Happy 2012!

Just popping in to say Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a peaceful (and pieceful) holiday season.

I'm enjoying a bit of a blog break while my birds are in the nest.  I look forward to catching up with all my blog friends and seeing what you are all up to.

My latest quilt was for my son's best friend, John.  He was surprised and thrilled.

Based on the photo, the size fits him perfectly.

My pal, Mary, popped over on Christmas Eve for our traditional fruit cake snack and champagne toast.  It was so great to see her and catch up.

I was welcomed home from Illinois by my blooming amaryllis.  It's a beautiful pink!  Thank you E for the lovely gift, it was well worth the wait.

This morning there were even more blooms.  It is a double, which means I'll have 8 blossoms.  What a lovely way to start out the year.

So now I'm wondering when the elves will come and pack christmas away.....good thing there is still a bottle of bubbly in the fridge to help me with the job this weekend :)

I'm working on my new long term applique project (not the Hawaiian as planned) and look forward to sharing it in my next post.

Happy New Year Sewing to you all.

We Need A Little Christmas

Holiday Greetings!

I know how busy I've been, so I can imagine how busy all my friends are too.  I hope you finding a little down time to enjoy the season.

Just popping in with a Christmas post before signing off for the year.

Last year I went on a Christmas tour (click here  if you want to see over the top christmas collecting!) and was inspired to start my own White House Historical ornament tree.

This began in 1981 and each ornament comes in a beautiful box with a booklet telling the story of the ornaments historical significance.  Here is this years:

I've replaced the ribbons with these Christopher Radko gold hangers.

Here is a daytime shot

and a night time shot

and two of my favorites, The Madison's and my man, Abe.

It's been so fun to collect these (thanks ebay!)  I have only 3 more to go.

Here is my sewing room tree, with vintage red and pink ornaments and Janet's (Quiltsalott) doll quilt swap:

The cupcake group got together for food, games and presents.  I won LCR again - lucky me!

We actually had sing during this game.  so funny.

Susan and her husband make a beautiful wooden gifts each year.  The white mice collection has grown to 4, aren't they wonderful?

Jill made this beautiful hand quilting sewing kit:

Pre-threaded quilting needles all ready to go.

What a nice surprise!  Sujata (The Root Connection) sent these wonderful mug rugs.

Believe me, it's no accident that coco matches the new FR furniture!

I'll leave you with a couple shots of my Dickens' Village.  I placed tiny lights underneath this year and it's a magical effect.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas filled with laughter and cheer.  I hope that the New Year is filled with comfort and joy.

I'll be heading out for the farm and will be back in January to share a new year long project that I've started.

Elfing Around

Greetings!
I've been busy with all the usual holiday stuff, but I finished my gift quilt and wanted to share it.

I used Jay McCarroll fabric and pieced the back, and pieced the batting, and made a scrap binding.  Waste not, want not.

For the quilting, I stabilized the block then added the wavy lines and also quilted the circle centers.

How wonky is that?  So funny.  The large print was not really on grain, so the whole back got thrown off.  I'm okay with it.

No peeking until Christmas.....

I really liked these colors and thought they were an unusual combo, until one day while looking at my inspiration board I saw all of these.  They are of similar color combinations.

I've finished 2 more stars -

What a nice model.  Thanks Coco.  She'll be turning 2 on  Christmas Day.  What a good girl she's turned out to be.

I'm prepping a couple of more.  I'll be making 12 in all.

And finally, I'm having twins!  I received this amaryllis as a hostess gift and it was asleep so long, I thought it would never get going.  I'll post what color it is when it blooms.

Kids are coming home tonight!  Hope you are having fun with your family and friends during this season.

Going Hawaiian!!

Happy Tuesday!

My friend, Sujata, of The Root Connection guessed right!  Go check out her wonderful Christmas quilt.

I'm using a chocolate brown background for my red Hawaiian quilt.  Here is my small sample that I finished.

I treated myself to a Bella Solids fabric swatch card from Anna of Thimbleanna.  She always has something fun going on.

I can really see what the solids look like.  It is just too hard for me on the computer.

I was really able to study the reds and browns.

I also decided to do a little inventory of my solids.  Well, I guess I don't have to buy red for a while, lol.  Or cheddar for that matter.

It was so fun reading what my readers and friends guessed for the red applique' that I decided to do a little comparative test. I just used a raw edge cut out of the little sample and changed the backgrounds.  It's been dreary here, so I had to use indoor light, not the best, but you get the idea.

Green was guessed by Karen, Dawn, Mayleen and Rachael.

Purple was suggested by Karen and Maureen.

Orange was guessed by Kate, Meredith and Sandra - you ladies know me too well!

White was popular with Lori, Karen & Anna.  Sorry it's fuzzy, it did not want to photograph, it kept coming out almost black.

Rachael guessed this - she is a hoot!!

Blue was Janet's pick.

Yellow/Gold/Cheddar was guessed by Kelly, Terry, Donna & Regan.

Quilt Sue guessed black.

Fuchsia/Hot Pink was guessed by Jan and Never Bored.

Lime Green/chartreuse was suggested by Linda and Jan.

(sorry Shirl, I didn't have turquoise).

This was so fun to study.  It is interesting how the value of the red changes when you change the background.

I think this would make a great quilt, actually.

Thanks for playing with me it was Fun!

New Beginnings

I've started 3 new projects and I'm sharing them here today.

First, a special Christmas gift for a dear friend of the family.
Can't tell you who it is yet as it is a secret....ssshhhh

Here are the blocks.  They are a simple square in a square.  These are Jay McCarroll's fabrics.  You remember he was the first winner of Project Runway.

Here is the layout in progress.  I just finished the top and will share it next time - I love these colors for a man.

Here are stars that I'm english paper piecing.  I was inspired by an antique quilt I saw at the New England quilt museum.

I have one more finished, and another started.   They are addictive!

I'm trying to push myself to use interesting colors and patterns.  I'm always so inspired by the women in Australia and they inspired my color choices.

And finally, a first look at half of my Hawaiian quilt project.

The clover white pen worked great on this!  It's very fine and removes with the iron.   This is a test block which I'll probably make into a doll quilt.

I will send a surprise to the first person who can guess correctly what other color fabric I'm using for my Hawaiian.

I'm hoping to Deck the Halls this weekend and do a little sewing too.

Have fun!