SELFISH SEWING

 2012 is ending with a lot of snow in my garden...

and a little bit of selfishness in my heart.

After a year of making quilts and bags for this person

or that charity, making items for blog hops, 
participating in quilt challenges...
and blogging about most of it..

I decided yesterday to make something for 

ME, MYSELF and I...

Normally I would tell you the name of the pattern.

BUT this bag pattern was so poorly written, 
I cannot do that to you nor that beautiful 
head of hair I'm sure you would like to keep!

A Very Merry Christmas...

to all my blogging friends. 

 

However you choose to celebrate this season
I hope you find...

We have a CHARMING winner....

WOW!!!The Quilting Gallery sure knows
how to throw a party.  

I received many wonderful gifts.  

Over 200 comments

and more than 60 new followers!

I read and appreciated every comment you left

and responded to those that I could.

***MANY of you who are leaving comments 

in these give-aways are showing up as

NO REPLY BLOGGER*** 

IF you have a BLOGGER profile all you have to do is

 go into your profile and check the box 

that will allow anyone to see your email address.

...or make sure you email address in typed in your comment.

It's a shame you can't win if we can't reach you!!!

The winner of my 100 Charm Pack

is....ANITA from "The Other Side of Me" Blog

and she said....

1. AnitaDecember 10, 2012 11:33 AM   
2. I'll follow. =) Thanks for a lovely giveaway.

Anita, thanks becoming a new follower.

I can't wait to see what Kwilty Pleasures 

you will create of of the 100 charms.  

I have sent you an email to get your mailing address.   

Decking my Halls - Take it outside!

Day 12

It's all decked up on 12-12-12!!!

"Decking My Halls"

WOW these 12 days have flown by. 

And here we are with coat, hat and mittens 

to see some ideas for decking your outside.

Like many people, we did the white icicle lights

for many years. 

However, nothing takes me back to being a kid

like multi-color lights.  I still enjoy

when I see a house gone "rouge"

and light up the night sky with colors!

At the risk of my hubby falling off the roof...

we decided just to forget the roof line and just

hang white light wreaths with red bows.

Safe is also beautiful. 

I really enjoy decorating the front porch and use real greenery

for the most part. This birdcage stays on my front porch all year...

just swap out what I put in and around it.

Perfect little Norway Spruce- a gift from an out-of-town friend.
Brightens up a corner of the front porch.

Don't forget to use your hanging basket frames
during the holidays.
This one is beautiful in the summer fill with  
dragon wing begonias, but....
Greenery and a HUGE ornament
give it the seasonal feel!

Mailbox is ready for all those Christmas cards 

seldom sent these days.  : (

I like to see the my back yard decked out as well.  

Especially the views from my kitchen window

and doors.

So I begin with a heated birdbath and feeders

Add some greenery and bows.

Then comes the snow and sometimes I leave a

real tree up for the entire winter so the birds

can find some shelter. 

My back yard is a "certified wild life habitat".

I leave the wrought iron table and chairs out all winter. 
My concrete bunnies have a place to hang out...

just waiting for spring!

Here they sit, in a combination of greenery, pine cones

and an artificial wreath and some twigs. 

I love real greenery and red bows in the landscape.  

So pretty when it snows.

My pergola sits in the corner of the back yard
I have used white icicle lights on it but 
I really enjoy this simplicity of greenery and red bow.

Don't forget your front door.  
A metal ornamental piece with greenery looks nice!
Think outside the basic "wreath" !

Got an old pair of ice skates and a basket of pinecones?
Simple...yet it reflects the winter season.

And finally, a batik Christmas tree quilt to cap off this post!

 "Wine Country Christmas"

This pattern is called "Side Lights" 

and perfect for a focus fabric.

I hope you have enjoyed and been inspired with 

"12 Days of Decking My Halls"

Thanks for sharing some time with me

in my Holiday home during

my favorite time of year !

It has been been filled with all my Kwilty Pleasures! 

Merry Christmas!

Decking my Halls - with the unexpected!

Day 11

"Decking My Halls"

I love faerie gardens, have several in my garden.

I have given presentations to garden clubs on 

faerie gardens and how to "make" items the fairies need 

vs. paying the high retail prices at the garden centers.

ah ha moment...something to blog about come spring time!

Garden Fairies come in to play during the holidays.

A "pencil" tree is perfect for this corner!

The tree is covered with Fairies and butterflies!

Before the pencil tree I brought in a birdbath
 and garden obelisks for the fairies.  
I hung white lights and some large ornaments
down inside the obelisks.
Fairies danced around the outside.

and played in the potpourri that filled the birdbath.

Yep, very unexpected!

but oh so perfect for a "Winter Garden " theme!

Here, a small tree glams up a bathroom

and serves as a night light.

I leave these little trees decorated and store

with a plastic bag over them.  Just fluff next year.

And EVERY quilter should have a Sewing tree.  

Some scrappy garland and antique sewing items that belonged to Geraldine Gordon, my husbands mother. 
The picture of the bride and groom is Phil and me
13 years ago....of course we have not aged a bit. (wink)

The next tree remains up ALL year long in 

The BagPipes Inn (our basement bar).  

It's the Ohio State Buckeyes Tree with 
lots of fun items I have collected over the years!

Here's a table topper quilt with a little twist-er on Christmas

Tomorrow, put on your coat and mittens...we are going outside.

Today, please tell me if you have a theme tree you decorate for your Holiday Home?

Decking My Halls in The Great Room

Day 10

"Decking My Halls"

The great room is a favorite place to enjoy the Holidays.

The main tree has 1200 pre-lit branches and weighs a ton.  
Because of that I decided 2011 would be the last year 
as my hubby and I lugged this beauty to its place of honor.
It was almost like wrestling a grizzly bear!

The mantle is always a focal point for me.

Simple candle sticks in copper and lime green, white lights

and simple sparkly picks.

This tree took ALL DAY to decorate.
I used many large picks, ribbons and hundreds of ornaments.  
She now sits in someone else's home
but I still have all the ornaments.

This Turning Twenty Again pattern is full of
autumn batiks but fits right into my
Great Room for a cozy Christmas!

Two more days of Decking my Halls, 
I hope you will  "Jingle all the Way" with me. 
 I have some  other trees to show you and
decorating ideas I've used throughout the years

PLUS some outside decorating ideas! 
Yep...I go there! 

Quilting Gallery Birthday - Blog Hop Giveaway!

Happy 5th Birthday Quilting Gallery!!!

Thanks for hopping by to visit my blog
 and help me celebrate
the 5th birthday of the Quilting Gallery!

I just love a birthday party...

especially when it's not MINE! (wink).

There are a 150 blogs participating in
this blog hop and if you want to visit them
 just click here

But before you do anything, 

please take a minute to look at my blog.

See what I have been up to 
my first year of blogging.  

I realize, there are a gazillion blogs you can follow... 

I would LOVE to have you 

So, that being said...the "present" 

I'm bringing to the party as my giveaway 

is a package of 100, 5" charms (yep 100)

Some fabrics are repeated, all are 100% cotton 

by Cranston Village.

This contest is closed. The winner has been notified.

Decking My Halls with bird cages

Day 9

"Decking My Halls"

Have you figured out that I have a fondness for birds?

I had a bird cage theme in my Great Room 

 for a couple years "before" 

I saw bird cages on designer trees!

Copper and lime green are two of my favorite colors

and work perfectly in the great room.

I collected a bunch of small bird cages from yard sales, 

craft stores, thrift stores, then spray painted all 

with copper glittery paint and filled them full 

of lime and copper ornaments and beads.

Wired them into the tree for security.

The mantle carried over the theme with a couple 

copper trees (stuffed with white lights) and greenery

The I stuffed a bird cage full of ornaments and

a glittery swag on top of the cage to "top" it off.

Notice the mantle quilt...

The table runner matches the mantle quilt.

Brought the same copper and green

 into the candle centerpiece sitting on 

an old antique mirror used as a tray.

A real bird cage and holder found a place 

between the tree and mantle and carried those

same colors across that corner. 

Sprayed it with copper paint and filled with

ornaments, beads and white lights

Later the bird got out and sat on TOP of the cage.

Fun and unexpected!

Another year, a different mantel vignette but 

same bird cage theme.

Pretty easy to change the theme up a little

and give it a different look and feel. 

I recommend placing fabric

or something on the mantle, before decorating, 

to protect the wood mantle from scratches.

And here is the lap quilt that matches 

the mantle quilt and table runner.

What has been your favorite "theme"

 in my decked out halls so far?     

Decking My Halls with another fun bird!

Day 8

"Decking My Halls"

A "partridge" landed in my Dining room a couple years ago and I found him on fabric that I had to make into a quilt.

Look closely.  The border fabric makes up 

all the kaleidoscope patterns.

My One Block Wonder - A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The quilt becomes the dining room table cover
for the winter season.

I decorate this room in early November 
and leave it up til February.

The centerpiece is made from thrift store finds

and I re purposed flowers my December wedding bouquet. 

Additional candle sticks set it off.

 White lights and greenery on the china cabinet 
serve as a wonderful night light. 
Brown peacock feather soften the look, glittered pears

and silk ribbon provide even more sparkle. 

A side board provides a place for more greenery and birds!

How do you decorate your dining room?