Angela of Hand Dids this is a spoiler-Don't Read until next week!!

I just mailed out Angela's Ornament's today. I can't wait to show you what she sent me!! The ornaments are adorable and she does such good work. The little circles are peppermint scented sachets. LOVE IT!!

I have been working on her ornaments and I finished up the details today-like putting together the stocking. I had all components ready to go. I just have had a few hard weeks at work etc. So here is a pic of what I sent her. Hope Angela likes hers as much as I like what she sent me. I am getting so hooked on folk art and primatives!

I did some Black Friday shopping. I also went to the Quilt shop and bought 10 yards of fabric at 75% off. So my Christmas shopping is off to a good start. And now I am going to baste a quilt together.!!

Hey it's Thanksgiving!!

The house smells of wonderful roasting bird, the pie is done and now we wait. Hmmmm, I am getting hungry already and we won't be feasting until 1pm.
Hopefully, the dog will behave and not be obnoxious to any guests.

I recieved my "ornies" from Angela. She does amazing work. I love the gifts and hope mine can hold a candle to what her work is. Pictures will be tomorrow. I am putting the finishing touches on mine and rethinking part of the plan for the ornie today. I will have it out in the mail tomorrow.

I am WILD about 4 patch posies!!!

I have been sewing the posies this weekend. I love the "mindless" sewing once the yardage is divided. There are times when I really dislike piecing. It is not what I am best at. Of course, the more I do the better I get with practice. However, after a long and trying week at work I don't always need the stress of piecing. So with the relaxing and quick rewards of the posies, I am hooked and think many more projects of this type will be in my future.

I couldn't baste the top I have together because I need to buy some muslin to back it. I don't have alot of large pieces of fabric.

I worked on my "ornie" for an ornament exchange. I worked on the first photo over this weekend. Then I had to lay them all out on my dining room table aka the "design board" and see what they looked like. Now to decide how to put them together, maybe solid black blocks between.

Weekly accomplishments

I have been working on sewing a binding for my Christmas flannel quilt. I have been knitting a little. Not much to take a photo of.

Lots of snow today! I had to go to 2 meetings at our office Headquarters to at lunch I went to the grand opening of Joann's.I bought batting, you know what I will be doing tomorrow. I will be basting my calendar quilt. I really don't like basting but it is a must before my favorite part-- the quilting!

Four Patch posies

The question was asked yesterday about what the fabric looked like before it was cut up for the Four Patch posies. Here it is. The gold threads don't show up in the photo. I hope I have enough to make a border.... I think the store I bought it from may have more if needed. The posey blocks are almost magical how they take on such a diverse look and the original fabric is nearly unidentifiable. I definitely want to make more of this type of quilt. So many possibilities are out there waiting !


Today I sewed the binding on my Christmas flannel quilt. I want to complete my Wips and UFO list in 2009. I have a couple of tops that are completed that need to be basted and quilted. Perfect for the cold weather.

How was your weekend??

I have made a lot of quilting progress during the Quilt a thon this weekend. First thing I did, on Saturday, was the bottom three string blocks for the Heartstrings Charity quilts. I also added the binding to my Postage stamp basket table runner.

Then Sat Night I picked out fabrics for the Santa block. Today I started by working on the background pieces for the Santa block. I was surprised at how easily it went together!! I bonded the pieces and will applique the edges on my machine using a blanket stitch. I have a long way to go yet but it will be done before Christmas.

Then I picked up my four patch posies. I made the blocks pictured and I have 8 more and none of them are the same. I have so much fun with this block. It is mesmerizing to me. I am going to make a throw sized quilt.

I still did a lot of house work, I went to Church and shopping. AND we did get about 10 inches of snow. Check out snowman cam. The snowman cam is about 20 miles from my house but you get the gist of the weather.

Are you sewing this weekend? I am!

I am joining the at home sewing retreat or Quilt a thon this weekend with many others at Patchwork Times. This am I had chores around the house to do, go to the gym, and go to the local quilt shop for a piece of background fabric. My sewing had to wait a bit.

So far, I have sewn three Heartstrings blocks. I sewed the binding on my Postage stamp basket table runner and I am cutting out the pieces for the Santa applique I am starting next. The link below will take you to the pattern with a pic!
http://www.curtisboehringer.com/prod-product_view.cfm?StartRow=1&CategoryPTR=2&ProductID=463&NumberOfEntries=30

I will continue to do alot of sewing all winter but this weekend was a good pick. Opening day of Deer hunting for my husband. So far, he hasn't seen anything which means more sewing for me!!

I do have to get groceries this evening and church tomorrow morning. So I have some interruptions. I seem to do my best sewing the the afternoon and evenings anyway. It has started to snow this evening and that makes for better quilting!!

Thursday

Today was a regular day. I have been updating the blog checkout the signature below, a new item and I added some items in the side column.

Been knitting, back hurting from too much sewing and using the rotary cutter at the kitchen table, ouch the wrong height. Now I need to finish some items before I start anything new in the quilting department.

I am going to make more Heartstrings this weekend so I can mail them. Gotta bust this stash of little pieces.

I finished all of the Road to the White House Exchange blocks. There are three layout options as pictured above. I am exchanging about 20 of the blocks so there will be more variety in the fabrics. I like the option that makes the traditional X pattern in the light fabrics. I sewed three of the blocks today with minimal problems with the machine. I have it working the best it has ever worked now.

I am proud of the Middle School's Veterans Day program. I think about a thousand people were there. It was moving, educational, professional and very well done. Thanks to all Veteran's. DS did a great job with taps even though he was nervous.

I am knitting another tote during television viewing in the evening. I loved the Christmas music today. The snow is still here and I think that I am getting ideas for projects for Christmas. First is the ornament exchange. First attempt isn't working so I am going to the second plan.

I am going to have some of my apple pie, I hope it tastes as good as it looks.

Vicki

I have a sewing day planned for tomorrow

Yeah for our Veterans! We appreciate all of the sacrifice! Yeah for my employer who gives us the day off!! Yeah for a Day for sewing!!

DS has a school Veterans day program in the am I will attend because he is playing taps. I have some cleaning to do but not much the day is planned to be my day.

I need a fun day. I couldn't get my sewing machine to work yesterday so I didn't get much done. I think I fixed it... a little cleaning, 2 new needles, oil and taking the bobbin all apart and playing with the tension, new spool of thread.. and wa la... it was working.

I have been thinking about Christmas already. I bought a Holiday Cd from a fund raiser and I am going to listen to it tomorrow. We had 6 inches of snow this am but it is slowly melting. I went to Kohls with my Mom and saw lots of great holiday gifts and sales already. I am getting in the mood. I usually get bit by the bug early in fall and start projects and gifts but not this year. I have been just not into it this year and not inspired I guess. I think I will plan little projects tomorrow, I have time before Christmas.
Click on the link for a live view of snowman cam.http://www.snowmancam.com/news.htm



Vicki

Update on THE squirrel

If you look closely you can see the little black squirrel in my neighbors ancient lilac trees. All of the leaves have fallen and the squirrels are going crazy for the walnuts and acorns in the neighborhood. I see about 12 little squirrels of all colors -- black, red and gray. Yes there are times when you see calico ones too.

The little squirrel, aka the tree rat, that found it's way in the house yesterday was a 4 inch gray squirrel. We left the doors open and the dog kenneled and haven't seen or heard of him since. We even left out a paper plate with peanut butter and it was untouched. BTW, tree rats love captain crunch cereal. He was lured out from under the fridge with that. Good bye little fella, you are cute outside but aggrivating in my domain.

While I was doing the Sat weekly cleaning. I found evidence of where the squirrel came in. He came in through the crawl space under the bathroom followed the pipes to the vanity holding the sink. He chewed a hole in the rear corner and let himself in. Now to find where he came in under the foundation ..... Rats!!

I have sewed 2 RTWH blocks for the exchange and I am pondering how to start my applique Santa. I have not attempted something so large, intricate and with a pattern. I usually look at a pattern and then draft my own because so many patterns have errors in it.

It is a nice quiet weekend home and I am taking advantage of it. I am making meatloaf and apple crisp. Nice fall comfort foods.

Vicki

SQUIRREL ON THE LOOSE!!

AND.... IT .... IS ...... IN..... MY HOUSE!!!!!!!!

Wish me and the whole family luck in shooshing it outside. It was discovered this am, spotted again at noon and muddy footprints by the fridge and dog's bowl this evening. I feel like Carl the groundskeeper on Caddy shack.... "Come on little gopher....." No idea on how it got inside. GRRRR.

Vicki

Friday Nov 7

There really hasn't been anything new here. I did finish hand quiltng the Postage stamp table runner!! This is not a great example of the best piecing skills but I absolutely love the fabric. I decided this is a cute block but the pattern I used was terrible and the handles weren't easy to do.

I have been watching Quilt in a Day on RFD. Elenor has been doing victory quilts based on 1940's patterns. Wow, so many little pieces and she makes them look so easy. I want to try some of the blocks but they are intimidating with my elementary piecing skills. But as I tell my music students, practice makes perfect. Has anyone made any of these blocks? Are they as hard as I think?

I am going to start my Santa applique this weekend using the wonderful patterns I won from Dorothy. I hope my fears are settled over this project. Until I get my courage up on applique the Dear Jane, Civil War Diary quilt and Nearly Insane quilts I love will have to wait. Just google the names of the quilts and you will be dazzled by the workmanship of these antique quilts and quilt blocks without the use of computers and modern technology. Horray for the ingenuity of Women!!

Vicki

Signs, Signs everywhere there's signs....

Lots of signs in people's yard this year, I noticed before the election. However, they were not political signs. They were House For Sale signs. Going out of business signs. Signs very few for candidates or the props. I voted already, I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. Now we wait and see. I am hoping that the signs change soon. It is a uncertain world out there.

Weekends are way to short

...and weekdays too long. Went shopping and Christmas music is in full swing at all the stores. I am slowly thinking about it.


I went to the local quilt show. I was great! Saw quilts by people I know and was truly inspired. I forgot my camera so no photos. I did buy some powder stuff to use for applique instead of Wonder Under or stitch witchery. I will post photos when I use it. I hope it is worth the money I spent on it. It is called 007 Bonding Agent.





I sewed 2 more RTW block exchange blocks yesterday and worked on my table runner. Both goals on the those projects will be met soon. I have a applique Santa project that I will do next.


An aquantaince I met at the quilt show said "We should have a quilt in this show. We can do it." I thought why not? I think I am going to plan a show quilt for next year. My work is as good as many of the quilts there... I CAN DO IT!! Maybe...





Vicki