Saturday, October 31, 2015

October # 9 Challenge Applique & Orange

Mini Mania strikes again!  
Leslie got us to put our thinking caps on....all applique and a shot of orange.  
Well, I love orange so there was no problem for me!:)
Looks kinda lumpy on the sides but you know there is a reason.

Had this top leftover from the seven samples made for the Angled Frames tutorial
Perfect for a background so cutting a piece from the upper right corner another....
....pillow was created!
A few buttons, some embroidery and a bit of quilting was all it took.
A couple more sections cut out for the envelope back.
Our shower curtain was my inspiration!:)
The pillow insert is one from our couch and a bit too snug but it worked for picture taking.  Now it is packed away with the others until the house is finished.
Happy Ghosty Day to you from me, Mr. Pumpkin-head and the Bride of Frankenstein.

btw...new phone...new app...I'm on Instagram!!
https://instagram.com/deeroodesigns/
~d

1st finish of 4th quarter.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Thirty years Honeyman!

Yep...today is our thirtieth anniversary.  Boy does time flies when you are having fun!
We only do presents every five years...30 is pretty big!
What do you get the guy who needs nothing? The Cass Scenic Railroad ride was the main gift but I wanted hubby to open a gift on the actual date so...
...Spoons you say? Ha!
 Found these on Etsy....Spoon Tracker.
 Big fan of spooning!
Another Etsy shop came to the rescue...Cedar Fever....a husband and wife team from Texas making whatever you want using old license plates.  Can you find something with a Virginia and a West Virginia tag?  Why yes, yes we can! Love it!

But Honeyman really blew it out of the park.
Thirty years is pearl and he found this awesome freshwater pearl bracelet.
(The girl gave me the skull bracelet last year.)
I love bracelets with leather!

Then there was this awesome carved box with pearl inlay.
 That would have been enough....but inside was...
...a new iphone!!!! No more dumb phone for me!
Yes Jo, now I can do instagram....but first I need to learn how to make a call and send a text!
Love you bunches Honeyman!

~d

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Color in Canaan!

This month we celebrate our thirtieth year of married....yep....the big 3-0!
It's been the best and he is the best! 
We started the party early by going to my pal Sally's place in Canaan Valley, West Virginia!  
Sweeeeeeeeeeet!

First thing we did is climb Olson Tower.
 One hundred and thirty-three steps to the top with 360 degree views of heaven! Elevation 3736 feet.
 View was great looking down too!
 Yes, this is really how beautiful it is out there in the gorgeous state of West Virginia right now!
 Peak color for sure. It just went on and on and on!

Next day's adventure was a 4.5 hour round trip train ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad.  This was one of my gifts to hubby. It's a part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park and you don't have to ride the train to enjoy the park! 
  This powerful Shay locomotive climbs up 11 miles to Bald Knob, WV.
Elevation over 4700 feet.
Third highest peak in WV!
Here is a look at the boiler...powermaker....mountain buster....Steampunk at it's best!!
The engine alternates between pushing and pulling as there are two switchbacks on the ride to navigate the steep terrain.
Looking from the top of Bald Knob to the distant mountains of home!

Down in the valley over the middle ridge of mountains is the home of the Green Banks Telescope
  It is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope and world's largest movable land object!! 
It is 60% taller than the Statue of Liberty at 485 ft! 
The parabolic dish covers 2.3 acres....that's a lot of pasta!
That highest ridge is Bald Knob....where we went on the train!
Read here about the 13,000 square mile Quiet Zone relating to the telescope...fascinating!
On the ride down we stopped at Whittaker Station, a recreation of an authentic logging camp.
Boxed lunches were provided as were benches in the middle of the coaches but most of us stood the whole way up and down...too, too much beauty not to be missed!

The next day (after sleeping in til 11 am!) we drove up to Oakland, Maryland, county seat of Garrett County, MD.  Unbeknownst to us we drove into the middle of the annual
Autumn Glory Festival, Small town goodness at it's best!
 Heading back to Canaan we turned at a historical marker sign and drove down another small road to see what is called the Fairfax Stone. It marks the source of the north branch of the Potomac River and used to be the stone that marked the most western point of the land granted to Lord Fairfax by the King of England in the 1700s!
  (Above is a map showing the Fairfax land grant and where the stone in in the upper left.)
Lord Fairfax owned all the land from there south the to the Rappahannock  River...around 5,000,000 acres (2023428.211 hectacres...yes I figured it out!:)!!!!  Hard to even fathom!
Done with the history lesson!
 Onward we went to Blackwater Falls State Park.  
Photos toward the sun do not turn out very well!
 But from the other side of the canyon the color sure conveys!
 So many overlooks and trails....so little time!
 First time we saw the Falls (many years ago) they were covered with ten inches of snow.
Not this time! Afternoon shadow kind of dulls the colors but still spectacular.
The drive to WV and back home is amazing too. As we drove down, down, down...
...the colors were just starting to peek out here and there.  
Next few weeks here at home should be peak for us!:)

Thanks so much Sally! xo

Happy Anniversary Honey-man!
xoxo
~d

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Come give me a hug at Houston Quilt Fest 2015!

Yep, yep, yep...I'll be there at the Webfabrics.net booth 414 working my little feet off!  
It's Webfabrics' biggest booth ever!!
So excited for this opportunity to not only work Fest but see my quilt
Wind Cave: Boxwork showing Stalagmite how to hold Stalactite
hanging in the Celebrating 100 years National Parks Exhibit!! I can't show you a peek yet but here's hoping some of you can come to the booth to say hi...and give me a hug!:)
 My Medley of Jen (Kingwell) quilt will be hanging at our booth so I sort of have two quilts there!:)
 Finished my addition to the PIP Round Robin.  Jan in the UK made the feather. Lynz in Scotland pieced the two birds and I added the wonky flying geese.  Used Hometown fabric and was able to find a bit with London, Edinburgh, Adelaide, Calgary and Washington DC/Richmond....all cities to represent the countries of all six of us doing this round robin!:)
  
Here's leaving you with the last bits of Summer....
...and the beginnings of Fall!

So....how many of you will be in Houston?:)

~d

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Fourth Quarter 2015....Really need to get dones!

Yes...I said "dones" as in lots of WIPs or UFOs...the unfinished!

First...third quarter finish round up.
The only finish that remains at home is the Ferris Wheel mini in the upper left!  So freeing!
Above is the only carry over from last quarter.  This one is a priority!
Leftover HSTs from the flying geese runner.
 A top....for no reason at all.
 Last leftover top from Angled Frames tutorial....finally!
 Salesman sample batiks...had an idea...need to get to it!
Of all...I think what is below is the most challenging project I hope to finish....
...still trying to teach myself how to knit.  See all the yarn rewound? 
Multiple starts and restarts!
(Bunting flag swap....thanks to all my fellow swappers...she loved it!:)
Here's hoping for a productive quarter both crafting and winter gardening!
Happy Boo Month!
~d