the fabric and heavy stabilizer. 

Do all embroidery except last 2 steps.

Take hoop out of machine, 

place lining on back 

proceed with last 2 embroidery steps.

  

This does waste a lot of fabric.

I made a second set using the scraps.

Hoop the stabilizer.

Stitch the first round on the stablizer.

Don't worry about skipped stitches.

Use enough fabric to cover the stitch marks.

Use an adhesive of your choice along the edges where the needle won't be running.

Painter's tape works well also.  I reuse the tape until it no longer sticks.

Embroider all steps except last 2 and add back in same way.

Consider placing adhesive inside book marks.

Finish last 2 steps of embroidery.

Very little leftover using this method.

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Download FREE Candy Corn Bookmark PES File HERE

Please note, stitching won't happen in expected order.  Eventually all are stitched.

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Here are ways to use leftover stabilizer:

Reusing Embroidery Tearaway Stabilizer

Embroidery Stabilizer Scrap Use Tip 

 Freehand Lettering

Thanks to:

Photoscape for downsizing, watermarking photos & editing.

Pic Monkey for labeled icon at beginning of post

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Please see my "Linky Parties" link above 

for some hard working hosts

Wordless Wednesday #144 ~ Niagara Falls in the Fall

@ Niagara Falls, NY

Niagara Falls State Park

2015

 We rode the Maid of the Mist to get a view of the BIG falls 

since construction was going on & 

we don't have passports to see from the Canadian side.

 American Falls

 Horse Shoe Falls-- on Canadian side--- The Big ONE

Edge of Horse Shoe Falls

 Goat Island around American Falls

Part of Niagara Falls State Park

This looks back over to the the ramp where I took the first pictures of this post.

We took an elevator down that tower to the Maid of the Mist.

 Perfect time to see the Falls.

Beautiful AND no crowds, at least during the week.

We had a warm 68°F day.

 The dream that everyone thinks about is standing over the grand falls we know as Niagara Falls.

It was closed for reconstruction.

Tall Mr. G got a shot over the fence.

Did you know the first person to successfully go over the falls was a retired school teacher?

I guess she thought if she survived teaching........

She did it on her 63rd birthday! 

 A TRAVEL tip: The trolley will take you to other other end of Goat Island for free
 then they tell you to get off and purchase a wristband for a ride back to the Visitors' Center.

We got off and walked back which allowed us
 to check out Three Sisters Islands for some great shots.

Wait until you see the shots Mr. G got!

We SO enJOYed our perfectly unplanned trip to Niagara Falls.

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Sharing at several Linky Parties.

Thanks to the FREE programs:

 Photoscape for downsizing, watermarking photo & editing shots.

Ohio Covered Bridge Hunt- First Bridge

Between Qualey & Decaturville, OH

Root / Qualey

Location: Decaturville, OH
Lat. / Long.: N 39.342377   W 81.754436
Built in: 1878

 Mr. G & I decided recently to take a fall trip looking for colorful foilage.

Our trek took use northward.

Of course we got into looking for covered bridges.

We love the adventure of searching for them.

It's always interesting to see how they are built, but

not sad to see the vandalism on such history.

We appreciate the folks that help with the upkeep.

We noticed areas around all bridges had been mowed, making it easy for us to explore.

This is the first of MANY bridges we found on this week long trip.

More to be posted later.

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Other bridges we explored in OHIO:

Ohio Covered Bridges ~ Part 6

Ohio Covered Bridges ~ Part 5 

Ohio Covered Bridges ~ Part 4 Longest Covered Bridge in US 

Ohio Covered Bridge Hunt- #2-7 On Our List

Sun Best ~ South Denmark Covered Bridge

Quilt Shot Block #49~ Covered Bridge Quilt Trail - Ohio

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 INDIANA Bridges explored:

Begin HERE

Anatomy of a Covered Bridge

Thanks to:

Photoscape for downsizing, watermarking photos & editing.

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Please see my "Linky Parties" link above 

for some hard working hosts

Embroidered Pumpkin Bookmarks-FREE file.

     You will get a treat if you come to my house on Halloween, but it won't be candy.  I leave the candy giving up to everyone else, because I can't eat leftover candy.
      This year one of the things I'm giving is an embroidered bookmark for the readers. I created a PES file that will make 6 at a time in the large frame which measures about 6x11 inches inside the frame.
        Hope you have an embroidery machine, because I have a TREAT for YOU without coming to my house. Here is your very own PES file to make those Pumpkin bookmarks. You can download free file converters.

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First hoop fabric with very heavy, stiff stabilizer.

Choose the thread color you would like.

Different colors used in the embroidery program is to declare the stops to change the color you desire. They are not required colors.

Stitch first 2 colors in the file which is the frame & pumpkin.

I skipped the step using the black thread for facial features since I used black fabric.

Embroider the word "Read." 

 After the first 3 steps (4 counting face) are completed,

take the hoop out of the machine, but

DO NOT REMOVE THE FABRIC 

OR EVEN RE-STRETCH IT.

Carefully turn over the frame being careful to hold only by the frame.

Lightly spray a small dab of adhesive 

where the stars in the picture of above indicate.

Lay another layer of fabric on the back.

Lightly smooth the fabric letting the adhesive hold in place.

Pushing down on the fabric could rearrange the warp

 causing your stitches to be off.

I used safety pins on the corners also.

Return to machine and continue next 2 rounds of stitching,

which will be a single line, then the satin stitch.  

I recommend you use the same color for both.

This is what it will look like on the back.

I used ruler/rotary cutter.

You might want to use scissors.  

Don't cut the satin stitches.

It takes about an hour, which is time to do other things.

These do not cause cavities or sugar diabetes.

enJOY!

Get your free TREAT now!
Free Pumpkin Bookmark PES file download here.

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More Free PES Files

1. Satin Edged Coasters

2. Simple Coasters

3. ITH Cash Stasher

4. Bunny & Chick Finger Puppets

5. Quiet Book Cover Page

Thanks to:

Photoscape for downsizing, watermarking photos & editing.

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Please see my "Linky Parties" link above 

for some hard working hosts

including:
http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2015/10/lets-bee-social-96.html