My Favorite Work Surface and A Few New Projects!

This simple little Masonite board is my very favorite workspace. It is 18" x 19", 1/4" Masonite. I have had it since the time about 20 years ago when I ran in, found a scrap, and quickly cut a handle in it with my scroll saw. If I had known I would use it as much as I have, I would have taken more care in cutting the handle! I use it for preparing applique, tracing off patterns, writing out directions, and much, much more. I can put it in my lap while sitting on the couch. I can grab it up to take outside. I can also take it along in the motorhome and it slides against the wall and takes up almost no space at all. When I can't find it, I panic. It has become a trusted friend in all these years. It's funny how we come to depend on the simplest of tools.

This has been one of those roller coaster weeks. We have a cap on our internet "usage" and we had reached it by last Monday. It resets once a month, on the 13th. That meant no blog, no reading blogs, no sending emails, etc. unless we wanted to pay an astronomical price for any additional usage (I know because we had an additional $250 on our bill the last time that happened! I won't get into that, though. We're just waiting out our contract, which is up in February. Living outside a big city has some disadvantages.) The upside of curtailed computer usage is more quilting! I did finish some projects that I had going. 

I got the skeleton quilt quilted and the pattern is written up and ready to go except for having photos made of it. Too bad it is too late to market it. It will be ready for next time, though!

I used the two overdyed pumpkin blocks to make a table runner for the season. I used scraps from it to make a center, which doesn't show up very well in the photo. It is actually a Courthouse Steps block. The entire runner was made from recycled scraps and fabrics.

I drew out a new design and started working it out. It has a folksy look with little hens and nests with eggs. I have four blocks almost finished.

copyright 2010, Linda Winters

I've also been working on a Christmas banner, which is a new design.  ( I'll show more of it later.) Here's a peek.

Now that the weather is cooling down and it is looking as much like fall as south Texas allows (which is more like a cool summer), I am ready for the holidays. Bring on the old Christmas movies!