UFO Challenge

I have joined Susan for the 2011 UFO Challenge. She has all the details on her blog http://www.blackberrycreek.typepad.com . Sounds like a fun way to get rid of those UFO's cluttering my shelves. I think of it this way, if I finish UFO's then I would have empty shelf space and what do you do with empty space....? You buy more fabric to fill those holes. I am going to look at all of my UFO's this weekend and make a list of the things I would like to finish. Join us.

2nd posting tonight, don't miss 1st

This is a quilt I started a couple months ago, but I lost interest, just wasn't a fun quilt. I bought the kit from the Fat Quarter shop. I like the colors and made it for my family room, just perfect for the room. But the directions were confusing until I got to the very end and then it all made sense, but by that time it was too late the mistakes were made and I'm not one to rip apart a whole quilt. Because of the colors the mistakes are not that noticeable.

This is my least favorite part of quilting. Pin basting. Don't like the pinning. Anyone else feel this way? This was how I was taught but I wish there was an easier way. I bought an offbrand machine quilting table but I never could get my sewing machine to work on it. I am checking out some of the ones on the market now, but I really have to check them before I purchase another one. Anyone have an opinion on a good one?

Everyone has been sharing their Christmas trees, here is ours. I thought it would be different this year to go back and use glass balls, in red and white. Candy canes and bead garland. I was so proud and thought it looked so pretty and then my DH asked why I was advertising for Target. So now when I look at my pretty tree all I can think of is Target and their bulleye.

Got to love him.

Pictures I promised

I may be late posting my picture, but let's see if I can do this. .

It has been 17 years (that's what the news channels say) since we have had a white Christmas in the Nashville, TN area. We didn't have anything like my sister has in Buffalo, NY area, but it was still pretty and was wonderful to have snow on Christmas



This is my little guy waking up on Christmas morning. He was more interested in finding his puppy instead of looking to see what Santa left for him.

v>

This is his new puppy, Gibby. They have really bonded and have become friends, except when Stevie wants to play Wii and Gibby wants to chew on the cord or controls. Not the best pose

We had the most wonderful (use that word a lot) Christmas. Spent time with my parents and my oldest son. Had my first Christmas dinner in our new house. I enjoyed every minute. Snow, family, food, gifts what wasn't there to love.

This is the quilt I made for our Secret Santa at work. I was real surprized that it was the men in the office that wanted and stole the quilt from each other until it was declared a "dead" gift. I thought one of the women would have stole it. It was a simple quilt without a lot of piecing but our price limit was $25.00 and we all know you can't make a quilt for $25.00. So I justified by using items I hand left over or had been in my stash for awhile.

This is the back, I almost like it better than the front.

Here is a close up of the fabric in the center of the quilt. Love snowmen almost as much as gingerbread men.

A close up of the Christmas trees. Simple but I thought it turned out very pretty.

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures, more to come.

Changes

I have made a few changes, so hopefully I managed to correct the problem I had with posting comments.

WINNER!!!!

I'm a winner..I'm a winner!!!(doing the happy dance) First time I have ever won anything in blogland. I'm so excited, this has made my day!!! I have been taking part in the In Stitches bingo game at www.the-quilt-shoppe.blogspot.com and I was choosen as a winner in the daily giveaway. It's too late to enter but you may want to watch and enter the next time. It is a lot of fun.

I know, I know I failed again. No posting and no pictures esp. after I said I would. But I have a pretty good reason or at least my son thinks so. I had to go and meet Santa's elf and pick up a puppy for my son. Santa can't bring puppies on his sleigh because it's too scary and cold. After I met Santa's elf we had to go to Wally World and pick up a kennel and bed and food and toys and puppy pads and.... you get the idea, as bad as having a baby, but Santa thought Stevie would like to pick out what he thought his new puppy would like.

How do you hide a puppy for a week??? We couldn't, so he came into our family early. I do have pictures (Yeah, I know I always say that) but the expression on my son's face was priceless when he opened that box and saw his puppy. Even his dad said he would never forget that expression. He was so excited, even jumped with both feet. After a lot of dicussion, we decided this would be a good thing for Stevie. If you don't already know, Stevie has Down Syndrome and because of this he doesn't really have friends to play with at home, so we thought this would be good. He feeds hims and makes sure he has water. Although, when Stevie fills the water bowl, half ends up on the floor, but that's ok. I found it was less messy if I cleaned up poop, so I have poop patrol when I am at home. Not quite getting the puppy pad concept yet, but we are working on it. Oh forgot to mention "he" is a Boston Terrier. We were trying to come up with a name that Stevie could say pretty plain (he has a speech problem)we went through what seemed like a thousand names and every one Stevie would say NO, NO, No. Then as a joke my husband said "how about Gibby? They were watching I Carly at the time, and Stevie said YES! We have brought up other names but it looks like you will be hearing a lot about Stevie and Gibby. Name kind of fits him, I must admit. I promise I will have so many pictures you will get tired of looking.

WHEW!!

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post. I haven't been slacking, I've been super busy, like everyone else. I thought I had given myself enough time to finish everything, WRONG. I am at work so not a lot of time to post. I did finish the notepad holders for my son's teachers. And yes I took pictures, they are in the camera. Will I share? Yes as soon as I get home I will try and post. Never finished table runners for my family. Never finished MY Christmas quilt. I have the top and back pieced for my Dirty Santa exchange at work, so I have 5 days to finish it. I have notepad covers and calendars to make for my family. Sounds simply and would be if that was all I had to do. Tonight I am traveling to look at a puppy for my son for Christmas. Insane? YES.

Will show progress next time. Although my list is long I do finish some things.

My Present to Marie

This is what I made for Marie. I hope she like them. I made a table runner, kitchen towels and mug rugs or hot pads (her choice). I really liked the way they turned out. I hope she likes them. I liked the table runner so much I made one for myself. You know one of those, to me from me gifts. The pictures are not the greatest but I thought they were very pretty.
(I can't seem to get my pictures to post where I want them)
We have a Dirty Santa or White Elephant or Secret Santa exchange at work. This year I decided to make a quilt throw. I have it all pieced and need to start quilting it tonight. This is the first year I have made anything for our exchange. I hope they like it. I hope someone fights for it, just a little. I will post pictures after I quilt it.

Secret Santa Reveal

I mailed the box to my Secret Santa, Marie in Dallas, OR. then I opened my present from her. HOW DID SHE KNOW???? How did she know that I love gingerbread men? I have candles, candle holders, a little house all with gingerbread men. This is what she made for me. I love it. Thank you very much Marie. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is beautiful.