Kick off to the Christmas Season

I was sitting in the livingroom deciding what it was I was going to do tonight when the lightbulb over my head went off. For me I officially declared today the start of the Christmas Season. Christmas music will play, decorations will go up and of course Christmas sewing will be finished. So this Christmas and to celebrate the season I made myself a nice little cocktail. My idea of a nice drink is simple. First you have to start off with a really pretty glass. I have a couple of what I call special drink glasses. I only use them for drinks, not soda, never milk. In goes a few ice cubes. OK so I need to refill the ice cube trays because it's been so long since I wanted ice that it's all evaporated. I did have a tray in the freezer that is from Tupperware and it has a top on it so I still have some ice. Next in goes my spirts which in my case is whiskey. Not just any old whiskey it has to be Jack Daniels, black label. Next in goes some diet squirt, atleast 3 cherries on a stick and tonight I topped it all off with a slice of orange on the rim of the glass. How very festive it looks. So I sat in my livingroom and toasted the start of the holiday season. Now it's time to get off my butt, vacuum the living room and then start my sewing again. HAPPY HOLIDAYS ONE AND ALL.

I'm FREE, I'm FREE!!

Tonight I went to Jen and Mike and Holly's for dinner. Murphy came along and to my surprise Jen had made me a pair of fleece pants. They are so comfortable all I want now are more of them. I'd wear them to work if I could. Of course for any of you who are into Harry Potter now that she's given "Peony" an article of clothing I've been freed as a HouseElf. I'm going to keep the name though since I've grown to like it. I guess that every now and then Peony could still go to their house and do her magic.


I made a door hanging the other day and brought it along to put on the quilting frame. This is the first time that I've used her quilting frame. It takes a little getting used to but it sure was alot faster than if I would have basted the top and then machine quilted it on my machine. It didn't take long at all and once I got the rhythme down and slowed down it went well. At the end she put on some Christmas music so that I could keep time with the music. That really did help me. Now I can't wait to do another something on the Gracie.

Here's the door hanging once it's been quilted. I have a red and white candy cane fabric that I'm going to use for the binding. Once I get home I'll sit down and get the binding on and then it's ready for the inside of my door. My first Christmas decoration that I'm putting up.

My goal for the week is every night to make a list of atleast one thing that I want to accomplish in my apartment and then get it done as soon as I get home from work. Once I sit down lately I'm history. So for tonight I'm ahead because tomorrow is garbage day so I gathered up everything and it's already outside in the garage waiting for tomorrow morning. Let's wait and see how many days I really do what I want to do. By this weekend I want to be putting up my tree. Next up are a few more table runners. Stay tuned to see how much progress I make.

A long but productive weekend

Well our long holiday weekend is coming to a close. I already feel like a little kid who just doesn't want to go back to school tomorrow. I accomplished alot but still have more to go. I was able to get the binding on the first quilt that Jen quilted for me as a Christmas present. I just love it the quilting really does set it off and as soon as I can figure out putting pictures on my blog by myself I'll post a picture. I also finished a door hanging for Christmas and had it layered up and before I could pick it up off the floor the dog got sick on it. I was mad but couldn't yell at him. All I could do is try to wash it and hope for the best. So, in the wash went the top and the batting. Then I held my breath until it went into the dryer. Wow was I amazed when it came out of the dryer. The batting held together great, it was warm and natural and the top just needs to be pressed. Tomorrow night hopefully I'll layer it up and quilt it. The binding is already made and ready to go.

I didn't get the tree up or the house straightened up but I still feel good about my weekend. Now the press is on until it's Christmas. No more slacking and taking naps on the couch. There is serious sewing to be done.

I also went out and bought my Amarillus bulb and planted it today. For those of you who read Jen's blog you know about our family competition and she also posted a challenge to anyone out there who would like to join in. It's always fun. Now we just keep our fingers crossed and wait for the bulb to start growing. Mine is going to be pink.

Turkey, sewing and shopping

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a great day. Mine was a bit different but that's OK. So now what is everyone going to be doing for the rest of the weekend? I plan on doing Christmas sewing. I have a list in my head of the things that I want to do but I was just curious about what everyone else is going to be sewing. I think we all need to stick together so that this Christmas sewing gets done and doesn't become a panic situation.

I know that Jen and Jill are well on their way with their sewing. Now it's up to the rest of us. I need some quick and easy ideas for the ladies in the office so if anyone has any I'd appreciate them. I have my Mother figured out and of course I have a couple of ideas for my daughter then that leaves the dogs and that's always easy.

I have found to that I think I'm stuck on making table runners. It's like all of a sudden all I want to do is create them so I see lots in my future.

OK let's hear from the rest of you.

Thanksgiving Eve

In my family it was always a tradition to get together and do Thanksgiving Eve. The older grandkids would go to my parents house and spend the night so they would be there bright and early to help Grandpa with the stuffing and the turkey. This went on for many many years and the tradition died along with my Dad. Last night the tradition was started up again at my brother Bob's house. He now has two young granddaughters and it was time to start again. There weren't as many of us there but a good time was had by all.

We make what they refer to as "cannon balls". What they are is a potatoe dumpling about the size of a hard ball with a piece of dried toasted bread in the middle and then they are boiled until they are done. Let me just say that in my 55 years I have never eaten more than a bite of those things they just aren't for me. Last night I helped mix and make them and then I was in charge of the boiling of them. I did this while others worked on the stuffing which is what we refer to as a secret family recipe. In all we made 45 CANNON BALLS and a huge roasting pan full of stuffing. We all sat around the kitchen table reminissing and I actually ate a cannon ball. OK it doesn't have much taste to it. A little gravy would help it out alot. If I was to make those I'd be adding a little onion maybe a little garlic just something to give them flavor other than just potatoe. Alot of fun was had and we all went home with a dish of stuffing and of course a couple of cannon balls.
While we were in the house it snowed last night. Jen and I came out and of course I had to clean off the car for the first of many times for this winter. There's something about that first snow fall when that huge snow flake goes right in your ear that makes me remember why I hate snow.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of my quilting family. Is anyone going out to shopping tomorrow??????

9 vacation days, no shaving and sex

OK now that I have your attention what do all of you think that 9 days of vacation, not shaving and sex all have in common? OK a little back ground first. My daughter and son in law and I"m not naming them to protect the innocent but you all know who they are made a deal the other day. Each year they take the week of Thanksgiving off for vacation. One usually quilts and the other does whatever. The one that does whatever has a habit of not shaving during those 9 days. It drives the quilter crazy. So, this morning on our way to our BOM she tells me how she signed a contract with the non shaving non quilter. OK so she had my interest. She said she asked what it would take for the non quilter to shave every day during the vacation. It's not like he's a hunter because around here it's very common for hunters to grow beards during hunting time. So they draw up a contract where he'll shave every day during the vacation and she'll give him sex every day. OMG I can't believe she signed that. I just had to share it with all of you because the non quilter reads the quilters blog and didn't want it out on the blog. I don't think he reads mine so there I've told all of you. Let me know what you think.

Pillows for Christmas

Last weekend I finished these pillows during our retreat. This is the simpliest pattern and it only takes 5 fat quarters and about 20 minutes. Now that they are made I'll watch for pillow forms to put in them. Then you take a long doll needle and go right through the middle and pull it in. Sew a button on the front and they are done. Quick and easy gift idea. I just might make some for myself only using brighter fabrics.

Wall Hanging from Jen

This is the wallhanging that Jen gave us each at the retreat. Of course since I'm her Mom mine has a paperpieced center and strips inbetween the blocks. All I need to do now is put some borders around it and finish it off. I totally forgot to have everyone sign it as a rememberance.

Charm Pack Table Runner

As promised here is the table runner that I made during our quilting retreat last weekend. It wasn't hard to make just time consuming. Also the pattern had me using the entire charm pack plus 4 squares from another pack and in the end I didn't even use half of the squares made. Now I'll put together another one for someone else. I even got brave and machine quilted it.

Quilt Retreat 2007

Well as all of you know from reading Jen's blog quilt retreat 2007 was a huge success. I had a blast sewing with everyone. It always seems that if you don't sew at home where there are distractions you get so much more done.

I was the first to arrive at Jen's on Saturday morning and her and I waited until Michelle and her husband got there then off to breakfast we went. Once breakfast was over back to Jen's we went to start sewing. I had a successful day. I worked on a table runner and the prep work for it is what took the longest. In the end the actual putting the runner together took no time at all. I'll post pictures later because Jen has them all in her camera. Anyway the only problem I had was the pattern is off in what it tells you to make. I have tons of half square triangles left over. Now I'll have to figure out how to put them together to make another runner. Yesterday I machine quilted it and finished off with the binding. Then I finished off one more pillow that I was making and now once I buy two pillow forms both of my good friends Christmas presents are done. I had Jen drop off my machine tonight so that I can sew during the week. Then again next weekend we'll sew with my niece and my sister Kitty again.

So a HUGE thank you to Jen for having us all over and letting us sew with her. Tons of fun was had and lots more memories were made.

I have a huge mess

Tonight I decided that it was time to rearrange my livingroom. My couch normally sits in front of the living room window during the summer. Well now it's getting cold here and it's time to move furniture around. You see my heating vent is under the livingroom window and with the couch there my heat would be blocked. Ive moved things around, vacuumed and right now I have a bigger mess than when I started. Am I the only one who that happens to? Now of course I'm tired and it's time for bed but I can't stand to see my livingroom look like this. OK 20 more minutes and then I'm off to bed. Guess I'll start again tomorrow after work.

I did it

Last night Jen and I went to our local quilt store Patched Works and took a completer class. You could bring anything you wanted and they had people there to help you out. I've always had trouble joining my binding. It has always turned out lumpy and I don't like the looks of it. So last night I took along some project linus quilts that I had the binding partially spiewn on so I could learn the right way.

I now finally got it and I can't even tell where it is I joined the two pieces together. It was also costume night there. I went as a tomato pincushion. I took a red swet shirt and put on all kinds of safety pins all over it. Then I put some thread on some of them because I aways have needles on mine with thread on them. I had a red head band and I took a piece of solid green fabric and tied it around with a bow on the top and stuck some pins in that too. Jen was a runner for breast cancer and her theme was runs with scissors. She was adorable. The shop owner Julie had the best costume of all. She made a sock monkey suit. It was fantastic. I'm just sorry I forgot to take my camera. I think Jen took pictures so I hope she posts some. Julie's Mom was the queen of pillowcases. She took Moda fabric and made herself a giant pillowcase. Now atleast I have a great idea for next year. Lots of fun was had and we got to pick a goodie bag for wearing a costume and I got 20% off of a purchase.