New puppies

Sadie's babies are so cute! It's hard to get a good pic by myself........

Happy New Year Happy Blocks

Heartstrings Yahoo Group is having a sew in for the new year, Happy Blocks are the goal. I am rather slow at getting things done and sometimes I don't read instructions very well, the teddy bear blocks are going to be to small so I'm keeping them to make a baby quilt. The other blocks are ready to mail to Sue in MN.

I have 23 done but only 13 to mail.

So I got busy and finished up this small Happy Block quilt left over from Kristin's quilt last year, I needed my design board and it had been pinned up way to long, the black was a little wavy from hanging (love those bias edges) but it will quilt up just fine. I pieced the border from FQ's in my stash so it is pretty scrappy. I have one UFO top completed.......

It's been a good New Year so far, had a nice time out last night, my friend and her husband were in town so we hung out. I still have company and it's been nice having a little boy around for the week. Andrew is 6 and very curious. The guys put up new stove pipe thru the house yesterday and the test this morning is failing, Brad's room is full of smoke.........they opened the windows and shut the door! A collar fell off, it just sits on the pipe and is a poor design. So they are debating on how to fix it. I am going to deliver a girl to my friend then I plan to spend the day in the studio sewing, I think that's a great way to spend a holiday!

B-day present

My sister in law Anita gave me these for my B'day, I think they are really pretty. She noticed my tree is a little bare this year so she got busy and painted . The kids told on me though......I have a bare tree because I didn't put all the ornaments on this year, ran out of energy. I don't think it looks to bad with a few on it, it's a pretty tree on its own.

after affects

The after Christmas rush is going on around here now. No sewing and its starting to get to me....ugh! Spent the weekend at my families in Co. Bluffs with the kids and came home Sunday night late only to deliver puppies bright and early Monday morning! I am now the proud Grammy of 4 sweet shih-tzu babies. They are doing well and Sadie is doing well also. I'm sure pic's will follow......

Merry Christmas

I'm waiting for Santa right now, the kids are supposedly going to sleep. I always get them new Jammie's to open Christmas Eve and then I take their pic in front of the tree. Sadie wasn't to thrilled this year with the whole take my pic thing, we really had to make her go near those children...ugh! Sammy loves to have his pic taken but he's always just a big black blob, poor boy. Well if Santa would hurry up.................I could go to bed!

Cat Christmas

Sara and Snowball are dolled up for Christmas eve, we had fun putting the ribbon on the cat but once it was on she was ok with it. I took their pic and then made Sara take it off, didn't want the cat choking or getting caught on something with her ribbon. It truly is a holiday around here with three cats in my kitchen, usually the orange one don't get to stay in, but since it's Christmas Eve what the heck, and it was fun to watch them chase and play.

B-day presents

My mom makes me the most awesome presents! The top pic is a little wall hang, I have it hanging on the side of my fridge right now, I love Christmas Cats! The basket is filled with cat fabric, I think my favorite is the Halloween Kitties in the back, or maybe the orange and aqua cats......or the really pretty panel of sewing cats........I can't decide. All I know is I'm gonna have fun sewing it all up into things just for me! She also made me a thread catcher/pincushion in pink, I think it's the prettiest pink batik and I was even with her when she bought it.

Christmas Eve

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! The countdown is on around here but no one is worried except ME! Oh well I always say Christmas comes whether your ready or not.

cookie time!!!

Miss Sara and I made gingerbread cookies the other night, I had some cookie sheets in the freezer so we got them out and used her fancy Pampered Chef cookie cutters. I didn't realize they were miniature when I bought them for her so her cookies are bite sized.

We did red, green and white frosting and candy with sprinkles. I even let her use the 'lard ball sprinkles' since it is a holiday. The star cookies are hers and the flower cookies are mine. I really like the ones with kisses on top!

gift basket

I made a Wassail punch gift basket for my dad and stepmother. Her kitchen is sage green and she decorates everything Christmas in gold. I made a liner for the basket before I got the basket so it was a little big and hot pads to match. I added apple cider, honey from Kev's bee's and pineapple juice with cinnamon sticks. (I'll add the orange when we get there) The optional ingredient is brandy, I don't like the brandy in mine because it makes me feel like I'm having a hot flash but everyone who is adult liked it. I never know what to do for my dad and stepmother for Christmas so I think this is a great idea, food is always good!

Mutant Cat

Snowball is kind of naughty as you can tell from this pic, she likes small places to nap and I was shocked to find her in my mixing bowl on the counter. (she has also taken to sleeping in the goodwill box) I call her Princess Mutant Cat now, her brown eye has a slight problem. The membrane under it swells up all weird and it actually popped once(gross!!!) it has affected the size of her pupil also, it is never the same size as the blue eye anymore. I wonder if it affects her sight but I can't really tell. She is quite sweet most of the time and quite spoiled too. Yes I did wash this bowl after I kicked her out of it and off the counter.

small gifts

These are a Lazy Girl Design called the Wonder Wallet, they are a wonder! The directions were easy to follow and I made all 5 in an afternoon. 4 wonderful women on my list are receiving these this year, I wonder if any of them read this blog? I wonder if they will like them? I wonder why I worry......?

These pillowcases are for my brother, yes he is sometimes a drunk little devil....hehehe! I am making him a quilt to match but I thought I should get these done just in case I don't get it quilted before Christmas. Kristin said she thought it was disturbing I was making a quilt with Satan on it. I explained it wasn't Satan, just an ornery drunk who was a little devil when drinking. I told her sometimes ya just gotta have a little fun with things and she then agreed maybe the fabric was fitting for her uncle.

I work tomorrow and then I think I have the weekend off, not sure yet. I was thinking to myself today would be the perfect time to start my winter nap and not wake up for two weeks!

Hotpads

Ok I'm on a hot pad roll here, bear with me....I bought 3yds of fabric and some insulbright at work yesterday, I demonstrated how to make these to the few customers I had in then came home and assembled the rest, Kristin turned and tacked them for me tonight while I quilted a quilt. Everyone will get a set this year I guess, I might even keep a few for myself cause I always keep the uglies or the rejects so this year I'm going to treat myself and keep a favorite or two. (now if I can decide which I like the best)

These match the soup labels for Sara's Friendship Soup she is giving as gifts this year. We have enough for 15 jars of soup mix and she gave them for teachers and such, I made extra to give also, hopefully I will remember to take a pic of the finished gift set.

trying to catch up

I'm trying to finish a few gifts, I'm not sure it's working but I'm going to keep plugging away at them. I went out to my studio today, got it all warmed up and ready to quilt then it was time to take Josh to the Dr. oh well maybe Thursday......I work tomorrow and Friday so this weekend will be it for making anything else. I think I'm to the point of not caring, I get like this every year around this time so I should be used to it and be more prepared but I never am. The kids are getting excited, school is out Friday and Kristin will be home tomorrow, I'm looking forward to seeing her!

All I want for Christmas....

All I want for Christmas is a beer! Hehehehe! Ok maybe not but it sure makes a fun tree for a bar! This is what I did on Turkey Day night when I had to work. (can you tell it was a Busch Light night?) The paper chain garland is Keno tickets, no I have not a clue how many I strung together, I was afraid to count, they are the losing tickets and I think it is probably the $$$$ garland ever made. I am a true crafter at heart as you can tell, I even craft at the bar! ( there is one Diet Pespi can on the tree, my best customer don't drink and it's a special ornament just for him) I love decorating tree's for Christmas but I hate setting them up, good thing this one came thru the door in one peice!

Aprons

I didn't take many pic's of Turkey Day so I thought maybe I should show off Mom, Sara and their cute aprons. I tried to guilt a kid or two into taking pic's of everyone but no one would cave into my heavy suggestions......

Baby gift

My mom made this for a baby gift, I love it! Check out the finished quilt on her blog http://flicshasews.blogspot.com/ as you can tell we overlap gifts and sewing a lot, she does my binding and I do her quilting. (I'm getting the better end of the deal!!!) She has been much more productive this year in her sewing than I have. I am out in the studio today, its been tough getting it warm enough to sew today, I finally got the main room warm and now the heat is blowing in the quilting room, just in time for me to leave for Sara's Dr. appointment......ugh!!!

just because....

A friend of mine from church lost her husband in a grain bin accident a few months back, they have 3 girls and this quilt is for #2, I have the other's done so the binding fairy is busy finishing this one today. I'm planning on wrapping them and placing them in her car as a surprise from Santa. The soup supper benefit is Saturday and I'm not going to make it because of work but I'm sure I can find an elf to deliver them for me.

pillowcases

I made a couple QOV pillowcases for Heartstrings last week, mom gave me the red and blue fabric and I sewed these up quick and got them sent off. They put quilts in them and present them to soldiers when they return home. I've done so much in RWB that my stash is limited so mom's fabric came in handy for this little project.

I am hauling corn today if I ever get out of the house. Yesterday was a waste....I had a headache that I thought was going to kill me, tried to sleep it off, got rid of it last night finally then couldn't sleep so I read and watched TV till 3 a.m. Today I am shaky and a little worn out from it, so it's a slow start to the day. I'm glad Kev has the truck loaded for me, he is rather sweet sometimes......

Hotpads

I work on small projects while I'm waiting on the studio to warm up after I start the wood stove and these are a few that I've finished lately. Some are Happy blocks gone orphan, some are 'foster' blocks. (Kristin always said orphan made her sad and she thought foster blocks sounded better, they were just waiting for me to give them a new home) so I think Kristin will be impressed I gave these small foster blocks new purpose and soon they will have new homes.