Pumpkins are like rays of sunshine

As I said in yesterday's post, working on the orange pumpkins in my dim basement sewing room is really an enlightening (Groan!) experience.  As I thought about these table runners this morning I realize that they truly are like bringing in a ray of sunshine into my sewing area.  I don't know if I can bear to part with them--but, Yes, I will.  I'm making them to go into my Etsy shop, Jolly Ruby, and hopefully they'll sell quickly.

I didn't make as much progress on them yesterday as I'd hoped to, but I actually got a start on the quilting.

I'm beginning with some stitching in the ditch on all the seams of the pumpkins.  I was able to do 3 of the 10 pumpkins yesterday and will work on the rest of them today. 

 Then, I'll stitch in the ditch between the center of the quilt and the checkerboard border.  I haven't decided what to do in the "negative" areas between the pumpkin blocks but I know I'll do some arcs around the squares in the checkerboard.

This is a picture of the back of the piece. I'd had this muted green and yellow fabric for some time and it was the exact size I needed to back each runner.  It has no relation to pumpkins, but I think it captures the autumn feel of the quilt.

The reason I didn't get the table runners all quilted up yesterday was that I was distracted--again! Damn squirrels!  As I entered my sewing room, filled with good intentions and plans, my eyes were drawn to the 2 Quilts of Valor that are awaiting their binding.  So, that's what I did.  I got the binding made and machine sewn on one of them, and last night I did the hand stitching while I had the television on. (I can't say I "watched" the "debate" since I listened and only looked up from time to time, and IMHO, what occurred last night was not what I would call a debate. Please don't get me started!)  At any rate, with no Ross Poldark to distract me, I was able to finish the binding on this quilt:  

This is the QOV that I pieced together awhile ago and it was machine quilted by my friend Laurie, who's one of the best long arm quilters in the area, in my opinion. She offered to do it for me, and I'm very grateful for her help. In exchange, she gave me a quilted but not bound QOV that she found stashed away in a closet or something.  That will be the next project to get done.

I love making scrappy quilts and that's what this was.  I like to include interesting fabrics for the recipient to discover as they snuggle under the warm quilt.  I added a few squares of the UW Bucky Badger!

No quilt made in WI would be complete without a dairy cow included!

I had some leftover lobster fabric from my trips to Maine, as well as some sheet music, "On, Wisconsin!" And I just noticed the Jack-O-Lantern peeking out there!

I also included a couple of fishing fabrics and one with golfing things.  I threw in a few florals--but not too many--and called it good.

Today will be another busy day--and that's a good thing! First, a trip to the post office and grocery stores.  Then this afternoon, when it gets a bit warmer, Don and I will be planting the iris corms and get that job done.  After that, it's back to the pumpkin runners to try to get them ready for binding.

Hoping you have a busy, and happy, day, I'm signing off.