A New Twist...

It's always hard to come up with a gift for someone that seems to have everything, or could get anything themselves. I have one of those best friends, so naturally I usually end up needing to make something homemade for her, which is what I would rather do anyway. Thanks to Gail Pan and her Christmas block of the month this last year, I was able to come up with the perfect gift. I decided to take the "Christmas" out of the wallhanging and make it something that could hang all year long. I also used colors that would suit the feel of my friend's home. Rich, earthy, wonderful colors...
I also had to change two of the words in the blocks. Instead of using "merry" and "noel", I used the words "laugh" and "home", which work perfectly in the block.

Another project done, just in time for my new machine to head back to the shop. I think it is either going on stike after all of that sewing for Christmas, or it is actually possessed. It has been running on it's own - without the peddle foot or me doing anything. I'm afraid to turn it on for fear that it will work on a project without me! That's no fun for me...

Revealed Secrets...

For Christmas this year, I made a lap quilt for each of my girls, 5 in all. They were all different, from different fabrics, and kind of specialized just for them. Kira's, on the left, is made from "Gypsy Rose" and worked up pretty quickly. Michaela has been eyeing my "Aviary" charm packs for months and has always wanted a pinwheel quilt, so that is what she got. Tibi, on the right, got a cute, funky quilt from the "Objects of Desire" line. My son, Landon, is thrown in there just for fun! He got a rag quilt last year for Christmas.

The two girls in Arizona got their quilts when we got there on Christmas night. Lexie's was done in "Hello Betty" and Connie's was done in "Spring Magic" by April Cornell. Connie's quilt took the longest to make because I used the Confetti Cake pattern. Lots of fun, but very time consuming. I had so much fun doing these quilts, not necessarily because of the piecing and quilting, which I LOVE, but because they were going to the most important girls in my life. There's just something about making something for someone you love. It's giving part of yourself.

The girls have been using their quilts ever since they opened them up. They cuddle, sleep, and canoodle with their quilts, which is why they were made. I told them that they could do anything with them and not have to hang them or not use them. It was definitely a labor a great love for me.

I also did my very first stippling job on my new Janome machine since I bought it. I was very nervous about doing this, as this is Lexie's tabletopper I have been promising her for months. I was busy trying to get all of the quilts done for Christmas, so this ended up taking a back seat for a while. I gave it to her unwashed and dried so that she could decide herself whether to do that or not. I actually think it turned out okay. It definitely takes practice, practice, practice!

Bad Habits

Okay all you quilters, sew-ers, and all around creators. I was rummaging through one of my quilting magazines the other day, and came across a cute column of confessions. So I am going to throw this out to you also. What is your worst habit when it comes to your creating? What is the most unconventional thing you do, even though you know what you should be doing? Is is starting too many projects at once? Or not finishing a project before moving on to the next? Maybe it's forgetting that you have a family. Well, here goes my confession - I have a real bad habit of putting pins in my mouth instead of in my magnetic bowl. That stupid bowl is just too far away from my machine, even though I can reach it - with both hands! I have been known to have 15 pins in my mouth, letting just one go when I need it without losing all of the rest. I would call that talent - but I'm sure others call it a bad habit. I also have this insatiable urge to have my little 1/4 cup full of semi-sweet chocolate chips right next to my machine, just to nibble on while I'm buzzing away. I think I even have a rhythm down with that one. "sew, then snack, sew, then snack..." You get it. You'd think that just getting to sew and quilt would give me all the endorphins I need. Evidently not. So what's your hang up? Maybe you're not ready to confess. After all, when we confess, we are acknowledging that we actually have a problem. Who wants that?!

A Finished Project...

I finally finished my "Christmas Wish" block-0f-the-month project that I have been working on for the last nine months. I have looked forward to each new pattern and can't believe that it is finally done. The colors are different than most Christmas quilts, but I really like the end product. What can I say.....I'm a rebel sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.

Here's a close up of one of the blocks. I have enjoyed doing the embroidery on this project the most.

One Happy Woman!

Let me just say that I LOVE my new machine. Who knew that sewing could be better than it already was....ME! Here is a look at a tabletopper that has been waiting patiently for me to finish. I decided to quilt around each square for an easygoing look. It's also reversable, which to me is "killing two birds with one stone," so to speak...

So far my favorite feature on this machine is the fact that I can wind a new bobbin without unthreading my machine. WOOHOO! I know that may sound dumb to most of you, but it is a new luxury for me. Be back soon with the second tabletopper I made from the same charm pack of Cotton Blossoms... isn't life great?!

My New Toy!!

I have been paying on my new Janome sewing machine since May and I finally went to Vegas and picked it up yesterday. The ladies gave me a free lesson on what it does and let me practice some fun stuff too. This has been a long time coming, as my other machine is older than half of my kids! I promise to post more often, now that I can get some projects done that have been patiently waiting for this nice, new tool...

Another One of These...

Got another table topper "top" done yesterday. The kids were gone, the husband was gone, and I was looking around the house for things to do, which is pretty sad. I figured I'd better get started on another project. This one is for my daughter and will end up on a black kitchen table. Should look pretty cool on black, I think. I used a tradition line of "Collections for a Cause" and just need to back and bind. The sashing and border is actually done in a tan color, but it didn't show up very good in the photo. Off to the next thing...