Victoria's Frienship Quilt...Nov Block

I don't know why I kept putting making this block off for so long...as far as the sewing it is slightly easier than some of the others because the block is 12 inches and I had the fabrics picked out a long time ago! LOL
Anyway here it is....just slightly under the 12.5" unfinished size so I am hoping with some extra pressing I can persuade it to stretch out a bit more. I know it's not perfect but it is a pretty block and one of my favorites.

Walking Down Memory Lane BOM #1

New Friends Quilt Circle will be starting our 2012 Block of the Month on the second Tuesday in Jan and here's a sneek peek of block #1.
Simple as can be right? So maybe I will be adding a second block so that we can finish the blocks before December. I will bring both blocks to our first meeting and we can vote!
As you see I am as usual, going my own way with fabric. Just in case you aren't interested in making a quilt Carmen has suggested that you could create the blocks and then make place mats for our Place Mats for Meals on Wheels project. One idea would be to make the block out of season fabrics and then you would have 12 seasonal place mats to donate?
Whatever works for you!

First Scrapbooking of 2012

So...one of my goals is to do something in my scrapbook room twice a week. I have gathered more supplies over the time I wasn't even using up one piece of paper or a 1/2 inch of adhesive so it's time to remedy that behavior.
New Year's Day I made the time to create two pages from Christmas 2011. I used to try and do whatever was oldest in my photos but am taking the advice to work with what is current and then catch up as I can.

Christmas Eve Jammies and Soup:
The family gathered at my home to open our new jammies and enjoy soup for supper. many others have similar traditions of the jammies. This year's soup was Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with skillet cornbread made in my grandparent's cast iron skillet.
Supplies: cardstock, very old kit from Scrap in a Snap, pp ACrafts, ribbon Oriental Trading, stickles and ink

Christmas is for Families
Supplies: cardstock, frames from Scrap in a Snap Kit, flowers from stash, brads AC and Memory Makers, ribbons ACrafts

It's Here Once More!

To all my dear family and friends...I wish for you a wonderful 2012, good health and happiness...

Christmas 2011

It has now come and gone but Christmas was lovely and full of family time.
I am blessed that we are all healthy and happy this year and so very grateful for the love of my Savior Jesus Christ in my life. It is so easy to forget these things with all the hoop-la of what we think would make a good Christmas and allow stress and impatience rule our lives.
God Bless Us, Everyone!
Above me with the lovely arrangement my sister sent as a welcome Christmas gift. It brought the smells of Christmas into my home I miss with the fake tree!

Mr Creative, Belle and I just home from church Christmas morning...as you see I made sure I had my Christmas quilt in the background! LOL

Me and my grkiddos Christmas even in our new Christmas jammies!

A Change is as Good...

Mr. Creative and I took the chance for a quick get away to Midway, Utah just over the mountains from our home.
With all the stress of work for him and getting ready for Christmas for me it was a welcome 3 days in a lovely condo and setting.

If you remember the X-Country skiing at the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002, then you saw Midway, or at least the area around Midway. Usually this time of year they are enjoying snow and skiing but as you see there is NO snow! I have to admit that I was kind of glad but it did make the ambiance a bit flat.
I enjoyed doing some sewing and reading and Mr C watched some DVD's and carved a bit on the balcony. Our unit was on the second floor to the right in the picture on the top row right above. Just in time for us to leave on Wed it started snowing but didn't follow us home. LOL

Christmas Trees and Grilled Cheese

OK, so when you eat low carb and or gluten free anything that would normally require bread us usually not allowed, right?
Well one of my online friends Jennifer Eloff has come up with recipes to make subs for usually forbidden foods. I make her Low Carb-Gluten Free Artisan Buns which are not only healthy for me but tastes incredible! So now it's time to see what I can make with them and first up was grilled cheese! As you see it worked very well.
They aren't low fat by any means but I just love the crunch of the outside and melt-y cheese on the inside. YUMMO as Rachel Ray would say!

OK the tree is all decorated with as many weeds as I am going to gather. They have been getting damp from the inversion fog each day and it is hard to snap the stems without a pair of scissors or pruners and I am not taking them on my walk where the weeds grow
I like my simple tree this year but I have to admit I miss all the flashing, talking and colorful ornaments we have collected over the years. Next year I have a plan so hope I can work it out so that I get the best of both worlds.

A Few Morning Pictures

Got up this morning early and thought it looked "white" outside and sure enough some surprise snow! As of about 9:30am it is still snowing. Bummer this is a day I have things to do in the car and I HATE to drive in the snow.

Here are a couple of pics of my tree showing the "weeds" I added. As you see they look like dried baby's breath and I like the softness and fill it gives the plain tree. First is without the flash and second with the flash

Christmas Helpers

I usually try to get my house ready for Christmas right after Thanksgiving but because I was sick for a couple of weeks I spent last week doing it all!
I have to admit to often "redecorating" my home with holiday stuff but for this year I decided it didn't have to be quite that elaborate and have gone more simple. Since my grandson I is there and now enjoys helping me we went to work.
Pic 1 shows his new 2011 ornament and it is the only collectibles on the tree this year. That is one of my simplifications. All the Hallmark, Star Trek Ships, trains, Frosty Friends, Barbies and on and on are being left in their boxes. I still plan to try and collect the ones we love but not have them on the tree.
Pic 2 (rt top) is my kitty helper in her hat. As usual once all the decorating was done made herself at home under the tree and often is found sleeping there. I tried to get a pic of her in the Build A Bear hat but she wasn't very interested LOL
Pic 3 (lower left) Grson I helps me plant an Amaryllis bulb. I love that everything is in the box and it is happily growing on the counter right now.
Pic 4 Another thing I did put out is my Jim Shore nativity. My dd and dh gave it to me several years ago and I always enjoy looking at it each year. Grson I helped me put the pieces in place and he loved that I added a hidden light .
I will try and get a picture of my tree with the addition of weeds...now aren't you curious?

The Ten Year Christmas...

Quilt!
I bought this pattern 10 years ago intending to finish it up for Christmas that year...
Yeah, right!
As the years went by I would work on it a bit at a time and then finally I determined that I could finish it for this year's display.
I put the last stitches in on Friday night after machine quilting it. I love the fussy cut cardinals and subed out a block I didn't really like and put in one I have wanted to do forever called Dove in the Window.
So my Quilt's name is Cardinals in My Christmas Window

From Me to Y"All

This digital greeting card customized with Smilebox

Sneak Peak

From the design wall yesterday, OK really from today but it was supposed to happen yesterday LOL
I don't want to show it all until I get it finished but thought I would give you a sneak peak!

Something In Progress

This project probably is a 10 year work in progress. I got this pattern at least 10 years ago and probably began tracing the designs to embroider. It sat and sat in the "piles" for a few years then I would stitch a few blocks and back in the piles it would go. LOL
Sound familiar anyone?
I hope to have it put together into a top this week and then maybe find the time to quilt it before December!
Hey, I can dream right?

About the Boys in My Life

I couldn't resist this one especially for my DD and my DS and their boys!
Hammie holds the qualities of a true boy!

It's Fall Y'all

This is the wall hanging that has been needing to be finished in October however it took until this week to finish it up...good thing it's still Fall LOL
Our group did this as a mystery and had I known a bit more I would have added a couple other colors to add a bit of zing...maybe some purple and green?
Anyway it's off to it's new home in New York for my DD's family to enjoy.

What Are They?

OK, I guess my children have been influenced by their "nurture" because they are always asking me for some help to make real their creations from their mind. Youngest DS Big A bought himself some fleece mittens that had a flap to reveal his fingers. I am sure everyone has seen this type of thing everywhere.
He comes to me with this idea he got from an Anime show How about making them into puppets! LOL
Son: Mom to you have any black fleece?
Me: Sure, somewhere in the sewing room
Son: Where? LOL
Anyway as you can see he found it and started creating. Using some cotton and fleece pieces and fusible Heat and Bond and a whole bunch of hand sewing Here they are. He also had me make him some pinkie covers to make the other hands of the puppets.
All in a day's work

Good Enough to Eat

Most of you know I am diabetic and have been for years now. This is the reason I am a Low Carb eater...it helps keep me healthy with very little or no meds.
But just like anyone else I love baked goods And for some reason in the fall my mind turns to all kinds of baked goodies and this year I have been lucky to find a Low Carb baker and recipe creator who has a blog with many amazing recipes for baked goods. Jenifer Eloff is her name and you can link to her blog by clicking on her name.
If you didn't know better I bet you would think these are all regular Pumpkin Muffin Mini Loaves, right? Nope low carb and gluten free as well!

It is pretty expensive to bake low carb and gluten free but I think this shows it is worth it. I might just send a little loaf or two out to my Dad and see if he can tell they are low carb! LOL

Can You Guess Where?

Yep I am heading to see the Mouse and Harry...I will check in while I am gone. (or at least that is my plan)

It's His Birthday!

My youngest turned 22 on Monday. Our big guy is very sweet inside that gruff exterior and I am so glad that we have had him in our family for the past 22 years.
Oh, bye the way don't adjust your screen as he decided to wear his "costume" contacts...one white eyed and one black eyed and yes he has some blue hair for the summer...there are worse things to deal with! LOL

Design Wall Friday 8-12-11

Finally I have something to share from the quilt world.
It has been a rather non productive summer for quilt stuff for me. My local bee's night group and I have started a new project...a mystery quilt lead by my friend CM. She has promised a small project and it will be small in total size (a table topper) as well as scale.
The Double 9 Patch finishes as 9 inches and the little leaves are 3 inches finished.
Last meeting we traded fat eighths in Fall colors and got the first two parts. I decided to add a neutral print with my 9 patches so crossing my fingers it will all blend in the end. That's half the "fun" of a mystery project LOL
I won't get the next steps as I will be out of town for the next two meetings but hopefully they will be as quick and easy as these parts!