I absolutely love Fall and this year we have had such a gorgeous one!!!
The sun just keeps shining on all those golden leaves..... keeping them dry and crunchy....
and a strong wind has come through
tossing them up and around in the air!!
We have an abundance of trees here where we live,
which means.....
NO shortage of leaves!!!

The weather man says that rain is on its way though,
 and of course there never seems to
be enough free time outside to get them all picked up
 before they get all wet!!!
Slowly we will get them all collected. .....
hopefully before the daffodils start having to fight their way through them.
We usually spend some sunny winter days out raking leaves and picking up downed limbs with  a nice warm burn pile going!

I've had a great summer getting to travel around a bit!

I went on my first cruise to Alaska with
Terri Staats of Sweet Treasures Quilts 
and a group of wonderful women on a Quilting Cruise!!
It was so much fun and we got to sit and stitch and watch the ocean go by!!

Just a few days after that, I flew off to work with and help
 Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin
with her
 Barn Event!!
Oh my what an event it was!!!
You will definitely want to check it out and try and attend next year!!

I've been home a few weeks now and have been busy getting ready
to head back out the door the end of the month for a trip to
Australia!!

Gail Pan of Gail Pan Designs
has invited me to come and teach a workshop along with her!!
Its going to be a HOLIDAY Gail says!!!
I am excited and blessed to get to have this opportunity!!

Well....now here it is!!
Its been two weeks since the
 Christmas Mystery Quilt Blog Hop started!!
I hope you are having fun stitching the blocks!!

Week #1 was
Christmas Candle
by Rhonda McCray of Farmhouse Threads

Week #2 was
Christmas Party Reindeer Girl
by Shawn York of Rusty Crow

which brings us to
Week #3
Christmas Mystery Quilt
Blog Hop Day!!! 

That's me!!
Wooden Spool Designs

Each designer has been asked to create a quilt block with wool applique and embroidery.
We (the designers) will send our blocks to Rhonda and she will put them all together to create
the Mystery Quilt for all of us to see!

My little block is called
Christmas Lamb!!

I hope you enjoy making it!! 

Click here for pattern

Kits are available on the website
  www.woodenspooldesigns.com
while supplies last!!

I almost forgot to tell you all!!

 There is a blog hop going on that started today!!! 

Rhonda McCray from 

Farmhouse Threads is organizing a blog hop

 that you won't want to miss!!!

Join us for 

Farmhouse Threads

Christmas Mystery Quilt 

Blog Hop!!

Starting today for 10 weeks a group of designers will share a free patterns with you!! 

Each week, one designer will post the pattern to make a Christmas block using wool applique and embroidery on cotton. 

Week 10 will include the instructions to put all the blocks together with some special fun borders

to complete your Mystery Christmas Quilt!! 

Finishing kits will be available from Farmhouse Threads!!

Here's the lineup of the participating designers and links to their blogs!! 

Week 1 October 3rd - Rhonda McCray

 Farmhouse Threads

Week 2 October 10th - Shawn York

Rusty Crow Quilt Shop

Week 3 October 17th - Debbie Busby

 Wooden Spool Designs

Week 4 October 24th - Joyce Weeks

Geoff's Mom Pattern Co. 

Week 5 October 30th - Gloria Parsons

Olde Green Cupboard Designs

Week 6 November 7th -  Joan Grenke

Bits and Pieces by Joan

Week 7 November 15th - Kathy Campbell

Heart to Hand

Week 8 November 21st - Jeni Gaston

Woolen Willow Designs

Week 9 November 28th - Lisa Bongean

Primitive Gatherings

Week 10 December 5th - Finishing Instructions 

Farmhouse Threads

Happy Stitching!! 

Well it's been way too long since I've given any time to my blog!
I have tried several times to post but it just seemed like there was so much to write and that so much had gone on and it seemed too long to tell!!!

So....I am just going to jump in....keep it short....and say....
Happy October!!

I love October!!

It was the month I was for in and I love that!!
I love the changing of the seasons, seeing the colors
change in the trees and the temps change on the thermostat.
I love that the days get shorter and the evenings come earlier.
for Stitcher it means longer evenings with the needle and thread!!

This year I have been anticipating October all year....
#1 because I am turning 60 and it just seems like a good number to be.
#2 because I get to travel to Australia this month!!

On October 28th I will be leaving on a jet plane to Australia!!
I have been working so hard preparing
 and have 4 weeks left to finish everything!!

I am going to be teaching with Gail Pan of Gail Pan Designs
 and
also teaching at the quilt shop
Quilters Harvest.

I will keep you posted on how the packing is coming and fill you in on a little more about what I will be doing!!

Stay turned for more October fun to come!

Happy Stitching!!

 I'm realizing that the older I get the slower I go and the behind-er I get!!

 Probably not the first time you've heard that.... but ....it's seems to be true!!! 

What is it with that!!???

Moving into July and looking at my calendar towards

 the months ahead I can say that I need to get faster!!! 

We have had a warm summer here in Oregon so far!! 

Our temps have been very high for here!!

Lots of hot dry days with not much cooling down. 

I have been spending extra time outside 

watering the plants and the dogs!! 

I'm very thankful for the A/C on these days

especially when I dye wool all day!! 

I have a GREAT UPS MAN who will 

get this on it's way tomorrow!!! 

I  hope you are all enjoying your summer and finding time to do some stitching!! 

If you haven't liked me on Facebook yet check it out!!! 

Hope you all had a great fourth of July!! 

 It's blog hop time!!

 Welcome to Buttermilk Basin's

 Summerthyme Blog Hop Day 2!!!

Visit Stacy's Blog to read about my summertime fun!! 

There are lots of fun things going on here at Wooden Spool Designs!! 

Starting today I have a new website up and running with new designs ready to order!! 

Here in the Northwest we love our berries!! 

Strawberries, Raspberries, Logan Berries, Marion Berries, Blue Berries, and Black Berries!! 

They are in abundance here and one of my favorite summer time desserts is called

"Berry Thing"

It's so yummy and very refreshing!!! 

So with berries in mind you might like to make this

Strawberry Pintuffet

 to keep your pins in for all your summer projects!! 

 Click here for printable pattern

also

TODAY ONLY

 as a thank you for visiting 

www.woodenspooldesigns.com 

and placing an order you will 

 receive 

1/2 off your ONLINE order

 by entering the code:

PINTUFFET

(payment due at time of order online only)

It's Summerthyme!!!! 

Join in the fun and follow  

Buttermilk Basin's

Summerthyme Blog Hop!! 

Each Day on Buttermilk Basin's Blog

read about each designer 

and

 try out their summer recipe!! 

Day one starts with

 Cheri Payne of Quilts by Cheri... 

hop over to

 Buttermilk Basin's Blog

 and read about 

Cheri's favorite summer things to do.  

Here's the rest of the line up:

Debbie - Wooden Spool Designs

Tracy - Plumcute Designs

Ali - Ali Strebel Designs

Kathy - The Cottage at Cardiff Farms

Lori - Notforgotten Farm

Meg - Crabapple Hill

Gail - Gail Pan Designs

Stacy - Buttermilk Basin

Sheri - Calico Moon 

Spring is practically over and Summer is on it's way!
The weather forecast is blue and sunny for the next week!!

This blog post is long in coming....
because life just always seems to be busy busy busy....

And it was a busy spring here!!
For the last 14 years Spring means going to 

 International Spring Market which was in Minneapolis, MN this year.
  

Lots of hours go into planning
 and
 preparing for it with little sleep in between!!

After loading up, we headed out and drove our way across to Minnesota!! 

On the way we were more than happy to 

pick up a friendly passenger!!

Gail Pan joined us all the way from Australia for our trek east and we had lots of fun on the way. 

It takes a lot of work to load, haul, and set up our
booth with props and merchandise and
we were so blessed to have help from our good friend Cindy!!
This girl is such a hard worker and a TON of fun!!!
   

Here are several of the patterns that we introduced

 at the show which were a big hit!! 

We love going to Market and seeing our great customers
 coming from all over the country
to find the latest and best products to carry
 in their shops just for you!!

We encourage you to find your local quilt shops
 and support them whenever you can!!

Another one of my favorite things at market is to see
so many talented designers all in one place!!
 Dinner out in the evenings with some of them is a great way to end a long day!!

 Deirdre Bond Abel  - Hat Creek Quilts

 Tonja Gressley - Blackberry Primitives

 Janet Nesbitt - One Sister Designs

 Stacy West - Buttermilk Basin

Michelle Joyner - Fat Quarters Quilt Shop
Gail Pan - Gail Pan Designs
Lynn Hagmeier - Kansas Troubles Quilters

Kenna Ogg - Madison Cottage Design

Just a few of MANY.....

Our Sample Spree Crew
Terri, Jeff, Brenda, Kathy, Cindy

Many times when Quilt Market is over we drive
 straight home and keep going....
this year we took a few extra days and stopped
 at quilt shops along our route.
We were able to visit some of our customers and also make some new ones.

There are so many wonderful quilt shops across the country!!

Here are a couple that we visited!!

More Sew for You 

All in Stitches - Zumbrota, MN

Prairie Point Junction

We've been so blessed to see so much of the country,
visit so many lovely quilt shops,
and make so many wonderful friends along the way!

But.... of course it goes without saying that there's no place like home!!