while we were out...

this arrived.

A fat quarter bundle of Comma! from my friend Stephanie.

She also a couple of SUPER cute potholders with moda bakeshop printed on them.

gee they are too cute to even use.

Thanks Steph! love them.

okay I am off to work :)

the recipients {long post}

As many of you know, I have been preparing for my office staff party for a couple of months.

Well last Thursday was the night!

My awesome husband coordinated making all the appetizers while I was at work.

By making, I mean he cooked them in the oven.

I bought appetizers from Trader Joe's and Sam's Club.

Normally my husband would have made everything

 but with our work schedule it just wasn't possible this time.

We had an amazing night.

My staff seemed to enjoy everything, good food, good company and I had a clean house!

As it turns out, I had a terrible time choosing which quilt went to which person.

So I decided to have them draw a number and #1 chose first and so forth until #7.

They could steal from one another if they wanted.

"M" got the Heritage quilt.

"T" got the Fig Tree quilt and I was pleasantly surprised by her love of the green colors in it.

"C" got one of the Mama Said Sew quilts...

perfect since she's an OSU fan.

"L" chose the Blossom quilt, and for some reason, I didn't get a picture of the front.

Probably becasue she was gushing over the back!

Go figure.

"J" got the other Mama Said Sew quilt with is a new pattern I am working on.

She's also an OSU fan.

Sorry for the blur. "S" got the Nature's Chorus quilt

but quickly switched with "M" for the Heritage quilt.

It matches her living room better.

and last but certainly not least,

"B" got the Urban Couture quilt.

She loved it so much, I was afraid she'd attack anyone that tried to switch LOL!

There were a few other gifts besides the quilts, but the main show was the quilts.

Each of the staff participates in a secret santa and that was fun too..

I didn't get as many pictures of that part.

Their gift to me was several pieces of Vera Bradley in my 'color' Symphony in Hue.

Granted I may have hinted one day at the office that it was all on sale at 50% off online.

hey, I'm a bargin shopper ;)

Anyhow, today is a wintery blizzard outside

so my plans to drive up to J'Ellens House of Fabric for their $5 a yard sale was spoiled :(

but I am blogging, catching up on some emails, housework is done....

I might even go a sew a bit now.

talk to you later....

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

and yet another

I finished this one a couple of days ago too.

I used left over backing for the binding.

the quilting pattern is a meander with leaves

I'm really liking the simplicity of it.

I think there is just one or two left to show you.

As soon as I get pictures...

I will post.

In the mean time I am crazily getting ready for Christmas.

Yesterday my husband and I baked from 8 am til about 7 pm!

Five kinds of cookies and four types of chocolates plus toffee,

we had a great day.

I need to take some pictures before they are all gone.

more sunshine...

maybe even a little too much sunshine in the picture?

but I was trying to take different angles

I am a little late in posting.

Life things just got out of hand.

So this in yet another of the lovely jelly roll quilts.

Let's start with the back.

I didn't quite have enough of the blue print from this

fabric line I added the peach.

this quilt has such a springy feel to it.

The best part is the quilting.

This pattern is called 1930's flower.

I simply love it.

Almost don't want to give this quilt away.

*****

On a non-quilty note.

I just want to say that my heart is breaking for all affected by the incidence in Newport CT.

I'm trying to fathom how the parents' are coping.

 I. simply. can. not.

just praying.

it takes a sunny day.

{blossom by Urban Chicks for Moda, quilted by Natalia}

to get proper pictures of my finished quilts...

I made it.

All the Christmas gift quilts are bound (by machine).

And it feels good.

I'll show you another one tomorrow...

Jelly Roll Race Quilt Top #6

I think it's #6. I'm starting to forget what number I am on.

This fabric line is Harvest Home by Blackbird Designs from 2009.

I dug deep in my stash for this one.

I was trying to pick different fabric lines that would appeal to each of my staff members.

I am loving this one.

It will easily blend into living room decor and such.

So I am going to drop this one off tomorrow to my local quilter and pick one up.

Getting closer to being done each weekend!

How about you?

Have you got some Christmas gifts to be finished in the next 24 days?

Honey Honey -

I broke open my Honey Honey fat quarter bundle by Kate Spain.

It was extremely hard chosing which fabrics

I wanted in order to make a new quilt.

As I un-folded them, ironed them, and cut them...

It didn't get any easier!

I ended up starting 2 quilts.

Not. Even. Joking.

The first one is a version of Oh Baby Oh Baby.

I'm going to make it bigger.

A LOT

bigger.

So I cut some strips.

and sewed

and sub cut pieced strips.

and sewed until

I had these lovely patchwork panals.

These are just a few I'm not quite done sewing them together.

It might take me awhile now that I am back to my

regularly scheduled life

i.e. work, kids, dinner, laundry, doctor appointments....etc.

I'll keep you posted.

oh and for inquiring minds....

I still have one jelly roll race quilt to sew for Christmas.

I just couldn't stay focused after I opened Honey Honey.

Second Jelly Roll Race

yep I finished another Christmas jelly roll race.

I used Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater.

I was lucky enough to get some pictures yesterday while it was sunny

and semi warm.

Today it's freakin' cold and snowing!!

Ah Ohio...

anyway, I am putting up Christmas decorations today/tonight.

More sewing tomorrow I think.

If I get any sewing done..

I'll let you know.

Thanksgiving sewing...

I did a little more sewing today.

Between the turkey and side dish preparations that is.

It was sunny enough to take some pictures of my quilts outside too .

This is the finished Oh Baby Oh Baby quilt.

I am thinking of making a bigger quilt in another fabric line like Glamping or Honey Honey.

I have quite a few quilts to bind as you know so not sure

when I will start sewing that.

I have one more jelly roll race quilt top to sew.

I chose another line from about 3 years ago...

I think it is Heritage by Moda.

I hope to finish sewing it this weekend since time is ticking away for the Christmas quilts.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Have fun shopping if you are braving the crowds tomorrow (tonight).

I am going to one place.

A local shoe shop is having 20% off at 7am and I have a gift certificate from my birthday.

I see a new pair of Alegria's in my future.

I'm off to bed,

later.....

progress

or rather

"productive"

The first completed jelly roll race.

It's quilted....

it's bound.

It's lovely.

I sure hope the recipient likes it.

and
I hope they aren't reading my blog!

Happy Thanksgiving.

28 apparently...

yeah apparently I have 28 quilted items to bind.

28

I decided that I ought to take inventory of how many quilts I had to bind.

I realized that there were at least 10 I had put in my closet while I was focusing on my book quilts.

Then I sewed some more...

made pattern quilts...

and all the jelly roll quilts for Christmas gifts.

So yah....28

I still can't believe I have 28.
I decided I'd better get to making some more bindings
for these 28 quilts.

I made 5 on Sunday night.

I am pretty sure some of these will be all machine sewn.

I just can't imagine I will have time to hand stitch them all.

There will more time to sew them this weekend because

we cancelled our plans and decided

to stay home.

We need a REAL break without driving, flying or staying in hotels.

I believe this is a 'stay-cation'.

I'm going to try to make the best of it.