The Making Of A Banner (Without Buying An Expensive Cutting Machine)

    I thought about buying a Cricut or a Brother Scan and Cut last week.  I felt the need to make myself a banner saying "Happy Fall Y'all" to hang in my living room.  I thought that the only way I could make a beautiful banner would be to use a fancy expensive cutting machine and the machines I was looking at cost over $200.00 each.  The letters on the banner are in the wrong order.  They have to be fixed.  I misspelled Y'all.  It's easy to fix and I will do it after I take it down before I put it away. 

    I was in Hobby Lobby yesterday and I figured out a different way.  The best part is that I only spent about $10.00 for stencils and burlap ribbon.  I had the fabric, the stabilizer, the thread, the twine, and the magic marker.  This was fun to make and I love it.

    Here is a close up of the flags.

    I cut the flags from the fabric, then ironed them to stabilizer,and I sewed around the edges of each flag to hold them together.  I doubled up the burlap, and sewed the two layers together along the long edges.  I drew circles using a small plastic cup and a black Sharpie.  I sewed around each circle to keep the two pieces together, cut them out, then I used a stencil and a magic marker to make each letter.  I sewed each letter to a flag.  I attached the flags to a two pieces of twine using the sewing machine and it's done.  It took me about five hours to make from first cut to last stitch.  

Halloween May Be Over But You Can Still Make Pumpkins

               I'm still celebrating fall with pumpkins.  This may be my favorite pumpkin.  While I was researching how to make fabric pumpkins I found a video tutorial on how to make a pom pom pumpkin with tulle.   This pumpkin was was easier and cheaper to make than the fabric pumpkin and it turned out extra cute.  Here is the link to the youtube video:  tulle pom pom pumpkin tutorial.

                Here is a picture of my effort. 

                While I'm taking time out to make little projects, I'm still working on my grandmother's flower garden quilt top.  I have all the flowers for the third row made and I'm starting to add them to the bottom of the second row.  It's slow going, but it's coming along.  I promise to post a picture as soon as I have the third row finished.

Bargain Book Shopping

   I love used bargain books.  I shop on the internet on Alibris.com and find great bargain books to add to my collection and to give as gifts.

   Today I found four books, two cost $.99, one was $1.39 and the fourth one was the most expensive at $8.40.  Shipping is $3.99 for each book.

   Here are the four books I ordered today.

    "It's Quilting Cats and Dogs" by Lynette Anderson, will be a gift for my secret santa in a swap on the Quilting Board.  I already have this book and I just love to look at the lovely pictures of the cute projects you can make featuring sweet puppies and kitties.