Happy New Year!

I have spent the last 2 days just getting stuff more organized. I hate to make resolutions because I won't follow through. I am continuing to work on projects and life changes that I began in 2007...seems like a better plan for me. I am very tempted to join the Stash Reduction Challenge for 2008 though. Judy has a link system set up to check on others progress and keep motivated. Hanne has made a badge for it and again I am tempted. I have so much fabric, crafts, yarn and wool that I could go my life time and not buy much more. I am also tempted to join Kim's WIP challenge for january. I am going on a cruise though and so the next 2 weeks will be getting ready for that and then going and then coming home and getting into the routine again so...likely quilting a WIP is out of the question.
While in SC I made this little quilt top from the new Mary Englebreit fabrics for Moda....polka dots...hey Sharon...polka dots!
And this is the fabric of my new chair...I need to make a quilt pulling out some of these colors.

And for those who know me more personally this is my little one...figuring out that she can go 'up' now...oh boy yikes she's only 9 months!

Where has the time gone?

It's friday...I wanted to post wednesday but somehow with after Christmas shopping and feeling ill again, I just didn't do it. Yep, sick again, I've not been eating much.I have lots of pictures but I just don't feel like posting much ...
My friend Marilyn gave me a wonderful Christmas gift that she bought in Houston. It's a kit by Cotton and Chocolate yep I said cotton and chocolate...isn't that a cool name? I am sure many of you know their website but this was the first I had learned of it. So here's the kit she gave me...made with Moda Christmas Past fabric. I can't wait to start it.

Merry Christmas

Weeks back I mentioned wanting a Nativity scene because I didn't have one. Well my sister read my blog and was in cahoots with my mom. They bought me the Willow Tree Navitity set and the Creche. It's lovely and I hope that over the next couple of years I can add the rest of the pieces...like the wise men and angels.

I'm back sort of...

Truthfully, these last couple of days have had their ups and downs. Friday I was frantically trying to get all our things together for our trip. Somehow I managed although I was up from 4am to midnight! Saturday we spent 12 hours in the car..oh that can be tough. But we made it here. I worked on a few hand piecing things as you can see.
Above photo I am using paper piecing squares to make a pincushion with the new Mary Englebreit fabrics from Moda. I just love making them. I scored the fabric from the Fat Quarter shop....I love it. I also made out with some of the new Urban chicks line Swell. Yippee...I get to play with new fabric!
And some yo-yo's from susan branch fabrics.... not sure what they will end up on but I was just maiking them...applique flowers maybe?
And more finished pincushions....well the 4 on the right need buttons...I thought I had good colors but after auditioning I decided to change and look for more contrast. Something to shop for at A.C. Moore. Hmmm what will I do with all those pincushions? And another WIP, it's going to be a purse for my oldest DD. I hope to finish it while we are here.

A Sad Gingerbread house....

The title says it all... just look...this gingerbread house is a product of mom..that'd be me....mixing the frosting tooo runny. I use to be a cake decorator so this is really sad.....LOL...but my DD loved decorating it with me...we had fun scooping the dripping decorations up and eating them!

What I didn't get a picture of, was my cat on the counter licking the ginger bread house! YUCK!!! Needless to say..it's in the trash.

Now not all my baking went bad. This butter braid turned out perfect and tasted just as good. Whew.

Crocheted sweets...

I began crocheting when I was 12...my great grandmother taught me and a gal I worked with taught me how to read a pattern. I was a mad crocheter...until I went to dental school. All of a sudden I would get terrible pain in my hands from doing dentistry all day and then trying to crochet at night, oh and I was cake decorator then to. That's a lot of repetitive motion. I soon had to give up crochet and started quilting. Well not hand quilting. I could do with a machine and save my hands. Within the last 3 years I found knitting. A friend initially taught me. Interestingly, knitting does not hurt my hands the way crocheting does. I believe it is the way I hold my needles that keeps my wrists straight.

Anyhow, occasionally I regress to crocheting....especially when these types of patterns pop up....

Check out Norma's site if you are a crocheter...she has free patterns for almost all of her 'treats'

Quilt a Day #25

Nancy Halvorsen whom designs for her company Art to Heart created this wall hanging in 'In my Berry Patch' book...I just love Nancy's designs.... I have several of her books and buttons that coordinate.

It's monday

Another WIP....a snowman wallhanging.

I haven't gotten any sewing done this weekend as my MIL was using my machine. I am ok with that as she also folded a gazillion fat quarters that needed to be organized. AND she sewed the binding on another project of mine. I was so greatful. Work is insanely busy this week..of course it wasn't last week! It is nearly always like this.

So my MIL goes back to Florida tomorrow. I am sad to see her go as my girls really love her and I enjoy talking quilting with her, sharing my stash and generally goofing off.

I did ship 2 charm packs today to Dot and Cheryl. There are 2 0r 3 more to Australia I believe but I have to go into the post office to mail them so....could be friday before I get there.

Seeing the end in site...

We attended my office Christmas party thursday night. It was fun except I was ill. Can those 2 terms be in the same sentence? Anyhow, It was a whirlwind night. All the girls exchange gifts and the coil basket below was one of the gifts. It is hand made with fabric wrapped clothesline. I took a picture becuase I was so impressed with it.
Here's my dinner...I ate 2 bites....
Pic look blurry? well I left it that way as it summed up how I felt....just quesy. I may have even had a fever. But I hung out long enough to get my gift...A SERGER! I have wanted one of these since I was 17 in home-ec class. I can't wait to use it. So after all that I headed home to have a horrible nights rest. E was up 5 times in the night and then the alarm went off at 4:45am to be up in time to drive to the hospital 30 miles away! I was beat. E had her surgery on her ears and did fantastic of course. As parents you always worry when I child goes under anesthesia.
Today we ventured to see my accountant and to Kohl's. I was trying to find some clothes for our cruise in January. Ugh I hate 'looking' for things ....as I never find them when I want them.
It snowed a TON here today and weather is getting worse and worse. We are 'hunkered' down here until monday...could be then too!
Oh and as you probably guess, my illness is subsiding. Could have been the Z-pak??? I don't know. Unfortunately my Hubby is sick like I was. It never ends.
My MIL is here to help out for a few days. her and G the older daughter made holiday cookies and sweets. Yeah for my MIL...bring on the sweets!

Very under the weather

I haven't posted for a few days because I have been ill. Laryngitis started LAST thursday and progressed to sinus infection. I am taking meds but not getting much relief. I think it's because I am still working and not resting. Rest is for the dead, I think! Tomorrow my darling 9 month old gets tubes in her ears. Thank goodness as I hate to see her suffer from all her ear infections.

I had to finish my quilty humbug bags last night and my husband was good enough to take care of the girls so I could do that. I am having my office Christmas party tonight...(not sure I will make it in my condition) but I did get their gifts completed.

My mother in law made this scrappy quilt for my 9 month old...hand embroidered too. Just lovely.I hope to post more this weekend!

And the Winners are....yes I DID say winners...

Now hold on...there is only 1 Allspice charm pack and the winner is......Dot

But there were so many responses...and so my daughter picked 4 more winners for charms.....I have soooo many 1930's charms from projects. I have them pre-packed even. So.....Anita, Cheryl, LeAnne, and Pat!!!!!!!

I have emailed all of you and once I get your snail mail addies...I will mail them out to you. I hope to be able to have another giveaway soon. Christmas is coming so...I don't want to extend myself more than I already am. Speaking of Christmas....I took the handmade challenge and here's what I have been working on. The lucky recipients...may or may not like these as they are a FAR cry from diamond tennis bracelets....too bad LOL.

Saturday Sweets

These couldn't be easier as my husband bought frozen cookie dough for a fundraiser and so we plopped these in the oven while we 'cooked' up another treat....... We decided to make this from Carol's recipe... Santa's white Christmas treats...super easy with a 6 year old.

And the 6 year old was taking pictures...she does a great job!

Nope Quilt room tree

Ok Ok it's not quite done...still have the globes to put up but I couldn't wait to post it.



















A cupcake....





And a bit more cake...and a glimpse of a berry...

Um have you been to Kmart???

Ok I am not like a super Martha fan but I went to Kmart and found some of the cutest ornies EVER....Love birds.. Can you say Aqua, red, pink EEEKKKK!!!!! And look at the pincushion ornaments! Oh what's not to love....

Bows and such
And cup cakes too...all the rage these days.....
Oh oh I couldn't stop myself when I saw these...perhaps a kitchen tree?

It's Friday!!!!!!

Hmm well I missed posting yesterday because well...I am ill....chest, throat...laryngitis...it's not good. It hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. I shouldn't be posting now...but I napped today so I am not sleepy yet. Plus everyone else is asleep so that means uninterrupted computer time!!!!! Here are 3 of my quilts. Make up for yesterday. I need to get quilting as I am running out of quilts to show. I had made many many quilts that I sold and do not have pictures of.....dang it.
The kitty quilt here, I can't take full credit for. I made the applique cats but my MIL actually hand stitched them with perle cotton. She gave them back to me as she didn't want them...just wanted something to hand stitch. So I pulled out some 1 inch scrap strips and wound up with a cutesy doll sized quilt top.

My friend Marilyn gave me this panel. I sewed it up and hung it in our vacation home...right over an unsitely circuit breaker box.
I will be drawing for the Allspice tapestry charm pack on sunday so there is still time.

This was also kinda important...

But somehow with a crying baby I forgot to post about the GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!! I borrowed this pic from Fatquartershop because I am at work..shhh...no I'm not working at the moment (it's snowing like crazy and lots of cancellations so no work to do here).

Back to the giveaway...Please leave a comment here on my blog to enter for a charm pack of Allspice Tapestry by Fig Tree Quilts. You'll get another entry IF you post a link to my giveaway on your blog. I will draw a winner on Sunday evening December 9th. That's my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!!

Just Kinda important Stuff..

Here's quilt-a-day #18...I can't find the pattern to tell you who designed it...but I guarantee you wouldn't know the pattern by the picture....I chose kids/brights and the original pattern was civil war style. It is all hand appliqued btw, and the blocks are 8.5 X 9.5 inches so good sized blocks. For those of you that are interested in some WAY cool innovative quilt patterns, check out Thimbleblossoms blog and etsy shop to get the latest. Oh and did I mention she's having a giveway??? better get over to see Camille and comment for some free patterns!

Lil Bratz Knit Dress Pattern

Evening Dress for Lil Bratz

Size 2.25 mm needles

Small amount of Rainbow Gallery Fuzzy stuff yarn

Small amount of fingering weight coordinating yarn.

Starting with Fuzzy stuff:

Cast on 19 R1 Knit 19 stitches

Change to fingering weight yarn

R2 Purl 19

R3 knit 19, purl 19 even for additional 16 rows or 1.25 inches

next row: Knit 4, cast off 2, knit 7, cast off 2, knit 4

next row: Purl 4, cast on 2, purl 7, cast on 2, purl 4
next row: knit 19cast off 19 in purl row.
Whip stitch back of dress.Slips on, no snaps!! Add buttons or other embellishments as desired.
Copyright 2004 Vickie Eapen. For personal use ONLY. Do NOT distribute or sell this design without written permission.

Black friday...did I tell you I stayed home?

Well I did...I stayed away from the stores.....but online was a totally different story.... Sew Something Special had 25% off...their entire website...So I indulged in the Brand spankin' new Moda line Simplicity...I didn't find it in any other online shop...I think it was only at market...so I got a jelly roll. I know the pictures are dark but no sun light for a few days here and I just couldn't wait to show off my wares. The charm packs are a combo ALL from Hancock's of Paducah....free shipping over $50 order. 5 of the 6 packs were 50% off....yes that's right 50%...so $3.98 a pack, Funky Monkey's, Look and Learn, Aunt Grace, Allspice Tapestry and Pampered Pooch. I did pay full price for the Barefoot Roses as I wasn't finding it online many places. I adore the Barefoot line and even bought some green dot fabric coordinate. Some cutesy sofies...a newer book from Joann's and some nuetral fleece for animals. Lord knows I have enough fabric and yarn to clothe a million of these dolls.
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I bought this Harmony quilt kit in Vegas at Quiltique...then got home and wanted to make the king or queen version. So I have been on the hunt for more fabric. I found 3 of the 5 pieces I need...online one shop. I am still deciding on where I will buy the other 2. Silly Safari by Moda. I am going to make the cotton way pattern "baby" quilt for my nephew.
More stash building, here with Piece O'cake plaids and prints...

There are still soooo many pictures I want to share. Perhaps more tomorrow...and maybe a giveaway...I have A LOT of charm packs....