Monday, December 30, 2013

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-

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Friday, December 20, 2013

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,

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

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-

Friday, December 13, 2013

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-

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

"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-

Friday, December 6, 2013

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-

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

An Awesome Surprise

 Last night I finally had the 
opportunity to attend my local quilting guild meeting,

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-