backtotheISLAND

Woo-hoo
Vacation time on Topsail Island again!
downstairs den
Autumn Festival at the south end of the island
my sister's new hat
Brusco supervising the puzzle



Sky in the super sized mermaid bathroom
the children enjoying the festival

paperPIECING

It is always fun to learn a new way to make a quilt block.
Paper piecing is a new way (for me at least) to make a small precise block for a quilt. Since all 140 blocks are six inch blocks in the Sampler I am learning to make, it was time to practice.
No need to look like a total fool in class, so YouTube here I come. There are instructional videos for every quilting style in the world. The best part is that I can watch numerous times and no one will know how long it takes me to catch on.
Basically with paper piecing, you just sew by number. Well heck, even I can do that!

skilletpecanPIE

You all know how I love a new recipe. Skillet pecan pie is the latest of my Southern Living magazine favorites.
Very easy to make.
How can you go wrong with a stick of butter, sugar and Southern Comfort?
Takes a while to cook though. 1 hour cook time, 3 hours cool time in a closed door oven. It was worth the wait!

SERGER

The Serger Nightmare!

Who knew it would take almost two hours to thread a sewing machine?
The manual neglected to tell me to remove the small machine cover piece on the front left of the machine, to thread cone number 3. I watched numerous You Tube videos to figure this out.
Serger guts. Once threaded the machine will sew two threads through two needles and two threads below but no bobbin is involved like a regular sewing machine.
Why would you buy a machine that holds four thread cones and is a nightmare to thread, you ask. Well, I found this machine, unused for 15 years, and barely used before that, in a closet. It belonged to Mark's stepmother, Booger. Yes, Booger. Booger sewed all of her clothes for years and purchased this machine shortly before moving up here to the farm. Once she moved it to the new house, it sat in a box until two weeks ago when I brought it home. The serger sews using 4 threads and gives you the finishing stitch you find on clothes purchased in a store. The finishing stitch sews the layers together and keeps the fabric from raveling.
Let the fun begin....

saintjudeSALE

What a nice feeling you get when you can use your sewing talent to help others.
My friends in Baton Rouge are big supporters of Saint Jude Children's Hospital. Saint Jude's Hospital will treat any child with cancer, never asking if you have money to pay or not. The staff there is heaven sent!
Now on to the sale. The nice folks in Baton Rouge have a craft sale in November to raise money for the hospital and all it's supporting local clinics.
Needless to say if there is a craft sale I am willing to help. So I made some cute children's aprons with Maisy fabric and some out of duck cloth. The duck cloth is unbleached so they can be painted or embellished for a personal touch. Saints pillowcases since we are in LA. and Smart Bags that are the perfect size for paperbacks, DVD's, Bible, gym bag etc.


The quilt pictures are the back of my Reindeer and Snowflake quilt. My longarm Princess Jody used a pale blue thread on the back to highlight the Blowing Snow longarm pattern. I don't know which side is my favorite!
Oops, forgot to mention the Christmas aprons!

skilletPIE

Skillet Apple Pie
I love a new recipe almost as much as I love new fabric. This is a simple recipe I found in the Sept. issue of Southern Living magazine.
Mark sliced up the apples using my PC apple peeler, corer, slicer. Apples ready in minutes.

Bake right in the pan

With an entire stick of butter, how can you go wrong????

fashionSTATEMENT

Pj pants are a must have fashion item for our Topsail Island vacation this year.
No boring t-shirts this year folks. We are talking Dr. Suess and Saints, Who Dat! nation pj pants.
Yes sir, these fancy pants will take us all the way to the Superbowl!!!!!