Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I did not make this quilt, but I do think it is lovely.

Today has been a very lazy day for my family. 

My husband was up at his usual time - 5:30ish to do chores here and 

at my father-in-laws where he has a few cows. Then back home for breakfast. 

We sat around and watched old westerns for a while, then he went back to bed. 

My son slept until just before noon and my husband got up again. 

Then we opened presents. 

We have eaten cookies and candy and had  hamburgers for lunch. 

My husband did chores again.

My son blew up some Tannerite. 

 

 There is beef stew in the slow cooker for supper.  

 I paper pieced some blocks to be used in the future.

 I have pondered my fabric choices for the next Quilter's Exchange that will start in January.

I have decided I need to add 1 or 2 blues, greens and purples since what I have is not enough yardage.

I am worried that the very darkest purple batik on the left is too dark, and that the purple and green batik on top is too light, but they both have the colors in the snowflake batik on top. 

Fortunately, I am going on a fabric shop road trip next week with my Quilter's Exchange friends! 

And, I have pieced the next 3 blocks for the Civil War Sampler we are working on. We are each making our own blocks with our own fabrics. I have 3 more to make before our meeting in January. 

We put everyone's blocks on the design wall so we can see what they all look like together. It is amazing to me that the same block can look so different all because of the fabric choices.

Guess it hasn't been such a lazy day!

And, now my son is asking 'when is supper' so ...

Merry Christmas!

Design Wall Monday

No progress on the quilt on my frame...

I have been knitting though.

A scarf to go with the mittens for my co-workers friend.

A ruffle scarf for a co-worker.

 These mittens, and more, have all been gifted.

And, then there has been candy-making.
My husband likes fudge. Not the soft kind, the kind of hard sugary kind that my grandmother used to make. My parents like divinity and I am the only one in the family who has a sturdy stand mixer to make it with. So Sunday I made some fudge and divinity. The divinity making didn't go so well. I could not get it to stiffen so I had to beat it for a loooong time and then I heard a noise...

I did get the divinity to stiffen and it is now setting up.
A new wire whip has been ordered and should arrive soon. I won't need it again before Christmas so that is ok. I have had my mixer for about 30 years so I think I am pretty lucky I haven't had any other troubles with it or any of its parts.

Go to Judy's page to see what other quilters are working on.

Design Wall Monday

Yay! Actually getting some quilting done!

Also, I have been getting some more knitting done. Another co-worker asked me to knit mittens and a scarf for her friend. She asked for black, green and blue. I like this variegated yarn and added black cuffs. I finished the mittens this weekend and have just started to knit scarf.

And, this is the minimal decorating I do for Christmas.

 A small fiber-optic tree that my husband loves.

And, a Santa hat on my yard rooster.

Go to Judy's page to see what other quilters are doing.

Design Wall Monday

I haven't done much quilting this week.

It seems every flat surface in this house has to have something on it. That includes my quilting frame and ironing board, which my husband refers to as the mail center. I had folded it up recently when we had company and I have to fold it up to use the quilting frame. He asked me to put it out again because he has no where else to put the mail. He likes to spread it out so you can see each individual piece of mail, not stack it. He can't put it on the dining room table. I refer to that table as the farm office because it is covered with his paperwork.

Anyway, the ironing board needs to be cleared off and folded up so I can clean off the quilting frame so I can put a quilt on it. I need to get that T-shirt quilt quilted. And, there are more quilts waiting.

This photo doesn't have the mail on it because I was in the middle of reorganizing my sewing area, but replace that pile of projects with mail and you have a pretty good picture of what it looks like most of the time. I know that some of the stuff that ends up piled there is my stuff, but a lot of it isn't.

I haven't done much sewing either. This quilt is still at the same stage it was last week.

I have been knitting though.
I finished the blanket that is number 2 of this set. I was asked by a co-worker to finish the second blanket that her grandmother had started 10 years ago when she was about to give birth to her twin sons. Her grandmother had finished one blanket, but passed away before she was able to finish the second one.

I put them both in the washer for a little soak. They both came to me with some mystery spots on them which did come out. I then briefly dried them on very low heat. I was worried about the fringe. I was worried it would come loose and fall off. That didn't happen, but the ends did come unraveled on about half the pieces. I replaced them. and wrote a note to the recipient that she should hand wash these blankets.

Hopefully, this week I can get flat surfaces cleaned off and a quilt on the frame.

I really wish I could have a month of time for myself - no work, no cooking, no cleaning, just sewing, knitting, quilting what I want to work on. That will never happen so I just work on my stuff when I have a free moment between other peoples projects.

To see some projects by other people, visit Judy's blog.