The Calm

This always seems like such a calm time of the year.  The cooking and parties are behind us and it is such a wonderful time of the year to pause and reflect on Christmas. 

We had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas.  I am still trying to dig out and have not located my camera with the Christmas pictures on it yet, but I am sure after a few more rooms are cleaned it will appear.  I am not worried YET!!!!   Meanwhile I do have a few pictures from another camera that I happened to grab. 



Before....




Getting ready to open gifts.




Opening gifts.




Enjoying the excitement.




Ohhhh.....a new seat in the house!!!



Christmas Day brunch on the patio.  Please pardon the lattice stripes!

I have been thinking that I should grab my keys and head to Las Vegas.  Like many of you, I signed up for different giveaways on the recent Blog Hop Party and I actually won.  In fact, I won several of them.  I guess it makes up for years past when I did not. 

A wonderful package arrived from Cherry.   I am actually quite excited about starting another Christmas themed quilt and she has me off to a good start with the Flurry jelly roll.   I don't know if you remember seeing the incredible Accuquilt Christmas tree tutorial that she did - the red one, but you must check it out.  She has put kits together to sell due to the huge response from her readers.  That is another project on my list for next year. 

From Scott at Blue Nickel Quilts I won some wonderful spring fabrics.  These too will be so much fun to incorporate into my sewing next year.   I guess it is never too early to start thinking about spring!!  That's my way of thinking as well.

Marlene at Kissed Quilts chose me as her winner of her ombre fabrics.  I LOVE these fabrics.  They feel fabulous and the shading is spectacular.  These will really make up nicely and be beautiful when finished.

From Because I'm Me I won some lovely coasters.  Don't the colors remind you of a tropical vacation with crystal blue waters?   They do me.  I also LOVED the little card that was enclosed with them.  It is so sweet with the button flowers, but it also has the instructions for care of the item on the back.  It is such a fabulous idea and I think I will start doing that on gifts that I make and give.

 

I did have a chance to do a little sewing with my granddaughter who wanted to make a small quilt for her parents.  She did an incredible job on it and did the FMQ by herself.  I sewed the binding on for her, but she chose the fabrics and sewed them all together on her own.  I see a budding quilter here!!!

2011 has been a great year around our home and I am looking forward to ringing in the new year with all that it has to offer.  My wish is for a very happy and blessed 2012 to each of you. 



Merry Christmas to All

I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  I have actually been trying to catch up on things that need to be done around here

One thing that I am thrilled to have been able to accomplish is some sewing.  I had purchased some of the wonderful laminate fabrics before I broke my arm.  It has been in my sewing room and I was expecting that I would not get to the gifts until after Christmas.  My arm was freed up last Friday and the machine has been smoking since. 

Accomplished.....four raincoats.  Actually they are fully lined in flannel so there are really EIGHT coats!!!!  

Sewing on the laminate was a breeze.  I was really worried about it, but it went well.  The first one I used clips to hold my seams (per the directions) which were awkward, but I quickly learned that pins do not leave holes and the rest were made using pins to hold the seams.  These are Amy Butler patterns and made up easily, but I did make a few changes to the instructions when I felt I like another technique better.

We have been enjoying the Christmas season and all the fun preparations with the grandchildren.   Cookie making is always exciting especially when it appears a flour bomb has exploded in the kitchen.

We had our semi annual quilt giveaway at our December guild meeting.  Look at the stack of quilts on the table that were given to our different charities - 344 total.  As well we had stacks and stacks of pillow cases, burp cloths and bibs that went out.

We enjoyed a Christmas brunch with our son and his family last weekend. 

 As well, we have been celebrating birthdays.   We have three grandchildren with birthdays in December - one on Christmas Day. 


The buddy is asleep on it's back!!!!

I received some wonderful mail lately.  Maria sent me this darling fabric from her little corner of the world.  She does the hexie flowers each week and I think I may have to join so I can use this cute fabric in one.  Thank you so much, Maria. 

I also received a lovely star ornament kit from Paper Pieces through the Christmas Quilt Show from Sew Cal Gal.  I think these will be beautiful hanging on the tree next year. 

Connie had a giveaway of a handmade ruler holder that I won.  This was made by her husband, Builder Bob, and he did such a wonderful job on it.  It is made out of red oak and is such a nice addition to my cutting table.  I really needed one to keep my many rulers controlled.  Thank you, Connie.

I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a new year filled with blessings.

Christmas is Coming

....the goose is getting fat.  Poor goose!

The blogs are so exciting with all of the Christmas decorating showing up.  I really enjoy seeing all of the creative ideas out there.  Does everyone else too?

I started to put a few things out yesterday.  I hung my Christmas Cactus quilt and I love it.  I think I have shown the completed top last winter, but here it is bound and hanging.   It will be such a nice addition to our future Christmas decorating.

To see more great Christmas quilts check out SewCalGal.

We celebrated our Thanksgiving on Saturday which is our tradition.   I had lots of help from the family - especially my dear hubby who cooked the turkeys, made the gravy, stuffing and potatoes.  It was delicious and I told him I might relinquish the job to him in the future!!!!

Lots of directing going on.

Some of the grandchildren came over and set tables and did prepping of veggies.  Thank goodness for a wonderful gang of help!

Grandpa overseeing the process.

Part of the gang for Thanksgiving.  The rest came later after a soccer playoff game and church.

Our son's new family member.

Not much quilting going on here unless a quilted jigsaw puzzle counts.  Can you tell I am bored?

It will be nice to get this cast off so I can use scissors, knives and rotary cutters again, but I am able to use the fingers more now that the swelling and pain has subsided.  Yeah!  The bad hair days remain!!!!

This was what we enjoyed this morning.  You know it's going to be a great day when it starts like this.

Keep up with all the great Christmas decorating as I am loving it!

A Pause

There is a wonderful 11-11-11 Linky party for mini quilts going on today.   I have always enjoyed doing mini quilts because they offer you a chance to work on a technique that you might not want to attempt in a full sized quilt.  In my dreams I have always thought about doing a red and green Pineapple quilt to display at Christmas.  Years ago I did this little mini (14") and stopped with the top.  This week I did the quilting on it and put the binding on.  It will have to do until I get that big one done.

I had great hopes of a nice post today with lots of fun stuff, but it isn't going to happen because I am celebrating autumn with the fun color of orange...as in a cast.  Boo hoo! 

 That's what happens when one steps off a curb and catches their foot between the curb and a rubber tire all the while trying not to fall and seriously break something!!!!  Do you think I will tire of orange in six weeks?  Maybe I should have gotten red for Christmas.  I apologise in advance that I will not be able to comment as I can only chicken pick at the keys.  Know, however, that I will be reading your blogs.  I must focus on what I am able to do and not what I cannot as we enter the busy season of Thanksgiving and Chritmas.

A million thanks goes out to all of our wonderful veterans today as we celebrate Veteran's Day.  They all do an amazing job of keeping us safe and free.  THANK YOU!!!!

Fall

The days are definitely shorter and darker.  From the weather channel it sounds like it has been an early winter for many across the states.  This morning I was out wandering in the gardens and noticed several plants that are very un-fallish.  I have a couple of iris that are typically spring bloomers showing their pretty colors this autumn.

I am looking forward to next year's bloom as I have added a few more to the plantings.  Alice was digging up some of her plants and asked me if I would like some.  I look forward to seeing them come to life and bring fond thoughts as I remember her each year.

As well the roses are putting out what will probably be their last flush of blooms before I prune them next month. 

The bougainvillea is also gorgeous along the fence right now.  These are definitely great drought plants as the less water they get, the more they bloom.

Halloween was exceptionally quiet this year.  I doubt that we even had ten trick or treaters and half of those were a bit old to be out.  There is just something about handing out candy to kids with beard stubbles that does not make my day!!!  We always have our children and grandchildren over for soup and chili dogs before they head off to a few of the neighbors who know them.  It's tough to get a picture of all of them as everyone is too excited about getting out or eating their stash. 

I received my ALQS6 swap mini quilt in the mail this week.  It came from Misha (no blog) in Washington state.  I absolutely love it.  The colors are fantastic and her work is just spectacular.  The irregular shape is so wonderful.  I wish she had a blog so we could all follow her.

Also in the mail I received a package from Jill of some great novelty prints and some selvages.  Slowly, but surely I am getting enough selvages for a good selvage project.  There are so many wonderful things to be done with them and I am excited about giving them a go.

I had picked up a kit at the last guild meeting and finished it up this week so I can return it this week.  It is all flannel and so soft.  Some little one will love it.

As well I had a Christmas panel from Timeless Treasures that I made into a lap quilt for the Christmas season.  I will donate this one to the grandchildren's school for their auction later this month.

The week has flown by again and it is hard to imagine that we are already into November.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is right behind.  Do we all have a million projects left to finish before then??????