Halloween Bats and Boos Quilt along

Quilt Along!

 I love Halloween and any time I see Halloween fabric or a Halloween pattern I want it. I don't always finish it or use the fabric, but I always want it. I saw a series of videos by the Fat Quarter Shop that is their Bats and Boos Quilt along. They also had a cross stitch pattern made for the design. Both were free to download and very easy to follow patterns. 

I made the wall hanging with a few additions. I added sashing between the blocks and an extra corner block on the middle block. I plan to add a border of the same fabric I used for my bat wings. I just need to make the backing and I can prep it to quilt. It's small enough I think I can get that done quickly.  I have a photo of the current progress but I plan on taking a better one later.

Bad lighting but the background is not helping.

Future Plans...

Next weekend I have another craft show in Jackson Square, Oak Ridge, TN. I haven't made new things for the show because I still have enough stuff from where I prepped before. I have finally sold my Harry Potter quilt so I will have to bring another showcase quilt to hang up. I did go today and buy myself a new tent.

I had been borrowing a tent from my cousin and hers is hard to set up and half broken. I got a good deal on one from Academy Sports. I got a purple tent because I love the color purple. I was trying to decide to go with green or purple since the business name is Green Tea quilts. Purple won out in the end. I may remake my sign later, depending on how this goes. I do sometimes feel like I'm doing a lot of work for no extra return but I also have enjoyed being at the shows. No one said having a side hustle was going to be easy. 

Tea Time!

The bear logo is cute!

I stopped at Hey Bear Cafe on my way home from getting my tent. It's been over a year since I've been there due to covid and not going to that area as much. It's close to where I work but not my house. I've been working from home for a year and a half now so I don't have an excuse to go that way. The cafe is a boba tea shop that sells snacks. 

They have a lovely park on their property that they have food trucks and bands set up regularly. I didn't hang around today for the band because I didn't have my hand stitching project with me. I did get a lovely Jasmine Milk Tea with boba and custard. I love that you can adjust the ice amount and tea sweetness to your taste also. Jasmine Tea is also my favorite tea,

Finished Project photoshoot

 

Fish Bowl Quilt

I went out to the park recently to take a photoshoot of my finished Project Linus quilt. I'm naming the quilt "Fish Bowls" since almost all the blocks contained fish. Tula's book originally names the pattern "Trellis" but I'm going with a water theme here. 

I know I mentioned this before but it is from Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Blocks. If you are interested in the book I found mine on Amazon. There have been a few quilt-alongs that use this book for a pattern. Gnome Angel's 100 Blocks 100 Days challenge and Mountain Creek's National Park Sew Alongare a couple I know of off the top of my head.

I was trying to get a good photo of the complete photo of the front but most of them were not coming out how I liked. I did get an interesting photo of the back. I had a bit of a picnic with me because I stopped for drinks and snacks on my way to the park. 

I think the bench photos are my favorite but they do cover up part of the blocks. A lot of times quilts need to be seen up close for a good idea of the quilting involved, but I didn't get a real close picture of it.

The sky was very overcast this day because it was right before the remnants of Ida hit us. I got home an hour later and it started pouring rain within minutes of me getting inside.

Tea Time!

My tea for the day was a Matcha Iced Latte from Starbucks. It had been a while since I had one and I thought it would be a great treat.

Smokey Mountain Quilters Ruby Jubilee Quilt Show for 2021

This year I decided to also participate in the Smokey Mountain Quilters Ruby Jubilee Quilt Show. This was actually my first time at this show. The show is a fundraiser for the quilt guild. Mom said she had been a member of the guild in the past but neither of us is currently a member. There is a fee to enter a quilt but we do get into the show for free for one of the two days it is held. It is a bit smaller show than the Mountainfest one held in Pigeon Forge but there were several quilts that had been in that show in this one. 

I did not win anything this time, but I do know the person who won in my category and also won viewers' choice! Hunter from Mountain Creek did a fabulous job with all the quilts he entered. I am so proud of him. It was good to see him and Sam since I can't get to that shop much. Overall I enjoyed the show a lot and am glad I got to visit. The show was held at the end of July and will probably be next year around the same time for anyone interested. I also have a photo gallery here of some of the quilts I took pictures of. 

Finishing Projects

 

I have a few finished projects to share. I've been so busy between prepping for craft shows and quilt shows, I've not got that many large projects done. I did finish a wall hanging and a large casserole koozie at the beginning of August.

The casserole koozie is from a gypsy quilter precut. I used a few strips from a Tula Pink jelly roll to make it stripped. I added a few others I had leftover from another jelly roll for contrast.

The strawberry wall hanging was a pattern I got from RJR fabrics for free. It is an Elizabeth Hartman pattern from either last year or 2019. I saw it in the background of one of her quilt market videos and was so thrilled when I found it on the fabric company's website. It's when her Berry Season line came out. I feel bad I can't remember the exact date now. I've had it on my to-finish pile for a while, so I'm thrilled to have this UFO done.

The end of August was dedicated to a quilt that was supposed to go to Project Linus. I liked it so much I may keep it. The fabric bundle was from them and part of an under the sea challenge. I did give them a donation for the fabric. The quilt uses Tula Pinks' City Sampler of 100 Modern Quilt Blocks. I got this book earlier this year and had been wanting to do something with it. I finished it just last night so I don't have a final photo of it, but here is a shot of the work in progress.

Tea Time!

I have been slacking on getting new tea for the month. I've been getting my usual stuff. Here is a shot of me doing my hand piecing at Starbucks recently. I was having a nice day out and trying to relax. It was in June I think so it's been a while. I've stopped going back out since then due to the uptick in Covid cases. I need to get something to go soon and sit by the riverside with it. I'm working on a Tula Nova.

Mountain Quiltfest 2021

 With covid impacting a lot of things several shows and conventions were canceled or delayed. One of them being Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, TN. It's normally in March and was the last thing I did before lockdown last year. This year they moved it to May. This week in May to be exact.

I've always gone to shows but never entered anything. The most daring I've been, has been to enter the county fair. Because I didn't believe in myself enough to enter anything I considered a professional show. But the ladies who enter the fair are professional at what they do. Their quilts are fantastic, and until I saw my completion I just thought I'd have a better chance at the judging. 

This year I decided "Why Not!" I put my best quilt forward. I did Gravity by Jaybird Designs and paid to have it quilted. It was too large for me to tackle. I am thrilled with it. I love how it came out. I spent a week fussing over it and the little things before turning it in. 

The show started today and goes on until the 8th. Mom, being excited to see the winners called today to see when they would post them. They told her noon tomorrow but I decided to check out the website tonight. I wanted to figure out where to look tomorrow. To my surprise, they had already posted the winners.

I won second place in my category. I am so ecstatic to see this. I can't wait until I can go to the show this weekend and get a picture in front of the quilt. I have pictures of it but not in this setting. If you go to the show I'm L-16 in extra-large quilted by another!

Since there hasn't been much travel lately so my drink to spotlight is not tea. I went to a speakeasy in Knoxville and had some very fancy drinks. This one is called a paper airplane and I loved it. The bartender is a genius artist! It's in the alley next to the Oliver Hotel in the downtown area. There is a password and I don't know it right now. When we went we didn't have to give it since my friend was staying at the hotel.

Craft Shows!

 I have been a busy bee the last several months. Just not busy writing about it. In November I decided to take a chance and participate in a craft show. I made several small projects and took a few of the larger ones I had to sell in the Christmas Market in Oak Ridge. I can say I was successful. 

I have since looked into participating in more. This weekend I have one in Johnson City, TN. It's far enough away for a day trip, but still close to home. We are going to get a hotel for the weekend. I'm excited about the new venue and change of scenery.  I have been working the last three months hard to making new items for this show. I have several bowl koozies, table toppers, masks, and other quilted items. I'm excited to see how this show goes. 

If you are in the area it's Sat March 27th at the Appalachian Fairgrounds. 100 Lakeview St, Gray, TN

Tea Time!

Tea for today was one I enjoyed in December. I'm so far behind. I picked up a holiday tea sampler at World Market and loved every one of them. It's always nice to get variety packs so I can have something different. The cup is a present from my best friend I got several years ago. My cousin moved in with her two cats and I had to move the teacup collection to a safer place. I pulled the cup out to use it since it came with a strainer for loose tea. I've enjoyed using the cup a lot. 

Bonus photo of my new sewing companions.