My Next Projects

This morning I am busy filling out registration forms for our guild's quilt show in February. I am registering TEN quilts! I have never shown that many before. Several of these are small wall hangings which explains why I was able to get so many done. I will also have an 11th quilt in the challenge section.

Getting these all down on paper makes me realize I need to get busy and finish all of these! One is in need of more piecing work, two need to be quilted, one still needs to be bound, and several need hanging sleeves. I better quit jabbering and get to work!

BTW, my son pondered for a while, which surprised me, but he chose the yellow stripey bag, which did not surprise me.

Happy New Year, all!

Christmas Day

Our tradition is to celebrate on Christmas Eve after the candlelight service at church. We had a nice dinner and fun family time with our two adult children home. I'm loving having them here! My daughter is helping my son knit himself a Harry Potter scarf. Here he is taking a break from the knitting. This morning I decided to make him a bag to carry his knitting in. I made the pinkish purplish one this morning (instead of making Christmas muffins) and then decided it won't be properly "man" looking for him. So I'll let him choose between these two bags. The greenish/yellow stripey one was already made for another purpose, but I can easily replace it if that's the one he wants.






Our Christmas dinner dessert - individual cheesecakes with fresh raspberries! Yum!




This is a guy I work with and his guide dog. They are both trying out a quilt I made. He had asked if I could make a quilt for his wife. He is worried about her health and thought a quilt to cuddle in would be a nice comfort. I had this one almost done, so I sold it to him for a bargain price. I'm glad it is going to his wife - she and I used to work together years ago, before she was married and even before she became blind. Small world, isn't it?!



Today we are headed over to my sister's house for another family gathering. Fun, fun fun! Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas Day. I read through all the Mavs' blogs this morning. It was so nice to see all your pictures, your trees, your food, your laundry (haha), and to hear about your traditions. You are a talented bunch!! TTFN.

A Fading Tradition

This little decoration has been a part of our family Christmas for over 20 years. Way back then, I bought this at an after-Christmas sale. I remember it was marked down from $40 to $20, a 50% off sale that I was glad to snap up. I couldn't have afforded it at $40. It was a mobile, hand-made in Denmark. It had three horizontal metal holders, each with these loops and trees hanging off the ends. So there were six spots of these pretty little loops and trees hanging at various heights. I hung the mobile every Christmas, and it followed us from our old house to our new. Each year I carefully packed it in the same box in which I purchased it. A few years ago the red loops began to droop and tear. I had to tape them together. It was starting to age.



This year it was just too tired out to help us celebrate Chirstmas. The old strings were hopelessly tangled, and the more I tried to fix it, the more the pieces began to tear. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to 5/6 of this mobile. Now all we have left is this one little loop with its pretty little trees. Even this small part is still so dainty and festive. Perhaps this will continue to cheer us during the Christmas season until we can travel to Denmark and get another new one right where it was made -- a grandchild mobile of our original.

Back to LIfe .. Cough.. I Think

Ewww, it has been a long week of coughing, blowing nose, taking naps, eating a lot of chicken noodle soup. Hubby and I both got the crud. I'm finally functioning normally again, sort of. Still coughing and blowing, but I'm upright.

I managed to put together a UFO top while I was sick. I worked at it slowly when I had energy, and just got the top done this morning. Here it is. I guess I will quilt it in time to hang in my guild's show in February, then decide what to do with it.



I am also getting borders on my Tonya-Letters Sampler so I can get that done and hang it in the show, too. This year I will have mostly wall hangings in the show as that has been my new-found love, making small, quick quilts that don't turn into UFOs for years and years.

Hope you all are healthy and that you have safe and happy holidays.

Christmas Preparations

Saturday. I spent all day wrapping presents, rearranging and cleaning the living room, and putting up and decorating the tree. We use a small, artificial tree. I like its small size and humility. I've never liked being showy and ostentatious. For some reason our little tree looks extra pretty to me this year.



I'm coming down with a cold. When I wasn't doing the above activities, I took a nap, and I had a nice, warm bowl of soup for lunch. I'm trying to be careful with myself so my cold doesn't develop into bronchitis, which my daughter has.

Last night we went to a play at the Guthrie. I had never heard of it before: Edgardo Mine. It was a powerful play, based on an historical event. Fascinating. Everything the Guthrie does is outstanding! We're lucky to live close by so we can enjoy the fruits of Guthries' labors.

I'm headed to bed and will catch up on the Mavericks' goings on tomorrow.

The Quilt is On its Way

I finished! This quilt will soon be delivered to a friend of a friend... she has cancer, and this was ordered by her friends so she can have a warm, tangible sign of their caring for her. I showed you the top after I put it together at a retreat. I wanted to do a pieced border but ran out of time, so I did plain old borders. This is the largest size quilt I have ever quilted by myself on my little Pfaffy friend. It measures 61" x 85". It's not perfect, but it's warm and cuddly which is what she needs right now. It's all batiks except the back which is a very soft cotton!




The boutique thing I went to last Friday was fun. Most of the vendors were businesses such as Mary Kay, Avon, and Pampered Chef. I wasn't very tempted by their products, so I spent very little money. I got a lot of sewing done, and a friend came along and knitted while we chit chatted. My time was almost uninterrupted. Since I didn't know anyone there, they pretty much left me alone except when they wanted to admire my quilt tops. They were shy about that since I was a stranger, so I was able to keep sewing.

I'm almost done Christmas shopping. Now I just need my next paycheck so I can get the last things that I couldn't squeeze into the previous expense account. I hope to catch up on reading your lovely blogs, my friends, but I haven't had much free time lately. I'll do that ASAP! I hope everyone is doing well, including Tanya.