Merry Christmas!

Well, kiddies, it's Christmas! Frosty cold here...everything outside is coated w/white. So it's really nice to know that I don't have to leave the house to go anywhere today.

Our family does more of a Christmas Eve get-together. So I drove to my daughter's house. She fixed enchiladas and chicken tortilla soup and it was wonderful. Mike's brother Jimmy was there so it was a very nice family gathering. Then it was time for the presents!!!

My son-in-law loves his coffee, so Missy and I went together and got him a coffee basket - 3 different kinds of coffee, 5 different flavoring syrups, some different seasonings for blended coffee drinks, then I got him a French press. All of that should keep him 'wired' for a while.

Missy got me an electric blanket. Now - as a quilter - why would I need an electric blanket???? Well, I tell you...I turned it on last night - an hour or so before I went to bed - then turned it off when I got under the quilts. Everything was toasty! No warming the bed, no cold feet! Just cozy right off the bat and I think I was asleep in 2 minutes!

A very nice afternoon - as the aftermath will tell you...Scott liked the quilt I made for him. I still have to get Casey's done - and that's this weekend's project.

The kids have re-done their deck into an extra room off the kitchen and we had the celebration there. Wonderful cozy room. It's still not quite done, but I love the little cozy corner they had yesterday...The stove doesn't put out a whole bunch of heat but it sure adds atmosphere. Above the stove is a wall quilt I made a few years ago - made one for everyone in the family...

I asked every member of the family - both here and in SD - to trace their hands and send them to me. I then traced those onto fabric and layered and appliqued them into the tree shape. For each different family, I tried to include members from both sides of their family - to make it THEIR family tree. Then I loaded each one with tons of beads and sequins. I hope it's something they can pass on to their kids.

Well, I'm off to do a little New Year's organizing and the old year's quilting.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Been a while since I've been here...Christmas rush and crazy at work. You know how it goes. BUT I did find time for a weekend retreat at Dumas with fellow guild members.

If you've never been on a retreat - you are missing one of the finer things in life. Dumas Bay is a converted convent. The rooms are Spartan...a twin bed, a chair, a radio. Each room does have it's own toilet and sink - showers down the hall. But since the whole point of the retreat is to spend time sewing...the rooms don't matter much. And - come to think of it - the simple plain rooms are also to the point of the retreat. When you retire to your room, you have time to comtemplate WITHOUT distraction. I usually knit in the room and it's a great time for planning and putting my life in some form of mental order.

BUT - the high point of the retreat is the quilts. The December retreat is always fun as a lot of the people are working on Christmas gifts so it's a good start on the holiday spirit.

These are postcards that Alicia was working on. I got the top done for a quilt for my grandson...

I shared the pattern with everyone - as it was a free one from a quilt shop - all it requires is 5 yds. 1 yard of each fabric...how easy is that? Anyway - one of the 'girls' went home, pulled 5 yds out of her stash and proceded to finish this top...Laurel Birch fabric....

and a more sophisticated look of autumn like colors...I have some fall colors picked out for one for me and I can hardly wait to get started!

More later as I get more pictures ready.

ok - to start off this Thanksgiving Day, you'll have to forgive me for not writing for so long...It's been an uncommonly busy November...one of the first things I'm thankful for. I think I told you all that I got a job working in the same hospital as my daughter. That has been great...getting to see her on a regular basis and watching her work. I hope she knows how proud I am of her.

On the other hand - I was hired as 'back-up' to several positions, so that they could go on vacation and the major part of their work would be covered. So that means, that in the last 6 months, I've basically started 6 new jobs. A little stressful and majorly exhausting.

But life is not all work. I've finished a couple of quilts, a couple of stocking hats, some socks and a vest. Started a sweater and bought fabric for more quilts. Life is never boring is it.

I have to tell you tho, that it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. My grandson played in a football game here in my town, so the boys came down last night to spend the night and help Grandma get ready for Turkey Day. Then this morning we all went to the game and let the turkey cook while we were gone...came home to a house that smelled wonderful. We nibbled a while on the appetizers then sat down to the full turkey dinner.

How wonderful that the family was here, healthy and happy. I'm really thankful!

Fall Color for 2009

Busy busy week, huh? Got the Pretty Thing cowl done. But I don't like the gauge I did it at...it almost chokes me! So might have been a bit too tight, huh? So I'll try again. It took very little yarn - made it out of leftovers from a pair of Christmas Socks. And if it fit - it would've been gorgeous! Oh well, live and learn.

Today, I'm working on a couple of quilts. I wish I could post a picture of the one on the frame, but I don't have her permission. But her piecing is beautiful, very intricate and very precise. I'll never be that good at piecing...I'm an exuberant quilter, not an exact one.

Just a quick post today, but I didn't forget about the fall color pictures. I think yesterday was the last day of good color, pouring rain, so I'm sure a lot of the color is on the ground today. But in memory.

And in the true spirit of the fall season - Football! My grandson's team leaving the field in victory...

the Weekend

Well, the long awaited weekend is here...and once again, I've got it so packed full of planned activites, it'll be gone before I get half of them done.


First on the list is my grandson's football game. And while I'm there, they have some alterations they need done on some curtains. Then it's home to get a quilt on the frame. And log into my other job and see if there's any reports that I need to get out. Then up in the morning for a Sun. morning conference call and off to quilt with friends for the afternoon. Sun. afternoon I have my standard call with my mom. And in here somewhere, I plan to finish a vest I'm knitting on, a cowl (the 'Pretty Thing' pattern from yarnharlot) and fit some studying in for the next part of my new job. I love weekends!


And - I'm thinking about buying a new digital camera. I'm thinking of tons of reasons to talk myself into it...1st off - the football game. It'd be nice to get some good shots of him playing. And then there's this new blog. It just screams for some new pictures of quilts and knitting. And I'd be doing my patriotic duty by spending and boosting the economy.


But I'm going to be honest here. The trees this week have been GORGEOUS in the Pacific Northwest. The colors are just glorious. And I'd love to post some pictures here and send some shots to my mom - and maybe some to my aunt and uncle on the other coast. I have some pictures from a couple of years ago - but for some reason - the early cold maybe - this years colors are amazing. So - for now, I'll post an old picture to whet your appetite, and check back in a few days to see the new shots taken with the new camera - and we can compare.


Happy Saturday!

My first thoughts

I've been thinking about doing this for - like forever. My good friend Trisha has a blog http://tlcstitches.blogspot.com/- which a lot of you probably already read - and I love keeping up with her knitting and quilting on it. She's been telling me for ages to write a blog myself and post my quilt pictures to promote my business. I kept telling her I was too busy, but honestly, I think I was just afraid to try. But you can't live in fear forever - so here goes. (I don't think I'll be as good a photographer as she is - but then, that might be an excuse for me to buy a new camera! )

A little about me. I've been a quilter since 1982 when I was managing a Meals for the Elderly and took classes with some of my clients. Most of them didn't continue on with quilting, but I was hooked. At first I did everything the classic way(which could also be read as old-fashioned). I cut out shapes with cardboard templates, hand pieced them and hand-quilted them. After about 5 yrs., I finally purchased a sewing machine and there was no turning back. Now I have 2 that I use for piecing and one on a frame that I use for quilting.


One of the other fibers in my life is wool - When I'm not quilting, I'm knitting. And now I'm learning spinning. More on that later...

Have to go check on the cat...