Storm Watch ( or Oyster Stew for Two on Christmas Eve )

Big storm's a'comin' or so they say. . . so I'm thinking our Minneapolis family won't make it home for Christmas. That means that the grandson won't be staying the week between Christmas and New Year's either ! Big Disappointment, but I am not going to dwell on that, I am going to be thankful that we have weathermen and forecasts so we know when bad weather is coming and can plan accordingly. Our current forcast is for snow starting here at noon, snowing through Christmas morning, with 12" or more of snow, then the wind comes up and blows through Saturday ( translation: BLIZZARD ) .

So, today's plan is to make a grocery list and get to the grocery store for the big blizzard rush. . maybe a couple movies too. Then we should get some more wood in for the fireplace before it gets covered up with snow. . . Then we can hibernate for a couple days.

Now, just so this post will have a picture, I will post a 24" table topper that I made ( to keep ! ). Not sure what color binding to do, I think it will be a scrappy binding, but green or red ? What do you think ? I am guessing I will have time this Christmas to get it done !

oops. . . sorry, batteries are dead in the camera. . . guess I will have to put that on my shopping list, then come back here and edit ! See you later. . .

Hi. .

I thought I would take a little time out from the LIST ( my quilting list. . . only 5 more customer quilts/runners to do before Christmas, and barring any catastrophe, I do believe I will be done by the middle of this week with them all ! ) to post. I saw this tree skirt pattern in a magazine- and it was so nice to find one that I actually felt like making ! - and thought it was so cute. I made this for my DIL for her birthday. Sure hope she likes it. She has her whole house decorated PRIM, and boy, let me tell you, it could sure be on a tour of homes ! So, that is why I used the muted prim colors in this tree skirt. Now, I never can stand to make the same thing twice, if I do it is under great duress. .. . . but I really like this pattern and I think I might need one of these one day too. I had better mark that magazine and put it in a safe place. I am not up to making it this year, but I think it will go on my WISP list.

I quilted it using Nested Hearts, and am really happy with the way it turned out.

In other news, it has been bitterly cold up here in North Dakota ( like below ZERO), and just a couple weeks ago it was up in the 50's . I did not get my outside lights up yet - I hope to be able to motivate to get something up outside this weekend. Of course that all depends on how much quilting I can get done this weekend too !

Mr. Stitches has been good about keeping the wood stocked for the fire in the fireplace, and cooking the occasional suppper ( ok, he has been making most of the suppers around here , however I do have them organized so he knows what to make. . .) so I can quilt in the evenings, and go to practices and gigs with the band. We have been doing a few Christmas gigs lately, and let me tell you. . .. all those Christmas songs you THINK you know ? well just try putting chords to them and playing them right and singing ALL the words right. . . and figuring out which Christmas songs you can bluegrass up. . . . well. . . it just isn't so easy ! But it has been fun, and exhausting ! Soon enough we will be back to the usual bluegrass songs that we play all the rest of the year.

Ok. . . I have another couple table runners to quilt out tonite. . .

will try and post more later. I have some really cute quilty items to show you all !

I hope you are all taking time out to enjoy the season !

'Tis the Season

I've been trying to hold out for December 1 to post this quilt, but I guess we are close enough now. Thanks, Georgeann for letting me quilt this ! She did a beautiful job of piecing, and appliqueing. If you click on the picture for a close up, you can see the white and off white log cabin blocks and if you look real close in the white blocks you can see the quilted holly and berries. She used many different white and off white fabrics for this quilt, and it really is so gorgeous. I'm thinking that someday, I would like to make one like this for our house !

This quilt sure put me in the Christmas mood.

Here's hoping all your Thanksgivings were happy, and that you all are getting in the Holiday Spirit !

Now I need to get a crackin' there's more Christmas quilts to be quilted !

Back from a BUSY SUMMER !

Oh I have been a bad girl and have not been posting. What can I say. . . it has been a really busy summer ! Then it gets to be awhile and you feel like you need something REALLY good to post about. Well, I am ready to break the ice with my Haunted Table Runner. It is a wholecloth, stitched with orange thread that glows in blacklight, and bound in a cute candy corn binding. This was so much fun to put together, I think I need to do another one for a gift !

St. Patrick's Day Contest !

Happy St. Patrick's Day !

In honor of today, I would like to have a little fun, so I am going to host a " GO GREEN" giveaway. I will send a "GREEN GROCERY BAG KIT" to the winner. The kit makes into a generous size bag, it will be quilted as shown, with lots of vegetables, and stars and will include the lining and the directions for you to sew it all together. Contents are not included as the food will probably be eaten by the time this contest is over ! All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post with a good recycling or "going green" tip. If you mention this giveaway and include a link on your blog and if you comment back here, letting me know you have done this, you will be entered a second time. Contest will end at midnight, March 31, 2009 and the winner will be notified shortly thereafter. If you don't have a blog, be sure and leave me your email address, so I can get in touch with you if you win.

Good Luck, and I'm looking forward to all the GREEN tips !