The most Wonderful time of the year!

Ahh, yes- the time when I get to break out the Christmas trees and say hello to all my favorite ornaments! We don't do themes so much, but have a pretty ecclectic mix of ornaments. I will admit though, that I'm slowly collecting more and more of the Jim Shore ornaments, and I'm thinking they'd make a tree awfully pretty all on their own!

A few pics to share of just some of my favorite (ok, they're really all my faves, but I won't bore you with that many pics!):

(chubby Santa made his way home with me from a Chinese gift exchange in Germany... I believe he came from Poland! Quite the traveler :P )

I'll try and get more tree pics as they go up (the three small ones)... I love torturing hubby with the PINK tree!

Hmm, brain issues!

I did title that last post ' A FEW little things', and then only posted about one really!

Here are a few random other snapshots that I meant to put up- kiddo has been having tons of fun with Cub Scouts, and though I'm sure I'm not the best Den Mom ever, we're all working it out!

Now that hubby and kiddo are back from the store though, we're off to finish Fred Clause! Nothing like holiday movies :D

A few little things...

More fleece fun: This will get a dark brown binding (the thread is a brown varigated in different shades) and be FILs Christmas gift. It's a 2 yard piece of 60" fleece, trimmed down when finished, so a bit smaller than 60x72 finished. Hard to see, but it's 'quilted' with swirls all over for a textured effect.

Other than that, I'm in the process of laying out and assembling some past swap blocks for a quilt for a friend... lots of pinks, lots of fun! I may get brave and try out quilting feathery designs on this one...

Giving Thanks!

For many things... healthy, family, friends... and the fact that my turkey turned out great and I shouldn't be accidentally poisoning anyone! (side note: I never have poisoned anyone, however I have gotten a nasty case of food poisoning from turkey, so I think any Turkey day that goes by without that is a plus!)

Happy Thanksgiving, Blogland!!!

Almost done... ahhhh!

I have a binding to sew onto a fleece panel and I'll be DONE with Christmas! Feels sooo good to be so close.

This last gift (no pics yet) will be for my father-in-law. It's a 2 yd panel of grey fleece, quilted for texture. Even though I got the fleece pieces to practice on, I really like the sculptural effect it gives!

Playing around...

Some freehand on fleece:

I swear, I won't bore you anymore!

Not with this quilt anyways, because it's DONE! WOOHOO!

Will be packed up and shipped out to it's intended recipient by the end of the week, ahhh.

(the cat just can NOT resist a quit on the floor!)

Sewing goals for the week:

* Bind sister's lap quilt

* Make yellow/blue and Christmas tree blocks for swap, prepare for mailing

* Assemble lap quilt top for FIL's Christmas pressie

* Read up on and find vids for sewing pantograph patterns... maybe practice on FIL's quilt top!

Ok... looks like enough!

Officially on a ROLL!

All this sucker needs is binding!


And, it's finished- well, the quilting part at least!- 2 weeks before my self imposed mailing deadline.... ahhhh!



And what demands even more 'ahhhh'? The fact that I only have ONE more Christmas present to finish... another lap quilt!

I guess you could consider this 'on a roll'...

Especially considering the quilty slump I've been in the last few weeks.

Not ONLY did I get the backing done for the scrappy medallion, but I also loaded it... and started the first bit of quilting. Ahhh.... Sidenote: Nora the Nolting does not like prewound bobbins, no matter how many times I try them- on the bright side, Patty the Pfaff could care less! (yes- I name my sewing machines, it makes them nicer)

And, among the quilty goodness I even managed to finish a book, eat a few times, and do a bit (ok, a tiny bit!) of cleaning!

Yay!

I did it! I sewed! Unfortunately, this quilt is a bit wonky... too many triangles? too much crinkling and stuffing into the corner so I won't have to look at it? LOL In any case, it's a top now! Right at 5 feet square, which isn't huge, but my sister is wanting it for a lap quilt, so it's a decent size for that use.

Either way, I'm confident that a good pressing and the quilting process will work those kinks right out!

Back in the saddle!

Ok, I'm not yet... not as of today, but tomorrow is the day! I WILL SEW TOMORROW! Something... anything!

I have one lap quilt that needs ONE border in order to be a top and get loaded and quilted. I could go super simple, or I could go a little less simple. I have a few ideas in my head though, so the goal tomorrow is to get that border done and get that sucker loaded up on Nora's frame. (Nora is my purple FunQuilter- she and I get along well!)

I also have a few stacks of ooooold swap blocks that will be my last Christmas gift for the year. The FIL will be getting a lap quilt to keep in his truck when he's out on the road. I haven't decided yet which stack of blocks will be his, but maybe while I'm finishing up the other top tomorrow, I can figure that out as well.

But... TOMORROW I will quilt, or sew something quilt related- I promise myself!

Oh my...

I feel Christmas sneaking up on me!

The above lap quilt is done (and really not quite so wonky, but I was too lazy to de-wrinkle it before picture time). This is another of the Christmas presents done, and ready to be shipped with a few of the others- well, they'll be ready to ship once one more lap quilt is done!

I have 2 lap quilts left to finish, and I REALLY need to be working on those, but I have nooooo motivation... at all! I wander into my sewing room (hmm... maybe I should start calling it my 'studio') and look at everything, and leave without doing anything! Well, I'll take that back, I did just make a pincushion. I didn't need a pincushion. I didn't particularly desire a new pincushion. I don't even USE pincushions. But I had a glimpse of an idea... and some fabric... and time to waste... I'm not a huge fan of the way it turned out, but I like the shape (a fluffy box/mattress!) and I'm sure I could do it up pretty in other fabrics... Hmm... more thoughts taking shape, but probably not enough motivation to do anything about it!