THE BEST KIND OF GIFT

.............is a handmade one. I received some lovely gifts from friends this year and I wanted to show them here.

A shadow box from Dawn.  I caught my breath when I opened this. So much detail and every time I look at it I see something new.

She knows I love hexies   : )

Sonja, who is THE queen of all things stitchy,  made this little quilt with 1/4" hexagons

and then hand quilted it

A little mug rug from Roanda to remind me that even though it might be freezing outside, I can find 'Joy' while I sip my coffee

This is 'Snowbelle'.  I made her for a little gift this year.

She's all dressed up in her matching scarf and mitts ready for New Years Eve.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful New Year!

THE STOCKINGS WERE HUNG.....

........on the ladder with care, in hopes that my family soon would be there       : )

I think over this next year I'll make a few more and try to go for a more matchy matchy look

I hope each one of you has a reason to Rejoice this Christmas Season.
Merry Christmas,

Carla

LAST MINUTE LITTLE MAKES

We are fast approaching the big day and even though we have pared down this year, I still feel the pressure.  Two of the three hats are done. The hardest part about these hats is finding a big button!

My son's girlfriend may get hers still on the needles-- sticking out of her stocking  : )

I managed to make my daughter a stocking.  She really liked the quilt I made using these fabrics so she asked for hers to be from the scraps

the stocking is a variation of this tutorial


One more stocking to go and then on to filling all eleven of them!
Have a fabulous week end.

2013 RECAP

It's time once again to look back over the year and see what got accomplished. Lots and lots of blocks were sent away for various bees, but these are the quilts that actually got quilted and bound this year.
I'm posting this now because the chances of me having any more finishes before year end is slim. I hope you enjoy seeing some of these again.

These are two little quilts I did for two very special little people

Things got complicated right after delivery and baby B had to have open heart surgery

If I could add a caption for this picture it would say "dear Lord, please heal my brother"

the boys at three weeks

Not too shabby for a year.
Now to get on with my Christmas shopping. Enjoy your week         : )

YESTERDAY.......

........it was -9 and snowing for a good part of the day. It was a great day to gather together all the blocks from the Simply Solids group and get to work.

I sewed them together and basted,

then I traced around a frying pan lid, a casserole lid, and a cereal bowl

and got busy quilting

in no time I had it quilted and bound and into the washer it went

The binding is squared elements by Art Gallery. I thought the little squares were a perfect fit

Another fun little quilt to add to the pile in the nursery.

I'm thinking now might be a good time to give my new daughter in law a tour of that nursery.......  : )

linking up with finish it up Friday
and TGIFF

quilt stats:
fabrics are all solids
36 x 48
pattern is here
quilted by me

SUNDAY SNAPSHOTS

November was my month to ask for blocks from the girls in the Bee Purposeful group. I asked them for strips of flying geese and this is what has arrived so far :

I plan to arrange them going in every direction like this

I made another stocking for one of my boys' girlfriend.  She likes bright colours    : )

I've been knitting every chance I get.  This is going to be a hat band

I showed my daughter in law's some yarn I had purchased and asked them what they liked. Both of them chose the plum.  Uh oh...........

Sure hope I can manage three hats by Christmas!

How are your gifts coming?

linking up with Wool on Sundays

RANDOM THURSDAY

This time of year means parties and presents and way too much food! I hosted our shops' staff dinner again this year and I had a full house.

Remember this little pile of goodies ?

It became these

I made each of the staff a little thread catcher

they look so cute all lined up!

Each of the ladies had one at their spot when they arrived

After dinner we gathered for a group photo. I am privileged to work with a great bunch of ladies !

linking up with Live a Colorful Life

CHRISTMAS SEWING

Yesterday was a very relaxing day. I sewed, knit, sewed some more and then baked. I was working on a bit of secret sewing. More about that later in the week.

I can show you the two things I did finish

My new daughter in law needed a stocking so I used burlap left over from the wedding and made her this  

I think she'll like it   : )

As you know, I'm involved in a few different online bees. This year a couple of them are doing swaps so I made up this little mug rug using the tree pattern I'm working on.

The 3D tree is a good place to stash cookies or chocolates.  It's currently making it's way to a new home.

Crumbs not included          : )

FRIENDSHIP BLOCK FRIDAY

Oh. My. Word.  November is over already.  With this being the last Friday of the month I am supposed to share my progress on the Friendship X and + blocks I am making and trading with Cindy
Here are my eight pair of blocks--8 to keep and 8 to send

and here are my blocks mixed in with four that Cindy sent me   : )

I think it will be a wonderful mix of scrappy blues/greys/greens by the time we are done. Time to start on December's.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends !

WIP WEDNESDAY AND A WINNER

Happy Wednesday!  I've got several works in progress as usual. This week I've received 'squishy' mail three times! Blocks from the Simply Solids group are half here  : )

On the knitting front I bought yarn to make gifts for some of the girlies on my list.

I started and ripped out a little sweater for Janie twice, but I think I'm settled on this one.  click click click

My forest of trees is growing. There are several waiting for the trunks to be added.

Someone mentioned they couldn't see how the trees are 3D so here is a photo. After all the trees are pieced I need to sew little pinwheels in the corners

and another little project just for fun  : )

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment on my give-away.   Mr. Random Number chose..........

Stephanie @ quarter Incher.  Congratulations Stephanie! I have sent you an e-mail.

As a side note there were so many comments that were 'no reply'.  If you didn't hear back from me it's because I had no way of reaching you  : (         I tried --really I did

linking up with Freshly pieced

INDIAN SUMMER

How I wish we were experiencing that, but winter has hit with -18 this week. When I took these photos it was -7.  This line of fabric has been around for a while but I finally got my hands on it.  I envisioned something simple and quick.  I just love the colours--so soothing.

My favourite is the little teepees 

I quilted it with a square stipple. For the most part I'm happy with it.  Not perfect by any means but finished is better than perfect right?

backing is Little Apples by Aneela Hoey and the binding is 5 different grey jellyroll strips from my stash trimmed down to 2 1/8".  It just worked!

Done.


quilt stats:
pattern- made up as I went along
fabrics- Indian Summer and 1 piece of Road 15
background is Moda off white
40 x 58
pieced and quilted by me

If you haven't entered my give-away yet there's still time. You have until bed time on the 26th  : )