Oh, Christmas Tree!

Yes, I know that it's not yet Thanksgiving so I shouldn't be putting up the tree so soon.......but I'll be heading to Iowa right after the holiday to be with my mom when she has surgery. I had this plan that if she came to visit that we would talk about Christmas memories from the past. I think that would have been so much fun. Instead, I set up the tree by myself but later on my husband helped with the lights. He had no choice but to help me with the lights as he's taller than I am plus he's the one who has to replace light bulbs when they burn out. You see, we have these lights we bought years ago (like 15 at least) that do this cool "fade in, fade out very slowly" thing and he really likes them. However, the bulbs burn out all the time so I'm not happy when the lights don't work. I solved my problem, though. I put white lights all around the tree first and embedded them deep with the branches and then we added the "fade in, fade out" lights. Now if they don't work, I have back up!! I am so pleased that I thought of this!

So, here's the tree prior to adding the lights. I show you this so you can see that it's a nicely shaped tree. It's as old as the lights. It keeps shedding. See the photo below.............. You would think it was a real tree!! I figure that eventually the tree will go bald and we can finally get a new one. New lights would be nice, too, but Mr. Engineer likes to fix things so I'm sure they'll be back next year. :-)










I tried to take a couple of pictures after all the lights were on...including my back-up lights and the "pizza light" as it's known that tops the tree.
I really need some photography lessons but I kind of liked this one and the way the tree reflected in the window in the living room. Tomorrow, I'll add the decorations. It will take me all day because I love looking at each one and remembering where they all came from or when we made them. :-)
And speaking of decorations, I'll have a new one to add to my tree thanks to a package that came in the mail today. I only signed up for a couple swaps this season and one was Jenny's "Very Quick Christmas Swap". All you had to do was send two fat quarters, a yard of ribbon and two buttons - all Christmas themed. Here's what I sent off to my partner, Marlene and also to Jenny. I offered up to do two swaps if there was an uneven number and so I got to swap with Jenny, too!! (I love her blog and her Shabby Roses BOM!)


Here is the package I received from Marlene. Each item was gift wrapped and, if I was to wait til Christmas........well, I didn't.........it was just too tempting. There were two lovely fat quarters, the ribbon, and two of the cutest angel buttons and a Santa ornament!! So Santa will go on the tree tomorrow and the angels are going to become an ornament, too. Thanks "sew" much, Marlene!!

I also got an e-mail with good news. I won a giveaway over at InchWorm fabrics and I've got some blueberry muffin goodies coming to me all the way from Pago Pago. I'll tell you more about that when the goodies arrive plus a little Pago Pago connection that I had several years ago. Funny how things happen!

There was not much sewing action going on here today because I was determined to get the tree set up. I'll get back to my projects on Sunday after church. I'm just happy the tree is up, that it didn't fall over and that I didn't fall off the ladder! Oh, and the lights are still working! :-)

Have a great weekend!

Sandi

Christmas Fabric Fun!

I am so glad that Gudrun and all the other designer's decided to host the Cross Country Christmas Blog Hop. The stories they have shared and the patterns have all been really great. Thanks to them, my sewing room is a chaotic scene of Christmas fabrics draped over the ironing board, on my chair, on the floor, in a box, you name it.......Christmas fabrics everywhere. Out of that chaos, came the mugs for the Molten Chocolate Cake bags (go here for the info and pattern) and the Candy Canes from Carrie .........

Those little bags were so super easy and I'm not saying who'll be getting the ones in the picture but they will really like them, I know that for sure. I thought the candy canes might be a bit difficult but they, too, were really easy to stitch and stuff. While finishing up the cutting of all those charm squares for my blogging friends, I discovered that I have some really cool stripes that will make neat candy canes. I am going to do the glue and glitter thing to them (it's in the directions so go here to read all about how to make them) because glitter is one of those things that I love to do because I love the sparkle! I think I mentioned it in my last post, but I found the mugs for a buck each at Michael's. I need to get some more now because I have a list of who should get one of these. :-)
In addition to Christmas fabrics spread all over the room, I also was sorting through fabrics for something that would be appropriate for Thanksgiving. Surely in all that fabric I had something that would work but I discovered I really don't have much that has turkeys on it. I wanted pieces that will work for a mini sampler and I finally found some things that will work but it's not quite what I was seeing in my mind. So, does that happen to you.........you can see it in your mind but it doesn't come out quite right when you actually make the item? Sort of like dancing for me.....in my mind, I can see myself dancing. In reality, I am not sure I could dance if I had to!! Gotta dream, though, don't we? I'll sleep well tonight as there will be all sorts of Christmas projects and fabrics dancing in my head. Who cares if I can really dance, when there is fabric to play with? LOL!
Kaiser, the beagle is still "on the mend". We are hoping that his hip/leg problem is not permanent and that when the drug that caused his problems gets out of his system, he will improve and can walk right again. Time to turn out the lights and go to bed. Later, friends...........
Sandi

Oh, JOY!

My Wednesday was a better day for me and for Kaiser, our beagle. I started my morning by going to over to our vet and getting a different antibiotic for Kaiser. He slept almost all day - the dog, not the vet, but is still bothered by joint pain and doesn't like going up and down the steps. Kaiser is evidently a very sensitive dog as first it's the allergies, then the skin infection because of the allergies and then the reaction to the meds. He's just wandered in here from a nap and is curling up to take another nap! Ah, the dog's life!

SO what made my Wednesday a better day? This...................

I put the garland and lights along the front porch railing! This may not seem like a big deal but I've had it on my list since last Saturday. The weather has been so nice here that I kept telling myself to get the job done!! So today after lunch, I did just that!! There was bit of sunshine and I didn't even have to wear a coat while I did the job! It's not quite done, though, as I have to get out the bows that I'll add but I'll get to that this weekend.
The day wasn't all good, though, as my mother has decided she just doesn't want to travel right now so I won't be going to get her for Thanksgiving. I was really hoping she would come for a visit. Instead, I'll go down to get her right after Thanksgiving and then go on to Iowa City to my sister's where I'll stay while my mom has surgery.
Surprisingly, my aunt Loretta called from Florida and it's not often she calls. She's moved there permanently so it was nice to chat with her. Our family is now spread far and wide and we don't see each other very often. Sometimes, I really wish it was different but that's not realistic.
I played with my Christmas fabrics in the late afternoon. I stitched up four of the little bags designed by Terry Atkinson for the Cross Country Blog Hop (go here for the project) and they are going to look so cute in the mugs I bought. They're in the dishwasher so photo will come later. Then I cut a ton of charm squares for my blogging friends who commented on my giveaway post last July. I am finally going to finish this project and get their charm squares mailed off before Thanksgiving! You may see your name below...............

AnneMarie was the actual winner but several of you were so committed to commenting daily that I had to make charm packs for all of you. The winning pack will have about 100 charm squares in it and the others will vary. In the picture above, I am only just starting to portion out the stack of charm squares that I've cut. They would be fun to use in a placemat or totebag or something.

Thursday promises to be a day of stitching. We'll see what I accomplish by my next post. :-)

Sandi

One of those days.....

when plans didn't go like I thought they would. Kaiser the Wonder Beagle has not been well today. He is on an antibiotic for a skin infection and was experiencing some side effects. He nearly had a seizure and it scared me but good. Then he was so tired. No more meds for him and hopefully he will be better tomorrow. I was a hovering Doggie Mama today as I was so worried about him. He drives me crazy sometimes but I don't like to see him suffer and be sick.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was at the doctor last week (I went in the morning, took the dog in the afternoon) and that was because I have an inner ear issue and was having some vertigo (had never had that before and that is most interesting - very wierd sensation, to say the least). I'm on an antibiotic, too, but thankfully no side effects. So, today did not go as planned. I really didn't get any sewing done, although, I did cut out a number of Christmas charm squares for my patient blogging friends. I was going to string lights along the porch railing and never got to that. I did finish my Agatha Christie mystery so at least I finished something! Tomorrow, I'll start fresh and perhaps Wednesday will go better. :-)
Sandi

A pillow for my sleepy head...........

I finished the "Bulb-a-licious" project! It's a design by Sandy Gervais that she has shared on the Christmas Blog Hop (you'll find all the details at Gudrun's blog - Gudrun'sWorld). To check out Sandy's blog just click here and you'll be there. I really liked the pattern she offered but almost right away, I knew I'd make it into a pillow instead of a table mat. I used woolfelt for all of the applique pieces and flannel for the border and corded binding. This will go nicely with a couple of other flannel Christmas pillows that I made a few years ago. I'll take a photo of all of them together when I get to that part of my decorating.

This project was fun and very easy to do. I stitched up the applique part while waiting at the doctor's office last week. I changed the design just a bit by adding the words NOEL to the ornament. Once I was home, I had to lay it aside but tonight, I added the border and binding, then the backing and a couple of buttons in the back for closure and it was done!! Next project I'm going to do are some of the little bags by Terry Atkinson so I can make up Christmas mugs for my grandson and niece. I found really cute mugs at Michael's so tomorrow, I'll see what fabrics I can find that will go best with the mugs.

All of the designer's are offering some really fun projects but even more enjoyable are the stories that are being shared. I can't keep up with reading all of them but hope to come back to them later in December when things settle down a bit. Thanks to all of the designer's for sharing so much fun.
Time now for a bit of a read before I go to bed. Got an Agatha Christie novel that is calling my name. :-)
Sandi

And another good Monday morning!

I hope it's a good Monday morning for you. I spent the weekend tidying up a couple bedrooms and my quilty stuff that I had taken to programs in the last two months. Do you ever drag out a lot of stuff and then never quite get it put back where it belongs? Well, everything is back where it belongs except a few things and that will get finished later today!! Feels so good to have the bedrooms all neat and tidy that I just walk in and it makes me smile. :-)

I also spent time this weekend sewing, talking to my mom on the phone, and getting out Christmas decorations. I am going to decorate early (did I already mention this?) because I'll be going to Iowa in early December and no time to decorate then.

So what was I sewing on? I had two projects......one was the project from Sandy Gervais in the Cross Country Christmas Blog Hop. It's almost finished and I'll share a photo of it on Tuesday. The other project was a leaf block for the new BOM that I have begun in my Wooly Buddies Group. Here it is..............if you would like to come along on this project, you will have to join my Wooly Buddies group. Just click the button on my sidebar for the link to Wooly Buddies. I will not be posting the patterns for this series on my blog although I will post my finished blocks here.

I also have another "wooly opportunity" that will begin in January. If you live in or near the Mankato, MN area, you can join me for "Wooly Wednesdays" at Firefly Quilt Shop in Mankato. Owner, Janice, is adding more wools and you'll soon find a whole new display of the goodies that you can enjoy. We'll meet from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. For more info, you can contact Firefly Quilt Shop at 507-344-0441. You can find them on the web at http://www.fireflyquiltshop.com/.

That's all for tonight/this morning. :-)

See you tomorrow!

Sandi

Lucky Day today! It's a Giveaway!

It's been a long time since I've had a giveaway and so I think it's high time I offered one up for my blogging friends. This will be my "400th + post and it's almost Christmas Giveaway!" I hadn't really been paying attention to what number I was up to, until the day before I went to Rosebud's*Cottage for a visit to the new shop location. Actually, I was headed in that direction because I was bringing several dozen cookies to my son and the guys at his work and it was only a few more miles over to Rosebud's. With the cookies delivered, I had lots of time to check out the fabrics and goodies, and then the wool. I had a purpose.........I was on the look-out for a couple of good green wool colors. There they were and now they're here. The more I looked around, the more I saw things I'd like. And then I saw these...........

Neat little notebooks that will make a great place to list your current projects. Then there were the fabrics from Sandy Gervais' Gobble Gobble line. I bought five fat quarters so I can make a tiny sampler quilt. Notice that there are two notebooks and two piles of fabric. One set is for me. The other set is for one of you out there in Blogland. Just leave me a comment on this post and you could be the lucky winner of a notebook and a set of Gobble Gobble Fat Eighths. :-)

There is only one rule for the comments..........this first prize is only for those who have previously visited my blog. Read on if this is the first time you have stopped by............

You've probably heard that saying "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver, the other gold." Well, that applies to blogging friends. Some of you have only recently begun to read my blog, some of you have been reading since I first began and others are just finding me right now as you read this post. So, I have old and new friends and to celebrate that ............

I have two gifts ......... one for an "old friend" and one for a "new friend". Each of these gift bags is filled with three fat quarters of the brightest, cheeriest, star fabric that I have seen in a long time! There might also be something else in the bag but only the winner will get to see that! Just leave a comment on this post and tell me if you are an "old friend" or a "new friend". And yes, the "old friends" will be getting their name in the drawing twice for a chance at the notebooks or these fat quarters. It's kind of a seniority thing but you new bloggers will be "old blogging friends" when I do my next giveaway and that's going to be New Year's Day and a fine one that one will be!

Back to today, though, and one more gift bag. This little red one will be won by someone who has posted to my blog in the last 40 days so somebody is already a winner! Like several other bloggers, I like to reward those who read my ramblings on a fairly regular basis. In the bag you'll find one-half yard of that pretty red fabric and a full yard of the green with gold holly fabric. I figure that there's a tablerunner or something festive in this fabric for some lucky winner.

So when is the drawing date? It will be Tuesday morning November 24th. You may leave comments starting today and through midnight November 23rd. No special requirements for the comments. However.........you must have a link to your e-mail address or blog so that I may contact you if you win. No link, no win.

Happy Friday the 13th. Hope you all have a great day!!

Sandi