Waiting for the new year

We had a quiet supper, and are getting ready to watch a movie to bring in the New Years.

I am trying to work on a few things, so that I will have a small finish on New Years Day before we start the movie.

I am actually already thinking of Christmas presents for the next year. Some are well started for certain people, so it should be doable. Is that a word?

I love the new year, I do make plans and notes and work on them. I love a fresh start.

Well off to work on a little project.

Transformer 3, not my choice for a movie, but it will be ok. It's just nice to have a quiet night.

cocktail pics

aren't these great? I bought these at a craft show, they are beautiful cocktail sticks. I have been making these for gifts. Actually, not a real fun craft. It's very hard to find the little picks, and its hard to find beads that will fit. I have bought whole strings aftermaking sure they will fit. Then, half of them on the string are actually too small. But they are beautiful. I need to make some for me. Yes, I have given all of them as gifts, so I need to make me some.

fairy garden

Have you heard about Fairy Gardens? You decorate little flower pots with whimsy and color. I had a ball doing these. I just need to order a fairy or two. I couldn't find one locally.

Can you see the tiny little bird bath. It actually has water in it.

another finish

Dani and I started this years ago. It took me an hour, then Dani an hour to finish it. 4 fluffs in the dryer, and beautiful. Why does it take us so long to finish things so close to the end.

another finish

This little cutie is for a Christmas gift. I started it Christmas eve last year, and finished it 3 days early. Yes, I always wait to the last minute. We always pick 2 families at work to help spread Christmas Cheer to. I did this hoping there would be a little boy, oh excitement, there was a 4 year old. This is how I wrapped it up to put it in the big box.

Any suggestions of an easy pattern for my next snuggler.

Napkin rings - another finish

Napkin rings for Christmas present. Happy the way they come out. I evidently forgot to take pics of the napkins and coasters.

New baby blanket

Here's a cute little bag Tiff gave me. I love red, can you tell. I get stuck in a the car every now and them, waiting for someone. I keep a book to read, now I have a fun little project to work on. I don't need it on a certain date, so I don't have to hurry, gotta love that. Love the soft color and feel.

A finish, finally

Here's a cute little snuggler I made, actually 2 of them. One is for a friend having a little boy. The other is for when we have a grandbaby. I am considering making a quilted one. Was very easy to make.

This is a cute little bag I won from greenbaglady.org. I love when I win goodies. I usually give them to someone who would love my win, hmmm, who should I give this to.

A block a day

I made this panel from the leftover overs of a queen sized quilt I made for our bed. I have very little fabric left from it. I think this is maybe 18 x 20. Not much left over since I pieced front and back. It was the first time I have ever done that. This one is also in a basket to bring to the store to get border fabrics. I like having a little map. I have bought fabric before, made the quilt, then found another piece of fabric, and realized I had wanted to do the quilt a whole different way. Have you ever done that.???

A block a day

Not really a block but this is a panel I made with scraps from Kathy I believe. I finished it up, ironed it. Then I made a little map of what I will do with it. I figured out how much fabric I need for each border. I even figured out how much fabric I need for the binding.

I have it in a basket to bring to the store when I am ready to finish it. I think I will have a quilt shop owner help me pick out colors. I would like to keep with this coloring, and its not really my colors. I do like to do this time to time so that all my quilts don't look the same.

I miss the convience of just picking up food. I get tired of having to cook everything we eat. But if I don't, well somehow I get gluten, and then get to live with mouth ulcer, throat pain, burning eyes, and a headache. And that's a mild reaction. So I just totally missed Christmas cookies. So I found gluten free Spritiz cookies. Well, they mixed nicely. The dough tasted great, not gritty at all. It came out of the little gun just perfect. So I even added sprinkles. Well, they got too flat. The taste was great. I plan on eating every one. They will not be thrown just because they are flat. I hesitate to add more flour, they might get dry.

Awwww, gluten free dessert. Don't you love my vintage glasses from Carehelp. I do wish I could find more of the skinny ones. I think they are old.

There was some breakage. But who cares, FINALLY, Christmas cookies that won't give me mouth ulcers and burning eyes.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, cheese crackers, I may roll them out one day, and make cute little squares, but these are fine, and quick. Kev and I fight over them. I eat three at a time. No more, no less. He walks around with the ziplock bag, eating them all. I chase him around, hollering these are not cheetos, 3 at a time. He laughs at me, and eats them all. Men!!!!!!!!!! I would make more, but evidently I have run out of cheese.

Well, I need to go plan my block of the day for tomorrow. Who is already getting ready for the new years. I am trying to start the new year more orginazed. I have always been fairly organized, but I did get a little messy with going back to work, remodeling, and having a large shower and wedding at my house. So I am slowly trying to get back to neatness. But I have Christmas projects in progress that need to be finished, so I have to finish those too.

I am cooking a brisket right now in the crockpot, the smell is making me hungry.

A block a day

This is a kids jelly roll. Aren't you proud of me, I finally ordered on line. I always have a problem paying postage. I am trying to get over that.. These colors helped. All cut out, and ready to go into the block a day goal.

A block a day

This is where the strip blocks live until they are a quilt top. Here's the work I did for today. I cut a whole jelly roll into block peices and a few scraps also. This should add some color to the blocks. I try to add at least 1 fun fabric to a block. That way if I want to use it in a babies quilt I can.

A block a day

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Making a small dent in the mess in my sewing room. Did I mention small.

A block a day

I see Peggy's fabric and some from Sherries, a couple from me. A trip down memory lane.

A block a day

A block a day

I have about 200 of these is different stages of progress. I use Kev's old hunting magazines for the base.

Block a day

I see more of Sherries fabric. I love this, her task is so different from mine, so it keeps my quilts from all looking alike.

Block a day

A lot of these are from friends scraps. I know some of these are Sherrie's. I always love her scraps, tons of straight strips.

A block a day

Well, doing my block a day is going well. With the way I sew, chain peicing, I know I won't actually finish one block a day. I have been know to have several quilts hooked to my machine chain peicing them all at the same time. I get bored working on one quilt.

So instead of working at actually finishing I peice a day, I just strive to sew on the number of blocks a day that equal the largest number of pieces of fabric my blocks have in them. One of my blocks have 14 pieces. So that means I have to cut out 14 pieces, or iron 14 blocks, or sew I strip onto 14 blocks, etc. I am not actually cutting the blocks down until I actually make the top. So they will be stored looking like this.

It is nice to be sewing again, but sheeze, how did I start so many little things and not finish them.

Getting back to sewing - A block a day - Ready for the new year

As most of you know, we bought a large fixer upper house, then shortly afterwards, I went back to work after 10 years of staying home. I spent a good bit of that time sewing quilts for babies and charities. I also kept a supply of lap quilts to give to families who had lost a loved one. I miss not sewing, and Kevin misses not having quilts to give to friends.

I still don't have a place to lay out quilts for backing, but I am determined to sew anyway.

My plan is to sew a block a day all year, and by the end of 2012, hopefully the house will be closer to finished, and I can devote more time to sewing. And I will have a large box of finished blocks ready to go.

One year, I cut and sewed blocks for months. Then I spent a whole month just piecing tops. I finished 54 tops, all lap size.

I don't plan on piecing 54 tops at the end of 2012, but a few would be nice.

These are string blocks. I got some of my info for these from Bonnie Hunter, and also some techniques from friends I sew with. I do perfer doing them on foundation, then just throwing the strings together.

Doggie treats

A dear friends hubby is not feeling well at all. A few of us at work got together and cooked them thanksgiving dinner. I decided their precious little dog some treats. So the girls and I got together and cooked doggie treats for all of our friends with 4 legs. Well, you probably guessed it, I forgot to give her doggie some treats. Sigh.

We did have a great time making all these treats. There was plenty. Somehow I didn't get any pics of my helpers. Well we are all getting together to do this for Christmas gifts, so that should be fun.

Christmas

Kevin's mom gave us this beautiful jar. It shattered in our move here. Can you believe, 2 years later, I was still able to find another one. It is filled with Christmas nuts and berries.

Christmas

This is an antique fruit bowl my sister gave me. It has always lived in a bathroom since I got it 20 years ago. I love this new look.

Christmas

I love decorating until I run out of decorations.

Christmas

This is a large music box. It has little lights, and moving mice. It is one of my favorites.

sturdy little plant

I keep wanting to change these huge glass doors. Now I guess this is proof we need to. A little plant was able to to grow through it.

Christmas

Hobby Lobby had new pics this year. I love sticking pics in ribbons, and putting them everywhere.

Christmas Touches

I love adding touches of color to decorations we already have.