Halloween Apron Swap

I signed up for my first swap Halloween in July on the Blooming Aprons Blog. My swap partner was Sherri who

said she liked black cats and pumpkins. She didn't like gory things.

I had seen what I thought was a cute cat quilt block pattern here. This was a child friendly quilt block posted as a free pattern on Quilters Cache. I used two buttons a round and star shaped ones for the eyes. Free-motioned the nose, mouth, and whiskers on the face. I also free-motioned the pumpkin and BOO on the orange background. The bib, neck ties and waist ties are Kona fabric. Used a thin batting in the bib.

I'm not sure the manufacture of the pumpkin fabric. They were putting it out at the fabric store one day when I stopped in after I signed up for the swap and I fell in love with it. Need to go back soon and get me some before it's all been sold.

We were to include a recipe or something we liked to do for Halloween. I buy Halloween Candy--rather full-size candy bars for my trick-or-treaters. My big baking time is Christmas. However, I go all out with witches in the trees and two scarecrows with bales of straw, wheelbarrows with pumpkins, gourds & mums. OH and black cats and crows around and about the front yard. Inside I have lots of pumpkins, gourds stuffed witches, scarecrows and other fall decorations.

Since I didn't have a Halloween recipe to share I included a posted notepad in the shape of "S", a little journal that could be put in purse to have on hand to jot ideas in when out and about and some Halloween themed ribbons I found when out shopping last week. I had planned to embroider a black cat on an orange handtowel...HOWEVER...my presser foot had issues with the towel checking the design and the hoop, moved the top layer of stabilizer in a flash and pulled the terry loops of the towel---ruining it beyond use!!! First time I've ever had that issue in the eight years I've had that machine. Tried in vain to purchase another orange towel. If I come across one later I'll do it and send it in time for Halloween.

Postman said she should receive it Monday or Tuesday in at the latest. Hope she likes it.

Now I did not intend to run all of the above together in one paragraph......I had blank lines between paragraphs but it would not show up that way. GRRR I have tried double and triple spacing between paragraphs but the results were the same!!!

They're District Champions!!!

They're the district champions!!! And now on to Lebanon, VA for the state tournament! After being delayed in starting the championship game Saturday and Sunday at various times each day, they finally got the game started at six p.m. Monday. They all looked tired and not into it as they had the other five games they played and won but they made the plays and got the hits when they needed them in order to win 9-4! They'll be leaving next Thursday to travel across state.

My grandson played in the state as a ten year old four years ago in Bridgewater. We are so excited he gets to go to state two times! Ironic thing is his aunt, my daughter played on the Senior League team that won the league's first district championship in 1995 when she was 15. Then Sr. League was made up of 14 & 15 year olds. Juniors were 13 year olds. One of the other young men on this team, with our grandson, his uncle was on the 11 & 12 Major League team back in 1995 and they won district the following night that year. We attended that game that year to support them. Then entire SR. team was there to receive their banner/flag after that game as the District Administrator was at a different field with their banner. She played baseball with the boys and was really really good. She played from age 7 through age 16 in the Little League program and the AAU program as well. In fact, one of the coaches on the opposing team was on the AAU team which she played on.

My other grandson, younger brother to the one above, has qualified for the city meet to be held in August. We're all excited for him too. Last year was his first year competitive swimming among the local neighborhood pool associations, yacht and country club pools in this area. Last year he qualified too and placed in the city meet. He qualified earlier in the season than he did last year.

Tuesday I did do some sewing on my apron I'm doing for the Halloween in July swap. Today I bought some orange thread I needed to do the next step. I had several spools of orange thread just not the correct shade.

I could not find pattern exactly like what I had in mind to do for this apron. The pattern I found on-line close to being what I wanted to do I found out when reading over the directions was a child's apron! Hence, I'm using three different patterns. I'm using another pattern I saw posted on the Internet for the sizes to cut the components. However, I did change them a little. One part I thought looked skimpy so I cut it a little wider. And another part I thought looked like an odd shape for that part so I cut that piece to what I thought looked more like it. And another part of the apron I got from a quilt site with quilt block patterns that children can piece. This block they said may require some adult supervision. I should have gotten some adult supervision!!! I had to rip part of it apart and redo it!

I should have sewn some on it today while the grandbabies took a nice long afternoon nap but it was so dreary and rainy I wasn't in mood and since part of it is sewing on black I knew I couldn't see clearly enough for that even with my two sewing lamps and on of those an Ott lamp I need a nice morning sun coming through my window near my machine when working with black fabric and thread.