Ready for 2012

I get very excited each time the new year rolls around. It's a fresh start on making things better, getting organized, finishing those UFOs, etc. This feeling usually doesn't make it through the month of January, but I enjoy the days that are hopeful.

Yesterday, I finally caught up with my blog readings. (over 2500 posts) I didn't leave many comments, but Sunday is a new year!

I'm cutting fabrics to make some DNP quilts in 2012. That pattern is wonderful with novelty prints.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Buttons & More

This adorable, button bouquet was made by my talented cousin, Mary. I am the lucky recipient.

My talented friend, Helen, made this gorgeous towel for me.

And my talented sister, Connie, made this pretty poinsettia pin for me.

Christmas Gifts Done

No, that doesn't mean I have finished my shopping and wrapped all of the gifts. It does mean that Helen, Connie and I have each finished our Christmas Gifts tops. This is the pattern that LuAnn from Loose Threads so kindly wrote the directions for using a charm pack instead of the layer cake. We finished the blocks in Shipshewana and put the top together at our December 'Sleep At Home' retreat. Thanks again, LuAnn. We had lots of fun making these together.

Sunday

It's been a busy week-end. Friday started out with Clothesline Club and then Quilt Red's Christmas party. The theme for CC was yo-yos.

Friday evening was the Fantastic Friday Christmas Party. (more good food) At each table was a Christmas fat quarter, a charm and some candy. I finished the present quilt that LuAnn at Loose Threads kindly gave directions for on her blog here. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and an evening of sewing or knitting.

Have you seen those ruffled scarves? It's almost impossible around here to get the yarn to make them. Luckily, I secured a few skeins while in Shipshewana last month. (and I don't even knit)

Yesterday, I finished the applique for my snowmen noses. Now it's ready to baste and quilt.

And tonight was our Christmas Concert at church. Jim and I sang in the choir and Jim also played hand bells. IMNSHO, it was a very nice concert.

Can you believe there's only two weeks until Christmas? We don't even have our tree up! Anything baked has been taken somewhere, so no progress on that front either. I'd better get busy this week.

Quilter's Knot

Reading through a few of my blog links this morning and I came across Rebecca Silbaugh from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio. She shares how-to versions of the quilter's knot for both left and right handed quilters. There are other tutorials on her blog, also.

The little, felt ornaments are ready to hang on a tree. I really enjoyed making these.

Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle

Connie and I make the quilts ahead of the meeting time for our Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle. This paper-pieced one was fun to do. Here is Connie's on the left and mine on the right. Pinned to the bottom of each quilt top are our month 2 blocks for the Cotton Club BOTM. They finish at 5". I love the fabrics used for this project.

Following PWSC, Wilma's Woolies meets at the shop. We had a work session yesterday after show and tell. I brought an ornament pattern/kit that was purchased several years ago. Now, they are all ready to stitch and one is even finished.

November Bee Finishes

Jane finished a fun wall hanging that she had started in Amy Bradley's class last August. She stitched the edges differently from the pattern and quilted in swirls and curves behind the bathing beauties.

Connie finished a wonderful, winter table runner which fits perfectly on her display case.

and a cute, reversible Christmas tote bag with lots of pockets.

Mary finished a lovely Jo Morton quilt,

aprons for her daughter and granddaughter (which she had given away before Bee)

and a gorgeous wool table mat/centerpiece.

And I finished one of my oldest UFOs (almost 20 years old). It was a kit from my first trip to Paducah, bought at the Rotary from Judie Rothermel.

Stitcheries are done!

We don't have a fireplace or enough wall space to hang a banner. I think I will make two three block wall hangings and maybe a pillow with the last one. These designs were so much fun to do that I may stitch them again sometime. Thank you to Lesley at Sew Happy for the wonderful patterns.

The leftovers from Thanksgiving are almost gone now, although I am still hungry for pumpkin pie. Jim has a large kettle of soup in the works with the turkey we saved. I can't believe that December is just around the corner.

Shipshewana

I enjoyed another wonderful retreat with about 100 fellow Dear Jane quilters this past week-end in Shipshewana, Indiana. The time goes by too quickly. It's always a treat to see what others are working on and/or have finished. The show & tell this year was awesome and many Dear Jane quilts were shown. This link will take you to a slide show of my pics. There are a lot of heads in them, but I think you can get the idea.

I've Been Working on These Projects

It seems I'm also behind on showing the things I have been working on at home. These are the main projects. The first five blocks for the Cotton Club BOTM were a joy to sew. The colors are so much prettier than this photo. The Christmas banner stitcheries started out on time and then --- boom. Back on track, though. The remaining four are traced and ready to stitch. The next two quilts are from The Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle II Club. I'm working on the third quilt now which is a paper pieced square in a square, in a square, in a square, in a square, in a square.

While I have been working on these projects, one or more critters (skunks?) have been 'working' on our backyard. My husband set a live trap, but what if he catches one?

Three Of A Kind

Those who guessed 'Three Of A Kind' were correct. From the correct names, Connie was drawn. If you'll send me your mailing address, I'll get your treat in the mail. Thank you to those who played along.

Mary hosted our October bee. We have a year-long challenge to finish our UFOs. Besides the Halloween pumpkin from a previous post, I finished my 'Spinning Flowers' quilt. This was a shop sample that I made a couple of years ago. Jane showed a couple of tie purses she made at a recent retreat and Mary had two gorgeous wall hangings. Connie wasn't feeling well so had to miss this time.

Happy Halloween!

We enjoyed another Fantastic Friday Halloween Party at The Quilted Cottage. There was a wide variety of creative costumes and an awesome potluck. After some group singing with the Morbid Tabernacle Choir, we got down to some sewing.

The last photo is of Connie, Helen and me. If you correctly email me what you think we represent, I'll send a little treat to the name drawn from the correct guesses. You have until tomorrow night at midnight.

An Autumn Finish

Back in January, 2008, I made a pumpkin block at a Fantastic Friday night at The Quilted Cottage. It sat around until this post. Now almost four years from the beginning of this little project, I can report that it is a completed wall hanging! The timing of my finish corresponds to the upcoming holiday, too. I'm really happy with how it turned out and think it sat just long enough.

For some reason (maybe the soil) my morning glory blooms have been all purple in color instead of blue. The first year I planted them, there were blue flowers galore. Since then, only purple and a dramatic decrease in the amount of blooms. Imagine my surprise when I stepped outside yesterday and saw this.

I've been glued to the television or radio for every post season Tigers' ballgame. Each game is a roller coaster of ups and downs. The Tigers head back to Texas now and I'm hoping for two more wins. They've given us a tremendous year!

On to Texas!

Sewalong

Have you joined the SewHappy Christmas Sewalong? I stitched the first one last night and can't wait for the second pattern. They are only available for one week, so get your patterns even if you can't start them right away.

It's a beautiful fall day. The colors are changing and leaves are beginning to fall. I love this time of year.

Sweet Pickins & More

The retreat was wonderful, as always. It allowed me time to catch up on the Moda Sweet Pickin's Mystery. This pic shows step eight. Meeting is tonight.

The blocks from Redwork Seasons are now sashed and sewn together. This was a free BOTM from Paula Stoddard at Pacific Patchwork. The blocks were quick and fun to stitch. I'm not confident about the two blocks that are sashed with the darker fabric in the top and bottom rows. Should I change those? That paw on the pineapple block is Jasper 'helping' again.

LuAnn from Loose Threads made the Flurry quilt by Kate Spain in a smaller size using a charm pack instead of a layer cake. She was kind enough to post a tutorial with her cutting sizes, etc. Her version was a huge hit at the retreat. I wonder how many will bring one to the next show and tell.

Jasper and Annie pictures just because...

Clothesline Club and SAHR

These are the projects that were shown for Clothesline Club last Friday. We were given the patterns for the casserole carrier and the tissue cover. The quilt pattern is in the Precuts magazine. Tomorrow is the first day of the September "Sleep At Home Retreat" at The Quilted Cottage. I played around with the waste triangles from my Starstruck top today at Open Sew. I hope to add a row or two in length, add the HSTs and an outer border of blue. I think this top was started last September when Bonnie Hunter taught classes here.

Bow Tie Update

Here are my little bow tie blocks for August and the beginning of September. I'm using some of the smallest repro scraps I have saved and a gorgeous cheddar from Marcus Brothers called "Nineteenth Century Backgrounds" from the collection of Judie Rothermel. The blocks will finish at 3 inches - someday.

The temps have cooled here, but not the Detroit Tigers! They're on fire and I'm enjoying every moment of the final stretch.

Tomorrow is Clothesline Club and Quilt Red Group at The Quilted Cottage. Hopefully, I'll have pictures from show and tell to share.

36 Patch Blocks Reduced

AmandaJean's latest QAL was using 36 Patch blocks that measured 12" (finished). I am enjoying making these, but while sorting through some scraps I wondered how the block would look with smaller strips. If you cut six strips (3 light and 3 dark) at 1 1/2" x 10", you'll get a 6" (finished) 36 patch block. Since I love 'little', I think they're stinkin' cute!

I made an Abby Bag for a shop sample. It was fun sewing with these happy fabrics.