Wednesday, October 31, 2018

A very green Halloween

Hi everyone, and happy Halloween! Our tiny grandson (who is not so tiny any more) went trick or treating for the first time this year.  Through the miracle of video apps, we were able to watch, and it really was the cutest thing ever.  The twins had festive t-shirts, but since they still struggle with bananas and green beans, no candy for them this year.

My Halloween is very, very green this year.  I have finished off the quilt top with the Steps to the Garden blocks I pulled out last week:


Yay! This one is a double win-- a finished top and a UFO out of the closet.  If you recall, these blocks were part of a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project from last year.  For some reason, I got behind on making the blocks and put them away, to be lost in the sewing room closet for months.  I pulled them out and expanded the quilt top with some alternate blocks, which were very easy to make and really added something good to the quilt.


I'm calling this one Garden Path.  It measures about 66 by 78 because I went ahead and added the last row to use up the garden blocks.  I thought it would bother me because it isn't really balanced, but I barely notice it.  I may cut the border a little smaller after it's quilted, but I'm not sure.  I mostly wanted the border to keep the edges all nice and straight and clean, so I didn't give the width very much thought. 


I'm not sure I've ever had a quilt with a green background before, so this one is kind of a little different for me.  I think I like it, but what I like most is that it's not in the closet any more and is well on it's way to becoming a cozy quilt.  And here's what else I like about it-- it's the last thing I have to put together using my emergency backup machine, because this weekend a sweet new-to-me machine came to live at my house:


Meet Miss Rosie! This is a Husqvarna Viking Rose edition machine, and I got her from a very kind and generous quilter named Dot who lives about 45 minutes from me.  This was a backup machine and was very lightly used, so she works just great.  Dot was very generous and gave me all kinds of accessories and feet to go with the machine, plus the embroidery unit and a whole lot of other stuff that I haven't fully unpacked yet. I played with the machine for quite some time and tried out a bunch of the features and I'm just crazy about her.  Then I got nervous about using it without having it serviced, so I got lucky and was able to get her into the machine spa right away.  I took her in yesterday and should have her back on Friday, so you know what I'll be doing all next weekend!

Folks, there are a lot of very reasonably priced used machines out there that need love, so if you are looking for one, please consider a used one.  If you're looking for something older, there are many free ones out there, too.  And a HUGE thank you to Dot!  I love the machine, and she will get lots of love and attention here.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Sharing at Let's Bee Social, Finished or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

16 comments:

Elizabeth V Kelbaugh said...

Love your green Garden Path. Wonderful that you found those blocks for the perfect setting.

Danice G said...

The green Garden Path is very pretty. Green is my favorite color. The new sewing machine looks wonderful. So generous of Dot.

piecefulwendy said...

Oh, that quilt is lovely! And so good to meet Rosie. I hope the two of you have many happy years together!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Mari, Garden Path is beautiful! I love all the different greens in it, and the pop of color from your RSC blocks here and there. Just like a real garden! Congratulations on your new-to-you sewing machine, too. Have fun playing with it!

Libby in TN said...

The alternate blocks as a great solution and I'm proud of you adding the last blocks ... we're all a little unbalanced, aren't we? Glad you found a machine!

Louise said...

What a pretty spring green quilt! I don't know why more of us don't use shades of green as a background. It works really well! I'd be tempted to make a summer quilt without batting out of this one and use it when it matches the great outdoors :)

Sara said...

What a brilliant application of the rainbow. Love it! I'm so NOT adventurous when it comes to choosing a background. I tend to stick to the basics even though I love these more creative choices.

helenjean@midgetgemquilts said...

what a lot of buttons on that machine, all of which would remain unused if it was mine! I love your green quilt, it looks very cosy

Preeti said...

Garden Path is an appropriate name. I am sure Shrek would be proud :-) You know this is exactly his shade of green :-p Congratulations on Miss Rosie. I am sure you two will create amazing quilts together.

SandyPA said...

THis is a nice use of the green palette. It feels so calming. Now it's time to make a rosy quilt for your Rosie! Sandy at sewhigh.blogspot.com

The Joyful Quilter said...

The PERFECT flimsy finish for the LAST day of dark GREEN month!!!

Jo said...

Your quilt top is a great finish. One tick off the list. Hope you have fun playing with the new machine.

Ramona said...

Before I saw your name for your beautiful quilt, I thought it looked like a garden walk. It's a great finish! Enjoy your new machine. :)

For the love of geese said...

Beautiful. Denise@fortheloveofgeese

JanineMarie said...

So fun for you to “go” trick-or-treating with your grandson. Yay for the marvels of technology for long-distance grandparenting. I love how this quilt looks with the stepping stone path. You might not think it looks quite balanced, but really, the best gardens grow with abandon, so it’s all good. Have fun seeing with Rosie after her spa treatment!

Janice said...

How wonderful to have a “new” machine. We’ll know where to find you now and expect to see lots of projects shared here. Good on you for getting your green quilt done. You’re on a roll.