Picking Up Strips

So remember how I went to the fabric store a couple days ago?  Well, the package I was waiting for shipped that day finally.  The tracking said it would be delivered today via US Mail.  I took a chance and went to our little Post Office this morning and asked if I could have it early instead of waiting for my mail which doesn't come until 2 or later.  They gave me the package so now I don't have to cut into the yardage!  Whee!

Time Marches On

That was one of my great grandpa's sayings.  Time marches on.  The older I get, the more true that becomes.  Another year gone.  There were good things that happened this year, and I supposed if I sat down and tallied them up, they may outnumber the bad, for which I am thankful.  However, there were some whoppers that were not so good, and for that reason, I'm breathing a big sigh of relief and saying bye to 2015. 

I pray everyone has a safe and happy new year and that 2016 brings many more good than bad times for all of us.

Ever Hopeful

Once in a while I will make salmon patties.  Not too often, because I'm the only one who likes them around here right now.  Except for the cat.  Shadow is patiently waiting, thinking that I will drop some for her.  Poor, delusional, cat...  hahaha

Stack Of Fun

I received a stack of fat quarters for Christmas and I just can't wait to play with them!  So many patterns, so little time...

Quick Trip To The Fabric Shop

Today I went to a quilt shop and picked up some Kona White Cotton.  I really needed a jelly roll of it for an upcoming mystery, however, the one that I ordered online hasn't even been shipped, so the yardage will work just fine.  A few more cuts with the rotary cutter, that's all.  The mystery is in two days, so I have to get busy cutting!

Food Day

Had the kids over today for dinner.  Great time!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone!  I hope all of you have a beautiful and blessed holiday.

Some Time Off

I'm going to have eleven days in a row off of work, starting this afternoon!  I am very ready for it, too.  Until we have had all of our family Christmas celebrations, I probably won't get up in the sewing room much.  I do intend to do the mystery on New Year's Eve with one of my online Yahoo Groups.

Most of my grocery shopping is done, but I still need to pick up a few things this afternoon.  Hopefully I will not have to leave the house again for a few days!  Doubt it works out that way, but one can always hope...

The tradition of watching A Christmas Story over and over will begin tomorrow.  We love that movie.  I think we could all recite the entire dialogue from memory.  That movie and The Princess Bride are our families own little cult classics.  haha.

Why Can't I Count?

Last night I must have been gung ho to get get those goodie bags made because instead of making the five that I needed, I made six!

I have all the presents wrapped and ready to go under the tree.  I dropped off presents at my dad's last night for when we go over there Friday.  I can't put my presents under our tree yet because of Addy, but they are ready for Christmas!

Tomorrow I plan to do my food shopping for our family dinner on Saturday.

It Starts...

The Christmas Holidays have begun!  This weekend we went to visit my mom and family up north.

We had a very nice visit.  I even got to see Mary for a while, which was great.  We are planning our January retreat - hey, a gal's got to have things to look forward to, you know!  haha.

The food was fantastic.  Mom just outdid herself this year.  She wasn't even feeling very well, so we appreciated everything all that much more.

Johnathon and Hope got along real well and kept each other entertained.  I think the pair of nerf guns one of them got as a present helped in that department.

And he loved his quilt!  It just warmed my heart when he asked to sleep under it that night.

Close Ups

Here are a couple close up shots, front and back, of the quilting I did on Johnathon's quilt.  Each of the blocks had a larger square surrounded by smaller ones, so I did a back and forth scribble in the large square and did loops in each of the small squares around that bigger block.  I think the loops are really going to pop once it's washed.  The quilting went surprisingly fast.  He will be getting the quilt tomorrow, so I hope to have some good pics of him when he opens it.  I hope he likes it!

More Cookies

In addition to the cookies that were baked earlier this week, I also have some no bake haystack cookies (a.k.a. reindeer poo...hahaha) made and some pretzel sticks dipped in caramel and chocolate made.  Today I'm going to make a popcorn treat to give away.  Then I'm pretty much done making sweets until next week.

Tomorrow after work I need to make a couple meat loaves and homemade mac and cheese to take up to Ev's Mom's for dinner there.  I'll just get them to the point of going in the oven, then get up early Saturday morning and bake them so they will be hot when we get there.  I do need to go get some disposable foil pans yet.

I have yet to wrap a single gift.  That's on the agenda for tonight.

Oh, and last night I finished binding and labelling Johnathon's quilt!  Woohoo!  Pics to follow soon.

Baking Frenzy

Yesterday after work I had quite a productive evening in the kitchen.  I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies with the help of Johnathon.  Send a good sized container home with him, too.  Then baked a batch of oatmeal scotchies.  After that, I made a batch of those oyster cracker snacks with ranch dip mix and dill on them.

The cookies are mostly for the cookie exchange with Mary this weekend, but there were enough for us to enjoy, too.

Tonight I want to get the binding done on his quilt.  Will be glad to have that all finished.

Last But Not Least

The red nursing home quilt!  This one is quite an accomplishment in the quilting department, in my opinion.  I did a loopy feather design on the top, and when I turned it over, it gave the illusion of water and waves for the ladies swimming on the back side fabric!

Two More

Another two of the nursing home quilts.  The green one hardly looks like the same block because the background is not the same.  I did a large meander on the green for the quilting and the straight lines and boxes on the blue one.

Someone asked my stepmother, who was at the dinner when the quilts were to be distributed, why I did this every year.  Some of the recipients will have received more than one quilt over the years.  My answer to that question is this:  I think that receiving a quilt probably brings a smile to the faces of the recipient.  That's why I do it - to make people happy.  Being in a nursing home is probably a pretty dreary thing, and any kind of bright spot is most likely appreciated.  The quilts they received in previous years were probably washed quite a bit and that will have taken it's toll on the fabrics, for sure.  So, that's why I do it.  And maybe, after the fact that I have done this for several years, some of them are expecting a quilt, and I would hate to disappoint them!

Two for One

Here are two of the fnished quilts for the nursing home.  I liked the quilting patterns I used on these two a lot.  The clamshells were quick and easy once the grid was chalked on the top.  The straight lines and boxes were very easy and forgiving.  There weren't really any rules.  I just went wherever I wanted and filled the space.

Happy Times

I know I posted a picture of us at the tree farm, but here's another one with Addy in the picture.  She absolutely loved going there with us.  Oh, the smells!  New things to see!  It was a good day.

The weather was unseasonably warm for December.  It was around 60 deg.  Really not condusive to the Christmas Spirit, but we were thankful not to have to brave the cold and ice and snow while tromping around looking for a tree!

Stack of Five

Here's my stack of five quilts for the nursing home residents from our church!  They were finished Thursday night and delivered to the recipients today.  I will show some individual pictures on the blog throughout the upcoming week.  Having some issues uploading photos today for some reason!

Getting the Top Finished

The top for Johnathon's quilt is finished, finally, and loaded on Gemma.  I have a couple designs in my head on how to quilt it, but haven't completely decided which one to do.  I need to get started very soon, because this quilt has to be ready by Friday night!  I would also like to make a couple matching pillowcases for him.

Tree Time

Yesterday we went to the local tree farm and cut down our Christmas Tree.  Nick and Ev did the cutting, while Addy and I supervised! 

Good thing we cut it yesterday because it has been raining all day today!

Power Binding

Two more nursing home quilts got bound last night.  Yes, I'm using the same binding material for all five.  I have it, it's working nicely, and I'm in a hurry!  This makes three completely done.  I have two more to put binding on.  Plan to work on that tonight.

This morning before work I went upstairs to get something and when I passed the sewing machine it called to me...  I had to sit down and sew a few of the binding strips together!  This way I am totally ready to go when I get home.

Have to figure out a quick meal for tonight.  Maybe quesadilla's?  I have left over beef roast I could shred and put in them.  Not sure yet what I'll do.  Going to have lunch with Johanna.  We are getting pizza.

What Background

Not the best picture to see the material, but you get the idea.  I'm going to make a baby quilt with these strips.  They are different colored dots on a white background.  They will be used in a mystery on New Year's Eve.  I need another set of strips for a background.  I'm thinking of using a plain white, but then the craziness in me comes out and says what about using all different colored solids...

This is probably the one time I won't listed to that voice.  I'm leaning heavily towards going with the white.

Yeah, I had Ev go up and take that picture for me since I needed to see the colors for matching up other fabrics.  Bad thing is, this means he knows how much I spent on them because the price tags were on them still...  Oh well...  :)

One Down, Four To Go

Last stitch is in place for this nursing home quilt!  Got right down to it last night when I got home from work.  Took about an hour.  So I'm hoping to do the same thing tonight, maybe even more.  We shall see....

Made a big pot of lentil soup and a pan of cornbread last night.  Ev had a union meeting and they were serving pizza at it, so I didn't need to cook for him.  I made the soup for Nick and I.  Going to take him some on my way home from work.  He should like that.

As much as I have to do yet, I'm actually enjoying the season.  Everything will get done, and if it doesn't, well, it doesn't.

Sleepy Head

She can be such a sweet pup!  She was laying on the pillows this morning, between Ev and I, just snoozing away.  When she is like this, I really love this dog.  There are times she gets a little too hyper for me.  But then she settles down pretty quickly and all is good.

Quilting Done

Here is the fifth nursing home quilt just as it came off Gemma.  All of them are quilted and ready for binding.  They average 60" square, so binding will probably take about an hour on each of them.  Shouldn't be a problem.  Last night I went straight downstairs and finished this one up.  Tonight I am going to make soup for supper, so once it gets cooking, I hope to go upstairs and do the binding on at least one.

Closer Every Day

Saturday and Sunday I had some time do do some quilting on Gemma.  I loaded the double back for the last two nursing home quilts and then the first top.  I finished it and loaded the second top.  It's about a quarter of the way quilted.

This was the bottom edge of the first top.  I just did straight lines and boxes on it.

The second top I am doing a large meander.

Then I will be in a binding frenzy!  haha

Double Back

The material on the bottom is going to be the backing for the last two nursing home tops, which are folded inside out above it.  This weekend I have to get them done.  Remember how I was going to have them all finished early this year?  hahahahahahahahahaha

I just seem to be doing a lot of other things right now.  Crochetting hats has consumed me.  I know, as in the past, this crochet fever will dwindle, but while I have it, I'm making the most of it.  So far I have crochetted 10 hats in just a few weeks!  Granted, two were isty bitsy baby hats, but the others were large.  I'm making a lot of Christmas gifts.  Hope they are appreciated!

Mees-tair Squirrel...

That's how I'm saying it in my head, "Meeester Squirrel, I seeee you!"  This isn't the best photo, but that's our Halloween Pumpking (which I truly need to get off the porch now) and a squirrel chomping on it.  If I leave it for a few more days, those squirrels will get all the way to the center of the pumpkin and have a feast on the seeds.  I think I'll put it on the ground by one of the trees in our yard.  I took the picture from inside, so the screen on the window somewhat distorted things.

Not Ignoring The Blog

I seem to have been a bit lax in posting daily.  I'm not ignoring the blog, I just have had a lot of things going on.  With the holidays and other issues, it's been difficult to find time to post.  Going to try and do better, folks!

Tonight I would like to go straight up to the sewing room and finish putting together the backing for two nursing home quilts.  That is what I would LIKE to do.  We will see if that happens.  Dinner is just going to be rueben sandwiches, so they can be made fairly quickly, anytime.

I really do love the holidays, just not all the stress that comes with them.  Next year I am going to make a concentrated effort to buy gifts throughout the year to alleviate one stress factor.