BowTie quilt is done!!!

I got this in the mail today and couldn't wait to get the binding on it to show it off. Don't ya just love a scrappy quilt? Tirane did a wonderful job on the quilting as usual. (thanks a bunch!)

So I lack two quilts for Christmas gifts now. One is at Tirane's being quilted and the other one is in the works see other post for today. I am behind but they will still enjoy them.

I have had and still have strep and a head cold. I was feeling better but tonight I am all used up. I think I might have over-did-it today with the shopping, baking, cleaning and sewing but it had to be done. Now off I go to watch some TV and wait for my company to come in .. they are due in any minute. They called this morning and told me they were coming and it is a lovely surprise.

thoughts and blessings ... so thankful for feeling better this morning so I could get what I have done. So thankful for a wonderful boss who allowed me ot stay home today. So blessed to have the large wonderful family that I do who are always a welcome in my home. Christmas Day is at my house! I love having people over.

until next time ...

last quilt for Christmas gift

Here is the last of the quilts I need to complete for Christmas gifts for my brothers and sisters. I need to enlarge it a bit - it is now just 44 inches square. I plan on adding to it to make it larger but have no clue how to do so. I am putting out a plea for input please.
Other news ... I feel so much better today. I am almost 100% and am so glad. My boss called and I don't have to work today so I plan on doing some extra cleaning today, to find a new stove (I know good time for it to go out -huh?) and sewing on this quilt. Tonight if I have my new stove we will bake some Christmas cookies and watching Christmas movies. The kids are still sleeping so I have gotten several things done already this morning. I like having this extra day off to catch up.
Update ... I got my new STOVE - I have been baking up a storm too ... one batch of sugar cookies are cooling waiting to be decorated, one batch of Hello Dollies are cooling, and one Chocolate birthday cake is in the frig waiting for little man's birthday tomorrow and he has no idea I made it. We finished up the the kids' dirty santa shopping. Got to get those wrapped up and under the tree. I didn't sew on the quilt above but I did get the binding done on the BowTie quilt I got in the mail today from Tirane! WOOHOO!!! I love it. Now to calm it down and watch some TV or a movie with the kiddos while we wait on our company to arrive.
{Thanks Babs for the input. Tirane also sent me ideas. I just haven't had the time to work on it and she is coming in tonight so I had to put it away so it will still be a surprise. I'll pull it out again after she leaves Christmas Eve.}
until next time ...

Scrappy String Quilt

Another one is complete!! I finished piecing the backing for this one before work this morning and it is in the mail to Tirane to be quilted! This is my scrappy string quilt made from 6.5 inch blocks pieced on a foundation block. I love it and hope one of my brothers and sisters will too as it will be a gift for one of them.

I have one more to piece and then three to bind by Christmas - ish. I am running late with these a bit I know but .... remember me saying I felt like I was getting sick ... well ... I did get sick. In fact me and the kiddos all had strep throat and they have gotten better faster than me. Mine seems to be hangin on for dear life. I am sick of being sick and taking all the medicine I have to to feel okay to work. I have just a couple days left at work before we are off for the Christmas holidays so I am trying not to miss work. I did miss last Friday though .. that was the major start of this stuff and the day we all went to the doctor. I am so looking forward to being off and having some down time and catch up time. I have lots I want to do while I am off and I need some rest.

I have some Christmas shopping done but nowhere near all of it done. I will finish the rest of that up and wrap the presents this weekend while the kiddos are with their dad. I haven't baked one thing which is not like me. Christmas is my holiday and I love it and look forward to it every year but this year I have not felt up to it. With lossing me dear friend and my mother in-law both in November and all the stuff with my ex and me being sick this last week I have not done much in the way of getting ready for Christmas. I haven't even called my family to plan the meal for Christmas day. I tell ya ... time gets away from ya quickly. So lots to do this weekend and lots to plan too. I think I need to start a reminder list to myself so I can remember what all I need to do and buy and who to call and such.
The kids had their Awana Christmas party last night at the skating rink and they had a blast. It was such fun for them. I failed to bring my camera so no pictures of that to share. I need to try and remember to bring my camera to outting like that more often. I miss so many photo ops!

Here are some of the kiddos attempts at the Christmas card picture ... the first one is how they are part of the time and the others are how they are the rest .. don't want to mislead anyone into thinking I have two little angels here ... I think all and all they turned out nicely and I got copies and put them in the Christmas cards that I finally mailed yesterday.

thoughts and blessing ... I am learning how to let it be and let it go and it is not easy to say the least. I am trying to learn to turn things over to God and let him handle my troubles and struggles. Haven't mastered either of these things yet but I am working on it.
I am so thankful that the kids are feeling so much better. With us all sick we were all cranky and life was not fun for us this week. I am so thankful that the temps are rising around here and it is not so cold ... means less gas to heat the house .. which saves me money. I am so blessed to have wonderful parents ... they are simple folks and have a giving heart even though they have less than most. My mother called me at work on Monday and told me to come and get a bag of pecans they had to share with me. I go over yesterday (as I have been sick and didn't want to give it to them) and there was a half of a brown grocery bag full of lovely pecans. Now to get them shelled and into the freezer for baking. YEAH!! Another money saver. I am so blessed to have my dear friends who listen to my struggles and offer their advice and never give up on me even when I want to give up on myself.

didn't mean to write so much ... guess I am making up for the days I was sick and not able to post.

until next time ....

BowTie Quilt is in the mail

today I have the blahs ... I feel bad like I am coming down with something. I can't get sick! I don't have the time to get sick. (have you seen that commerical where the lady is in the Drs office where she is told she has the flu and she looks through her date book and finally says that she doesn't have time for the flu right now - too funny)
I took some time last night and added those final small borders on the BowTie quilt and got it all packaged up to mail out to Tirane to be quilted. I still have two more to complete plus this one by Christmas. Better find more time to sew. I swear .... next year I am only working on my UFOs, BOBs and things I want to make for myself. (does that sound greedy of me?)
The strips and strings are still sitting on my sewing table waiting to be used up. That pile seems to be taunting me as I walk past it ... saying ... aren't ya gonna sit and sew awhile?? ;o) Hope to fit in some time tonight after church to sew with those. We will see though.
I am so thankful for my job, so many are being laid off, let go or places closing altogether around here it is really sad. I am so thankful for the rain that came last night, it cleaned the air and everything is so fresh again. I am so thankful that I have the funds to buy the kids a nice Christmas this year.
until next time ....

Christmas is coming

and I am no where near ready. It is just a day over two weeks and I have lots still to do and to buy. Where does the time go?? I have bought a few gifts over the last two weeks and have to wrap those. Little man's B-day is the 23rd so I need to buy and plan for that day too. So much to do ... so little to time.
Gonna have to start finding extra time to work on the quilty items each night. I have three quilts to complete - hope I can get them all done if not I am not going to worry about it they will just be late Christmas gifts. I will just have to prioritize in order to get what I can done with the time I have left. So .... that might mean no extra time cleaning the house .... sewing comes first right??
Here is it early December and we are having thunderstorms and temps in the 60s. Go figure! Last week it was in the teens at night and 40s for the highs. No wonder we have all had colds around here.
until next time ...

a Christmas Runner done ...

I made this Christmas table runner this morning. I had to complete this last project to complete an online swap and now I can really focus on getting the rest of those quilts done up for my brothers and sisters.

Only now I have to find a way to squeeze in another quilt that I was volunteered to make a couple years ago and I have been putting on the back burner. It is so not me and I am having a hard time working on it. I was to make a lap quilt and then they decided to enlarge it after talking to the person who is to receive the quilt and she wants a queen size. Now to figure out how to do this. I will post updates as I get this one further along. If you have suggestions please let me know. I have only nine of these 12 inch blocks made so far. Lots more work needed to complete this one.

Will add more here later on today ...

until next time ......

making progress ...

Wanted to start with a smaller project to try and get back into the groove of things. Here is a tablerunner made for a swap mate for a Secret Santa swap on a quilting site I am part of. She sent me the snowman FQ and I added the rest. I am beginning to think of myself as just a piecer and not a quilter. I didn't do a wonderful job with the simple quilting on this runner. I had a couple bunches in the back even though I pinned the fire outta it. I am still learning I guess.
I have some fabric left over and am thinking of making her a hot pad. Still thinking on it though ...



Here are a bunch of scrappy blocks I am going to assembled into my next scrappy top for one of my brothers and sisters for a Christmas present. I will update my progress as I can. I have collected these blocks from a couple of online swaps and several that I made myself. I like the idea behind using all these blocks - no two are alike. Should turn out neat. I am going to work on adding sashing and cornerstones to the blocks tonight. Might have this one ready to ship to Tirane on Monday??? I do hope so. Gonna try and piece another stash bustin scrappy backing for this one too.
I am so thankful for Fridays!! Not only is it the last work day it is the beginning of some much needed down time. I am so thankful for my nice warm house. It has been very chilly here this week and the weekend proves to be cool too. I am so thankful for the love I have had in my life. I know the best is yet to come but I wouldn't have my two kids without the last love of my life and they are my world. So for everything that happens to us in life there is a plus. I have got to work on remembering that. ;o)
until next time .....

It's Finished!!! Four Patch Ladder Quilt

I am happy to say over the weekend I got to finish the binding on my Four Patch Ladder quilt that a dear friend of mine quilted for me. She did a lovely job with the quilting. UPDATE!!! Now that I figured out how to add pictures .... here is the picture of it. Whatcha think??



This is one of the six quilts I need to complete by Christmas for gifts for my brothers and sisters. Shhhh .... don't tell 'em! I also was able to start some Christmas blocks for an online swap I am doing and need to get those done by the weekend. I'll work on them each day a bit and see what I can get done by the weekend.
I completed DS's room and have it all nice and neat for him - he loves it! Feels good to have it all done. I started decluttering my bedroom over the weekend and got alot done but am babystepping my way through it. I can see the difference I made though so in time it will be all neat and organized and I'll want to get that room painted and done up nicely for me to enjoy but that will be a ways down the road.
so goes on the life and times of a mother and scrap quilter ... until next time ...