Well I've finally convinced my friend Karen to start a blog! So feel free to step on over and have a fun visit - Of Quilts and Other Musings.
Just some odds and end pictures to share. The above quilt is for my nephew and Godson James. This is that infamous Oriental Fabric quilt I"ve told you about (and shown) before. It is finished!!!! Totally Finished! I'm mailing it tomorrow to him! He is so excited. My sister says he loves the pillow cases I sent earlier with the oriental fabric to go with it.
It is quilted with a Ginko Leaf pattern which is really fun since my dad used to have a Ginko tree in the yard and some of the fabric in the quilt has Ginko Leaves on it. So for me and my sister it is kind of a cool memory. Maybe she will tell James about Grandpa and his trees? Her kids and my last 3 don't remember Grandpa, unfortunately he died at the young age of 52 from a brain tumor. But he loved trees. We had so many unusual trees in our yard that all the high school kids would come to our house to collect leaves for that section of Biology.
The pillow sham was made by my very best internet friend in Australia! We have been emailing for over 6 years now! And we still hope to meet someday. We've talked on the phone and send gifts for our birthdays and Christmas. The first few years we sent gifts for the kids too, but as they got older it got harder! So now we just spoil each other! I got some awesome teal and lime green fabrics for my Leavz wall hanging. She got me some fabrics and the pattern last year for my bday, so I"ve been collecting the fabrics I need since it is a random controlled scrappy type of thing. And kind of stack and slash type thing.
Last but not least is my Christmas present from Mark. Of course on the 23rd he hands me the money and says "I couldn't figure out what you want, go to the jewelry store and buy a bracelet since you wanted one". I've only been asking for 3 years now and picked a ton and gave him the pics and stores, but on the 23rd like I'm going to find what I want right now! I did go but couldn't find anything I liked. So when I went shopping with the girls yesterday I found exactly what I was looking for and got it! I wanted a bit more than just a chain, but wanted something I could wear everyday and with any kind of outfit. This seemed to fit the bill and it is very shiny in the light. Hard to get a good picture of shiny metal, but you get the idea!
Oh and just for those game people out there... Emily got this farmer game for xmas. She wants to grow up to be a farmer and she loves the game of Monopoly. So I found this farmer game which is kind of similar to Monopoly - but a bit more involved. Well we've played twice, the second time for 2 days to the end and I'll tell you - I am NOT cut out to be a farmer! Not even in a board game! The girls creamed me!
The days after Christmas are some of my favorites. The decorations are still up but things are calmer and more cozy. I love spending the quiet days at home with the kids playing their new games and watching the new movies they got on dvd. Just being lazy with no where to go and nothing to do. I spent all day yesterday sewing (which has been forever since I've done it) and watching movies with Mark and the kids. I loved it!
Probably one of the most fun things this Christmas was having Chloe around. I think she got more gifts from Santa and the kids than anyone! Her FAVORITE toy came from Santa (Emily was Santa for her and spent her own money on the toys) and is 3 chipmonks in a tree trunk that squeek. She loves sqeeky toys, but chews her toys up to death. She goes nuts outside over squirrels, chipmonks and mice. So this was perfect. It was so much fun to hear her sqeeky around, and watching her dig the chipmonks out when we would put them in the tree! So far she has been good to the poor little chipmonks. Only 1/2 an ear on one is gone! Yup, she was one happy dog the last 2 days!
Since my life has been so hectic lately, I thought I would wish everyone Merry Christmas now in case I don't even touch a computer this weekend! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends (and pets)!
Well as promised (a bit ago) here is the block that was hiding from me! As you can see I finally found it and got it on the quilt and off to the quilter!!!! Someday I'll be able to show you the finsihed product!
Yup, this is going to be one of my least favorite Christmas' I think. I"m in a funk. I've been sick since Thanksgiving which of course I've now missed all the pre-xmas decorating, shopping and "stuff". Of course I've gotten better, but I'm just so tired and still not on my feet - say nothing of this rash now that is driving me crazy!
And santa isn't having any fun either. Our 4 kids all had one item that they each really wanted. Something expensive - so since they are older and are beyond toys, and the girls like to shop for clothes and stuff on their own now, we told them they could each get their 1 thing, but then that was all for xmas. And they were all things they needed earlier so they have them already! So now there is no santa fun! I think mom is having a harder time than they are about it!
Then my teenage son who "knows everything" and in general hates us all, refused to come home from college for Christmas. He wanted to stay at school and sit around and play video games and didn't want to deal with us. So I"m having my first "no child Christmas" blues, especially since it isn't that he can't come home - he just doesn't want to come home. It breaks my heart and I kept hoping he would, but Holly (my oldest he lives with at school in an apartment) couldn't get him to come. So I'm just a bit blue there.
Yes this is all leading somewhere! So anyway last night was my small sewing group. I was just kind of tired and bummed, but thought maybe a night of laughs would do me good. And I just knew they all had presents for each other - but I just didn't have time or the energy to do anything yet, so I kind of didn't want to go! Well I went and what would we all do without friends! I came home feeling a bit relaxed and having some good laughs, good food and lovely presents. I guess presents can always brighten a day! So eventually I'll get my presents for them made, and I'll survive the holiday - but for now...
Thank you for being a Friend!
The top picture is a bag my friend Nan made for each of us. It is made with strips of fabric and sewn this really fun funky way to make it twist. Of course we had to spend some time using scrap fabrics and having her show us how to do it! :) And then below that is what she had inside for each us! Talk about fun! Oh and there was some coffee in there also, but that is already out!
Then my good friend and "kid supporter" (she has grown sons so she is always there for a hug - been there, done that type of thing) gave us each a piece of this awesome hand dyed fabric from Alaska and these AWESOME jars! Her husband loves doing woodworking so she had him make these for us! He found and used an old branch in their backyard and took the bark off and finished it and then hand turned the jar and knob and made this little "jar" out of it - now is that now cool or what! I teased her what was even better was she got her husband to make her gifts! Like Mark would ever do that!
Barb gave us each these cute little VERY LITTLE pieced stars from Thailand. They are courtship baubles. On New Years the single girls twirl these around their finger and let them fly into the crowd of young men. The lucky young man who catches it may ask permission from her parents to "court" her. I think I have that right - I was so tired last night when I read it!
And last by not LEAST by any means was my small quilt from Julie! I've been drooling over this quilt since she made it! Unfortunately I was tired and couldn't get good light or a still hand to get a good picture for you. So it is stuck down here at the bottom. I promise I will take a better picture for you. Anyway, Julie has been practicing all kinds of fancy and small quilting on her machine. She has been making all these little quilts for practice. You should see them! And she has played with fabric types and different threads. Well this one is a dark true black with these cool curving lines on the outside and then a feather in the middle with the little pebble like circles around it and then micro-stippling around that in black. And the quilting is done in this gorgeous jewel toned varigated thread! I usually do not like varigated thread at all - but on here oh my gosh it is gorgeous! And then the bobbin thread is this gorgeous, gorgeous green - and you know how I like green! I teased Julie that I like the back as much as the front! So I promise I will get a better picture of this to share.
And tomorrow I will share picture of that dreaded hiding block!
Just a bit of eye candy. Boy was I sick! I am so happy to be feeling semi-human again! The above doll quilt I made this fall and started hand quilting it in October. I finally got it finished! And below is a closer shot and the back. I'm so happy with how it turned out!
I also made a couple purses for xmas gifts. I"m glad to get those done!
And last but not least is a picture of my little mug rug I got for a gift from my friend. Isn't it adorable!
Thats about all as being sick and now catching up hasn't left me with a lot of time to do too much! Just know I"m popping in quickly now and then to your blogs, but haven't taken the time to leave any comments.
Still not feeling very well, so I"ll leave it at this..... my 3 babies still at home and more snow day fun......
Yes we got the snow today. The girls were home from school and I worked from home, still sick - but doing just a bit better. Above is looking out out front door after Mark plowed out out driveway this afternoon. I wanted to get a prettier picture of the snow and house, but I wasn't feeling well enough to walk out and do that. At least this gives you an idea. I hear more snow is to come.
Last night I felt a tad better and found the perfect project to work on. I got my next installment of my house BOM, and so I sewed that together. Since this kit comes with all the pieces cut out to size all I have to do is sew! Now that was perfect since I really didn't want to cut and fuss! Here is months 1-5 together and a larger pic of month 5 I did last night.
So what do you do on a snowy day. Well this mini quilt was a long time in the thought process. First my friend Kathie made this small strippy repro quilt. I loved it, and thought - someday I need to make one like that.
Well then a few weeks ago when I went to Green Bay I found this awesome orange fabric in the repro section - my second thought - That is perfect for my small strippy! Bought it of course. Well today I just decided go for it. But instead of messing with a small one I decided to make a mini one for Lucy since she sent me her beautiful green one she made. Now mine did not take anywhere near the perfection of Lucy's, but it is darn cute! Now I have to make one for me!
