A Most Excellent Blog Friend

No buzz here, I'm always this crazy.

Is everyone eating candy waiting on trick or treaters?  I hope so because I don't want to be the only one with a coffee-chocolate buzz all night.  It's finally fall weather here, just in time for November. Or at least it is at the moment.




Well I hardly know how to express my surprise and delight with an unexpected package that arrived in the mail on Friday. A birthday gift from blog friend Dianne of a month of sundays.  This most sweet, thoughtful gift made by eyes well up (but there's no crying on Halloween weekend.)

Stella is the postal inspector general of the house

 Edgar Poe, of course, is inspector of everything in the house.
He is one nosy cat.  I see lots of singing spooky songs in my future.

A super cool candy corn apron

Hunky Halloween guys on the reverse

 Thank you Dianne for such a thoughtful gift!!!!  I am so touched by your generosity, I hardly know what to say. A proper old-fashioned thank you is coming by snail mail. You're the best!  I will sing all these songs in your honor (be happy you can't hear, I can't sing worth beans.)

All Hallows Read: A New Halloween Tradition

A splendid idea from my favorite author, Neil Gaiman.  Last Saturday on his blog, he proposed starting a new tradition involving books.

From his post:  "I propose that, on Hallowe'en or during the week of Hallowe'en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they'll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they'll enjoy."



What scary book would you give?

For people of all ages, I would give Mr. Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, a wonderful, fantastic story that I think resonates with everyone who has felt different or alone or both at some time or another.  The magical depth of the characters will stay with you long after the last page is turned. It is a book that I didn't want to end, which may be the hallmark of the best books of all. 

For older readers (teens and adults) you can't go wrong with Stephen King.  In particular, try some of his older books:  Skeleton Crew is one of my favorite for short stories that are sure to give you chills; Salem's Lot and The Shining are top-notch creepy page-turners that make you stay up way past your bedtime and way past the time you won't freak yourself out by hearing strange noises or a fleeting shadow in the hall; and of course there is It, CLOWNS need I say more??? 

For some Halloween reminesces and thought from Mr. Gaiman see this article from a few years back.

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2010

My favorite quilt at the moment is, of course, the one I recently finished.  I loved this fabric line "A Morris Workshop" by Barbara Brackman for Moda when it arrived a couple of years ago.  The Arts and Crafts movement in architecture and decorative arts is a favorite of mine. I chose the pattern of large blocks so the piecing wouldn't compete with the busy prints.


It is a queen-size bed quilt so I had to put it up on the fence outside to photograph it. 

detail of fabrics.

Here is a view of the back of the quilt. I pieced together all the remaining pieces from the fat quarter bundle to make this scrappy back.

quilting detail.  Long-arm quilting by Peggy Barkle.

This quilt was a challenge because it was so big and by piecing the back it was like making two huge quilts!

Big thanks for Amy for this wonderful on-line quilt show!

Edgar Poe's One Act Play

Once upon a midnight dreary...

Edgar Poe pondered his Halloween bat













Quoth the Poe, "Ha! take that Bat!"



And promptly decided dinner was more interesting...

With many apologies to the real Mr. Edgar Poe.

Not By Owl Post and Halloween Cat Toys

Don't you just squeal and hug these boxes when you see them on the porch?

I was so excited to receive the "Fall into Fall" giveaway I won courtesy of the Most Fabulous Fat Quarter Shop.




The package did not arrive by Owl Post although I did hear our resident barred owl again the other night.  Spooooooky.

Quilt possibilities wrapped up and ready to be released!

 
My prize was this simply fabulous bundle of Pure fabric by Sweetwater for Moda. 

Stuffed full!

 Going out (not via owl post) was my b-day giveaway won by Tiffany of This Crafty Fox.  Hope you enjoy the goodies, Tiffany!!!

Counting down the days until Halloween here at Stella Bella-ville.  E. dug through the cat toy basket to unearth purple bat and black cat head toys for the season. 

I hope I'm not the only one with Halloween cat toys....

Halloween Quilt 2010

Finally (!!!) the top is finished for my 2010 Halloween quilt.  I ADORE this fabric line called "A Halloween Night" by Minick & Simpson for Moda. Is there anything better than purple and lime green and vintage-y Halloween images with black cats???  Not in my universe that's for sure!!!!!

The pattern is called "Lilypads" from the book Time Out Quilts by Atkinson Designs. A great pattern for fabrics you don't want to cut into bitty pieces.  It's a bed-size quilt and I still need to get the backing pieced and it quilted so I guess I'll be using next year for the month of October. 

A favorite block

Does anyone else need to re-buy Halloween candy already?

Another favorite block

Fun Weekend

Halloween b-day cake!

It's my b-day weekend! And I'm having lots of fun watching movies, hanging out with friends, and of course, fabric, food, and cake are all in there somewheres too.

Sarah (no blog), Karin and Becky

Melisa at Sweet Home Quilt Co. was having a big sale on her porch.  Lots of quilters and Silver Thimble members showed up to stock up on patterns, books, and fabric. I bought some yardage for backings and a kit on sale.


S., E. and I went to Fox Bros. BBQ last night to celebrate my birthday.  I love barbecue and have several favorite BBQ joints around the metro area.  Fox Bros. is Texas-style BBQ and is always packed (you have to get there early or wait and wait and wait). 

A pint of local brew and fried dill pickles with ranch sauce--YUM!

E. had beef short ribs (looks more like something from the Flintstones!!), fried okra and Frito pie (Frito chips, chili, and cheese served in the little bag).

I think I'll eat salad all next week!

 S. had chopped pork and I had chopped beef brisket.  Their mac n' cheese is wonderful, the jalapeno cornbread with honey butter is to die for, and so is their banana pudding (made with real custard instead of box pudding). We left stuffed and with lunch for later. I had my banana pudding for breakfast :)


Last night we watched the movie Zombieland. It's a very funny movie (if you like zombie movies) and was filmed in Georgia so it was fun identifying all the locations.

Hope everyone is having a great October weekend!!!!