Happy Halloween

It's going to be a wet one this year here in the North Valley! 

Not complaining, we need the rain in California, 

just hope it doesn't stop raining once winter actually arrives. 

My October goal... not going to make it... was to finish piecing Gypsy Wife but... as always, life gets in the way. October birthdays, house guests, working full time and new workshops! We recently gave it a term... FOMO... fear of missing out :0) Not complaining about that either as I am having fun sewing with friends and meeting new ones. 

November promises to be the same. This weekend I have final preparations for a workshop I am hosting at Honey Run Quilter's with Scott Hansen's Painted Forest from Blue Nickel Studios. There was enough interest in this workshop for 2 classes! The first will meet for three evenings in November and the second will be set up after the holidays. 

Started a new workshop with Kelly at Honey Run Quilters for Jaybird's BOM Gravity. With two meetings in October I have 3 blocks made. Karen and Barb are in on it too... FOMO!!!   

Our guild's November meeting and workshop will feature Don Linn. Known for his machine quilting and Art Deco style quilts with curved piecing. Something I need some tips on so... yep, I am signed up for his workshop! On my to do list before the meeting next week is to cut out all of the pieces. 

And as if that's not enough, our guild's Quilt Challenge quilt is due to be turned in at our November meeting and yep, signed up for that too. Pieced and quilted mine this month with only binding to finish. Suzanne came up with a great idea... It's going to be a quilted forest. Finished quilts are 20 x 72 inches and will be suspended in a way that allows the viewers to walk among the trees. I can't post pix yet as our quilts are to remain anonymous until after the December meeting where they will be voted on. The forest will be displayed at our quilt show in November of 2017. 

Sew it's a busy last weekend in October not finishing Gypsy Wife and it's OK because I am enjoying all of the things I do. There has been progress... both of my Toes in the Sand are pieced, one of which is actually quilted as well as Pacific Crest! Both are waiting for binding along with the challenge quilt. Something to do for some rainy evenings!  

Enjoy your Sunday and Halloween 

Tot ziens, Jo

Goal for October ~ Gypsy Wife

Barb, Karen and I started Gypsy Wife this summer, making progress off and on in between other projects and finishes. Toes in the Sand workshop with Kelly at Honey Run Quilters ended in September. All three of us have finished tops! Kelly, Karen, Linda and I all got overly ambitious and made two! Some are even quilted! Yea for September! 

My goal for October is to concentrate on Gypsy Wife...

making progress the last two weekends

This weekend I finished cutting all of my strips and organizing them by number

That helped allot! In case you are making this quilt... only cut one width of each strip. 

As I worked on sections, so far only found one strip needed a little bit more...
btw, there are 63 strips not 60 as the pattern indicates
 

All of my fabrics are Nineteenth Century repros 

Section One:

 Thankfully was easy and fun!

I decided to work from the bottom up rather than do the sections in numerical order

and started Section 6:  not so much fun

Not quite finished, had to substitute one block that didn't fit 

and three more blocks to finish this section. 

I knew this one was going to be a challenge after watching Karen work on it

last weekend at Good Times Weekend and gave Barb and I pointers on section 7 as well.

Start of Section 7

Blocks made last weekend at Good Times Weekend

This project and the pattern have been a challenge. Thank you Karen for 

foraging ahead and giving us hints and help along the way :0)

Barb, Karen and I discovered and follow along with a group of bloggers also working on
Gypsy Wife this year. They are a few months ahead of us and have been
a wonderful source and help along the way. Here is a link to Megan's blog Jaffa Quilts.
Thank you!

Enjoy your week. Love the rain we got yesterday, what a nice surprise! 

Tot ziens, Jo