Early Monday Morning Start

Apparently, my body had no problem getting back into the routine of early morning wake-up!

I did a little sewing yesterday. I finished this little top made from a "honey bun" and using the pattern from Cotton Way, called Fresh Apple Tart.  It wasn't has easy and quick as I originally thought, working with 1 1/2" strips are a pain and tedious.  I'm going to make it a quickie by just doing some simple quilting and get it on my table asap.

And I started sewing on my new tree skirt.  One half is put together:

And my holiday advent calendar is hanging and will share which ornament my kids pick up for each day - of course that won't start until Wednesday!

Now, let's get this Monday rolling along.

Sunday Design Wall

Well, trying to find ways to post in my blog more regularly and keeping me on track with ongoing projects.  Here's what I've come up with.  Finding a UFO and putting it up on the design wall and making it the focus for the week until it's done! 

I started this UFO sometime last year and as I discovered putting up our tree yesterday, we need this UFO ASAP!!  It's from the Atkinson's pattern "Happy Holidays".  I do plan to add an additional border to enlarge it.

Shouldn't take to long to finish up!

We also put up our tree yesterday, while my husband was still visiting and had our mini family holiday party as well.  Christmas will be different this year in many ways, but knowing that it will be fill with joy, laughter and love is all that really matters.  I have put up a few holiday things and will add more over the next few days....here's a sampling of our decorations:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Now to pull out all the holiday quilts I have to display!

Monday, Monday....

It's Turkey Week!!  I've decided to share one of my traditional recipes each day and something specific I'm grateful this past year.  I would love to see everyone's favorite recipes and thankful lists as well!

Lime Jello & Pear Mold

My mom made this every holiday dinner, there is always room for J-E-L-L-O!  I always make this on Wednesday.

1 - 8 oz package of Cream Cheese (I use the less fat kind)
1 - 15 oz (large) can of pear (I use the light kind)
1 - 8 oz (large) box of Lime Jello


Drain and save pear juice.  Chop up pears into cubes, put aside.  Prepare the Jello as stated on the package, using the pear juice as the cooler liquid in the process.  Divide the jello into 2 bowls.  Melt the cream cheese in the microwave (maybe for about 45 seconds).  Using a hand mixer, take one jello bowl and add cream cheese slowly mixing it well to remove the lumps.  Continue until all cream cheese is blended well.  Fold in 1/2 of the chopped pears into cream cheese mixture.  Prepare your mold.  Pour cream cheese mixture into mold and place in your freezer for about 20-30 minutes.  The idea is you want it to have a little bit of firmness before pouring the remaining mixture on top.  Mix chopped pear pieces with remaining jello, sit aside on the counter.  When your cream cheese part has some stiffness to it, doesn't need to be completely form, slowly and gently pour/spoon the pear mixture on top and place back in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

As I was researching images for this recipe, I'm actually surprised by the results. . . in my process, the jello is reversed, meaning the cream cheese part is the top and the clear jello part is the bottom. I guess you do want ever way you prefer, my does take time and more of a steady hand to recreate the effect. I'll be sure to take a picture of my version to show you all.

Grateful Thought:  This year has been a challenging year indeed for me.  Though as I look through life, every year has it's own set of challenges and growth.  So, this year I'm grateful for the growth I endured, even though as I cried many nights and I didn't think I was strong enough to make it through, I'm grateful for the pain and comfort of those tears to make me a stronger person.

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Now I have done A LOT of sewing this past few days and am very frustarted with 2 projects I'm working on for my local shop and feel like a failure - but I'll figure them out and try to finish them up tonight.

I DID complete a top - FOR ME!! The MAQ Mystery Quilt.  It was suppose to be done by July 10th, but it will be completed by next retreat for sure.  Hoping to ask my longarmer in WV to do it for me :)  I don't like Mystery quilts and this one is no execption - it turned out fine, but the half square triangles were murder!  I didn't even use them all in the borders like the pattern called for.  Use some 4 patches I screwed up and made wrong :)  I do like it and it's a perfect beach quilt!

I have a lot more sewing to share this week, because I did get quite a bit done just for me.  It was a great weekend mentally for sewing!

And so it starts. . .

the down hill slide to the holidays!  Halloween decorations are put away and new fall ones replace them for the next couple weeks.  Then December hits!

This Turkey day I'll be sharing it with local family and preparing only a few dishes verses the whole thing!  Next year I think I'll do the hosting of the feast!

Sewing has been sparse to say the least.  I have been working on other people's items and put mine on the back burners. 

I have managed to pull out 2 UFOs and complete them and enjoy them for the fall season!  Simple and quick quilting and doing the binding by hand, I now have 2 new fall table toppers. 

Speaking of hand work, I have almost completed my inner flower of hexies!!  I will be working on the all the yellow hexies now!

Pondering. . .

A few weeks ago a friend told me about things that is happening in blog land....people stealing images and claiming works as their own (which has happened to me), people accusing other people of stealing their patterns or ideas.  Well, I decided just to back off from blogging and ponder this situation.  While I could take time and add my name to each image, I could take time to lock down my blog, I could just not blog again.  Then I pondered more and came to a realization.  Why I blog?  I blog to share my talent, I blog to let other be inspired as I am inspired by their blogs, I blog for feedback and most importantly I blog for friendship.

If someone feels the need to "steal" or "borrow" my images as their own, I say let them.  This is the internet and it will happen no matter what.  Obviously those individuals need the self esteem and self confidence more than I do.  If taking my ideas and images makes them feel more of a person, feel free.  As for be accusing of "stealing" others ideas/patterns, if you read through my blog I document everything.  If I am inspired by someone I give them credit, if I use a pattern I give credit.  All of my works are my own!

Now that is off my brain, I have stuff to share!  Don't know where to start being it's almost 2 weeks since my last post......start of with something BRIGHT --naturally!

I have been working for a friend the past 4 months making tops for her business and she has asked me to make a lonestar (ok, a lot of them).  Never did one before and let me say it was a learning experience and easier than I expected!  This top finished about 60" square and I'm already working on another one:

I have much more to share, but will spread them out over the week.

Ta Dah!!!

Finish, quick, simple and easy and another UFO off my list.

I just searched back into my blog, and the last top I complete for me was in December.  I am almost in tears.  While I have done quite a few for commission work, it saddens me I haven't found time for my own projects.  Trying to work on that, I'm so use to completing 3-4 tops a month.....granted I have lots that need quilting! :)

I need to find a longarmer that rents out a machine, I don't plan to get my own until next summer and I have lots of tops with backings and bindings that need quilting.

I think I'm pulling out my Ocean Tranquility Bargello top and putting it on the design wall.  I need to get that done!

Christmas Projects 2010

I was invited to join a yahoo group hosted by Ms. Betsy to help us focus on starting and working on our Christmas Projects now and through out the year verses waiting til late Fall to do them.  Her goal is to actually work on gifts as well.

So, I went through all my Christmas related projects and documented them for this post, that I need to finish to help clear out my UFO's and have some pretty new things to use next Christmas.  I also will add gifts projects in, but most likely won't share them because I don't know who reads and receives them until next year :)

I have several Completed Tops that fall this category:





Now here are my UFO's that fall into this category.  Two are patterns I would like to do, the Stockings we definitely need new ones and the Christmas Geese I would love to do, but need to gather homespuns that fit a Christmas theme.







As of 12/30/2009 my count for this challenge is 12.  Maybe I can get one done a month?  We'll see!

Completed Tops - Updates!

I actually have an update to my tops finished and ready for longarm quilting.  I have had these blocks done for months, but never could find a layout I liked, so I threw them up on my design wall on Sunday and sewed them Monday night....done.  Made the binding and backing and now it goes to the Completed Tops file.  I had planned to add a border, but I'm done with this one so no border.  I call is Shades of Sand.



I also found another small quilt, I originally missed on my Complete Top Part 2 list.  My Maryland Blue Crab.  It's all ready for quilting:



Now to organized my Christmas Projects for a new self challenge in 2010!

Completed Tops....part 2

Ok, here's the rest of my tops that I need to quilt....most of these I'll be doing myself.  A few still need backings and bindings, but I'll work on those over the next few days....then I'm start documenting my UFOs....epp, now that will be very scary and take 20 posts to share...

All I have to do (before I start, finish anything else) is make 9 bindings and put together 3 little backings.  I should be able to pull it all out of my stash too===bonus!

Completed Tops.......Part One

Well, again I'm going through my stuff and finishing up things that can be sent for quilting.  I'll be doing my UFO's in bags next, but I had some bindings to make and backs to piece.

This list is long, so making this over 2-3 posts.  Maybe I'll create a page just for these to be bound and finished this coming year.

Several of these tops I've had ready for over 2 years.  I have a week in March for Ms. Penny to quilt for me.  Penny start looking for designs :)

All these tops have backings done and I have 5 bindings to finish today.  Amazingly, I found enough fabric in my stash to make backings...YAH ME!!

If anyone wants to donate time to quilt for me, I would be grateful!  LOL  I don't think I will be able to afford quilting all these this year.  I need my own longarm!.....and I have more to document still.