The lonely Snowglobe

I have vowed to get some sewing time in today!  So far, laundry and decorating the Christmas Tree has been taking up my time but the tree is nearly done.   I pulled out my Snowglobe kit which I had worked on a little while on vacation last fall — very little in fact since there’s only this one little lonely snowglobe finished.

It needs 8 more blocks before I can start setting them together but several more have the pieces all cut out and ready to go and they are pretty quick to hand applique so I hope to make some progress on those this afternoon.  I had hoped to have it finished and hung by Christmas.  I don’t see that happening but hope to get it finished and quilted while on vacation the end of the month so it can hang the rest of the winter season.

Each year I usually buy a couple of new ornaments to add to the collection for the tree — or sometimes more than a couple! 🙂  This year so far, only two cute little birds that clip on.  The clip on ornaments fill in those spots where a hanging one just won’t fit.  Here’s one of them – a little bluebird only about and inch and a half long.

So many ornaments bring back fond memories of past Christmases.  The most precious are the old ones.  I have about a half dozen  that were my Mother’s grandmothers.  More than a 100 years old now.  They are flaking paint, a little more each year, but the still sparkle on the tree.  Then there’s another group that my parents got when first married that I remember from our trees growing up – they’re now over 50 years old.  There was one disaster tho as I was unwrapping them.  A large – nearly 5″ in diameter pretty ball that when I went to pick it up, popped into pieces.  Luckily still in the tissue paper so there wasn’t a huge mess (or an cuts to my poor fingers) to clean up.  Just one more box of ornaments to go and I can get all the boxes off my couch and stored away again. 

Here’s another favorite, my star for the top of the tree.  All the ornaments are European glass style and sparkle and shine so nice against the white tree.

And clearly I’m drawn to pinecones and acorns since there’s no less than a dozen different ornaments that are one of the two styles.

Time to finish getting those ornaments on the tree and then to some sewing.

Denise

Stashbusting Report

Finally a little fabric useage to add to the stashbusting. 

2 yards used yesterday; 203 used YTD; 82 purchased; Net busted: 121 yards

Got my pinwheels all made for Christmas Charm and the charms squares are ready.  Clearly I’ve been away from quilting for too long since brain fade occurred and I cut the pinwheels smaller than my original intention.  But I can just resize the quilt layout to accomodate so they won’t got to waste.  So that means a little playing in EQ today to readjust the layout.  

Here’s the pinwheels – love that green dot fabric

So had to trim my charm pack down a little so they were the same size as the pinwheels but it’s all good.  Now to get the pinwheels and charm squares up on the design walls so I can get the charm squares moved around to where I want them.  It’s good to be sewing again.  I may actually have something up on the design wall tomorrow to show.  There hasn’t been anything new up there in ages.

Also got a second sock started to match one that’s already done and have the leg about half done so progress on both fronts.

Denise

Saturday Stuff

Ah – a weekend finally where I h ave no place to go and nothing I have to do.  It’s been weeks and weeks  it seems like since I had truly a free weekend.  So now my dilemma is what to do.  Sew, knit, clean (no, I think not on that cleaning).  It’s a very crisp morning outside – fall is definitely in the air.  So now that I’ve had several cups of coffee I think it’s time to get to get busy on something.

Last night I finished off  one of the socks I had been working on.  I have vowed not to let it linger too long before making it’s mate.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also finished off this bright pair that I had started on the ride home from the cabin.

Then went digging through the yarn baskets and forgot just how many single socks I had finished over the past months that were waiting for a mate.  It’s always so fun to see how new yarns knit up that I kept moving onto a different sock and never finishing the mates.  So found one where the first sock was done and just the toe was left on the second.  Finished that one off in no time.   

 

 

 

Here they are.

I like the shades of blues in this pair.

 

Pulled out another pair that just need the foot finsihed on the second sock and was about to complete that one when I remembered they are the “BAD” purple socks.  The ones where I had to keep restarting on the first sock becuase I kept messing up the design.  Then when I finally had it mastered, when I started the second sock I picked up the wrong needles — too big — so that sock is decided larger and has to be ripped back …hmmmm that’s why they were sitting in the basket.  They have gone back to the basket to sit a while longer since I don’t feel like dealing with them.   But pulled out another sock that needed it’s mate and started on that one.  There’s still two other lone socks in that basket that need their mate so if I concentrate on all the ones that need to be finished without starting new ones (a terrible temptation) I’ll have many of my Christmas gifts finished.  There’s also one lone mitten in there that I made at the cabin that needs it’s mate made two which is destined for a gift also so need to finish that off.

So now, enough dwaddling – time to get busy.  I’ve got Continous Chain pieces sitting on the table to stitch on but think I may start on the Christmas Charm design instead.  Don’t forget – I plan to have this pattern available for download for you at Thanksgiving and will post the yardage and cutting instructions ahead of time once I have them completed.

 

Denise

 

 

Mystery Quilt Progress

Finally today I’m making a little headway on The Quilting Post’s mystery quilt from yesterday -slow but steady and if I get off the computer it would go a lot faster. 🙂  But so far I’m up to clue 4.

Here’s a picture of the quilt I was struggling with yesterday. It was a mystery quilt on The Quilting Post from 2003, designed by TQP’s resident mystery guru, Ann Smith.  She always comes up with something fun for us to sew on twice a year.  I had the top in the stash and it’s only taken me five years to decide what kind of border I wanted to add.  Hopefully it won’t take another five for me to quilt it.  But then you would be very amazed if you knew how many tops are in the stash just waiting on me to quilt them. 🙂

2003 TQP Mystery quilt designed by Ann Smith w/delectable mountain borders added

And here’s a photo of another christmas quilt finished and waiting to be quilted along with a close up of the nutcracker fabric.  The full quilt phot just looks like a jumble of colors – and it is rather bright – but the nutcrackers are so fun.

  

nutcrackers close up

Now back to mystery quilt clues.

Happy New Year’s day!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas wishes to you all.  The creche above my parents gave me several years ago and I love it – all self contained – except for that camel in the back.  There’s an ongoing family joke about camels so the search is always on for a wierd looking one.  This one looks normal but at some point his poor legs were broken and reglued and she found it in a thrift store.  It’s amazing what people will sell and even more amazing what people (my crazy sister) 🙂 will buy!  He’s know as “limpy” and was the perfect size to fit in the stable. Here’s another camel, courtesy of my parents, which I just happened to have a Santa the perfect size to ride for the holidays.

It will be a quiet Christmas day here with the family spread far and wide across the country but if the weather holds will see my sister and family tomorrow.  Her appliqued towels are now all completed.

So just need to wrap those up.  Got my NYE mystery fabrics all cut and have some presewing instructions to do yet but I’ll be ready to go.

Christmas Decorating

The tree is up and decorated.  I love it.  Now it’s had to get a good picture between the flash and the lights on the tree.  But here it is in all its glory.

As you can see through the window next to it, it’s definitely going to be a white christmas outside too unless there’s a freak heatwave.  I’m not holding my breath on that since it’s in the single digits, below zero with wind chill, and it started snowing again a short while ago.

I love pulling out the christmas ornaments.  I have a group of them that hung on our tree at home when I was small, and three lone ones left that have been in the family for more than 100 years now.  Despites flaking paint and scratches, they still look lovely hanging on the tree.  One of those is my favorite, this old santa claus.

And this unusual christmas star.

And my favorites to buy now are pine cone designs.  Here’s just a few.

Okay enough ornaments for now.  I just love them all.  Time to wrap a few presents that need to get sent out in the mail.