A Lovely Christmas

It really was a lovely Christmas this year. We had family here on Christmas Eve and again for dinner on Christmas Day. Lots of good food and great company!

I think now though we're all feeling a little like this.... a few too many Christmas treats, right Ted?

Since this is a week off work for me, I'm going to spend as much time as possible in my sewing room (oh, that makes me so happy!). I've gathered a bunch of fabric from my stash and plan to start on this quilt from Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting Jan/Feb 2010 issue. Looks like fast, easy piecing....perfect for my first project of the new year.

My Christmas Trees

We set up two trees this year... one in the living room and one on the family room.

Ted thinks under the tree is a great place to hide.

A few of the other decorations around the house.

Starting to feel like Christmas

With December just one more day away, I'm really starting to feel like Christmas (which is a lot better than feeling like the flu for the past couple of weeks).

.... we've put up lighted trees and reindeer in front of the house and evergreen wreaths on the front door and backyard gate. Now we just need a little snow. Next weekend we'll be setting up the Christmas tree in the living room window.


.... Sarah's and David's quilts are ready to give to them in time for Christmas.

(Thanks to Mary Lyn for the lovely quilting and the
super fast turnaround on Sarah's Snowmen Quilt)

and .... our package of lebkuchen arrived from Germany! Lebkuchen are German cookies made with ingredients like hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, orange peel, honey, chocolate. Absolutely delicious! They are a family tradition for us - it wouldn't be Christmas without these treats.

A Quiet Weekend

These treasures arrived in the mail on Friday - some new fabric and two great books. Got them just in time too. My 24 year old son arrived here sick with the flu on Saturday afternoon so, while he sleeps, there is lots of quiet time in our house this weekend - perfect for reading.

Journal Covers

Inspiration to make these journal covers came from a post I saw a few weeks ago on Jill's blog at The Quilt Rat. Her lovely journal cover is here . (She has a great giveaway right now too.) The original inspiration for the journal covers comes from Wanda at Exhuberant Colour . See all her fabulous journal covers here. New ones posted today.

So, I gathered scraps, selvage, ribbon and orphan blocks and made two journal covers of my own. What easy, one-day projects to make and they look so pretty when done. I take my covered notebooks to work with me during the week so I have a place to write down any "quilty" ideas that come to mind.



Here is more detail showing the front/back of each cover and the inside flaps. They were so much fun to put together, I know I'll be making more.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I am excited to be participating for the first time in the Fall 2009 Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy at Park City Girl.

This quilt, made a few years ago, is one of my favorites. I made it from reproduction prints purchased on my trip to the Houston Quilt Festival in 2005. I brought home a lot of reproduction prints from that trip - couldn't resist. I haven't been back to Festival since, but DH has promised to take me next year... in the meantime, this quilt is a great reminder of that visit to Houston.

I also pieced the back so I could include as much of my fabric as possible.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks to Amy for hosting this event.

(I've been looking through my magazines all morning to find the one with this pattern - finally found it: Quilt Sampler, Fall/Winter 2005, p. 88, "Flying Geese Baskets" designed by Kathy Blank)

Quilts for Sarah and David

This snowman quilt top is ready to be sent off for quilting.....and, with any luck, I'll have it back in time to give to Sarah for Christmas. It was intended to be last year's Christmas gift - sorry Sarah :(

I love the snowmen - I think they are so cute! The pattern, "Under the Stars", is from the Rabbit Factory . I modified the design to include six snowmen across the top and added more star blocks making the overall size of my quilt a bit larger (approx 68"x80") than the original.



This scrappy irish chain quilt is for David. The quilting is done - I just have to finish putting on the binding. David moved into his own apartment this weekend so I may give it to him before Christmas :)

It's not my own design - I made it based on a photo in quilt magazine from a few years ago, but I can't find the magazine now - probably got tossed out in last year's house move. This quilt is a big one at 84" x 96".

We're back from our vacation

We just got back from a week at the chalet in Val-David, Quebec - a lovely place in the Laurentians. It was very quiet and relaxing - exactly what we needed! Sarah and Chris joined us for a couple of days which was a very nice visit .... and of course, we brought Sophie who just loved hiking in the woods and meeting new friends there.



I planned on lots of time for sewing - so brought along my other machine. I set it up in a nice spot in front of the window and worked on a bunch these blocks...


Sophie enjoyed having so much time outdoors but she did get very dirty behaving like a real little dog. After a visit to the groomer this morning she is looking just lovely again - very pretty with those little bows on her ears - and she smells really good too!

More new fabric in my sewing room

A lovely fat quarter bundle of Astor Manor arrived! I ordered it as soon as I saw it up on The Fat Quarter Shop site. Beautiful fabric! I also picked up a copy of Fat-Quarter Quilting by Lori Smith - what great little quilts ... now to decide which one to make first.



I'm also making progress on my orange peel quilt
(I jump between projects alot).

A doggie with a cold

Our Sophie has a cold. We took her to the vet this morning because she's been sneezing and reverse sneezing (like when she drinks her water too fast) since Friday morning. The vet said its a virus she likely picked up at Doggie Day Camp. She goes there once or twice a week and its great socialization for her - lots of other dogs and people. All her shots are up-to-date so there is nothing to worry about - the virus just has to run its course over the next few days ....... poor little girl.

I love this photo....my friend Nancy took it while on a trip to Tunis - now I feel inspired to make something in blues and whites with maybe a touch of green.

Rooster Party

Here are my roosters.....
I can't wait to see everyone else's!

Got this stuff in the mail this week (I love online shopping!)


















..... a great magazine and more fabric for my stash.








I've been working on these applique blocks this weekend. The blocks belong to one of my many UFOs. Maybe I'll stay motivated to complete the quilt this time around ... hmmm ... doubt it - too many distractions and new ideas.




The pattern is "Romance in Bloom" by Verna Mosquera
(The Vintage Spool).














Took this picture of Ted and Sydney on Saturday morning - sharing a nap on the back of the chair. I've never seen them snuggled together end-to-end like this.

Ted (and me) in my sewing room at 6:00 am this morning.

I completed this quilt (a pattern called "Tiger Lily" published in Quilt Sampler 2001) a very long time ago...but I just now finished putting on the binding. It always take me such a long time to get around to sewing the bindings on my quilts.