Thursday, October 19, 2017

Enter if U Dare 2017 Blog Hop


 Welcome!
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I am so excited!  It's my revealing day for the Enter if U Dare 2017 Blog Hop!  Many thanks to Marian of Seams to Be Sew for once again organizing and hosting a fun-to-share blog hop.  Be sure to visit Marian's website everyday at www.seamstobesew.com for a free pattern.

I have posted several Halloween projects already this month, but I have saved the best to share with you today.  I call it my Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts.  I do hope it makes you shriek with laughter instead of terror; that is my intention.



It can be a wall hanging or a table topper.   Because this is a small, whole-piece applique project, it goes together quickly.

To make a design like this, I start by unrolling a good portion of Christmas wrapping paper and draw my design on the back side.  I usually have a small sketch I use for inspiration.  Once I'm happy with the size and look of my design, I tape the paper "pattern" to a large window, then tape my fabric over that.  I can then trace the design, including all the details, onto a large sheet of white fabric.  The light shining through the window acts as a light box. 






After the design is transferred to the white fabric, I cut out the design.  It is then placed on top of my  background fabric and sewn in place by machine.  I use  the raw-edge applique method to outline each ghost and all the details.  Because I wanted the lines darker, I chose to hand-embroider all the details.   

Each ghost has his or her own personality.  I added bits of color here and there to break up the monotony of white.  I used my embroidery machine to print Trick or Treat on the purple bag.  The ghost's open mouths, as well as the pumpkin, cat, bird, moon and witch are all cut separately.  I use fusible web for these smaller pieces and iron them in place.  To finish, I raw-edge applique them in place.     

While adding the binding, I sewed a folded 5" square to each top corner for inserting a dowel, so I can use it as a wall hanging.  The overall size is approximately 34" x 35." 


But that's not all!

Marian created a batch of adorable Halloween patterns and asked if if we would like to create something with a couple of them.  I jumped at the chance!

No. 1:  A mummy mug rug, perfect for your desk at work to keep your October snacks neat.  I transferred the mummy design (finished size approximately 9" x 9") to fusible web, then ironed the pieces onto a black background.  Using black thread, I used raw-edge applique to sew the design down and add the details around his nose, eyes and mouth.  He looks like he's had a hard night, so I used my Brother embroidery machine to add "I want my Mummy."


No. 2:  The next design of Marian's was a pieced 20" x 20" pumpkin block.  I had so many ideas of what to make, but finally decided on a Halloween Advent Calendar.


To make the numbers come out right, I needed to make 3" pockets, so I cut a 1" border and added it to all sides of the pumpkin to make a finished size of 21" around.

For the pockets I used black fabric and cut 32 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" squares.  From various Halloween scraps, I cut out 31 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" squares.  I folded and pressed the 4-1/2" squares in half diagonally and positioned over the black square, lining up the raw edges.  You can see from the pictures that there is an overhang.
 






Once the pockets were sewn together, I cut away the overhanging bits.

To each side of the pumpkin I sewed 7 pockets going down.  To the top I sewed a strip of 9 pockets and to the bottom I sewed a strip of 8 pockets and ended the row with a black square.

Since I had my Brother embroidery machine set up, I embroidered the numbers 1 through 31 on the pockets and BOO in the last black square, but there are all sorts of way you can add the numbers, or it doesn't have to have numbers at all -- your choice.  The fun part is hiding a prize in each pocket and counting down the days until it's Halloween!


I hope you have had half as much fun viewing these "treats" as I did making them.  Make sure to visit the other bloggers to see what they have created for this fun blog.

Friday, October 20, 2017


And don't forget to enter your name for the giveaways! 





a Rafflecopter giveaway


Blog Giveaway Guidelines - Please read
  • Giveaways offered by sponsors are assigned to the various bloggers for their featured day.
  • You'll have to visit the blog or the featured blog to enter the giveaways.
  • All winners will be announced on October 25, 2017.
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  • You are given 3 days to answer the email, if you do not answer within 3 days a new winner will be drawn. Check those spam/junk mail folders, you may miss that winning email if you don't do so because there are no exceptions to this rule.
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72 comments:

  1. What a darling bunch of spooktacular ghosts!

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  2. I love the Mug Rug and the ghostlies.

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  3. Thank you for sharing your talent with us

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  4. That is a clever idea for the ghosts and so detailed! Thank you!

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  5. All of your projects are terrific! I particularly love your Giggle Gaggle. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

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  6. Your projects are all fantastic! I love the ghosts!

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  7. Love those friendly looking ghosts!

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  8. Very spooky! Thank you for sharing.

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  9. oh my your projects are wonderful. especially the table topper/wall hanging
    quilting dash lady at Comcast dot net

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  10. So many cute things! I love your ghosts

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  11. I love how you made the Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts. The is very artistic to draw the design you like and add it to the quilt. Happy Halloween! Thank you, peterstankovich@comcast.net

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  12. Your ghosts are sure having fun! What a great way to display them and bring smiles to everyone who enters your home. That mug rug is surely one I want to make! Thank you.

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  13. I seriously LOVE your ghosts! That is SO cute!

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  14. Cute projects but I love your Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts.

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  15. Very cute! Thanks for sharing and the giveaways!
    cork@pa.rr.com

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  16. Those ghosts you created are such adorable characters and they look fabulous in the quilt!

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  17. A spooktacular convention!
    Hello from a fellow Californian ~

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  18. Your Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts quilt is so darned cute!

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  19. Adorable. love the group of ghost and the mug rug is sew cute. Jack-o-lantern equally as cute.

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  20. How adorable. I love batghost. And the Halloween advent calendar is truly inspired. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  21. I love the ghosts and the Mummy Rug ... Patterns available? Anywhere? Please? lol I really do like them a lot!!

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  22. Your ghosts really made me smile

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  23. Love your Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts.

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  24. What adorable personalities each ghost has! Also crushing on the Halloween calendar!
    basaran.family@rogers.com

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  25. Each of your projects is just great. I want to make the Halloween Countdown calendar for my adult daughter who tells me Halloween is her favorite time of year. Thank you.

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  26. WHAT NEAT PROJECTS! THANKS FOR SHARING!
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  27. That is the cutest gaggle of ghosts I have seen! Like the countdown calendar too. Thanks for the great ideas!

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  28. I love your Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts and your Mummy Mug Rug. They are wonderful. Thanks for sharing. raydeer@memlane.com

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  29. Your ghosts are delightful! I want to adopt them!

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  30. Love the ghost with theblue eye shadow and red lipstick.

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  31. Love the ghost with theblue eye shadow and red lipstick.

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  32. Love your quilts. Thanks for sharing

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  33. I so love applique tyty for sharing your ghosts... happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  34. Love your projects. Especially the Halloween advent ....

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  35. Your projects are darling. I especially love your mummy mug rug.

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  36. I love the fun details on all your ghost and yes, I too love your mummy mug rug!

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  37. Halloween can be so much fun to sew for. Love your ghosts and the mummy.

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  38. I absolutely love those ghosts!! Years ago I painted a ceramic piece that looks a lot like this piece. It lights up and I put it out to display every year.
    xx, Carol

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  39. Love the personalities of those ghosts. Will send this blog to a friend who quilts and whose husband runs a local 'ghostly tours" event. Such fun.

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  40. As always, more EXCELLENT projects showing your wonderful sense of humor. Love them all!!

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  41. Love the quirky I want my mummy mug rug. I know someone who would love it.

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  42. Lovely lovely projects. Thanks for having the giveaway. Blessed be, hugs!!!
    pamspretties57 at gmail dot com

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  43. Love, love your ghosts!! Also love the Halloween Advent Calendar. Both are just too cute!! Thanks for sharing.

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  44. Absolutely lovely and unique projects! Thanks for the inspiration!!

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  45. Love your "Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts"!! You're so Creative!! Thank you for sharing such a fun Wallhanging! :)

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  46. Great projects. I need an embroidery machine. I would love to make calendars.

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  47. I'd like to make the Mummy mug rug right now. rozz01 at cox dot net

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  48. That "pile of ghosts" is so cute!! I'm not really into Halloween, but I could see that bunch of ghosts hanging on my wall or even the window of the front door during the season. Thanks so much for your creativity!!

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  49. That is too cute! Thank you for sharing.

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  50. Super projects! The calendar is a great idea!

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  51. Great projects! I especially love the Mummy mug rug! Cute!

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  52. Those ghosts are super cute! And I love the name... can't go wrong with alliterations!

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  53. Nancy A: rangerer@sbcglobal.netOctober 23, 2017 at 1:10 PM

    Love your ghosts with the personalities!

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  54. I love your fun ghosts and what a wonderful creative Mummy mug rug.

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  55. Your Giggly Gaggle of Ghosts really is adorable! I just love it.

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  56. All of your projects are so spookily cute!

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  57. All your projects are cute. Love the 'I Want My Mummy'.

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  58. Your ghosts are so sweet. I really like that blue background you used with it. Love your mummy too.

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  59. Thank you for sharing! Love your spooky projects!

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  60. My apologies for getting around so late, I've just been so so busy...

    I love the giggly gaggle of ghosts, soooo cute. I am also in love with that mugrug, it's absolutely adorable, and the pumpkin advent calendar, very clever technique for the pockets.

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