A Christmas Recap

 There were warm Christmas greetings

 

 as my family was meeting.

With savory dishes

that were, oh, so delicious.

The kiddos loved playing

and had fun with their visit

We even had some sweet

 Christmas Eve kisses.

Our holiday was full

 of Christmas surpises

 

 We even had chosen all the

right sizes.

And now that it's over

and there are sad good-byes

It's time to return home

to work off the pie!

  Until Next Time-

The Day After Christmas

Until Next Time-

Kyle

What's on your Tree?

 I love to investigate what gets

hung on Christmas trees.

I remember as a kid

draping silver tinsel on the tree.

We'd do it neatly for a while

 

until we got bored 

 and then end up just tossing it haphazardly on.

We'd always answer,

 we were trying

to reach the higher branches.

Of course, 

 it would all have to be taken off 

when the tree was taken down

and laid carefully back in the boxes

 to be recycled again for next year.

Our tree doesn't have tinsel,

but it does have some rather unusual things.

Instead, it's decorated with objects

we've collected

during the years that reminds us

 of where we've been

or what we did.

So for example,

do many people have a naked David statue

hiding ( actually, not too well hidden)

among the tree boughs?

How about a Chinese Santa

from Beijing

,

sporting a communist red star and sickle

in his pack?

Or a bottle of Chianti

next to a Tijuana Santa, 

next to the Three Wise Men?

This year we added a few more treasures.

An ice cream cone from 

visiting Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory

and a chocolate box cover from Vermont.

(The chocolates were consumed long ago!)

The ancient stone markings

from Newgrange, Ireland,

along with a few other reminders

 

of our fabulous trip to Ireland.

 We also included 

the famous

6 toed cats from Ernest Hemingway's 

home in Key West, Florida.

It's always a ritual to look at

and remember the circumstances around

each new object that's added to

our continually growing collection.

And then as the new year begins,

we start collecting all over again,

because each new year brings 

new and exciting moments to remember.

Merry Christmas,

Time to Applique Again

With the holidays,

who can sit with idle hands.

It's a hard thing for me to usually do.

Although I do admit,

there are some evenings when a 

comfy spot of the couch 

is the perfect ending to a busy day.

But with most of the

holiday preparation done,

look what's found it's way back out
and into my hands.

The Roseville Album Quilt

I still had one more corner block
cut out and ready to applique.

 This particular block doesn't have
a lot of layering of the pieces.

So I used the plastic overlay
and positioned everything

at one time,

and then basted them in position.

I'm hoping this will save me
time stopping and positioning the pieces
one after another.

Each of these blocks have been an
applique challenge with the shapes and
sizes of the pieces.
Maybe that's why I haven't worked on it
continuously.
There are times when I get
a little frustrated and tired of the slow process
of this particular project.

So as a reminder to myself
and maybe to you as well,
during the holiday season...

Enjoy each moment
that you are blessed with.

Until Next Time-

Simple verses Complicated

 This week I've been working on 

two things.

 First:

  Simple

 

(the cutest panel with an added polka dot 

fabric for the borders)

 Easy

 

(Machine quilting around the shapes)

Sweet

(Adorable animals in the "in colors")

Fun 

(The perfect backing fabric)

A baby quilt for a special 

little guy way up in Montana.

***

Second:
 Complicated

(Adding beads to the never ending Halloween quilt)

 Time Consuming

 

(Adding more beads to the never ending Halloween project)

Whimsical

 

 (Using untypical colored beads for the......project!)

But Still Fun

especially because 

the never ending Halloween quilt is finally finished!

I guess I can move on to the next holiday.

Finally!

Until Next time-

"Joy"

When do you feel the most creative?

Sometimes it's when I'm alone and

then other times, it's when I'm

surrounded by creative people.

I look forward each day to reading

the blogs that I follow. 

These bloggers are very motivating

and I'm always inspired by the work that they share on line.

I have also been blessed with some

close friends, both in mind set and proximity,

who are very creative.

They can easily energize me,

charge me up,

and make me step off into a new direction.

This weekend I was gifted a 

lovely handmade gift from one of my creative friends.

She does bring "joy" to my life.

Projects don't have to be complicated

to be creative,

just an interesting way of seeing things.

 

 And what's not to love about this sweet pillow,

especially with all that lovely French General fabrics.

And thank you, to all the bloggers that 

share ideas and their creative process,

you continue to enrich my life and

bring me "joy".

 Until Next Time-

In and Out, Start and Finish

With Thanksgiving over,
it was time to take some things out
of the picture

"Turkey Jack"

and bring some other things in.

 With such a short time between holidays,
there's not much time to waste.

***

Some of the quilts I started recently

are now Finished!

A new flannel quilt

for a big boy bed.

Pretty simple, with
preprinted snowman fabric.

I only wanted to machine quilted between the snowmen.
But the design didn't have straight lines to

follow so I used a serpentine stitch and
aimed for the middle.

A perfect quilt for a little guy to
snuggle under.

The other quilt I had started was 

another simple pattern using 

 blue plaid half square triangles set

together with the Robert Kaufman's

Essex Yarn Dyed fabric that is

55% linen.

Quick and easy.

I machine quilted between the plaids 

and solid, but decided it needs something more
to make it my own.

I pulled out some perle cotton and 

did big stitches to 

define the asymmetrical diagonal pattern even more.

Some 1 1/4 wide blue painters tape was

just the right width.

I threaded two needles 

to work both sides of the tape at the same time and 

easily stitched perfectly straight lines.

Another finish

This is feeling pretty good.

Until Next Time-

An Awesome Surprise

 Last night I finally had the 

opportunity to attend my local quilting guild meeting,

The League of Northern Colorado Quilters.

Everyone was feeling festive

with Christmas quilts on display

and wonderful food for a holiday potluck.

Local guilds are important groups to support.

They help to bind the quilting community together

and spread the love and joy of quilt making to others.

 They give the opportunity for us to see and 

learn new techniques, that we might not otherwise

be exposed to.

Last night LNCQ had their first raffle 

quilt drawing.

And believe it or not,

 my name was drawn!

 

 "Ocean Paradise"

What a wonderful holiday surprise,

made by many of my long time friends 

from the guild. 

 This batik queen size quilt is a 

delightful mixture of shades of blue and green,

truly feeling like a topical paradise.

But wait...

this tropical quilt will

 soon be covered with snow.

The snow clouds are starting to roll over

the foothills bringing a major snow

storm my way today.

Thanks again to my many friends

who with skilled hands made this quilt.

I'm honored to have it.

Until Next Time-