Thank you for being a Friend

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!