Christmas Finally Over

My friends and I finally got together for our Christmas dinner last night.  We went to Aspen’s as usual.  We tried to go to a new restaurant that opened in East Cobb but they were closed last night for their own party.  Aspen’s was wonderful and we were able to sit close to the fireplace which felt good on the coldest night in at least 20 years.

Of course, we exchanged gifts.  I will post the ones I received on another day but here is what I made for everyone.

 

I made a set of hexie coasters for each of my wonderful women friends – more than friends, we are family.  I also made fabric fortune cookies for each but forgot to take photos before I wrapped them up in a fat quarter tied with selvages.

Bill talked me into going out to breakfast this morning – despite the fact that the temperature was only 5 degrees.  Guild was cancelled this morning because the Cobb County schools were closed due to the cold weather.  They decided it was just cold for the children to be waiting outside for the busses.  Remember, this is the South.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 6, 2014

I have a design bed this morning because it is too large for the design wall.  I have the center of the NYD quilt finished and just need to add plain borders and piece the backs.  Hopefully in the next couple of days.

I hope to get it quilted in the next two weeks – have a quilt on the machine and need to work on a couple other customer quilts before I can dedicate a day or two to this one.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.  Lots and lots of design walls there.

Melinda

Stash Report–January 5, 2014

OK – I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do a stash report this year.  I gave up about half way through last year but decided I would try again in 2014.  Unfortunately for my report, there was a 50% off sale on the sale fabric room at work so on New Year’s Day, I bought 8 yards.  5 of a light green batik and 3 of a green polka dot.  I figured that I will use the 5 yards of batik for a backing and the other for borders on something.  Price was too good to pass up.

Last year I didn’t count yardage as used until the quilt was quilted and bound.  This year I decided that I will count the fabric in a top when it is completed and then count the backing and binding when used.  That makes more sense to me.

Here is my first stash report of the year.

Used this week:         0 yards

Used year to date:     0 yards

Added this week:      8 yards

Added year to date:  8 yards

Net used for 2014:   -8 yards

Hopefully I can finish up a couple of things and get back in the black soon.  Other stash reports are at Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Bowties

Still working on the NYD quilt – it is in two pieces and then needs borders.  No time until evening because I have to go to the shop early for the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild meeting and then will work in the afternoon.

I don’t have a photo of the NYD quilt but here are the latest bowties from my leader/ender project.

These are 281-290.  Still have a lot more to make.

Melinda

Cold!

I know it is colder other places but for Georgia it is COLD!  We just aren’t used to cold weather.  Earlier this week we went to Cracker Barrel and I got new mittens.  At least my hands are warm.

Keep warm!

Melinda

On the Needles–January 3, 2014

Still feels strange to type 2014 – even worse, we have a discount card at the shop that expires a year after it is purchased so we are now writing 2015.  How can that be?  My socks are still on my needles but I have made progress.  I have turned both heels and am almost ready to start the ribbing.

I really like how the socks are similar but not identical.  One has a purple heel and the other has orange.  Self striping yarn is fun!

For more knitting reports to to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Another Gift

This time from Lisa.  She made many, many of these hot pads and tricked me into helping her with the binding on this one.  Then she gave it to me!  I love it.

Melinda

Christmas Gifts from My Sister

Forgot to show the neat gifts from my sister Robin.

She also made me a pin cushion – look at the little airplanes on it. 

Our father was a pilot, actually he was a PILOT.  He was in the Army Air Corps during WWII and lived all his life around airplanes.  He was an executive pilot for an oil company and then ran a Beechcraft dealership and flight school on the Long Beach Airport.  Later he ran a Cessna dealership and flight school.  All our life we were surrounded by planes and pilots.  Most of our vacations were by plane – he would borrow one and off we would go.  He was a member of the Quiet Birdmen – I found a Wikipedia article about them – interesting.

On the back of the pin cushion she put a little label.  I need to get some of these.

Melinda

Michele Made Me Do It!

Michele sent me a photo from Sears last week and this morning I gave in and went to look at it.  While it is sold out, they will have it in a week.

I plan to use it in my longarm studio to hold all the stuff that goes with the machine.  There are drawers for thread, rulers and all the other stuff!

Michele also has a question that I said I would share and see if anyone knows the answer.  She works on a lot of old quilts and this one came to her over the weekend.  Neither of us have ever seen this pattern.  Any ideas?

Let me know if you have any ideas – I will be working on the NYD quilt.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–December 30, 2013

Well it is the last design wall of the year.  I have a new project on my design wall and ironing table.  I signed up for the annual class on NYD from Cindy Roth on longarm quilting.  I skipped last year but have done at least 2 others.

Here is the pattern for the quilt we will be working on.

Here are my fabrics.

From top to bottom is the background, the next two are HST, the polka dot is for the diamonds in the border and lastly is the backing.  I also have the dark orange for the binding.

Here are my first few blocks.

I hope to get it pieced by tomorrow.  I have to work on NYD but she videos the lessons so I can work on it the next day.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check them out.

Melinda

Modern Christmas BOM

We have a new BOM at Tiny Stitches and it is tempting me.  I love the solid fabrics and the colors but I certainly don’t need another project.  But it is really cute.  So far I have not signed up but I am working this afternoon and may give in.

Melinda

Bill’s Christmas Present

Bill loves Minkie/Cuddle quilts and the heavier the better.  I bought a kit to make a quilt for him a year or so ago and my friend Sue pieced it.  It wasn’t bound yet but I managed to do it on Christmas day.

Here he is with his quilt.

On the back I managed to find monkeys – not sock monkeys but at least they are monkeys.  He did get a sock monkey water glass and a small sock monkey ornament to add to his collection.

He is enjoying the quilt almost too much – need to get him out of that chair!

Melinda

On the Needles–December 27, 2013

I have been working on socks.  I took a class earlier this month on making socks – toe up, two at a time, on Magic Loop and completed the first pair.  Not even close to perfect but I did learn a lot.  As soon as I finished the class, I cast on two more pair.  For the class we used size 4 needles (I knit very loose so used size 3) and somewhat thicker yarn.  I bought yarn to make two more pair of the same – just different colors.

At the same time, I had size 1 needles and regular sock yarn so I decided to cast on a pair.  I am getting ready to turn the heel on this pair. 

I am loving how they are turning out.  Nice bright colors and similar looks but not the same.  There are a lot more stitches on this pair than the first pair so the heels will take more time.  I am using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel and it is really quite easy, once you have done it at least one time.

The other pair are only a couple of inches long at this point but go much faster with the larger needles and thicker yarn.

Linking up to Patchwork Times for On The Needles.

Melinda

SSCS Gift

I received my SSCS gift and opened it yesterday.  Apparently there was a problem with my original gift but I had a package to open anyway.  It was wonderful.

Can you see the scissors.  They are kangaroo scissors!  The fabrics is from Australia also.  My gift was from Shari Jamieson and she says that another gift is still on the way.  I think this gift was enough.  Thank you again Shari.

Melinda

Gift from Claudia

At guild last week Claudia (the recipient of the wonderful bookcase quilt) gave each of the members of the Executive Committee and wonderful thank you gift.  She made fabric boxes for each of us.  Here is mine.

Look at the top!

Wonderful gift from a wonderful President.  Thank you Claudia.

Melinda

Secret Santa Soiree–Finally

I have been sick for the past few days and haven’t really done anything except sleep but am feeling better now.  I finished up my final two quilts due before Christmas and delivered one with the other one arranged for tomorrow.

I am late with this post but is is not that I am not enjoying and appreciative of the gifts I received.

This was the first received – sort of a pre-gift.

A wonderful scrap bag/pin cushion in lovely lime green.

More lime green goodies.

and a great mug, complete with tea bags.

I can’t wait to find out who sent all this wonderfulness to me.

Melinda

Hexie Coasters

Tuesday night was hexie club and we made coasters.  Some folks cut hexies but I wimped out and used precut Moda ones.  One package of them makes five coasters.

I like how they turned out.  I am linking to Sarah at Sarah Did It for Help for Hexie-aholics which she hosts every month.

Melinda

Getting Ready for Amicalola Retreat

Once again we are going to do a mystery quilt at the Tiny Stitches retreat in January.  This year the directions call for 8 dark fat quarters and 8 light fat quarters.  I picked mine out over the weekend.

Although I have a drawing of the finished quilt top, I have no idea how it is made.  It is always fun though.

Melinda

Full Photo of Claudia’s Bookcase Quilt

Ben sent me a photo of the entire quilt.  It really turned out great, especially considering it was made by about 50 people in all. 

Isn’t it wonderful?

Melinda

Holiday Party at ECQG

We had a great holiday party at ECQG.  Lots of friends, food and fun.  New officers were elected and the President’s quilt was presented to Claudia for her year of service to the guild.  Ben (our new President) designed the quilt and asked me to quilt it.  I had a lot of fun working on it.

Here are a few photos of the quilt.  I don’t have one of the whole quilt but I am hoping Ben took one and will send it to me.

What a wonderful keepsake for Claudia to remember the year of 2013 and the guild.

Melinda