Just a bit of decorating.........

Last Wednesday the Guild was here for a pot luck luncheon..............I surely did enjoy having everyone.......

Mama's Creche on the table in the dining room..........

Three candles on the sewing table..............

A red ribbon on the sewing box........

Charlie Brown tree at the end of the hall...........

Snowman quilt from the last Fons and Porter Love of Quilting book..............

Dish of peppermints........

The antique desk decorated for the season............

The Quilt cabinet all decked out........ the green tree on the right of the middle shelf is from my dear sister and
white one of top is from Happy's.............

Coffee table to remind us of our reason for celebration.............

Little singing angels from Jean and Bill last year..........

And my wee tree...............

The stairway all decorated..........

Baking results from the day........  I did frost the cake later......

A bit of red in a collection of bottles.......

Small table in the hallway...............

No it is not done yet..........  I still have a few things to put up.....................

Design Wall Monday

TA DA Here it is...........This is my guild challenge...............  On Wednesday my guild will have their Christmas Party here...........  Rebekah and I have been decorating and decorating and decorating......

Tomorrow we do the final clean and the luncheon is on Wednesday................

I found this quilt pattern HERE.....................

Last week I re-discovered it while looking for something else............While upstairs getting decorations I also found my box of fat quarters and then the penny dropped.................No it isn't the loveliest quilt BUT.....  Those were fat quarters just languishing in a box and it only took nine of them and I put this top together by sewing for 10 minutes a day for a week..........  There is enough left for a pieced binding......I can use it to  practice machine quilting........  A great all around utility quilt..........

Check out Patchwork Times for more eye candy and great ideas..............HERE

Update

Rebekah is with us now while she continues to heal..........  It was good to have Daisy and TJ with us as we got to know them better and they have bonded with Wade much more.

Here they are.........  You can see that TJ is still on guard.  After all Rebekah might need protecting from something.......

Now when we let them out Daisy heads for the little strip of woods across the street...........  Wade Hamilton ambles along behind...........  Sunday while she was chasing a squirrel Wade found something in the ditch that he had to rub his face in............  The picture does not do it justice.......  And he smelled..........

This is what happens to dogs that roll in smelly things their owners don't like.........

Design Wall Monday

On Monday morning Judy at Patchwork Times hosts Design Wall Monday......HERE

Sometimes I too have something on the design wall that hasn't been there for months......

I always look around to see what others are doing............  That is what gets you into trouble..........

Patricia at Dogwood Rambles posted about placemats that she had made one Monday.  You can find her post  HERE.....

I was lured by the idea of four placemats from four fat quarters......... I then went upstairs in search of fabric...

I found two fats and two pieces of yardage that I likes..........  Came down stairs and the fun began.........

Since I was using yardage for two fabrics I was able to make a candle mat to match and four coasters........

That led to four hemstitched napkins......

That led to a call to my sister asking her to buy four fat quarters for her own placemats.....  Stitched them together and back upstairs to look for yardage for the backing and binding........  Found a piece with enough fabric for the binding and four matching napkins.......

While that was going on in the studio I was stitching this cute little item from an old Love of Quilting magazine I happened to pick up........This was in the May/June issue of 2012........

I have also knit three of those easy fluffy scarves and half finished the left front of Jean's sweater..........

Check out Patchwork Times today and see what you can find...........

Update

I haven't just been sitting around.............  I finally finished the six receiving blankets and thirteen burp pads for Amanda..........  Just a few more baby things to make and I will have that project complete.  Considering that I bought that fabric in July I should be done by now but I am not...............

I gathered up the fall flowers in the attic and took them to Donna........  She made a lovely arrangement for my table................  I need to get some candles in fall colors but have not been to the shops lately.....

Rebekah is still in Rehab but should be home soon........  She will come here for a couple of weeks before she goes home...........  Daisy and TJ sit there with an eye on the door she exited.........  We spend every afternoon visiting her except for the days that Lem has Dr. appointments.......Then one of our neighbors goes to see her......   I would say that after she gets well things will get back to normal but I am not really sure what normal is..................

Design Wall Monday

At last I have something new on the design wall...........  Georgina had not found time to make the quilt top for her grandson so I took the fabric and made it for her.........  Good friends are hard to find so I wanted to do something special for her............

And what every quilt needs is a pillowcase to match.............

Now that that is complete I might even finish the top that has been on the design wall for weeks.........VBG

Head over to Patchwork Times and see what else is going on......... HERE

On the Needles Friday

At last something on the needles other than scarves and hats and socks............  Something with a challenge.....

Last year my sister asked for a green cardigan.........  I found a pattern, ordered the yarn and put it to one side till I got a few other things done......

Now I have begun and I am enjoying this more than you can imagine............  Once you get the pattern established it is a dream to knit...............

Go to Patchwork times to see what other challenges are happening around the world..........HERE

Every thing should have a home.......

and go there at the end of each day..................

I reorganized the studio to make it more workable..........  The rule is to limit the number of projects I can have ongoing at any one time..........  LOL..............

Several years ago (about 8) Lem got me a Cannon Power Shot camera..........  It came with a case, an extra battery, a battery charger and an extra card..............  I kept the charger and extra battery and card in the case...........  It usually hung from the door knob in the studio..........  During the reorganization it has gone on walk about.............  I have spent the better part of two days looking for it..........  I have had two sleepless nights trying to remember where it could be.............


If only I had put it where it lived after the last use............  I would not be looking for it now......  Such a simple concept but not one I seem to be able to follow...........  Therefore I spend part of my life looking for just where I put something down last..........  The upside of this that while looking for the offender I often find something else that I had forgotten I had.............   Perhaps that isn't such a bad thing........



I should locate it some time today because I finally gave up and ordered another charger and two more battery packs.........  The batteries I had were needing to be charged more often so perhaps that isn't a bad thing.................


The last three pictures I was able to take were of a few finishes and one new start..........Yes, I do know that was against the rule but they are my rules and I can ignore them..............

I finished three more fluffy scarves.........  All for friends.................

I finished eight Christmas Tree napkins..........  Such fun they were to make..........  The link to the instructions are HERE

The next finish was a candle mat..............I made this model and 24 kits........... Each kit had the pattern and the four white sections with the embroidery all ready done...............  I do love my guild and I enjoy sharing...

It was also good to get away from the house for a few hours..............

The pattern for this quick and easy to make gift can be found HERE..........

 

Oh and another thing...........  Stopped by to see Georgina and found that she needed a little momentum in getting this Streak of Sunshine quilt off the ground........I got it cut out and started putting it together.......

She will add the borders and finish it...............

The New and Improved Studio

I have been unhappy with the studio for some time.......  It seemed to be a gathering place for whatever I did not want to find a home for now...........  When I wanted to sew I had to spend a day clearing it up to make room for the next impulse....................

This is the door into the room from the room side........  As you can see there are three projects hanging on the door alone.....  To the right is a pocket organizer with a dozen or more things I want to do NEXT.......

This is the chair that got the whole thing started......  A comfortable chair to sit in while I take out seams I sewed in wrong..........  Or whatever I want to sit to do.......  Yes, those are the closet doors to the right..... 

Behind those doors reside enough to keep me busy till the end of 2014............  Not that I will finish any of them any time soon..............

I removed the eight foot table I was using for a cutting table.........  By putting my spool cabinet on a stool I was able to use it for a table..........All the things that were on the cutting board are now on that funky bookcase I purchased at auction last month..........

The sewing machines sit in the corner and I can put the one I am using on the table while the other wait their turn.

Design wall still there........

The six foot table was under the picture........  It has been replaced with the bureau that was replaced by the chair.............  That bureau contains enough to keep me busy till 2015..........

The six foot table went into the center of the room with my three drawer units below..........  This is a perfect cutting area..........

I can sew and watch the lake or cut out and watch the lake.........

This basket contains the flannel for the upcoming project...........

The last two of Georgina's blankets turned and ready to press and topstitch..........

On top of the three drawer organizers are projects that have precedent. 
The tray with the items needed to make knitted beaded tassels......

Materials for making the Christmons............

The latest BOM from Temecula Quilt Co.

Flannel for the burp pads............

The material for Emma's Quilt............

The scraps for the current Leader/Ender project

The fabric selected for the Temecula bow tie challenge...........

Now that the room is ready lets get some sewing done..................