More on the Blogger's Quilt Festival

Hello again Blogger's Quilt Festival people !!!    Since there are so many different categories to participate in  over at http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/  , ........

...I decided to add my "Holly Jolly"  table runner/table topper to.......

......the wall hanging  category since my family is WAY too sloppy for anything to be sitting on a table (except food) .... so it has been transformed into a wall hanging !!!

 I designed this table topper/table runner/wall hanging a couple of years ago and submitted it to McCall's Quilting Magazine ......and I was THRILLED out of my socks when they published it in their November/December 2012 issue !!!!    You can read about it here  http://moonbeamsinajar.blogspot.com/2012/09/published-in-mccalls-quilting-magazine.html.

Now don't forget to zip on over to the Blogger's Quilt Festival to see all the great quilts !!!
                                     


Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

It's Blogger's Quilt Festival Time !!!

Its Blogger's Quilt Festival Time !!!  Twice a year Amy from http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/

 hosts an online quilt festival for quilt bloggers.   This is to keep us all entertained while the big gigantic Quilt Market is going on that we all apparently are NOT attending .....   Anyway,   there are alot of categories and alot of beautiful quilts to see !!!  Quilts will be "displayed" from Oct 25 through Oct 31st;  then voting for favorites will be from Nov 1st through Nov 7th.  (with GREAT PRIZES !!!!!)

  So,  since I recently finished this baby quilt "Wynken , Blynken , and Nod" for my first great nephew, I thought I'd enter it in the http://amyscreativeside.com/2013/10/25/bloggers-quilt-festival-baby-quilts-2/  "Baby Quilt" category.

.....I loved designing this baby quilt for a now ADORABLE 2 month old little guy named Easton !  I machine quilted it by sewing ALOT of stars all over the blue background (including the little dipper).

.....and the white with blue polka dot binding is the perfect finish !  (at least me and Easton think so !)

So,  make sure you zip on over to the Blogger's Quilt Festival to get your daily dose of ooohing and aaahhing  over the many GREAT quilts !!! 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival

Every October , for the first 3 weekends, our little town of Jim Thorpe, Pa puts on the "Fall Foliage Festival".   This is an extremely popular and well attended event.   Since today was the very last day of this year's festival,  and being the Queen of Last Minute, I decided to get some last minute pictures before it was over.  Much of the activity is in the park at the train station .  There are craft and food vendors and train rides.

  Mauch Chunk ...... the original name of our town ..... now known as Jim Thorpe.     

  As you walk up Broadway,  there are some really beautiful old Victorian homes (now shops and restaurants).  

  LOVE this colorful little garden !!!!!

 ...... LOOK !!! There's my ride !!!  After all , I am the Queen of Last Minute (aka the Queen of Procrastination) ..... I just have to dig around in my purse for my spare tiara so they know I'm the queen  and they'll give me a ride .......  HEY WAIT !!!!!   RATS !!!  I guess I just have to keep walking......

.......OK, well anyhow,  isn't this a BEAUTIFUL old house !!!! This is the Dimmick house , built in 1857 and it's FOR SALE !!!

..... more fun shops along Broadway.

......not quite Victorian, but the Mauch Chunk 5 & 10 is left over from another era and is a VERY popular stop for tourists and locals .......  kind of like the original Walmart.......I always find all sorts of fun and practical stuff in there!

.....and here's a quick view of some of the shops and restaurants along Race Street.  Looks like a street in Europe somewhere doesn't it?  (I've never been to Europe , so I wouldn't really know .... but that's what I've heard when eaves dropping on other people's conversations ......)

Hope you enjoyed that very quick visit at the very last minute !!!!  Before you know it, the pumpkins and fall decorations will be coming down, and as soon as you swallow your Thanksgiving turkey, the town will be all decked out for "Old Time Christmas" .   (Which is just BEAUTIFUL !!!!  ).

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Autumn Sunset

Autumn is without a doubt, my favorite season .

 .......and Autumn in Pennsylvania is my favorite place to enjoy it !

......and sunset is my favorite time of day to enjoy it !

......there's just something about the light at this time of day that just seems ...... magical !!!   ..... as if it's under a witch's spell.......

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

"Fight On Sister" Breast Cancer Awareness Quilt Block

About 3 years ago I designed this quilt block, "Fight On Sister"  for a contest at my local quilt shop .   It became part of a quilt that was raffled off with the proceeds going to Breast Cancer Awareness / research.  Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month,  I wanted to offer the pattern for this quilt block  for FREE ...... FREE QUILT BLOCK PATTERN to anyone or group who would like to use it as a fundraiser project for Breast Cancer Awareness.   If you are interested, please leave a comment or email me.    I will gladly share my design/pattern with you.   .......and how about those pink leopard print high top sneakers !!!  Pretty snazzy !!!  

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

The Last Quilt of Summer .........

Like the last rose of summer ....

......this beachy last quilt of summer stands out on this dreary overcast autumn day ......

.....and as we watch the leaves turn and begin to fall , marking the end of one season and celebrating the beginning of a new one ......

.......I am amazed that , unlike the leaves that will eventually disintegrate , this quilt has not ...... disintegrated that is ...... the poor thing has been sitting around for FIVE years waiting to be quilted/finished !!!!   I started this quilt for my best friend Beth's  __th  birthday 5 years ago  ...... so now it's FINALLY finished !!!!!

HEY BETH ....... COME AND GET YOUR QUILT !!!!!

Be back soon !!!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

October Inspiration

 Where the heck did September go ??  and how did a month go by without me blabbing about whatever here on my blog ???  Well, anyway,  here we are in October and it's beginning to look like Fall/Autumn here in Pennsylvania.  I LOVE this time of year!!!!  The leaves are starting to turn and the weather is cooling down (except for today ..... today it was 80 degrees !!!  a little too warm for October in my opinion!  But , I'm sure it'll cool down again soon.)

Anyhow, it was a BEAUTIFUL day to take a walk along the canal in Weissport, Pa  ......

........and be inspired by the colors and scenery ( and ducks .... lots of ducks and geese ...... although you wouldn't know it from these pictures ....... they were there ...... honest !)    (Isn't that a great building !!!  It's OLD ..... has something to do with the canal from the 1800's ..... and I think I heard it's haunted ....... EEEEEK !!!   )

Speaking of inspiration ...... look at this fun bunch of acorns I found at Michaels in the scrapbooking dept. !!!    I'm thinking ........

.....maybe acorns out of a Sandy Gervais autumn charm pack !!!!    Hmmmmmmm.......... could be cute !!!!  Will keep you posted !  But first, I'm on the home stretch of finishing up the last quilt of summer !!!  SO VERY CLOSE !!!!   I'm  hoping to have pictures of it by the end of this weekend .   :)

Be back soon !

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)