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!

Santa Block Exchange Quilt Show

Helen's block

 My small quilt guild decided to have another Santa block exchange this year.  We had one back in 2005.  We signed up by the January 2011 meeting to make 12.5" blocks that had a Santa in either the fabric, or, was appliqued.  The block had to be in traditional Christmas colors, and had to include the color green. 

Emily's block

Janette's block

 The blocks could be embellished in any way the maker wanted to embellish them.

Gwen's block

Kay's block #1

 Two of us signed up twice (two sets each).  That made a total of 10 sets of Santa blocks.  The blocks were to be exchanged at the July 2011 meeting. 

Kay's block #2

Thelma's block

The finished quilt top was to be shown at the December Christmas Party, which was last night.  One lady brought her quilt top to the November meeting, but, didn't bring it back to the December meeting, so, I don't have a picture if her quilt top.  She's in the middle of changing her quilt top.  She wasn't happy with her end results.  I thought it was pretty at the last meeting.  Since she also signed up for two sets of blocks, her quilt was HUGE!

Marilyn's blocks

My block #1

 Since I signed up twice, I received two of each block (Marilyn's blocks were done in two different color ways, same design).  That meant that I had 20 blocks, including my four blocks. 

Ladies of all different skill levels signed up to make the blocks.  These block exchanges are always a good way to learn new techniques.  I've seldom done applique before now.  I decided to make one of my sets of blocks applique.  The other set I wanted to use fussy cut Santa's and create a design around whatever size I needed to make the fussy cut part.  I dislike math, but, this was good for me to exercise my brain.  It was fun trying to figure out what I wanted to do.

Some of the blocks didn't quite turn out to measure at 12.5" square.  I decided to 'frame' my blocks, then, I framed them again and made them 'wonky'.  They finished at 20" square when I was done with them. 

Since the blocks finished at 20" after I was finished with them, I decided that that was plenty big enough, and didn't use my blocks in the quilt.  I have something else planned for my blocks.  I'll show them in a later post.

Well, the Christmas Party was last night.  Good food, fun quilts, and quilty gifts, too! (more on that at the end of the post).  Our usual 1 1/2 hour meeting turned into over 3 1/2 hours.  This is my favorite quilt guild.  It is a tiny guild (about 15 ladies in all), but, everyone gets along, and, since it is so small, no one gets 'lost' and newcomers are always welcomed (and welcomed and welcomed).  You have to be more creative with your meetings when you are small and don't have much of a budget for speakers.  We are always looking for new projects to 'demo'.  Any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated.  We can't bring machines very often, since several of the ladies just can't lift theirs into and out of their cars.  That limits us.

My block #2

My quilt top

I am planning on adding borders to my quilt top.  I'm going to add red to the top and bottom, and green to each side.  I think this will make the 'alternate' pattern show up better.  I think this quilt needs to be machine quilted, not hand quilted, so, since I don't machine quilt, I don't know when this quilt will be finished.  Oh well.

Thelma's quilt hanging #1

Thelma's quilt hanging #2

 Gwen (Thelma's daughter) decided to make wall hangings with her blocks.  When Thelma saw them, she liked them and copied the idea.  The extra blocks are on the back of the hangings, so that they can be turned over for a change.  Gwen didn't bring her wall hangings, so, I don't have pictures of hers.

Emily's quilt

Emily's 'pillowcase' with her quilt top

 Emily is sending her quilt and the pillowcase to a niece for Christmas.  All the other kids in her family have Christmas quilts.  I love her idea of using the extra block as a pillowcase.

Marilyn's 'Jewish' Santa quilt

 Marilyn is Jewish, but wanted to participate in the Santa block exchange.  She decided to add something 'special' to her quilt to make it fit her better.  She used some of her Hanukkah fabrics to make Hanukkah gift blocks in the center of her quilt.  I love the added 'stars' in her sashing, too.

Helen's quilt

Helen added the 'Merry' and 'Christmas' blocks to the bottom of her quilt.  She did some great stitching in the sashing, too.  It makes the quilt look like it has holly and berries on the sashing.  Sew cute!




I love that no one's quilt turned out like someone elses (with the exception of Gwens and Thelma's, but, that one was planned).  We quilters are a creative bunch.

We had a gift exchange, too.  We could spend $10 on a 'quilty' gift.  Below is what I got.

 I picked my package because of the cute snowman, bell ornament on it.  I'll have fun using these notions.  I love notions!  I could have used the Quilt block organizing hearts when I was putting the Santa blocks together.  I just used strips of paper instead. 

I hope you enjoyed my Santa block quilt show.  Now, to the dentist, then, back to my Santa blocks that didn't go into the quilt.  I'm occupying my sewing 'space' this week (since I don't have a sewing room). 


 Check it out over at Cat Patches.

Life! and some finishes

 Life happens!  On Monday, the light over the kitchen sink decided to go out.  I changed the bulb, then realized that it still wouldn't work.  On Wednesday, while I was preparing some of the food for the Wednesday night meal for church, the overhead lights went out.  We replaced the florescent bulbs, but, it still didn't work. 

After driving to the store to get new bulbs (this was late Wednesday night, after the church supper) we found that new bulbs still didn't make it work.  Oops!

I set up some lamps on stools in the kitchen so that I could see to do dishes and cook until hubby could work on the lights.  On Friday, we found out that the 'balist' had burned out on the overhead light.  By evening, I finally had lights back in the kitchen.  We still aren't sure if the light over the sink will continue to work or not.  It just lit up, like magic, after my son wiggled it a lot.  The wires are tight, we did check.  Oh well. 

Santa block exchange quilt top

finished table runner

finished baby quilt

 My Santa block exchange quilt top is finally finished.  I have to have it for the guild meeting on Monday evening.  I did not add my blocks to the quilt.  I signed up to make 2 sets of blocks.  I received 16 blocks, and added borders, then twisted them to make them wonky.  Since the blocks finished at 20" square after the borders and trimming, I didn't really need more than the 16 blocks to make a large quilt.  I will be using my blocks for something else.  I'll show them (hopefully) soon.  I'm still trying to decide if I want to add some borders.  I'm thinking I'll add more of the red on the bottom, and more of the green on the sides, to match the 'pattern' I created when I made them wonky.  Yes, it was planned that way. I think a small border will make it plenty big enough. 

On the drive to Texas and back, I finished sewing the binding on the table runner and the baby quilt.  I will show these at quilt guild on Monday, too.  Then I'll give the baby quilt to the new owners.  Hey!  I finished BEFORE the baby has been born!

Teapot Tuesday! and more stuff I'm working on

teapot

Santa block exchange blocks

Santa block exchange blocks

I love this little teapot.  The flowers are so cute.  I can't remember when I got this teapot.  I think I bought it for myself.




Last night I basted the Santa block exchange block so that I will be able to hand quilt them after Thanksgiving.  These were supposed to be put into the Santa block exchange quilt, but, I already have 16 blocks for that quilt that will finish at 20" square when I finish putting sides on them and making them 'wonky'.  These Santa blocks will be given as gifts for presents when they are quilted.  It's easier to baste them to one piece then quilt, since I don't like using hand frames.  I'd rather a standing frame.  I haven't used my Hinterberg frame since I purchased it a few years ago (I have several frames to use, lucky me).  This frame folds flat when not in use.  It doesn't take up much room at all.  It spins around, so that it will be easy to reach any part of the quilt top that I want, without me having to move.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Week!

Finally some (almost) finishes!

fabric panel

 Finally, I have a few (almost) finishes to show.  It's been crazy busy here, and, I'm glad I have something to show for at least part of the crazy busy time.  I bought this fabric panel back in October, on a shop hop.  A couple in my church are expecting a baby girl in December.  I was just going to quilt the fabric panel, and put some borders on it, but, I changed my mind.  Since the blocks weren't 'square', I decided to make them 'wonky' and twist them so that they wouldn't show up as 'un-square' blocks.  Oh darn, that meant that I had to go buy some more fabric. 

quilt top #1

quilt top #2

 One of my quilt guilds had a 'sew-in' last Saturday.  I used the time to make these two baby quilt tops.  I also worked on my Santa blocks for the quilt top that is due Dec 5th.

(almost) finished baby quilt

I purchased some fuseable batting so that I wouldn't have to baste the quilt top before quilting, since I was going to try to machine quilt this top.  Well, the fuseable batting doesn't work.  I read the directions several times, then followed them, but, I just couldn't get most of the quilt to fuse, front or back.  After wasting half of Sunday afternoon on it, I finally pulled out my safety pins and pin basted the quilt. 
I used variegated thread and some cute stitches on my Janome and machine quilted this.  Since I don't machine quilt (I stink at free motion), I just quilted next to the seams and around the fake rick-rack on the blocks.  I tried some free motion around the dresses, just following the lines of the dresses and purses in the corners.  Not the best, but, not too bad, either.  I'll finish binding it over the Thanksgiving holidays.

basted table runner

I started this table runner last fall.  It was made on my first treadle, a 1896 Singer 15 Series treadle.  I wanted to make something on the treadle, and I'd never made anything 'Halloween' before.  I actually made three table runner tops, and several placemats like this, but, they aren't done yet.  After Halloween, last fall, I just put them aside and worked on some other projects instead. 

(almost) finished table runner

close up of hand quilting the spiderwebs

I've carried this poor table runner all over the place, trying to quilt a bit here and a bit there.  There are five spiderwebs quilted across the runner.  Well, my bit here and bit there finally became a finish (almost).  I'll finish the binding over Thanksgiving and maybe add some spiders to some of the spiderwebs, too. 
 

I'm hoping to get a chance to show off some of my treadles and hand cranks at one guilds quilt show in March, and, I need some examples of what I've made on those machines.  I'd better get a move on on the other projects from those machines. 

Sorry I haven't blogged much.  It really has been crazy busy around here.  I don't expect it to slow down until after Christmas.  I still have a few deadlines before then.  We'll see......

Happy Thanksgiving!