Great Giveaway

I am so excited to be a small part of Handmade Christmas Cheer by Pat Wys.  When Pat started writing this book, she knew that she wanted to include several wool projects and wanted me to supply the wool!!!  I couldn't believe it.  What an opportunity, I was soooooo excited.  I was even more excited  a few weeks ago to see a copy of the book.  Every project in the book is absolutely over the top.  If you are going to purchase a new Christmas book this year, this is definitely the one to buy.  I received a copy of the book from Pat's publisher, Martingale, to use in a giveaway.  So here goes.  To win a copy of Handmade Christmas Cheer and a bundle of 4 fat quarters, one each in red, green, blue and white.  Perfect for any Christmas project.  For an opportunity to win, go over to Pig in a Blanket Wools  and leave a comment about your favorite type of handwork, wool applique, applique, stitchery or something else. The winner will be announced on Sunday.  Good luck.

Crazy stocking

Crazy Stocking

I absolutely love all of the wool patterns over at Primitive Gatherings.  My new favorite one is the Crazy Christmas Stocking.  I got the pattern a couple of days ago and have already got all of the background pieces selected and wool for the appliques read to go.  My plan for tonight is to trace all of the applique designs and get started.  If all goes as planned you will see the beginnings tomorrow.  Everyone in my family already has cross-stitched stockings that I have made over the years, but I couldn't help myself and  just have to make this one.  You can never have too  many stockings!  Actually if I get it finished in time I am going to donate it to the Silent Auction that our school  has for Relay for Life.  I have a few weeks before the auction so maybe I can get it done.  Wish me luck.

Wool ready to be made into a stocking.

Beginning to look like Christmas

Remember the sled I bought a few weeks ago from an estate sale for 5.00?  I was so excited about this bargain, even though at the time I didn't know what I was going to do with it.  I decided to put it outside our front door and decorated it for Christmas.  Here it is before decorating.  You can see my purchases from Michael's:  greenery, ribbon, pinecones, and  red berries.  This is not exactly something I am extremely talented at, but after pricing some finished pieces that I liked at some stores I decided that I could make something (almost) as nice for a lot less money.  After several different tries getting it together and taking apart and putting it back together I finally came up with a design I liked.

Here is the finished product.  I am not the best bow maker in the world, but I think it works.  The entire thing sled and all cost a huge 18.00, can't beat that.  Now to finish decorating for Christmas.

One down, two more to go

I don't usually wait until the last minute to get things made, but this fall I have just been unable to "get it together".  I decided back in the summer to make three advent calendars for the little people in my family, thought it would make great Christmas presents!!  I did get started, bought fabric and decided on patterns, but that was about it.  Then a couple of weeks ago I realized I was running out of time and needed to get in gear.  I finally got busy. Two are like the one you see to the right, the other is completely different.  Got the background to Leisa to get quilted for the two stocking advent calendars.  Amazingly she got it back to me in just a couple of days.  Finished one of them today, good thing since it is heading to Mississippi with me tomorrow.  The other one like this is almost finished.  It along with the other one will go in the mail next Monday. 

Closeup of stockings. This was really easy to make, don't know why I waited so  long.

Christmas Vacation

I am so excited that we are out of school for Christmas vacation. I guess I should be politically correct and call it Winter Break, but to me it is Christmas vacation and that is what I am going to call it. Vacation got off to a great start on Friday night with Thimbles.  Unfortunately I was too exhausted from such a busy week at work to stay too late, I did get to see some great quilts.  Sarah is working on her version of Kitty's Baskets from Pat's book.  Her version looks dramatically different from Pat's neutral one. 

Teresa was getting in the spirit with her miniature Christmas hat.

Carmen's version of Scrappy Nines, another quilt from Pat's book.  She is doing her version in grape and neutrals.  I really like it.

Lynn a new member to our group totally wowed us with her log cabin quilt.  It is a gift for her mom.  It was absolutely beautiful.  She did a really different setting and it looked like stars.  If the front of the quilt wasn't enough, when we saw the letters on the back, several of us had tears in our eyes.  She and her brothers and sisters had written letters to their mother, and Lyn had embroidered them for the back. 

 One reason I didn't stay too late at Thimbles was I had a busy weekend  ahead of me.  We were doing Christmas with DH's family on Sunday and I had to do some major house cleaning on Saturday, plus start preparing the food. The menu was lamb, roasted green beans with potatoes, cranberry apple casserole, bread, fruit salad, and an assortment of cookies and candies for dessert.   Lamb is a big tradition in his family and not something that I am very comfortable cooking.  I wanted to get it in the marinade on Saturday, plus get as much of the food prepared as I could.  All in all I think everything turned out ok.  The lamb appeared to be a big hit, I didn't eat any of it, that is one meat that I just can't bring myself to eat.  After a late lunch it was present time.  Way to many presents but it was very nice.  DH racked up on the goodies.  I got several books that I had asked for plus to gift certificates to the quilt shop up in blue Ridge.  Can't wait to spend them!!

Joe's mom and niece opening presents.

It's beginning to look like Christmas

 It should start to look like Christmas, it took three days to get my  tree up and decorated.  I love real trees, but for the last few years I have caved into pressure for DH and gone the artificial way.  ( I have to admit they are easier to put up and deal with).  Here is DH putting an antique Santa ornament that belonged to his Grandfather on the tree.  Our tree has all and I do mean all kinds of ornaments.  Some are mine from when I was little and some are were DH's.  I also buy ornaments anytime we go on vacation, they last longer than T-shirts and you can always find Christmas ornaments.  It is fun to put them on the tree and remember where we go them. 

Here is the tree all decorated, except for the scene and goes under it.  That job belongs to DH. 



Some of my many pillows.  I have lots and lots of Christmas pillows, this one is my favorite, All Jolly Old Fat Men Welcome.   



Snowman peeps add a special touch to hot chocolate. 

Finally Sewing

After going back to work last week, I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend.  Of course this was after I got up at 7:00 on Saturday and started cleaning house.  It was overdue for some cleaning, fortunately it wasn't too bad and I was able to finish what needed to be done by lunch time.  One of my first sewing projects was to de-clutter my sewing room, I don't know why I let it get so cluttered when I'm not sewing, it becomes a dumbing ground for any sewing related item.  After de-cluttering I finished a pair of pants and a blouse that I had started a couple of weeks ago.  They were almost finished, just needed to hem the pants, and sew the one and only button on the blouse.  I really like the way they turned out.  Then I decided to put the binding on a quilt that I am giving to my great niece.  She is only two, but she gets so many toys and clothes that I decided this year I would make her a Christmas quilt, everyone needs their own Christmas quilt!!  I have two more Christmas quilts that I need to get quilted, actually one is at the quilter's now.  My two great nephews are also getting quilts.  Hopefully more sewing this week, now that I am adjusting to working again.

It's beginning to look a lot like.......

Christmas is my all time favorite holiday. I shop for Christmas year around, work on Christmas gifts year around and plan my decorations. I decorate every room in the house. I started decorating over the weekend, I don't have my tree yet, since we get a live tree, that will come next week. I did get out all of my nutcrackers, or the little wooden b*******, as my hubby calls them. I really think that he hates them, he has even had nightmares about them. He shouldn't dislike them so much since he started my nutcracker collection. The first Christmas we were dating, I found one that I liked and he bought it for me. That one was followed by a couple of others that same year.

The next year my relatives started buying them for me. I have all different sizes and kinds.

One of my favorites is the little one int he photo above, a friend of mine brought it to me from Germany. I actually have three from Germany that friends have brought me.

I also have out my Christmas Cactus, which always bloom at Thanksgiving. They were really pretty this year. I have lots more decorations, but in my mind, if I bring them out a little at a time, my husband won't get to upset. He says that he doesn't like Christmas, but I really think that he does, he just doesn't like shopping.

Yikes!!!

This afternoon I had to visit the dentist for my annual cleaning. We were chatting and right before he stuck his hands in my mouth he said, Oh, did you know there were only 50 more days until Christmas. It was a good thing they had already taken my blood pressure. I laid there and thought about all of the things I needed to get done before the big day. I guess I need to kick it up a notch and get busy.

How many days until Christmas???

This year has just flown by, they seem to do that on a regular basis now. I never understood when my parents would talk about how quickly the year went by and that the older you got the faster it went. I now know what they were talking about. I love to make Christmas gifts and like to get a head start. I have two gifts to finish for this year. Yeah!!! I like to think ahead, so when I read about this Christmas Blog Hop on Melissa's blog I knew I had to check it out. Sounds like there are going to be some cute ideas. I can't wait to see them.

Christmas in July

I love Christmas, it is my favorite holiday. I make many of the presents that I give, so I usually start on them right after Christmas for the following Christmas. That way I am always thinking Christmas. I also shop year around, whenever someone mentions something that they would like to have I make a note of it, or if it is something basic that I am positive that they won't go out and buy, I buy it then. At this point I have about half of my Christmas shopping done. I even think Christmas when we go on vacation, where ever we go I buy a Christmas ornament to remind me of that place. I love it when shops (either real or online) have Christmas in July Sales, so I decided to have a Christmas in July give away. I found one of my favorite easy patterns, Picture Play and fabric to make it from and put a kit together. This is all from my stash. I actually had put it together to make myself and decided I didn't know when I would do it. It needs a good home. I am also adding a Country Threads Wall hanging pattern and a Quick and Cozy Flannel Quilts book. Just think you could have a Christmas quilt together by Christmas. Leave a comment and you will be entered once, become a follower of my blog - get two entries. The random number generator will determine the winner on Saturday, July 25. Good Luck.