God Jul!

Ta-Da!  Happy Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year.

God Jul Quilt for Rich - 2016

This is my modern version of a Christmas Quilt.   It is for my Danish husband, Rich.  This is our 31st Christmas together and we love celebrating the season.

It was a very dark day here in CT.  I'm in my cocnigto costume to hide bad hair and no makeup and not being dressed at 1:30pm - ha ha

 The back could not be plainer to keep with the modern theme of the quilt.

 One of my favorite features is the blueberry binding.  Thank you Hanna for being the photographer today.

 I made the quilt in exactly 2 weeks from design to binding.  I entered it in QuiltCon and was rejected.   Oh well, Rich loves it anyway and so do I.

coco had a great time without her collar running all around our big rock in the front.  We had a hard time getting back inside.

I wish you a wonderful Winter Season and God Jul!

xo

Santas Workshop

Hello Out There!  This is sadly a no-sew post.  We've been busy with other Christmassy stuff as I'm sure you are too.

The 2016 Craft Project was........Shower Tabs to Steam Away Colds.  Everyone pretty much guessed bath salts which was close.

They were fun to make and smell wonderful.

Giveaway Winners: Alicia B (even though she commented on FB and not officially here and cause we're friends).  I also picked at random from those who guessed bath salts or bombs and Janet O was the winner!  Send me your home addresses and santa will bring them your way.

I made my own labels with Avery.  Did you know that you can print your own at home through their website? they have a gazillion designs.  So easy!

 And here they are ready for gifting.

I love setting up crafting stations here in the DR.  Hanna is busy assembling our guild favors.

 We decided a little "treat" was more fun this year than the same old recycled FQs.

While ordering Christmas Stamps I saw this on the USPS website and all I could say is "Merry Christmas Barb".  

 This came as is, fully framed, for $39. with the newly minted stamps.  I just love it!

 It was released the day before my Birthday last year.  How fun.

 I've hung it in the "Hall of Presidents"  which I need to do a post on.  You can see some of my collections of  Lincoln here.

I found a vintage tablecloth at the antique mall.  These are almost always card table size and imagine they were used for bridge parties or bunko.

Here is a video of the windowsill Hanna and I arranged in our kitchen.  We wanted a theme that would work through February.  We bought almost everything at the Dollar Store and most of it is Plastic but I think it looks like a million bucks......ha ha....get it?

Hope you are enjoying all the sights, smells and sounds of the Holiday season.   

I'll be back soon to share a Christmas quilt that I made start to finish in 2 weeks.  

xo

Busy as an Elf

It is that time of year; busy busy busy.

I popped my Whoovile quilt onto the back door and I love seeing it as I take out the trash or leave the house.

My indoor Christmas plants are doing very well.

This morning I started Paper Whites.

After last years Decorating Blow Out for our party, this year I'm scaling back.  I am, however, putting out my ceramic trees in the Living Room.  I need to find the star topper for this one.

Hanna and I have planned a special winter display for the kitchen sill.    I decorate it several times a year.  The theme is Silver and Gold.  The Dollar store was a treasure trove.

We also visited the local antique mall and I found these wonderful vintage ornaments.

Thank you TJMaxx for having stemless Spode wine glasses.  Perfect to use while decorating and wrapping gifts :)   I also picked up the pretty foiled glass candle sleeve for.......wait for it........$3.99.  As Hanna said "how??"

We are planning a making a new crafty little gift this year.  If you are the first to guess what it is, we'll send you some.

I was supposed to have a special house guest this week from NJ so I planned a nice Pot Roast dinner.  She had to cancel so we had to eat it all ourselves.  Sorry Susan McD!

I posted this on IG and received many comments.  If you want to make it I used this recipe from Pioneer Woman.  The only things I changed were, adding turnips and baking it in the oven for 4 hours on 275 degrees.

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm sure you are busy busy busy too
xo

Gobble Gobble 2016

Happy Thanksgiving from Connecticut!

I'm so grateful for so many things.  One of them is the friends I have made through this blog.  So many people have left Bloglandia and I'm grateful for those who still read and leave encouraging comments.

Here is a small Thanksgiving Quilt that I made in 2002.

I must have felt I had all the time in the world, because it is heavily hand quilted.

 It is a combination of commercial patterns and my own design.

 I'm always proud of myself when I've labeled a quilt.

**News Flash**
If you have a metal fire door leading to your garage, all you  need is a couple of strong magnets to hang quilts.  It only took me THREE YEARS to figure that one out!  ouch!

I have collected Antique Thanksgiving Postcards over the years.  My collecting rule:  it has to have a Turkey.

It is fun to read the messages and see the penny stamps.  I guess someone "collected" one of  the stamps.

Here is my collection of Pilgrims.  I've had fun finding them over the years.  The chubby S&P couple in the front was from my dear friend, Jill.

Here is my favorite.  Native Americans are definitely under represented which is ironic since they are the first and true Americans.

And here is my final and kitschy collection.  My stuffed turkeys and pheasant.  Some made by me, some picked up at boutiques and some gifted.  I know they are weird, but I really love them.

I'm so grateful this year because we will all be here this year for the big Day.

Thank you again for reading and letting me share my creative life with you.
xo

Aaaahhhh-mish Country

AAahhh, if you have ever visited Lancaster County you know what a treat it is.   I think of it as Quilt Mecca.

I just adore seeing the horse drawn buggies.  I am very respectful of the Amish tradition of NOT being photographed, but I don't think their horses mind.

I had a wonderful shopping and friend day with Kelly (Pinkadot) and Cheryl (Cheryl Lynch Quilts) and Stephanie.  I wish she would jump into the blogging world, hint hint.

 I was in fabric heaven at the Old Country Store.  We bumped into a group of members from PTQ who were on a retreat, including my dear friend Susan.

 This farm just beckoned to me.  It looks so calm and serene.

 I've been experimenting with bread baking on Sundays lately.  Here are two loaves of fluffy Italian bread.  Click here for recipe.

Here is one of two loaves from last Sunday.  It was baked with a water bath and was a little crustier - yum.   Recipe here.

Yesterday I decided to try some little Christmas tree blocks.  And by little, I mean 2 1/2" x 4".

I tried some free pieced trees and I also drew a paper-pieced version.  I liked the pattern free ones the best.

I saw on Kelly's Intagram feed that she was doing the same thing and we never even discussed it!  crazy.   Here are her blocks.

She is using a tutorial on Amy's blog which you can see here.   So obviously I felt like a real stupe struggling along. ha ha.

Tina, of Seaside Stitches has finished her solid swap quilt - isn't it fabulous?

Thank you again, Penn Oak guild for having me come to share my quilts!  

And thank you Kelly for hosting me in your gracious home on your gorgeous property.  You have the BEST sewing areas I've ever seen!

I should have titled this post - Lots of Links - 'cause there certainly were.
xo