2 more done!

I haven't been a complete slug this Holiday week. I have done exactly what I wanted to do: sleep late, spend time with my Hubby and quilt! We have also taken the dogs to run every afternoon. They love the snow and it is such fun to watch them play in it.

This is a wall quilt made from scraps. One inch strips pieced together, then crosscut and re-pieced. Looks tiny and impressive, but is quite easy!

The corners are my hand-dyed fabric. I FMQed feathers in the corners and meandered in the center.

This wall quilt is for my dining room. These fabrics were a set of batik fat quarters I bought with no project in mind. I did my half-square triangles. I love how the colors make it look like Kaffe fabric! 

I did really free-FMQ all over starting with ogees from top to bottom. I am so glad to have the time to complete these. I did no sewing last night but I may play a bit with fabric today. 


As we near the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, here are my wishes:


I wish for all children to be loved, fed and safe
I wish for all pets to be loved, fed and safe
I wish for comfort to all who are sick and who mourn
I hope for peace


I am so grateful to all of you who stop by, read my missives and view my pictures. 


Happy 2011 my dear blog-friends.

Post-Christmas Slugs

The title says it all. We have been laying-about, eating, napping, just being sluggish. And what a restorative activity! What else can we do with 8 inches of snow on the ground and extreme biting wind outside? Well, we have ventured out to run the dogs. They LOVE the snow!

Here's our house Christmas evening with the snow still falling.

And I thought our lights on the shrubs look very pretty with their mantle of white.

We have clowned around a bit, posing for the camera.

And like Sarge, we have rested, enjoying just being together.

Merry Christmas!

Today has been a rarity here in the South. We are actually having a "White Christmas"! Snow has been falling here since 10am and we have 2+ inches. 

view out our back door

My parents made it over for lunch.

 Sarge just loves my Dad!

But my MIL and my brother and SIL didn't make it. MIL stayed put due to the weather, and my SIL's father is fighting cancer so they opted to spend today with him (rightly so).

We enjoyed Christmas Eve with my hubby's family and accompanied MIL to church. It was a lovely, simple and moving service comprised of songs and scripture readings.

 Christmas Tree at New Hope Baptist Church

We are now winding down and relaxing in the warmth of our home. Time for a winter's nap. May your holiday be filled with love!

Pepper is tired of all the festivities.

 

So, how'd I do?

Here we are, December 23, and a lyric comes to mind: "So this is Christmas, and what have you done?"
For a long time, I did not find this song remotely festive. I found it accusing and not too inspirational in the way of more traditional holiday fare. But, as I have aged, and mellowed, I have gained understanding. And in the ways of genius, John Lennon was asking a question I need to answer each year. I actually look forward to hearing this song now, I feel it propels me to do more, accomplish more, not in any competitive way, but to pursue more for good. So, in the name of end-of-year lists, this is how I stacked up to the goals I set for myself in January:


1. Christmas quilts for my king-size bed and for our full-size guest bed (2 quilts)-DONE! But the full-size became a gift for my beloved MIL.
 
2. Finish the string quilt for our king-size bed. (1 quilt)-OOPS, not done yet!
 
3. Sew curves! Currently working on a quilt that incorporates them. (1 quilt)-Done, here it is!

4. Make one of these cute circle quilts using my scraps. (1 quilt)-Nope, not done.
 
5. Enter quilting shows. The only way I'm going to get better is to pursue some critique! I have 2 entries ready to mail tomorrow for the AQS show in Paducah. I know, I am reaching for the stars, but you never know... I also have forms for 2 other shows, but they do not have to be mailed until April.Yep, did it and got juried into both AQS shows I entered! Also created a month-long, 2 woman show with my Mom for local Arts Council!
 
6. Teach what I know. I am lined up to teach 2 free-motion classes (if enough people sign up!). It is scary, but I know I will have fun, meet new friends and continue to improve. Yep, and now lined up to teach beginning classes and a more advanced class, 1 class each month at my LQS. Lovin' it!
 
7. Compile and publish a quilt pattern. I love to do my own thing, but why not share? Nope, just would rather create them instead of documenting them.
 
8. If what I am making/sewing/quilting is not fun, I am not going to do it. This is supposed to be a fun hobby, not work! It also became my solace and therapy in a tumultuous year.
 
9. Find a quilting group/guild. I really need it! Well, didn't find a guild, but with our move I am closer to my LQS and able to participate in activities there. And LOVING IT!
 
10. Dye more fabric. I love the process and the colors I end up with inspire me to do more intuitive piecing, which makes me more creative. Oh yeah! Did more of this and looking forward to doing more!

11. In addition I designed and made a quilt that was raffled for the Stokes County Humane Society and I quilted a top that was raffled off for the Yadkin Valley United Fund. I love that this hobby that brings me such peace and joy can also bring funds to worthy organizations!


So, there it is for all to see: I am 7 for 10 in my quilting goals. And I feel pretty good about that!  As for numbers, this year I have completed these:


17 quilts, 5 tabletoppers, 5 wall quilts and quilted 2 tops for friends. 


I am working on my goals for 2011 and will post those later. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments, feedback and for reading my blog! And I wish the Merriest of Christmases and all the best the season has to offer for each of you. God Bless Us, everyone!

Sidewalk Funny

Saw out on the sidewalk Saturday afternoon:

Reconnected...and a big finish!

Whew, had to get a new modem! Done and installed, obviously!

And my big finish?

Why, my Christmas Quilt. My KING-SIZED Christmas quilt!

I am calling it "A Few of My Favorite Things". Anyone name the musical origin of this song?

The pattern is "Slide Show" by Atkinson Designs, love her patterns! The focus fabrics are from "Figgy Pudding" by Moda. I fell for this group last year and still love the retro colors. 

I quilted it in a loop-de-loop on my Mom's Gammill. Got this beauty done in 3 1/2 hours! Love how it looks on the bed.

AAK! Internet/Modem issues

Yes, I have things to post, but my modem is down. Just gives you something to look forward to as we near Christmas!

A completion or what I've been up to pt 3

Finished this table runner for hubby's gift exchange:

Used a Christmas-themed charm pack. I can't remember the name of it! Too many things going on!

Anyway, I just sewed 2.5" strips (first the white, then the red) to create the blocks.Creates a nice effect. Then free-motion with white polyester thread. I need to get my Christmas bed quilt completed! Hope to get back to it this week!

What I've been up to pt 2

I got my dye stuff out on Saturday to create some Christmas gifts. I had much fun! Forgot how much I enjoy this process. I dyed several hoodies, t-shirts and pillow cases. they make unique gifts for my family and they seem to like that!

 

What I've been up to pt 1

Too busy to blog. That's for sure! I am trying to use up vacation days, and that means I am cramming 5 days of work into 4. Plus helping others. Thankfully, our workloads have increased. Its a nice change after the past 2 years, but I am brain-dead when I get home and do not want to spend another minute in front of a computer. I'd rather be sewing. Which is what I have been doing.

 I just finished quilting a top made by a friend. It is a cute Christmas quilt. She is giving me the left-over fabric.

My quilting just gets better. Feels like I am watching someone else do it. Practice pays off!

WOW! Poinsettias!

Hubby took Sweet MIL and I to Mitchell's Nursery and Greenhouse in King, NC this past Sunday for their annual Poinsettia Open House. To say it was beautiful just doesn't do the experience justice. I never realized how many varieties there are of this beautiful plant. There were several different reds, whites, pinks, speckled, shaded and striped.

So lovely. Such a colorful way to spend a snowy Sunday!

A completion and some snow

I completed this table runner this week:

It is 38" by 18.5" made from "Hemming House" by Moda charm pack. I made this for my MIL's friend (my friend too!) Mary.

My FMQ is getting better. I am so much more comfortable doing it.

We received about 3" of snow yesterday. It was so pretty coming down. It is early for us to have this, we usually do not get snow until Jan/Feb/Mar. Got us in the Christmas spirit! Also made my pups happy:

They have had so much fun playing in it.

Still settling in

You know, unpacking, folding, searching and finding. Need to sew, but need to feather the nest a bit more. So, to get me the the holiday mood, a little eye candy:

I bought this for my sweet MIL and gave it to her for Thanksgiving. she loves pink and this poinsettia was definitely pink! Got a beautiful deep red one for my Mom.

We are beginning to feel at home. More space and less boxes. I like a lot of calm space and all this moving chaos and clutter has to be tackled before I can resume a normal (?) existence. Right now I would rather "make a home" than anything else. I know all this experience has been full of stress, and I am decompressing more and more each day. I can see a difference in myself. My eyes are not as puffy and swollen and my skin has more of a healthy color. 

I am just going to be patient, settle in and let my mojo recharge.