Introducing Garret X. Gobble jr.

Although I’ve lived in my current home for about 5 years, there is still a lot of decorating to do in it. For some reason, the idea of ‘all at once’ decorating has never appealed to me. I’d rather live with bare walls and spaces while I look for just the right piece of art or furniture that speaks to me. I know I need to work on this more diligently, because my son often reports back about “cozy homes” when he visits his friends — gulp.

My formal living room has been the most barren room since we moved in, but recently I’ve created a cozy reading nook in a corner of it by pulling together a soft stuffed rocker, an antique chestnut game table that was stashed in my basement and a wool accent rug that I found at an estate sale. The chestnut table seriously needs refinishing but the wood still requires protection from damp liquids <wine? milk? cider? water–water –ha– who am I kidding!?!>.

Clearly this cozy corner requires a table topper. So I pulled together scraps of fall-inspired fabrics and cut out (36) 5.5″ squares. I focused on browns, purples, golds, greens and dusky reds. When I was visiting Cindy this summer she gifted me with a bag of scraps that included some wonderful shirting fabrics that helped me stay with the theme while providing a bit of brightness to the proceedings.

While I was cutting the squares, I spied my Creative Grids Dresden ruler and started thinking — how could I use that ruler in a different way?   Behold, Garret X. Gobble Jr.:

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To create Garret, I used the ruler to I cut out six (6) 3″ half blades in bright colors. I sewed them together to make the tail feathers and rounded the unit out a bit. Next, I found a hexagon template by Darlene Zimmerman and cut out Garret’s fat body and then quickly cut one more brown blade for his head. I used my scissors to shape his head a bit.  I found a scrap of red for his wattle and cut it free-hand style.

When I assembled Garret, I realized that bottom of the feathers created too much bulk under the body, so I traced a chalk line from where the body and the feathers met and trimmed them off and attached them with a pin until I was ready to begin the applique. I placed Garret on-point so that he would be the centerpiece of the topper as it drapes over the table. The shirting scrap was a bit too flimsy for applique, so I layered it with a 5.5″ square of muslin to give it a little more body while I hand-stitched Junior in place.

Using my applique needle and pearl cotton thread (size 8) I created a beak, legs and an eye. Shout out to my quilting mentor and her mother and the Girl Scouts –which is where I learned to embroider many, many years ago! My skills are very rusty, but somehow, amazingly, the process is still stored in the back of my brain.

After Garret was complete, it was simple to assemble the rest of the squares. For quilting, I decided on a simple grid in chocolate brown using Gutermann thread and my Bernina walking foot.

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The last piece of the cozy corner was a lamp I found at an estate sale at this adorable doll house where, it turns out, a quilter once lived.

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Besides the lamp, I also found some quilting supplies and rulers at the sale that I am going to gift to a friend who wants to learn to quilt. I hope the previous owner would be pleased that her tools will help inspire a new enthusiast.

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Let’s all ignore the boring paint color behind my cozy corner and the grievous lack of any wall art, but I am very excited about my cozy corner just in time for the fall holidays.

You can download the pattern for Garret X. Gobble Jr. table topper by clicking on the link below:

Garret X. Gobble Jr. Table Topper 10 09 18

We’ll also be posting this pattern to FaveQuilts website.  Be sure to stop by this site for lots of fall and Thanksgiving inspiration.  There are literally hundreds of FREE patterns posted as well as videos, tutorials, helpful tips…everything you need for quilting inspiration!

Mummified remains

As I look at the calendar I realize that fall is starting to stalk the summer season in Western New York.

The hay fields at the farm are turning golden and if I look out my bedroom window I can pick out the leaves that have started to fade from their deep emerald glory into something paler, less flexible, and more fragile.

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We’ve purchased my high school senior son’s last pair of soccer cleats <sob> and that means that September will fly by and in a flash it will be Halloween. (Have I justified my indulgence in Halloween mug rug designs enough yet???)

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I’ve been thinking about a mummified mug rug for a couple of Halloweens now. I wanted to add a little cutie to make Frank and Vlad into a trio, but for some reason, this simple idea stumped me — that is until I received a Bernina tutorial for zigzag stitching in my email inbox this week! It’s just what I needed to bring my mummy to life!

Love me some googly eyes!

Check back here for a pattern later this week — I’m scrambling to get ready for vacation/sewing/shopping in Ohio!

 

Another (Re)Purpose!

Happy Thursday!  Cindy is your blog host today!

Sandy and mom always find the greatest things at tag sales, especially vintage fabrics.  Here is something they gave to me that I’ve been saving for just the right re-purpose:

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Last week, I bought a new printer that resides in my sewing room.  With all the dust and fabric fuzz floating in the air, I thought I’d better cover it with a towel or something.

STOP THE PRESS!!!

What self respecting quilter would use a towel instead of a quilted printer cover??!!  After a brain re-calibration, I got busy with my trusted Bernina.

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I made the printer cover with only three sides so I can easily slide the cover off and on.  I had some matching bias tape on hand to finish the back side and the bottom.

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Here is the “fruit of my labor”…haha (pun intended)!  My new printer works great and  it’s much prettier covered in quilted vintage fabric!

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This Just In: Free Table Runner Pattern!

This past weekend, I was nursing a terrible cold and had lots of time on my hands with nowhere to go.  Alas, I got to sew with no holds barred!

I decided to use this cute Easter fabric to make a table runner…isn’t it adorable?  The bunny fabric line is called Hop to it!    ;  designed by Shelly Comiskey for Henry Glass & Co.  The green fabric is called Modern Melody Basic Filigree Geo Lime  ;  designed by First Blush Studio for Henry Glass & Co. 

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I am debating about giving away this runner as an Easter gift…but I also think it would look great on my dining room table with a few additional decorations.

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This is an easy, beginner friendly pattern and it provides plenty of practice for making flying geese!  Once the pieces are cut out, the geese come together quickly and you can easily make this runner in one day.  As always, I used my trusted Bernina to piece, quilt and bind it all together.

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You can download a free pattern by clicking on the link below:

Bunny Hop Table Runner GBD 03 01 18

I will also be adding this table runner pattern to the FaveQuilts website.  On this site, you will find hundreds of modern and traditional quilt patterns, tutorials, how to videos and so much more!  Have a quilting question?  Go to FaveQuilts for the answer!

Sandy and I subscribe to the FaveQuilts Newsletter which delivers all things quilting  directly to our email “in box”.  We are find so much inspiration by subscribing to this newsletter…if you haven’t already signed up, give it a try!