Happy Thanksgiving Eve

My Annalees make me smile, so I'm sharing them with my readers.  Hope they make you smile, too. 

Today I thought I would show off some the items I've won that I haven't mentioned before.  During the Fall into Fall blog hop I won this basket full of scrapbook supplies from Blissful Baby (http://www.blissfulbaby.etsy.com/.)  My sister's the scrapbooker, so I'm giving her most of the stuff, but I think I'm keeping the basket for my cross stitch projects.  It's a beautiful basket of goodies.  Thank you Blissful Baby.

Back in August during the first month of the Christmas qal, I won this from Sue (http://www.quilttimes.blogspot.com/.)  She asked that I not post about it until the qal was over, so it's safe to show now.  What's funny is that  for the past few days I've been searching for  coasters, forgetting I had these to use.  Not only pretty, but useful.  And the little button box will come in handy, too. Thank you, Sue.

I liked both pictures so I'm using them both.

I won this collection of thread from Connecting Threads (http://www.connectingthreads.com/.)  I love it.  It's a great gift because I've read good things about this brand, it's very generous, and the colors are lovely.  The bad thing is I deleted the email telling me I won, so I can't remember what the reason was, but thank you, Connecting Threads.  They have a neat sales site, too.

And during the 100 Blocks designer tour held by Quiltmaker magazine, (their blog is http://www.quiltypleasures.com/ ) I won a copy of the magazine.  This is the second edition, and it's great. 

I won a book as part of the giveaways from SewCalGal's Christmas Quilt Show (http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/), and I'll show it to you when I get it. 

Hope everyone is well.  God Bless you.

Napkin Challenge Wall Hanging

I finished making the wall hanging from the Napkin Challenge block.  I like it.  I don't know where or how I am going to hang the three wall hangings I made, but they are going up Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  I have never put up Christmas decorations this early that I can remember, but this year will be different.  Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent.  That made me gasp. 

I'm already hearing carols in some the stores, and I have heard some people complaining that it's too early for them.  And I have also heard people say they like them.  I'm on that side of the fence this year.  It's all going to be over too soon, and the Christmas music is some of the most beautiful we hear, so I'm enjoying it.

Hope everyone is well.  God Bless you.

Jane Wickell's Scrappy Sampler Quilt Along

Jane Wickell at about.com Quilting is hosting a quilt along of sampler quilt blocks using scraps.  I've joined in because it's very doable at two blocks a month.  The first block is The Road to California. As soon as I saw the name of this block I thought of my brother's son who lives in California with his wife and two children .  I truly love the classic blocks.  This block was created during the move west by so many Americans.  I made the block today, and plan to make another using different fabric, as mentioned by one of the forum members on Janet's forum.  This block is also known as  Jacob's Ladder and Underground Railroad.  I feel a chill when I think that I am making a block created by women who travelled in covered wagons in the 1800's.   I understand the triangles are representative of birds in flight. 

Nothing else to show tonight.  I've been converting my napkin block into a table cover, but it isn't done yet,  But very close.

I had a right of passage this week.  I attended my first Seniors Thanksgiving Meal at my parish school.  The eighth graders were our servers, and the other grades entertained us by class.    It was so sweet.  Maybe I appreciated it so much because I am childless, but I loved it.  In fact, I couldn't help but remember all of the plays and performances my sister, brother and I did when we were at the school.  I made sure I smiled and clapped alot.  You can't help but be hopeful when you see those young faces.

God Bless.

Christmas Quilt Show Entry

SewCalGal is hosting a Christmas Quilt Show (http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/), and I've decided to enter one of the items I made during the Christmas Quilt Along that Sue from Quilt Times hosted from August through November.  In fact, yesterday was our last qal day.  My entry is something I began in August during the first Saturday's sewing, and didn't finish until just a few weeks ago. I had bought some panels about thirty years ago or so (can you believe it?  We don't throw anything away in this house!), and wanted to make something with them.  This table runner is what resulted.

This is the first bigger piece on which I used free motion machine quilting .  It isn't perfect, and I ripped out alot of stitches, but I quilted it with many loops in variegated thread that is red, white and green. 

The white fabric is also vintage from the same period.  I found it in the house put away and rolled up with the name of the store still on it.  In the eighties, when I was in my 30's,I was very much into hand crafts.  I quit smoking when I hit 30 and fortunately I had an outlet to keep my hands busy.

I love the panels in this runner.  They are romantic and gentle, and I hope I displayed them well.  They were meant to be made into small pillow ornaments, but this is better.

The backing is decorative as well. 

There is a second part to this post that isn't connected to the Quilt Show, but it is my personal show of the items I made during the Christmas Quilt Along.

The Christmas Tree wall hanger in the upper left was made the first morning, and I began the runner in the afternoon.  The lower left shows a quilt I began second month (and haven't finish yet, but I will:) ), and the polar bear wall hanging was begun that month.  I worked on both of them the third month, and yesterday I made the block in the lower right.  Those are my accomplishments from the qal, and I think I did pretty well, don't you? 

God Bless Everyone!

Christmas Quilt Along Saturday

11:35 am  I finished my block, and I like it.

Now that this is done, I need to find a good way to use it.  This is the first quilt block I have designed, albeit with heavy inspiration from another source. 

The other napkin I had is a snowman, and I was going to use white fun fur to outline and fill in his shape.  I might do that next.  Time to pay visits to the other participants.

FYI:  This Christmas Quilt Along is hosted by Sue from Quilt Times.  If you want to know more about it, click the Christmas Tree button on the left.

8:52 am  Good Morning!  This is the second Saturday of the month, so it's qal day.  I am working on the Napkin Challenge I signed up for with Nina Lise from Mrs.Moen.com.  The idea is to use a design on a napkin as a point of inspiration for creating something.  I'm doing a quilt block.  I have two napkins that I immediately liked.  I was inspired with several ideas for both, so we'll see which turns out the best. This is the first one:

At first, I wanted to do a kind of multi-media design, using applique, embroidery, and three-dimensional items.  I did this mock-up:

I wanted to use fun fur yarn for the evergreens, but didn't like the color I found, so I'm skipping that.  That might be embroidery, or I won't put in any at all.

Then, I decided to start over and use fabric for the bow, and just do the holly, candy canes, and bow.  This is where I am right now:

I'm going to keep going with this block, and if I like it enough when I'm done, and I like it so far, I'll submit it today. 

Hope everyone else is having an enjoyable Saturday.

A Couple of Things Done and an Invitation

Sylvia's November cross stitch pattern is a lady doing cross stitch, and it's very cute.  I made mine with blue eyes so she could be like me:

In the old days I wore my hair in a flip, and I have a black cat.  All I need are red shoes and a blue dress with a big heart on the skirt and I could be her:)
I finished the border so that when I get and sew the December design, I can call it done.  I'm thinking of making this into a pillow instead of framing it or forgetting about it altogether.

I finished the Christmas table runner that I began in August.  For some reason this runner took much time, and when I was finishing it I thought that all I'm going to do is pile up my Annalee dolls on top of it so not much of it will be visible.   I'm happy it's done.

I joined Midge from Soggibottom's Pay It Forward, and she sent to me a lovely package of gifts:

She knitted the mohair wristlets and made the key chain, and the Union Jack bag is perfect.  I have already used the bag and love it, and have used the wristlets which are warm and soft and love them, too.  Thank you so much, Midge.

So my invitation is to anyone reading this blog who may want to join me in my Pay It Forward.  I need three people to join me, and I will send to each of them a gift package, and in turn, each one of them will invite three people to join them.   And on it goes in a continuous and expanding cycle of good wishes and gifts.  Do I have anyone interested?  If so, you can leave me a comment here or email me if you prefer.  I have one year to complete my obligation, but I would like to make a start.  

I joined Nina Lise's Napkin Challenge, and every time I go shopping I forget to look for an inspirational napkin.  So I am going out right now to see what I can find. 

I forgot to turn back the clocks last night.  This morning I had to attend the 7:30 a.m. Mass, and fortunately, figured out before I left the house that I was an hour early.  It was just too dark, and that made me think about daylight savings time.  I've never done that before, especially in the autumn when I love the extra hour. 

God Bless You.

Moxie's Tunnel

Do you know what this is:

It's a little cat waiting for me to walk by and notice her  waiting for me to dangle her feather wand at the end of the tunnel.  Once I do, she runs and slides through and grabs the feather.

Then at the other side, we do it again.

And then we do it again.

And this goes on until one of us walks away. 

Acturally, it makes me laugh.

Yes, I still do sew and quilt, crochet and whatever, but not yet today.  Today I  put up new curtain rods in an old house that fights back.  Two road trips out to Ace Hardware and Benny's before the job got done in one room.  So playing with Moxie was my big break.  I hope to get some quilting done tonight.

God Bless!