Valentine's Day and My Birthday...

Hey there, everyone!

Today is Valentine's Day.  Do you do special things with/for your loved ones?  I made a primitive stuffed heart for me Mum to hang from a lamp in her room at the nursing home.  I forgot to take a photo...but will get one taken next time I visit.

My sister's first wedding was on Valentine's Day.  We bridesmaids wore red velvet dresses...very elegant.  

Friday is my birthday.  How do I feel about that?  Well, I love my birthday.  Perhaps not as much now as I did when I was younger.  Still, though...it has always been a very special day for me. I remember one year, when I was old enough to know better (probably about to be 8 years old), I became very upset because my Dad had to go to work.  On my birthday!!!  Could not understand that.  And, I LOVE gifts...I feel as if everyone in the world should (want to) give me a gift.  Not even kidding.  Well, perhaps a little bit. 

At any rate, on this upcoming Saturday, we will have a small party over at the nursing home with Mom.  We will eat angel food cake...yum!  It is my favorite cake.  Forever and always.  For years, and before I moved to Madison, I served angel food cake (with that fluffy, sticky white frosting - remember?) at my birthday party.  I always asked my Godmother/Aunt Bev to cut the cake for me...and she always obliged.  It was way less messy with her doing the cake cutting.  That is a memory that makes me smile.

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As usual, I have some finishes to show you.   

A tote bag for myself...made with Ellen DeGeneres fabric & black oilcloth.
On the inside, a zipper pocket and 3 open pockets.

I took part in a plus quilt quiltalong on Instagram...
I have a total of 36 blocks, measuring 10.5"...
waiting to be put together into a quilt top.

Just last week, I joined the #sewingavillage party over on Instagram.

Got a bunch of snow last weekend...all gone now, though.  whew.

And, I have several items on my list that I need to plan.  A few quilts for family members, 3 tote bags, several napkins, Kleenex cozies, etc.  I am hoping that Brenis will come to visit soon.  I need her help in getting a good start with one of the quilts.  

Hope you're having a lovely Happy Valentine's Day!!!


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Almost...

Believe it or not, I am almost done showing these.  Not sure why I think you need to see every single napkin I sew!  haha.

 

 

 

And, another Christmas apron...

I sewed a few more sets tonight...will show them tomorrow.  And, that will be it!  

We got snow today.  

I'm not sure what Tag is looking for...

It's almost Christmas.  Finally!


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Day...

 Snowing today...

total of 6-10 inches predicted. 

Happy I don't have anywhere 

I need to be.

One more Christmas gift to make...

then to wrap gifts.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Christmas!

huh?

It's April 14, for pete's sake.

But, okay.

The temperature will rise...

and the snow will melt.

It's supposed to be in the forties

and fifties this week...

and then into the 60's next week.

So.

It will eventually get warm

and the grass will green up

and the trees will have leaves

and the bugs will come out

and we will complain

about the heat.

~sigh~

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Tag and Kisa were bored last night.

Me?

I was watching Season 4 of 'Burn Notice'.

And, hand stitching the hems

on the running stitch scarf

...taking itty-bitty stitches so that it

looked nice on the right side.

 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

A Very White...and Handmade Christmas...

It's been over a week...I am falling down on the job, here!

My only excuse is that I have been trying to get all my Christmas gifts done and out the door to their recipients.  Almost made it...a few will be getting their gifts late.  I did my best...what's a girl to do?

Two of my grandkids have birthdays close to this time of year...Jasmine in early December and Conlan in early January.  I made separate gifts for the birthdays, too...YAY!!

Did you hear about the snow we got on Thursday?  Over 14 inches...I had two days off work...snow days.  Shoveling out my car so the plow could get the parking lot done was a challenge in and of itself.  But, with help from neighbors, it got done and all is good.  Except, I twisted my knee and have been hobbling around.  Good thing sewing doesn't take much but sitting.

The excitement is building!  Once I get another gift done and finish packaging everything to go into the mail, I will be ready to work on a few major projects!  And, I'll have a 4 day weekend next weekend, so am hoping to get a good start on at least one of them.  I will be resuming work on 'snow days'...need to make the fabric blocks, finish the stitching that extends onto those blocks and get it all put together.  Still some months to go before it's done...hoping to finish getting it all put together by spring.  The other project is the one from my dear long-distance friend, Lindy, of The Gingerbread House...a gift for my birthday last February!  The fabric collection is Curio.  I will be making this quilt...

So.  A handmade Christmas.  I had fun but would have had more fun making everything had I started earlier.  Course, I blame that on my move.  All's well that ends well, though.  Hey?  So...here are photos of most of the gifts.  I neglected to take photos of everything...how did that happen?   

I made several more of these...cannot find the photos.

I made about a thousand of these washcloths (yes, I know...many call these dishcloths, but I use them - and give them - as face or wash cloths )in various colors and patterns.  Okay.  Perhaps I only made about 2 dozen of them.  Some were with a design...birthday cake, Christmas tree ornament, football helmet and sun.  Those were fun to do and so easy...these are the best thing to work on before I leave for work and while watching tv.  Free patterns found here...

And, then.  Yesterday, sister Jill complained that 2 of the kleenex cozies she got earlier this year were plain.  Huh?  So, I made 2 more for her.  I think she will not call these plain.  What do you think?  ~grin~

 

And, then...just for the heck of it, I put together this little pouch for her.  Different than the ones I made for others...just something for cell phone, mp3 player...whatever she wants.  She has no idea I did this...and since she never reads my blog (shame on you, sister!) I feel safe in showing it to you, my bloggy friends.

So, a very handmade Christmas...pillowcases, zippered pouches, face/washcloths, linen napkins (no photo) and a small quilt (no photo).

Oh...and I made a little dopp bag...well, it is actually called a boxy pouch.  Oh dear...I have no idea where I found the tutorial. 

I am sure that I neglected to mention/show something.  But, you get the general idea, right?  

Have I mentioned how much I love my Naomi Janome?  She is very dependable and does whatever I ask.

And, what, pray tell, was the brown boy doing while I was doing all of this sewing and knitting?  

This...

And this...

And more of that 'just laying around' thing.  What can one expect?  ~grin~  

I will be having a very quiet Christmas, but I am okay with that.  What are your plans?

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

 
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Let It Snow...

NOT!

It's warm outside, so I am hoping that this snow will not stay around long...right now it's slushy, is all.

What a smart brown dog Tag is...it's snowing outside, so he is playing with his snowman toy!  ~grin~

I've been sewing on Christmas gifts...here are 3 of the zippered bags I've made thus far...more to do.  The pattern I used is Terry Atkinson's.  I was planning to add embellishments, but didn't.  At least, not yet.

And, the last thing I have to show you is this small Christmas quilt that I put together a few weeks ago.  I used fabric scraps of Jovial by Basic Grey for Moda.  I first used that fabric to make this table topper last year.  This one is quilted with loopy-loops...kinda reminiscent of tree lights, don't you think? 

  
And, that is about all I have for today!  If I get busy, I should have much more to show you by next weekend. 

Have a great Sunday!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Knitting. Really???

So.  You all remember my post about knitting socks, right?  (click here to refresh your memory)

Well, I told me Mum the story.  She is, after all, the queen of all knitting.  Have I mentioned that before?  She is the one everyone goes to for help with their knitting.  

She, being the queen of knitting, said to me, "I'm going to send you something!"  Know what she sent?  Apparently, she took a class on knitting socks many years ago and never finished the pair.  So, that's what I got...one completed sock...   

 

along with yarn, needles and pattern to complete the other one.  I had to laugh.  I mean, really.  How does she know I can even do this?  She told me she has faith in me...that knitting is like riding a bike.  


I suppose she could be right.  I should try to find photos of what I've made before.  Anyway...we shall see if she is right or not!

We are finally getting some snow.  From temps in the upper 40's yesterday to low 20's today...along with 3-5 inches of snow.  

It took me a long time to get home from work.  If the snow continues, tomorrow may turn out to be a snow day! 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Day...Again.

Not complainin', mind you.

Even went out in the freshly-fallen snow

to get additional photos to show you this...

S*U*N*K*I*S*S*E*D... 
the sample quilt for

Saving Thyme Quilt Shop.

(click on the photos to enlarge images)

And, more photos to better see 

prints/colors...so soft and sweet!

The scoop:

Sunkissed fabric by Sweetwater for Moda

(as if you didn't know)

Perfect Ten pattern by Swirly Girls

Started on February 20,

finished on March 9.

Size after laundering 57 x 68 inches.

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Progress on Snow Days block one...

Trying to decide if I should

cut into my fabric, make the blocks

and piece this entire section...

or just move on with more stitching.  

In any case, I'll need to trace out

block two in the next day or so.

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Nothing else going on.

Car is still broken.

Hate depending on others for rides.

Hope you're having a good day!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Winter Wonder?land...

Not sure if I've said this here before,

but I really do not like winter.

Snow.

Cold.

ugh.

Although, I must say, it can be pretty.

That is all I can say about it.

Doesn't look like we got much in this photo.

(You can still see the grass poking through.)

However, to my right, there are 3 foot drifts.

I am ignoring them.

Getting colder, now.

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I started/finished a custom order this weekend

for a carry cot.

I think it's darling.

Several pieces to this...

carrycot,

pillow & pillowcase,

mattress,

quilt
(I usually make a sheet, but did a little quilt this time).

Still have many Christmas gifts to sew.

Time is running out...

YIKES!

 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Snow Day...

I am taking full advantage of the snow day

and getting caught up on my sewing.

All the sewing I did for Christmas

gifts really threw me off my schedule.

For my Bee Addicted 3 Swap,

November was Katrina's month...

she asked for 15 1/2" wonky quarter log cabin blocks

& sent 2 colors for us to use.

These are so much fun to do.

We skipped December, thank goodness.

January is Jenny's month.

She asked for modern blocks...

I got 5 out of the fabric she sent.

Love this fabric! 

Pretty happy with the blocks, too.

Must go...more to sew!

Sick of Snow and Just Plain Sick.

So.  We had snow this week...over a foot of it!  That is a lot of snow!!  State offices actually closed down on Wednesday...a first in forever, I think.  Didn't take any photos...sick of snow already. 

I took full advantage of being home and worked on projects on my christmas gift to-do list...made some good progress!  No photos until after they've been received.   

Then, sickness struck.  ugh.  Better today.

But, the biggest thing (to me, anyway) is that my computer is having problems and is very slow and it takes forever to load up anything.  I've not been on here, much.  I am in the process of getting it taken care of.

I'll be back soon.