Merry Christmas!

Make sure to take time today to reflect on the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Catching up - Post #5

This post will bring us up to date.

Taken from my bedroom on Wednesday the 16th.


I put these table runners in the mail today.
Mill House Inn;

Aster Manor;


I think I have all of my shopping done. I haven't wrapped a thing. I haven't done any baking yet. Working part-time almost every weekday sure does put a big hole in my day. I don't know how you working gals do it!

Praise - for the part-time job opportunity I have been given and for my the patience that my boss has.

Prayers - that I don't start to stress about the things I want to get done before Christmas but that instead I can reflect on the REASON FOR THE SEASON!

Catching up - Post #4

Speaking of finding a pleasant surprise in the mailbox look at what I received from designer Kate Spain;



I didn't have any problem unwrapping the paper to find this;

But I do have trouble untying the bundle.... but I will because I want to see all the beautiful fabrics! This is a rolled layer cake that Moda calls a designer bundle. Okay, call it whatever you want Moda. I am calling this one MINE! Verna isn't even out yet. I've got to get some ideas of what to make with this. Anyone??



Thanks, Kate!

Catching up - Post #3

I'm not really sure where these two items fit in anymore. I may have mailed the runner off before we went to get college girl.

The lighting for all of my pictures this month has been terrible. I don't like using the flash but sometimes I have to. I also forgot to take a photo of the back. I used the green Figgy Pudding damask on the back of this.


I made this at the VERY last minute to go along with the apron that I made for my friend. I'd never made a potholder before so I took at look at a few in my own kitchen to see how the binding was turned into a loop. I even sandwiched Insul-Brite inside of this. The binding was some I made for a project two years ago and I always wondered what I would do with the leftovers.


My friend was pleasantly surprised to find the apron and potholder in her mailbox the morning of her birthday and she has already put them to use.

Catching up - Post #2

Finally the day arrived that we got to go pick up college girl from school!! Just before we got in the car I remembered that I needed to get pictures of the Glace quilt. Hubby held it up for me out on the deck and then he went to pack the car.

The lighting was not great that morning but it is what it is;


I was just about to pack it up when I realized that I didn't take a picture of the back. Now my son was available and he did the honors;


It is so nice to have those tall guys around for quilt displays!

Here are some close-ups of some of FMQ I did in every other square. I hadn't yet trimmed any of the loose threads after washing and drying the quilt.




The roads were clear and dry, no rain or snow in the forecast. What a blessing that was. Six hours one way, out in the middle of nowhere and over a mountain pass. Since it was extra cold at home and our usual method of leaving our dog was not going to work, he got to go with us. That was a first and yet another reason to be thankful for a Suburban. Quigley, our golden retriever, was in the way back and had lots of room to look out the windows or snooze away (which, by the way is MY favorite thing to do on this trip normally). We dropped my son and the dog off at a friend's house and then proceeded on to my sister's house.

My sister loved the quilt. She draped it over the back of her white living room couch, right next to the Christmas tree. The walls in her living room are a beautiful blue and I thought the Glace Scruffily quilt looked right at home there. Oddly enough, I didn't bother to take any pictures of my sister with the quilt. We all had dinner and then hubby, myself, college girl, my sister and her daughter all went downtown to see;



Although I LOVE living in the country there is something to be said for downtown in a big city all lit up for Christmas. The show was lots of fun, although I did expect it to follow the movie, White Christmas, more closely.

We kind of got lost navigating from the theater to the freeway and so had ourselves a little tour of downtown after hours. Hubby was not so amused.

We all slept in the next morning, visited with our friends, went to lunch, did some shopping and then headed back home. That is a tough trip to make two days in a row. But again we were blessed with clear roads, nice weather and safe travels. It was so good to get home.

Catching up - Post #1

I have been lax in my blogging this month but I have been BUSY! I'm sure you've been busy too. So let's go back in time and I'll show you some things that have been happening around here.

I had been asking the guys if we could go cut a tree since mid November. I wanted the tree here, in the garage before college girl got home from school so then we could just decorate it. The guys put it off and put it off until finally it was THE coldest day of the season so far. Temperatures were in the teens but it was WINDY and who knows what wind chill adjusted temperature was. Brrrrrrr! The guys were thinking we should take a drive on the road above our house and look from the vehicle before traipsing around outside too much.

This is the tree we decided on after looking at about 4 others. This one was downhill from the car but uphill from the house. The guys decided it would be easier to drag it down the hill rather than haul it up the hill and hoist it on top of the suburban.


After storing the tree in the shop for a week,it was finally set up in the house on the 13th. Do you see that my son, who is 6'6.5" needed a ladder to put the star and the lights up?? You'll notice hubby standing to the side in the photo. He is 6'7" and he is looking UP at the tree. We wanted a tall one!

Jolly Jabber's Deeeeeaaar Santa

Dear Santa,

The Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber has asked what I would pick from their store for you to put under my tree. That isn't an easy task! Have you been to their store? I finally had to just close my eyes and pick. Although this looks like two items what it amounts to is fat quarters of the entire Meadowsweet line. Pretty sweet huh??




I won't ask my hubby for this and I wont' put it on any list for my children to shop from. This is just between you and the Jolly Jabber.

December TO DO List

Well part of it anyway. I don't even have pictures of everything yet but I thought I would get these up for the Charming Girls Quilt Club, hosted this month by Joan.

First up, I need to get the binding on the Glace Scruffily Quilt;


Next I have three table runners to make, all from the same pattern from the book Charmed and Dangerous. The first from Figgy Pudding;

one from Aster Manor;

and finally one from Mill House Inn;

I got this 1/2 charm pack from Jodi at Pleasant Home to make one of the table runners that she featured. Since this is going to be for me and my table, I am afraid that it won't get done for this Christmas. I'll put it on the list just in case.


I've been asking hubby and my son for a couple of weeks if we could go out and get a Christmas tree and they always have a reason why NOW is not a good time. Well today was the day although it was 22 degrees out according to the thermometer but wayyyyyy colder due to the wind chill! It was pretty much now or never though since we wanted the tree all ready to go when college girl gets home next weekend. Check that off of the list. Brrrrr, I'm still trying to warm up and I wasn't out of the car nearly as long as the guys.

Praise - The kids have made it to their final weeks of classes!

Prayers - Finals! College girl has two on Monday back to back with lots of writing. My son turns in a final paper on Monday night.