Happy New Year's

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
and surely I’ll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Here's to a New Year full of promise and hope, love and friendship, making new memories, and forgetting the old sorrows.

May your New Year be wonderful.

Recharging

We survived the Christmas holiday, and the past few days I have spent recharging.  Don't get me wrong, Christmas was wonderful, dinner turned out fabulous.  I always enjoy spending time with my family.

I received a couple sweet gifts.

My mom and dad got me this really cute kit from a The Christmas Goose Quilt Shop.  It was part of the 2015 Row by Row.  Aren't the machines cute?

My SIL and brother sent me this cute fat quarter set.

The daughter and her SO worked until about 5 pm Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve looks like it will be the same.

I have done a wee bit of sewing on part 3 for the Allietare!

These are part of the 4 patches which will be very scrappy, and the strip sets that I have left to cut.

 I just need a few hours, but most evenings by the time I get home it is too late, and sewing when you are tired is just a really bad idea. 

Are you recharging and planning for next year?  I know I have some ideas to make for Christmas, and I have a baby quilt to get done in the next few weeks, we have a grandson which is due at the end of January. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas! 

May the season be joyous and magical.  Filled with family, love, and laughter. 

Tiny Finish

I survived cookie day.  OK it was not officially "family cookie day" since we originally cancelled last week.  The impromptu cookie day was to celebrate the middle boy's 7th birthday.  Since it was his party only grandma B was invited.  The boys enjoy family cookie day. 

I managed to get all of my sewing stuff picked up and put away.  OK maybe not quite put away, more like hidden away.  A quilter/quilting frame without  a quilt on it is kind of like a treadmill in the bedroom.  Kind of a catch all.  I put a shelf across the cross members on the frame, and I put everything on the shelf , or under the frame and we cover it with a sheet.  Out of sight, safe from the majority of the minions. 

Saturday morning the oldest boy had community service for Boy scouts, so they didn't get to our house until after 3 pm.  Before they arrived I finished up the reversible apron I was making.

 The reverse is just a plain muslin, but a little more body to make it last longer. Exactly like the front pocket

Isn't this the cutest fabric?  My sister in law is an artist and I saw this fabric and it just reminded me of her, so I bought it to make something for her for Christmas.  

The kids arrived and the wild rumpus began.

The cookies, all frosted, and sprinkled.  This is on a dining table which has the leaf and will seat 12 people for dinner.  The boys are getting to the age where you cannot get them to take a picture without doing something crazy.  

Except for The Finn.

Finn's backdrop is the quilter with all the sewing projects under the sheet!

This is Finn's adorable pose.  LOL  

We made 2 big plastic sweater boxes full of cookies, another tub full to distribute to friends and family, and the two oldest boys ran a container full of cookies down to the ancient ones.  We had pizza for dinner, and cake.  Fun was had by all, and while there are some sprinkles wandering around the dining room floor, the rest of the house is relatively unscathed, except for the pile of frosting and sprinkles I found on the bathroom sink this morning.  Overall not a bad day. 

Tic, Tic, Tic

I thought I would write a super quick post before I "officially" begin my day.  No I have not been attacked by the chicken girls and eaten (did you know that chickens are raptors?).  Finn did not tie me up and leave me across a train track in front of an oncoming train, even though I am sure he would like to some days. And though I am a child of the 60's and 70's I did not go stand in line for 48 hours  to wait to see the new Star Wars film.    I have been trying to kick whatever creeping crud I have, and trying to keep the world (ok maybe I am being a bit melodramatic) from skidding out of control.  With great power comes great responsibility.  Hee hee hee. 

The past week I attended a quilt guild board meeting.  I am vice president. Kind of like being the 1st runner up to Miss America.  My job is to sit in the wings looking pretty unless the president is unable to perform her quilt guild presidential duties.  I attended a boy scout Arrow of light and award ceremony---very cool.  And one day Finn and I ran around like the wild things we are.  To the bank to sign paperwork for quilt guild, to my house to check on papa he was sick (yep I am officially disease infested vermin), back home.  Um that is over a 120 mile day.  

Nothing completely accomplished on the home front when it comes to Christmas sewing though.

A few snowman on the assembly line.  A couple of heads made and stuffed, and their little orange noses painted and  in a pile waiting for facial placement. 

A reversible apron which I adjusted the pattern multiple times.  (Do you know how expensive a clothing pattern is now?)

All of the sewing will be put away once more because the youngest daughter wanted to do Christmas cookies at our house, and celebrate the middle grandson's birthday.  So Family cookie day part deux! 

A big shout out. warmest hugs, and a ginormous thanks to Dawn from SewYouQuilt2.  I had this sweet little package waiting on my doorstep.

A list pad, a zippy bag, a purse pattern, and some Christmas fabric.  I just want to say my bloggy friends are the absolute best! 

Oh my got to run, the clock is ticking, I have a kitchen to clean up, an apron to finish sewing, all of my sewing accouterments to put away, a trip  to the feed store for food for the girls, a trip to the dollar store for birthday gift wrap, and a trip to the local grocery store for cookie making supplies!  I am shopping local today, even though it is much more expensive.  Maybe I will remember to take pictures of the insanity and post later!  

Happy Saturday, six days until Christmas you all!

Flakey Friends

I made this guy many years ago. 

I adore him.  He has had a bit of rough trade the past few years with the grandsons around though.

Someone jerked off his nose.  I tried to reglue it on but it is just a mess.  The rose on his cheeks has faded too. 

And his pompom was attacked at one time or another and almost pulled off.  I think he is in need of some love and repair.  When I flipped him over to see if he needed any more repairs guess what I found?

Yep somehow he ended up with a farmer's wife quilt block stuck to his butt!  Lucky for me or I would have never missed the block. 

The daughter mentioned the other day when was I going to make her a snowman?  I started looking and fairly quickly I located the book.

I only paid $3.99 for this book many years ago.  So I guess someone will be getting a snowman.  Not like I don't have extra batting. 

While not a flake, but a great friend Julierose  from Julierose quilts sent me this sweet little package.

Isn't it fabulous?!?! And it has the embroidery floss also in a color that I adore.  I can't wait to start stitching it! 

Aren't friends, old or new, flakey and just fabulous (yes you Julie) the best!

Disease Infested Vermin Strike Again

I was rolling toward the holiday, getting things done, then it happened.  Once again I was attacked by the disease infested vermin.

This sad story began Monday.  I had to be at the daughters at 5:30 am!  Yep at O dark thirty!  I get there, and both Finn, and the middle boy are up and running around the house already.  So much for a quiet start to the morning. At 6 out comes the oldest boy he does not look good and says he doesn't feel well.  He is all stuffed up and feels like he has a low fever.  Administer a cough and cold medicine dose, and send him back to bed, and make the executive decision he is staying home for the day.

Tuesday I was called off because the daughter's SO was not feeling well, and the oldest boy had continued to feel poorly, and ended up being sick in the middle of the night.  But Tuesday morning he got up feeling better, and trundled off to school.  His younger brother, "the middle boy" woke up sick though.  Wednesday the girl was sick and home with me.

Let's just say the rest of the week one of them was sick, but I continued to do alright.  Until Friday.  I felt a bit queasy, and tired.  By Saturday the vermin's vermin had attacked.  What is it about being older that what puts them down for 12 hours knocks me on my rear for about 48 at least?

All week after watching the kids I would work on Christmas presents or Allietare. 

 I stalled out on step 2 because of the bug.  But I did feel good enough to finish up 3 pillowcases for Christmas presents by Sunday.   I had purchased fabric for 2, then bought fabric for the cuff of the case, and had enough to make a 3rd.  That is always cool!

Thursday evening I attended quilt guild and one of the lovely ladies handed me a little bag with scraps.

Isn't that sweet!  Now  I have some more fabrics to make hexies!

I still have part 2 of Allietare! to finish but I am making some progress.  I have my 20 groups of decapitated geese.  I still need to add the neutral rectangles, and finish the cutting of blacks and grays so I can move on to step three.

At guild I joined a group called friendship block.  Each month you get a pattern, a fabric.  You are to add from your stash a specific color or type of fabric and construct a block.  Turn the block in at the next meeting and you are put in a drawing to win a portion of the blocks which are turned in.  The January block you were to add a light gray. 

Monday night I am feeling a whole lot better, but the hubby is looking a bit greenish around the gills.  I guess now I am the vermin.  :(

Where Did You See That?

Do you ever see an idea, and then forget where you saw it?  Do you save things and forget what you saved them for?  Does your spouse look at you and ask why are you saving that?

I have a bag of these plastic sacks.  I asked DH to save them for me, and he just looks at me and shakes his head.  I have a plan! I keep telling him. 

I am still working on my tumblers as leaders and enders.  As I cut for other things, scraps I cut into tumblers.

I figured instead of making huge rows, I would make strips of 10, and when I have enough to make a quilt I will start sewing them into rows.  I love the variety that I have. 

I am not the only one that finds things though.  DH found this in the garbage pit.

This is a really cool old trunk.  Yes someone put a hasp lock on it, but it still  has the tray in the top even.  I think it needs some cleaning, and possibly a redo.  But it is very cool. 

Just Can't Get Anything Right

I have been doing this and that and taking pictures, but just couldn't really come up with a post.  I have been staying off of the computer, so I have been getting a few things accomplished, but boy, there are times I feel like I am so very slow, and nothing is turning out quite right on the first try. 


I started the Bonnie Hunter Mystery QAL Alletaire!  The 1st week was 294 -  2 inch HST of your gray which is your constant and  neutrals.   The first clue was announced the day after Thanksgiving. 

I didn't have them all cut out and sewn until last Friday which was the day that clue 2 came out.  It takes me forever to square things up.  By Friday afternoon I only had 150  squared up, and it had taken me about 8 hour. When I got home Friday I had a package waiting for me.  I had taken advantage of a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal from Connecting Threads, and purchased a set of 3 bloc- loc rulers.  The price was really good. 

Friday evening I finished squaring up the last 150 squares in less than 2 hours using the bloc- loc rules!  I think I am seriously in love with the tool!  Obviously I cannot count though.  I ended up with 325 of these HST. 

I had started to work on Christmas presents before the great Thanksgiving clean up.  The first up was a bag which I was making for one of my daughters.  She lives in a downtown area, and so they walk to the grocery store almost on a daily basis.  This is how the bag turned out, but it took me several times of cutting it out to get it right.  I needed to cut 2 pieces for the outside which were 20 inches wide by 14 inches long, and the same for the lining.  Lets just say that it took me two tries to get the dimensions right for both the exterior and interior.  I even had to go and purchase more lining fabric because I did my cuts wrong, and of course I couldn't find the lovely brown fabric that I had purchased originally.

I finally got it right.  The bag is made that it will sit on the bag stand at the grocery store.  I think it turned out great.  I just decided to cut it out using a sewing cutting board instead of trying to measure and cut using my cutting mat, and rotary cutter. 
Next I wanted to make a few small snap bags to put gift cards in.  I know that some of the blogs I read have done tutorials on them, but when I went in search for them, many of the pictures were gone, and there are times I am a visual learner so I really needed those pictures.  I found a lot of tutorials but they were all a lot larger than I wanted.  I started trying to make my own.

Too small, and I didn't like the edge.  I had tried to do french seams but I just could not get them narrow enough, and the frayed edge showed through.  Also I wanted wider.

Too big, and again still could not get the french seam right.  Still a frayed edge showing. 

Just right!  I decided to not stress the french seam and instead just did the seam, then over edged so it was more finished on the inside.  One down, five more to go.  Hopefully it will not take me 3 tries to get them right. 

I began working on step 2 of Alletaire!  Twenty sets of 4 decapitated geese.  I began cutting my reds, and again.  Miscount! 

Somehow I ended up with 24 sets of the squares to make the geese.  I have my wings cut and ready to mark while I am watching the kids tomorrow.  Then I can work on the sewing part. 

The only thing I managed to get right the past few days are these wonderful shortbread cookies which I found a recipe on Taste of Home. 

I crushed up some candy canes to decorate, and then some sprinkles on others. 

The other thing that I do right is my great bloggy friends.  I received this super sweet package in the mail from Barbara at Wont to be Quilter. 

Hopefully things will start to get more on track since we are on the holiday push! 

Its My Turn For the Virtual Cookie Exchange

I was a little reticent to join the Virtual Cookie Exchange Blog Hop.  Being diagnosed as pre-diabetic is a challenge on a daily basis.  There are some things I have learned in just a very short time.  Bread is really bad for me,especially the way that it metabolizes.  I can  have a little sugar occasionally and it isn't as bad as having a piece of bread.  I drink a lot of water-at least 12 cups a day, and I have discovered that I have one cheat meal a week.  That way I do not feel like I am being penalized.

I haven't had a chance to try changing up my favorite cookie recipe yet, but I am going to try a new recipe soon using Splenda.  Thanksgiving instead of making a sweet potato casserole, we made a butternut squash casserole, very little sugar, it was actually sweetened with pineapple and it was very yummy! 

 My absolute favorite cookie for the holidays is what we call Crown Jewel Cookies.

Crown Jewel Cookies

Dough

1 Cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Egg white mixture

 3 egg whites

2 TBS water

About 2 cups finely chopped walnuts

                                                                          Raspberry Jam

Mix  first 7 ingredients and chill dough.  You can roll them into rolls before chilling if you would like.  

                                                            After chilled roll into 1 inch ball.

 

Drop cookies into egg white mixture, then roll in finely chopped walnuts.  Place on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Dent cookie, and fill with raspberry jam.  Return to oven and bake an additional 4-5 minutes.   

The only change I made this year was that I used a seedless, no sugar added fruit preserve.  

This is a nice cookie, they are not overly sweet, and they are so pretty.

We decided to do very little decorating this year.  It is not our "year" for Christmas.  But I did have to drag out my Jingle Jolly Table Runner which I finished a couple of months ago.  

The fabrics make me smile, and I am very pleased with the quilting which is called string of lights from Leah Day.

Go visit the rest of these great bloggers to see what they are cookimg up!

December 2

Colette at What About Rheema?

Carla at Creatin’ In The Sticks

Velda at Granny Can Quilt

Mary Ellen at That’s My Home

                                                      Karen at Sugar Free Quilted Designs

And in case you missed the first day.

DECEMBER 1

Kris at Kris Loves Fabric

Selina at Selina Quilts

Karen at KaHolly

                                                            Deonn at 3^rd Degree Bakery

And the rest of the bloggers. 

December 3

Beth at One Old Goat and Her Little Farm

Carol at Just Sew Quilter

Theresa at Bumbleberry Stitches

Brenda at Brenda’s Quilt Blog

Mary Pat at Quilting Quietly

December 4

Linda at Food Storage Moms

Susan at Super Mom – No Cape!

Kathy at Just Quilt it

Lindsay at Lin's Kitchen

Carol at Just Let Me Quilt

Thanks Carol at  Just Let Me Quilt for organizing this wonderful hop!

Where Did November Go?

I am obviously lost in time somewhere.  I looked at the calendar and realized that today is the last day of November.  I went back and looked at my goals and thought UGH!  I don't think I made it far.

1.  I have 6 charity quilts that need to be quilted. I finished quilting one, and have been working at burying the ends.

2.  Farmer's Wife cornerstones and sashing.  This quilt has moved from cutting table, to ironing board, to 
floor, but not a thing has been done on it.

3.  Turkey Table Runner Quilted and Bound.  See more quilting to do here too!

All quilted bound, and was on the table for Thanksgiving!  I need to make a label for it. 

4. BOM from online Quilt group.  Another one didn't even touch it other than to move it from spot to spot.

5.  I would like to get the next border on my Ripples and Reflections quilt.   This one is finished to a flimsy! 

It is going to be a bear to quilt though.  Lots of bias edges, it is going to stretch like crazy.

I did play with some other things though. 

Ribbon star blocks.  Easy block, but I kind of put it aside so that I could get my table runner done.

 I got my bag lady blocks back, and decided to make 4 more.  I have a small idea but need to figure out some sort of sashing.

I picked up a UFO which is applique.  I started working on one row.  I am slow on the hand applique part.

I also worked on one row from the Row by Row that I had to have.  This one was from a shop in Cody, Wyoming.  I actually ordered it online because the shop was closed the day we were in Cody.

I started the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt Allietare!  First step 294 HST of your constant and a neutral.  

I am about 1/3 of the way, but the majority of them will need to be trimmed.

I found this cute reindeer pattern from Quiltmaker Magazine 100 blocks.  Lots of tiny pieces but once you get one done it is pretty easy to put together.  I see some small quilty gifties in my future.

I have also been making lots of 2 1/2 inch tumblers as a leader and ender project. 

Not a bad month, but not spectacular when it comes to getting a lot finished on my goals list.  I did manage to get 10 books read this month also. 

Oh and tomorrow begins the virtual cookie exchange.  That is me on day 2!

December 1

Kris at Kris Loves Fabric

Selina at Selina Quilts

Karen at KaHolly

Deonn at 3^rd Degree Bakery

December 2

Colette at What About Rheema?

Carla at Creatin’ In The Sticks

Velda at Granny Can Quilt

Mary Ellen at That’s My Home

Karen at Sugar Free Quilted Designs

December 3

Beth at One Old Goat and Her Little Farm

Carol at Just Sew Quilter

Theresa at Bumbleberry Stitches

Brenda at Brenda’s Quilt Blog

Mary Pat at Quilting Quietly

December 4

Linda at Food Storage Moms

Susan at Super Mom – No Cape!

Kathy at Just Quilt it

Lindsay at Lin's Kitchen

                                                              Carol at Just Let Me Quilt