The Last Day of Aug.

I don't know about you but I am wondering what happened to the month of AUGUST?? It has been a crazy month for our family w/lots of happenings going on - b'days, anniversaries, surgeries(family members, not me) and taking in an 18 yr. old former foster kid(who is really sweet), has just kept me unusually busy this month!
More laundry, grocery shopping(seems like every other day lately) more cooking/baking and more errands ran. But I'm not really complaining cuz I get sad when I think of having 'empty nest' sydrome(altho' I was secretly looking forward to it). So I'm really thrilled (most of the time) to have a FULL house, just NOT the extra cleaning part! ugh!!

So I'm slowly gearing up for FALL, even tho' our temps here in Eastern Ky. have been anything but fallish, I decided the other day I needed to make something that maybe, just maybe, I'll get stitched up BEFORE fall is actually here! You all know how I have good intentions way in advance, but rarely do I actually get something finished beforehand. LOL

I cut out all the pieces to this cute pumpkin/crow pattern I've had my eye on for awhile now, and need to get it stitched up. It uses some wonderful yummy wools that I have in my stash and also some quilt fabric too! (two birds w/one stone, as they say). ha
Also, I've been in a sewing mood too, lately. I've had this gorgeous fabric(Madeira by Blackbird Designs for Moda) for a few yrs. now and never knew what to make w/it, until recently when I saw on somebody's blog, how they made a quilt w/a 'Jelly Roll'-(2 1/2 in. strips, cut the length of the fabric and you get about 42 strips in one jelly roll). It was a super easy design, so I felt confident that I could do it!
You basically take two strips that have a LOT of contrast and make 4 cuts - 6 1/2 in. long and 3 cuts that are 2 1/2 in. long. That's it and you have very little waste! Two strips make 4 blocks. Then you turn your blocks in the opposite directions(every other one, so you don't have to match up more seams), then sew your rows together, etc.
Which I haven't quite gotten that far yet(as you can tell), but they sew up rather quickly.....

I also made several more of these pocket tissue holders, this time using the slimmer ones and they opened a different way than my others, so I redesigned them, making them open on the sides....

One more thing I finished awhile back but forgot to show. I have a really cool idea for this one, but who knows when it'll get done??? LOL Maybe before NEXT summer??? :))

For all of you here in the states - I wish you a wonderful Labor Day Wkend!! Hope you find time to do something you enjoy~happy stitching!!

P.S. - For those of you who are interested ~ I just got in the rest of my patterns that were on backorder and listed them earlier today. You can click here to go take a peek. Lots of new patterns for FALL and CHRISTMAS!!