Baby, it's cold outside! 

 

Our first major snowstorm of the year arrived yesterday and has left quite a disaster in it's path.  It's our second worst snow storm in history.  As beautiful as it is, I'm glad that it's over for the time being.  We are under a snow emergency so no one is allowed to travel on the roads outside of emergency vehicles.  It's quite peaceful without the sound of even one car.  (I did hear several snow mobiles out last night, however!)  Because of where I live, I will probably be stranded for 4 or 5 days, but that's OK, I've got everything I need right here in the house. 

 

This was taken in my back yard, somewhere in the middle of the snowfall yesterday.  I had to shovel every few hours to even try and keep up with the snow.  I was forced to quit by early evening as I was just too beat to shovel one more scoop.  Oh..... my aching old body!

 

 

 

Here's the back of my garage.  You really can't get an idea of the amount of snow out there..... white is white and it's hard to appreciate how deep it is.

 

 

Overnight, we got several more inches of snow and I went out first thing this morning to make another round with the shovel.  The snow storm is over, but the bitter cold is approaching fast.  I shoveled around 8 AM, at the warmest time of the day.  It was -4 with a wind chill of -35.... chilly burgers!  I was able to get things cleared fairly easily by keeping my back to the wind.  Our total accumulation was somewhere between 18 and 20 inches.... it was kind of hard to guesstimate the grand total because of the drifting.  I can only attest to the fact that it was a lot of snow.... too much snow!

 

I'm snug inside now, showered, fed and planning on a quiet day of sewing or reading.  It's supposed to be -20 later today with wind chills at -50.  As unreal as this storm has been, it's predicted to be in the mid 30's by Friday so relief is on the way.  It's hard to grasp how bazaar these extremes can be.  Nothing to do but go with the flow!

 

Is it almost Spring yet? ;) 

Well, it's a snow day around here and I thought I'd take a little time out from shoveling and post the gifts that I made for Christmas.  I've been out once to shovel and will try and make three or four rounds throughout the day to keep up with the snowfall.  Blick..... I'm already bushed!

 

First up is a "tool box" made out of two Altoid tins.  I saw this on Pinterest and thought that it was a clever idea.  You just spray paint the parts, connect them with tiny nuts and bolts, then add a handle.  Although this was an easy project, it had it's problems.  The biggest problem was in opening the tins after painting.  That extra layer, actually two layers of paint, made it very tough to open.  And when you do get it open, it takes off some of the paint.  To do it over again, I would only paint the tops and that would leave the bottoms as purchased and they would open and close easily.

 

 

 

 

They do look cute sitting around on a shelf.

 

I added a little shelf liner, just like a real tool box.

 

I'll be making more of these using other types of tins but taking into consideration the extra bulk of the paint.

 

Next up is a zippered bag that will be used to carry a GPS.  My friend loves Yoda and now carries his GPS inside of his glove.  It was time for a better way to store it.  Although I didn't quilt it, it's heavily padded with batting.

 

 

The other side.

 

Inside.

 

I'm actually planning on making a second bag as I wasn't happy with the end project.  I followed some instructions and didn't like the overall look.  Now that I've made one, I can make my corrections.  That's what I get for waiting until the week of Christmas to make some of these things..... there was no time for fixing or redoing!

 

Here's a little tote bag.  Again, I followed the instructions, but found that there were things that I would change.  In this case, the pockets are very narrow and hard to reach into the bottom.

 

 

 

Inside.

 

This shot shows one of the pockets holding a pen which gives you an idea of how narrow the pockets are.  There are six pockets, three on each side.  I liked the bag overall but will make it bigger next time.

 

 

Here's another tote bag.  This is for a friend who lives in Austin and needs market bags for shopping.  They no longer give out plastic bags in the shops, so cloth bags are very useful.

 

 

I just made two identical bags for her.

 

My label.

 

And lastly, here are some pins that I made for some quilting friends.  I've had the fabric for quite a while and decided that it would make a cute pin with a little fussy cutting.

 

 

Well, it's about time for round two in my winter wonderland of shoveling!  Hope you are all snug and safe!

New Year's Eve

 

 

Spring in December?

 

Just a quick post.... I was putting the newspaper in the recycle bin this morning and noticed these crocuses (croci ?) coming up next to the house.  Needless to say, it's a wee bit early here in Indiana for the flowers to be surfacing.  The weather has been extreme.... extra cold and extra warm.... so even nature is a bit puzzled.  The crocuses always seem to be OK when Spring actually arrives, even with these premature sightings. 

 

 

So .... for today, anyway .... I'm going to

enjoy this little taste of Spring!

Post Christmas

I love the post-Christmas glow!  This  is the time when we can relax, knowing that the actual holiday is over and we can sit back and enjoy what is left of our Christmas decorations without the stress of gift giving.

 

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and were able to take a few moments to reflect and bask in the  true meaning of Christmas.... not the gift giving.... and enjoy the special memories.

 

I have a few pictures of the sewing/quilting related gifts that I received. 

 

First up... two new books.  Judi Madsen's Wide Open Spaces and Laurie Hird's The Farmer's Wife Pony Club.  Judi's book has several quilt patterns along with suggestions for machine quilting the open spaces of your quilt.  It has an enclosed CD for more instructions.  Laurie's book is a companion book to her first book, The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt.  Both books are based on letters from the Farmer's Wife magazine.  The Pony Club has letters written by children that received Shetland ponies as a reward for magazine subscriptions sold.  There was some controversy as to whether this was a legitimate contest or not... were there actually winners and did they really receive ponies??....so the magazine asked the kids to send in pictures of their ponies and accompanying letters.  It's a charming book with an insight to the life of a child in the early 1900's.  This book also comes with a CD with the patterns and instructions for the quilt blocks that go along with the kid's stories. 

 

I'd certainly recommend both of these books. 

 

At the bottom is a page-a-day quilting calendar by our friend Debby Kratovil and Jean Ann Wright.

 

 

 

 

This is the fabric that I received.  Some coordinating fat quarters, some coordinating fat eighths, and some miscellaneous fabric.  I love them all!

 

 

 

And here are the patterns that I received.  The two on the left are patterns only and the pumpkin on the right is a complete kit with laser cut fabric.... all ready to put in place, fuse and sew.  Can you see the cute little mice faces on the top left pattern?  Delightful!

I think this is all of my sewing loot.... if I come across more as I'm putting things away, I'll slip in a picture. 

And soon.... I'll be posting some of the things that I made for Christmas gifts.  I really didn't make many things this year so it will be fairly quick to blog about the gift making. 

Happy Post-Christmas!

Christmas Blessings

 

 

 "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people."

Luke 2:10

  

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! 

I hope you have a delightful Christmas, full

of memories to cherish for years to come! 

May God Bless you today and every day!

 

Christmas Eve

 

 

Praying for peace during the Christmas season

and every day thereafter!

 

 

Have a Blessed Christmas Eve!

 

 

I had to stop at Jo-Ann's yesterday to pick up some batting and found that all of the Christmas items were on sale.... 70% off, in fact.  Although I didn't pick up any true Christmas items, the goodies below were included in the Christmas sale.  Don't know why they were included, but I got the cute ceramic sign for about $2 and the tin of sherbet colored buttons for $2 too.  Finding these treats made it worth the trouble of heading out into the crazy crowds!

 

 

 

The Stitch sign is now happily hanging in my sewing room!

 

My Christmas wrapping is done! 

Even with Oliver's help, the work is under control. 

 

 

 

 

If you can't find a cardboard box to hide in,

a gift bag is almost as good. 

 

 

 Have a cozy evening!

 

I haven't been posting much lately.... too many Christmas things to finish and to do.  I did stop by my local quilt shop today and they were having a "Stuff a Bag" for $5.  This first picture shows the fabric that I managed to stuff into two small bags..... I'm guessing I have around 5+ yards of fabric for $10.  And..... this was with a gift certificate from a friend....so....it was free!  Score!

 

 

 

 

This is a yard of yummy batik fabric that caught my eye today.  (Yeah, all of the batiks catch my eye.)  This wasn't a part of the Stuff a Bag but with my gift certificate it was .... free!  Score!

 

 

 

And here's a pair of applique scissors that I have been wanting for awhile.  They arrived in the mail today and with another gift certificate from a friend they were....... free!  Score! 

 

 

 

Hope you all "scored" today in one way or another! 

 

I was the lucky winner of these great fat quarters from Melissa at Happy Quilting and Fort Worth Fabrics!  Aren't they super!  Thanks so very much for your generosity!

 

 

Not much to post as I work on Christmas projects.  I'm not even making that many things but it's just taking me forever to get moving on them.  I'll be able to show photos after Christmas and they have reached their homes.

Hope you have a creative day!

Christmas Decorating

 

It's that time of the year..... time to drag bring the Christmas decorations down from the attic and make the house a little more festive.  Oliver was ready to help, wearing his new silver bell neckwear.  (Look at those tree needles on the floor... I'll be picking them up until next Christmas!)

 

 

 

 

 

Again this year, I didn't do much decorating.  My house is very tiny and a little bit goes a long way.  It only took me about 2 hours to decorate and it will only take 2 hours to take it down.....that's plenty, as far as I'm concerned.   My new Christmas quilt (on the rocker) is ready for snuggling! 

 

 

 

 

And Sewphie is also dressed in her Christmas wear.  She knows that I have a whole bunch of Christmas projects to get finished and she's ready to get at it!  Time's a tickin'!

 

Grateful

 

 

 

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Veteran's Day

I always hate to say "Happy" Veteran's Day.  For many, happy is not a word that would come to mind.  I do want to honor the Veterans today.... and of course.... every day, for keeping me safe from harms way.

 

This is a picture of my Dad, somewhere in Germany in 1944 or 1945.  This particular photo does not have a caption on the back, but it looks like he's taking a break and relaxing a bit.  In the midst of the horror of war, these breaks must have been few and far between.

 

Many of the photos that I have are bleak and quite disturbing.  His unit, The Timberwolves, took over some concentration camps and the pictures are horrendous.  It's so hard to fathom the evil capabilities of some people but the photos are here to remind us to never repeat these atrocities.      

 

 

 

 

 

So I send my sincere appreciation to all of our Veterans, in all wars, for their service to our country.  If you see a Vet today....thank him or her.....give him or her a hug.... and just let them know that they are not forgotten or taken for granted, but remembered with grateful respect.

Wicked Blog Hop Winner

It's time to pick a winner of my Wicked Blog Hop giveaway!  My trusty assistant Oliver was a bit too tired to pick the winner ....too many Halloween tricks last night, I suppose...... so I had to go to Random.org to make the pick. 

 

 

 

So.....ta da......here's the winner of the giveaway.... Michele T, who said:

Michele T has left a new comment on your post "Wicked Blog Hop":

Love your table runner!!! Oliver looks great in costume... I can remember trying to dress my cat in doll clothes when I was little... She never liked it... I guess cats these days have evolved!! Lol

Michele--I've sent you an email requesting your snail mail address.  Once I get this, I'll get your goodies off in the mail.

Thanks to everyone that visited my blog and left such sweet comments!  It's always such a joy to hear from other bloggers and visitors and know that they have enjoyed whatever was posted. 

Hope you all had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Wicked Blog Hop

 

 

 

Welcome to my haunted house! 

Please enter if you dare!

 

Don't you just love Halloween and all of the wacky characters that surface on October 31st?!  I'm such a fan of rats, bats, cats, spiders and other creatures that go bump in the night.

 

I wasn't sure what I was going to make until I saw a magazine that had pictured a cake decorated with a Ouija board design on the top.  Perfect theme for the Wicked blog hop!  I searched for some free Ouija board clip art and printed it on fabric.  I knew that it was going to be a runner and started with the Ouija board fabric and built my runner around the three boards, designing as I went along.

 

Here's the finished runner.  It's pretty big.... 55" x 17" and covers the full length of my table with a little hangover on each end.  I had to stand on a lawn chair to get the full width in the shot.

 

 

 

My table is ready for visitors.  The candles are lit and the goblins are welcome!

 

 

 

 

And with the lights off, it's even kind of cozy.....

 

 

 

Here's a close up of the Ouija board fabric.  This is the same Ouija board that you can still buy in the game departments today and it's the one I had growing up.... I loved using them at sleep overs, even though we didn't believe that the cursor was moving by any other method than our own giggly guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

I used the  Magic binding technique again on this runner.  I cannot tell you how much I love this technique and how quickly I can finish binding a quilt or project. I love the look of the flanged edge and the fact that there is NO hand sewing.  Here's the top side of the finished runner.....

 

 

 

 

Here's the backside of the runner showing the extra line of stitching that this binding technique makes.  I have no objection to having that extra line next to the binding. 

 

 

 

I also like to decorate Sewphie for different holidays.  I use cling on's that are removable and don't leave a mark or residue. 

 

You know I had to put a picture of Oliver in this post somewhere.  ;)  Here he is modeling his new costume..... a hamburger.  He's not thrilled because it isn't a scary costume.... I mean, who's afraid of a hamburger!? 

 

 

I put him on the table to explore the new runner and the little cemetery.  Not being used to having an extra 4" of girth, he quickly annihilated the cemetery, knocking most of it over as he made his way through the skulls and goodies, sniffing and checking things out.  I think he liked this because he was now kind of scary as a GODZILLA Hamburger, destroying order and causing mayhem!

 

 

Still with me?...... Here's another giveaway for you.  I picked up  a few Halloween items at Target ...two can cozy's and some coasters..... and also have three pieces of fabric.... the fabric that I used in my table runner.  The pieces are a little bigger than FQ's.  Just leave a comment and you will be entered for a random draw on November 1st.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will return soon.  Now it's time for you to visit the other wicked blogs and see what they have conjured  up for you! Here's the gruesome lineup for today;

Grandmama's Stories

Gracie Oliver Arts (you are here...BOO!)

Quilts by Christa

Michelle's Romantic Tangle

Ravelly’s

Pink's Sweet Treats

How Art You?

Georgia-Girl Quilter

I Piece 2-Mary

Words & Stitches

            The Distracted Domestic

 

And where would my manners be if I didn't extend my thank you to Madame Samm, head blogger organizer extraordinaire, and Wendy, our wicked hostess for this hop!   Thank you both for the time and effort that goes into making a successful blog hop!! May your lives be overflowing with treats!

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

 

I let myself get behind on my Designer Mystery BOM series.  Not too far behind.....only two blocks.  I'm now back on target and waiting for November's block to arrive in a few weeks.  I thought this was going to be a basket quilt, since the first three blocks were baskets...... but..... obviously..... these are not baskets. 

 

 

I really love this next star block!

I found a little treasure on Ebay last week..... a vintage sewing kit nestled inside a large, plastic spool of thread. 

 

It separates into three parts......

The lid.....

 

 

The top section..... which has a scissor (this goes through to the bottom layer) , a needle packet--only one needle remains, a button holder with 4 buttons, and a rolled up paper tape measure.  There are two empty slots and I don't know what they would have held.

And the bottom layer...... this holds one small spool of thread and a plastic thimble.  Two other pegs would hold more tiny spools of thread.

 

 What a cute little treasure!

 

Now on to the Sew Lux BOM series.....I'm 4 blocks behind!