A (very late) Finish and some Christmas Joy!

I finally finished the binding on a graduation quilt.  I've never had so much trouble with a binding before.  I purchased a lovely variegated thread to go with the binding.  I sewed the binding on the back of the quilt, not the front, so that I could use a fancy stitch to finish off the binding.  Well,  I finally pulled out the quilt to get the binding done, but, I discovered that the thread that I'd purchased was nylon (shame on me for not reading the packaging and trusting that it was in the correct place at the store).  The thread kept shredding and breaking.  I finally gave up, and pulled out my seam ripper, and took all the thread out.  YUK!  I changed to a blue variegated thread, then changed the stitch pattern, and finished the quilt binding.  Yipee!

Caitlyn's quilt

Caitlyn and Erika came over last night to help me decorate the tree.  Caitlyn helped me last year.  She's such a sweetie!  I surprised her with her quilt when I shut the front door, and there it was.  Caitlyn knew about the quilt.  I'd shown it to her last summer, then took it back to finish (then didn't get it done).  Caitlyn wore the quilt home, like a shawl.  Wish I'd gotten a picture of that.  But, I did get a picture of Caitlyn with her quilt.

Caitlyn and her quilt

Erika helped decorate the tree.  She thinks we have way too many ornaments on the tree.  I told her that you can NEVER have too many ornaments.  She loved hearing the 'story' about most of the ornaments, as I unwrapped them.  She liked that I knew where most of them came from, and that most of them have special meaning for our family. 

Erika decorating the tree

I purchased a quilt at one of my quilt guilds 'shop' at the quilt show.  I love this quilt.  Christine has been a member of both of my guilds at one time or another.  This quilt hangs on the back of the front door, and I see it every time I come down the stairs. 

Christine's log cabin quilt

I'm planning on putting up more than one tree this year.  My youngest son loves to put up the tree that I purchased way back when I was in 6th grade.  This poor tree looks like Charlie Brown's reject tree. 

my tree from 6th grade

Not to get the lights on it, and decorations.  It really does look better after the decorations are added, poor tree.  Now to see how many other trees get put up in the house this  year.  I have 2 more mini trees out, but, I don't know where the decorations for them are, yet. 

I have a busy week.  It's my turn to cook for the Wednesday night meal at church.  I've already cooked the chicken (it's cooling now) and I'll be mixing the chicken spaghetti later this morning. 

I have to finish decorating, watch the last night of Dancing With the Stars, clean house, and get ready for a blogger buddy and her hubby to come for a visit on Thursday, all the way from Australia.  What fun! 

What are your plans this week?