I’m basically a self-taught sewist. My first few quilts were just thrown together squares and strips and triangles. I have used tutorials and videos and my own intuition. I took a class to make Harriet’s “Hoo-Hoo Coat” (it has owls and is still her favorite), and really learned a lot. Having actual instruction was really helpful and beneficial to my sewing.
When I made Alma’s big twin quilt, I bought a pattern, and mostly followed it. I had to change it a bit to make the colors flow the way I wanted.
I’ve been working on a new quilt, a Tula 100 block sampler. Actually, I worked on it a lot a while ago, and it’s been sitting around all winter. I bought Tula Pink’s City Sampler book after seeing some amazing blocks on Instagram.
I love the blocks I’ve made, and I’ve also learned a lot more about the art of quiltmaking. I’ve learned better ways to make triangles. I’ve learned more about piecing and fussy cutting.
I’ve learned that triangles look cool, but are a pain in the butt.
I love these squares because they are so little. The finished size will be 6×6, so all the little pieces are tiny. I’ve been able to use many of the fabrics I’ve had leftover from other projects, and haven’t had to buy much. I’ve bought a few fat quarters of plain colored fabrics because I’ve realized that my tastes tend to be a bit busy and having some solids help balance that little bit.
I love going through the blocks I’ve made. I’ve made 62 so far, so I’ve over halfway there. Working on my Tula 100 quilt is on my Winter To Do List, and I’m really excited to get back into it.
I’m not sure what the finished product will be, but I’m leaning towards using it on our bed. It will be bright and cheerful, and I love that sort of thing.
Already to the third day of the 5 Days of Christmas! If you haven’t already entered for the first two giveaways, make sure you go check those out (
I love wrapping gifts, but I’m so, so bad at it. The ends are always crumpled and there’s way more tape than there should be. I also hate all the trash that we throw away on Christmas morning. But, I love how reusable gift wrapping is getting more popular!
Start by ironing down about a half inch on the top of the bag. You should note, at this point, that I don’t use actual measurements to make this bag. It’s all estimated and eyeballed. This is partly because the amount of material you use will determine how you construct your gift bag. Also, it doesn’t have to be perfect since it will be all scrunched up in the end. 
Fold down again, this time a few inches. You can see this in the below photo. If you look to the left of my hand, you’ll see the first fold, then how I folded again on top. Does that make sense? I hope so.
Unfold the fabric, and put your buttonholes in. (My sewing machine manual had instructions on making a buttonhole, and I’m not sure if the directions would be similar for different machines, so if you don’t know how to make a buttonhole, you should search for your specific machine.) You want to make sure you just put the holes in the top layer of fabric, so be very sure that you unfold your fabric before you start sewing the holes.
Refold your fabric and sew along the bottom edge, all along the top. Now, you’re going to finish the channel for the ribbon. Start above the buttonhole, and sew all the way across the top to make the channel. For me, I had a narrow ribbon, so I sewed my second line a couple inches above the bottom line. 
For these gift bags, I love making it as finished looking as possible, so I like to do a French seam on the inside. French seams are really fun, and I actually use them a lot when I make clothes, too.
Turn your bag inside out, and sew around the seams you just sewed, again with a 1/4 inch seam. You’ll want to make sure the first seam is nestled inside this seam. 
Now, all you have to do is string your ribbon. Cut your ribbon so it’s about 4 times as long as your bag is wide. I’ve ready about fancy ribbon threading tools, but I’ve always done just fine with the safety pin method. Attach a safety pin to one end, stick it in one of the holes, and work your way around until the pin comes out the other hole, pulling the ribbon with it.
Magic! 
The purpose of quilting is to hold the three layers all together. I have yet to get too fancy with my quilting. I usually just do straight or wavy lines, and I like how that turns out. For this quilt, I didn’t really want to see the lines, so I used a technique called stitch in the ditch. Basically, this means that you will sew right over the seams. The quilting lines are almost hidden in the seams. I used red thread, so it stands out more than if I had really been trying to match, and hide the quilting lines. 
Keep quilting until it’s all sewn together! To bind it, use 
This year the mantel is a little more Halloween-y than in the past. I put our vintage Halloween postcards right in the center, and added some more spooky things. I love this sphere my grandpa made out of obsidian that looks like a magical eyeball crystal ball or something. It’s even spookier with my ghostly reflection in this photo… 
I can’t remember if I ever shared a photo of the 
This next decoration cracks me up. I think my mother-in-law gave this to the girls last Autumn, but I couldn’t find the dowel for hanging it. It probably became a sword or a wand and had to be taken away. Anyway, the girls have been playing with this branch and I thought it would a perfectly spooky flagpole. I doubt it will last long, but it’s funny for now. Just watch out as you walk into our garage… 
Here’s our front porch decorations. The broom is actually my mother-in-law’s; she won it in a raffle and I picked it up for her. I’m sure she’ll agree that it looks really good on our porch, right?!? We’ve been collecting the mini pumpkins each time we go out to the farm. 
I’ve also meant to post about our new bench! Jesse built it and I stained it! Isn’t it amazing? We used reclaimed lumber from my dad’s old deck. I love the nicks and dings and nail holes. 
And of course, I needed to get the fairies some new Autumn decor.