Almost a month since I last posted. Catching up!

Connor & friend decorating the tree

dining room 'sewing space'

 Boy has it been busy around here!  I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted.  This post is going to cover most of December.  I'll try to be quick about it.

Well, I missed 'Occupy Your Sewing Space', at least, I missed blogging about it and reading all the blogs.  I DID get my sewing space(s) cleaned up.  I've been so busy this summer and fall that I have hardly had time to do much housework.  Oops!  Boy did stuff build up around here. 

family room 'sewing space'

occupy your sewing room project

 My dining room is usually covered with quilting stuff.  My quilt frame (hand quilting) is set up just behind the dining room table, leading into the living room.  It acts as a divider to the two rooms, since there isn't a wall.  You can see my sewing machine case and sewing stuff behind the table by the china cabinet.  That is the stuff that NEVER goes into the basement with the other quilting stuff.

I like to set up a sewing machine in the family room, so that I can watch (listen really) to movies while I sew.  I took the table down, but, I added another quilting frame in it's place so that I could work on the Christmas presents during 'Occupy Your Sewing Space'.  This stayed up until Christmas Eve.  There just wasn't enough time to get much sewing done.  I hand quilted the 'Santa' applique blocks, but, to get everything finished, I machine quilted the other 'Santa' blocks.  I just stitched in the ditch on them. 

Christmas napkins from Marilyn

I have wonderful and generous quilting friends.  Marilyn made these Christmas tree napkins for us for Christmas.  My youngest son collects nutcrackers, so, she made the nutcracker napkins for the boys.  She even made a special napkin for my mother, who came up for Christmas.  Isn't that sweet of her!?!

Christmas ornament from Kay

My bestest ever quilting friend, Kay, made me this lovely Christmas Angel ornament.  She also made one for my mother. 

Christmas gifts from Jan & Mary

Connor in 'Mr. OEHS'

me, Connor, hubby and my mother

kitchen 'before'

Christopher in kitchen 'during'

kitchen 'after'

treadle from Kay

treadle from Kay

I sew on Thursdays with some special ladies.  These are a few of the things they gave me for Christmas.  Mary gave me a 'Really Useful Box' (it says that on the end of the box), along with preserves and the cute Santa tissues.  Jan gave me the great scissors.  Sew cute! 

treadle from Kay

Christmas presents finally finished

Christmas presents finally finished

My mother flew in early so that she could be at the 'Mr. OEHS' contest that my youngest son was in.  He sang a song from 'Mulan', 'Man out of you' for his talent.  He did a great job.  I got to escort him on stage at the start.  All the guys wore tux's.  They did a dance number, just like on a beauty pageant.  They all had so much fun!  Connor didn't win, but, he never expected to win.  He was just in it for the fun.  This was his second year to enter.  Connor is quite the ham.










My favorite present (other than having my boys and my mother here) was the new back splash in my kitchen.  I've been wanting this for a few years now. (What, your kitchen cabinets aren't this messy?)


John (hubby) and oldest son, Christopher spent two days putting up the back splash.  They waited until after Christmas, thank goodness.  Can you see how Christopher had to sit IN the sink to measure and put up the corner pieces?  That corner goes WAY back. 

Here is the finished kitchen.  They also put up the back splash under the half wall Christopher was sitting against, but, I didn't take pictures of that area.  I covered the outlet covers and painted the screws for them.  (Hint: never use Styrofoam to hold screws when you are going to paint them.  Styrofoam MELTS when it is spray painted). 


Kay gave me a treadle for Christmas!  Woohoo!  This is the cutest sewing box!  It has a storage space for my sewing tools under the cute dutch dolls.  Kay saw this and immediately thought of me.  Gee, how'd she ever think of me and treadle sewing machines at the same time?  (wink, wink).

Well, I finally finished the Christmas presents the day AFTER Christmas.  So much for being on time this year.  I'm usually finished with presents long before Thanksgiving.  Of course, I don't usually make the presents.  Did I mention that I'm a slow sewer and quilter?  These are the blocks I made for the Santa block exchange for one of my quilt guilds (see last post).  I made 6 as gifts, and I kept one of each for myself.  I also gave frames to everyone that got a Santa block quilt.

I'll try to post (shorter) posts more often in the new year!  Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!