Desire to Inspire - August Challenger shows off Glow in the Dark "Chills and Thrills" collection

Meet our August Desire to Inspire Challenger - Miriam Saye

The collection she used is called Chills and Thrills by Shelly Comiskey. This collection is in quilt shops now! 

After my morning yoga practice, I head for my sewing room.  It has large windows and views of my humming bird and bird feeders as well as one of our ponds and pasture.  Sometimes I’m rewarded with deer wandering through to get a drink or an occasional coyote bounding across the prairie.  We also attract various ducks and Canadian geese throughout the year.    My husband and I along with our three rescue dogs (a/k/a The Hooligans) feel like we have our corner of paradise on our farm.  Between us, we have his three sons, my daughter and their various spouses, 9 grandkids (some with spouses), and grand- and great grand-dogs.   

My quilting inspiration comes from my mom, who at 99, is still making quilts and also sewed our clothes and is a tailoring whiz.  Her mother, my grandma, also quilted and sewed.  Some of my favorite dresses were made by her from her chicken feed sacks.  Various aunts and great aunts also were quilters. 

My Henry Glass fabrics are beautiful!  I love the quality feel and the fact that the panel is printed perfectly with the grain—no steaming and tugging with this!  My piecing is accomplished on my Featherweight, and I’m learning free-motion quilting on my Pfaff 4.0 that I purchased pre-owned through the mail from Prairie Quilt in Hennessey, Oklahoma.  My favorite quilt shop is The Quilters Patch in Edna, Kansas.  The girls there are all friendly and helpful.  Their shop is an oasis for quilters in this area.  The Quilters Patch is my “local” quilt shop—a 60 mile round trip.  All I have to say is “Road trip!” and the Hooligans ride along in my little red truck and wait patiently under a big shade tree while I shop for my fabrics.

At The Quilters Patch I purchased the charcoal with black polka dots fabric.  It’s made by Blank Fabrics, sister company to Henry Glass—both under the Jaftex Company umbrella.

The VW van pillow is Coastal Cruiser, a free pattern by Tula Pink.  It’s for my daughter who loves all things VW.

 

The table topper with 12 hexagons around the perimeter is Merry-Go-Round by Atkinson Designs and one of my favorite patterns.  

The star table toppers are based on my recollection of a workshop I attended about 18 years ago with Billie Lauder.  To the best of my knowledge, the rest of the projects are my own designs.  

I thought the selvedge design was worthy of leaving intact on the tea towel. 

 I had fun with the hexagon candle mats and throw. 

The treat bags will be full of chocolate chip cookies and caramel corn that I make the day before Halloween.  Unlike when I lived in town and had several hundred trick-or-treat seekers, out here we have only a few little ones who really want to come see us at the end of a dead-end road and up our lane. 

Because their parents make the effort to bring them here, I like to give them fun treats.  I know they will love their glow-in-the-dark bags! 

I use mainly Aurifil thread, although the neon thread is from American and Efird (neon yellow).  It’s black light sensitive, and I thought it was a fun compliment for the Halloween fabrics.  I purchased it on a whim; this was a great time to use it!Sewing these fabrics has been so much fun!  I’m appreciative that although I don’t have a blog that I was chosen to inspire.  The lovely fabrics made it easy to desire to create, and I hope I’ve done justice to the Chills ‘n Thrills collection.  I haven’t run out of ideas—just time.  I’ll be making several additional pieces before moving to Christmas sewing.  Meanwhile, I have to address the envelopes for our grandson’s wedding invitations in my calligraphy handwriting. 

Our granddaughter helped me with the photography.  I think she did an awesome job!  She also had fun with the glow-in-the-dark and black lights.

 

Since Henry Glass has a Christmas collection featuring an antique red pick up truck, I felt it was only appropriate to feature our ’50 Chevy in Allis Chalmers orange—perfect match for Chills & Thrills!  I hope next year to see a Henry Glass Halloween or Thanksgiving collection featuring our orange truck!

1950 Chevy in Allis Chalmers orange—perfect match for Chills & Thrills!

Again, thank you to Vanessa and Karen at Henry Glass for selecting me to participate in desire to inspire this month!  I’ve had a blast and would love to be chosen again. 

Pumpkin Patch and Goodie Bags that glow in the dark. 

A ride with Chills and Thrills!