End of the weekend.

 It was a very long day of travel on Saturday. We started out with temps in the single digits when we woke up. We finished the puzzle we were working on at my parents and then headed out around 2:30 PM for the trip to the airport about 2 hours away with a ferry ride. We found out on the ferry that our flight was delayed an hour... so instead of waiting at the airport before security (has to be within 2 hours of the flight to go through TSA there), we wandered around the Sams club up the road! Dinner was under $9 and we each got a $1 pretzel for the plane ride! They had winter coats marked down, and for $27, Aidan found one he liked so we got it. 

We headed to the airport and got through security - both my bags were flagged this time and one of Aidans. Mine were for the 4 bars of chocolate stacked together and the other bag had 2 bamboo knitting needles that needed inspection in the other bag. Completely forgot they were in there! Aidan was stopped for the small summer sausage he got in his Yankee Exchange gift from my family exchange.

The flight was uneventful and we landed in Sanford around 10:30PM. It was raining and there was a huge puddle at the back of the car.... which got both kids sneakers soaked putting the luggage in. I did pull forward but the damage was done. It was a very dark and foggy drive home and we arrived a bit after midnight. The dog was very happy, as were the cats. 

I got up mid morning  and the dog did get a nice long walk closer to lunchtime. Today was taking down the Christmas stuff and packing it away. Boy that took a while! The tree is down, ornaments tucked away as well as all the other Christmas decorations. Aidan took down the outside lights. I did toss a few things including one of the ornament boxes. It had seen better days. The snow globes are all tucked away.... except the big one. That was a casualty as I was putting the big box up high and it fell. Big crash and there was sparkly water and glass everywhere in Greg's new office! Oops. I think I got it all cleaned up and didn't damage any of his servers he is building in there. There is a stack of 4 boxes that need to get moved into storage with the tree bag, but that can happen another day! 

I did change out the quilts as well. The new header is hanging on my kitchen/living room wall. 

The snowmen are in the living room

The umbrellas are in my office room. I will add more quilts in there since I have more hangers.

The baskets are in the dining room - I did not turn on the light which is why it is dark.

Greg just got back from Chili's with dinner. After I eat, I'm taking a bubble bath and then curling up with some stitching on my November Cross Stitch.

Winter Raverly 2026 Challenge

Same list, different season! I did take a few off that were finishes but there is still plenty of things on the list.  Nothing new added. There were three finishes from last quarter. 

This little quilt of 2.5 inch square charms were hand quilted.

The Dr Seuss ABC quilt for Emily's band director.

Harmony finally got finished as well with some circular machine quilting.

It was so nice to check things off the list. I have a feeling 2026 will be a much better sewing year with finishes. 

The list of UFO's -

 1.) I know I have at least one more cut somewhere to fill that open spot for a 7x6 setting. *** found the parts in a baggie!  These are hand pieced.... and might need a little fixing along the way on some of those middle joins. From Inklingo lemoyne stars.  The blocks are 4.5 inches.

 

2.)  I think it's a 6.5 inch cut center of greys and 2.5 inch strips. Finishes 10 inches. 

3.) Midget Applique quilt from Sentimental Stitches. I need to add more flowers and leaves and the vines... and the last border. Hand pieced and hand appliqued. Started January 2015 as a car line project. One block a week.

4.) triangle pyramids. started June 2024. I need to find these!

5.) Midget block collection - I started these in Vermont in 2010! I have a light blue for sashing.

6.) Erin's Butterfly - I made the wings in 2021.  Need to add one more set of wings... thinking 9 is a nice number? These have been machine stitched onto the background. Need to add body and antenna to each. Also need to add 1 block in another color.

7.) Flying Snowballs - hand pieced shoo fly and flowering snowball blocks in blue, purple and green from 2025. Will plan to machine piece them together into a top about 84x84.

8.) mostly cut out and some 9 patches are made. Hehe... from the first quilting book I had and made a quilt from. Introduction to Quilting 101 - the basics by Sharon Hultgren. I think this was Sunrise Surprise! The four patch from this book is at my Mom's hanging over a crib still! This might get morphed into a donation quilt of some sort to get it done.

9.) I forgot I had this. It is a cute birdhouse wall hanging but is foundation pieced, which I dislike. Maybe I can deal with it enough to get this done? Or rework it?

10,) This is a kit I purchased mid-90s - butterfly's. I think all the parts are there and I did start arranging them.

11.) Quilters Patch. A sew along that I completely did not meet my goals on in 2022. One block is done.

12.) Alternate BITA blocks from RSC 2025 collection

** I need to get a photo of these

13.) 16 patch blocks from 2.5 inch squares

** I need to get a photo of these.

14.) chicken blocks... these have not had much love this year.

15.) Bittersweet Briar - pattern in Kim Deihl's book and kit of fabric.

16) Brimfield Awakening EPP. I did start this and have the first fabric thread basted in purple!

17.) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - On Ringo Lake - maybe step #2?

18) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - Grassy Creek (2020) Think I am on step #4.

19.) 30's log cabin tulip quilt.

Quilt Tops: 

20.) Birds in the Air block collection - this is now a top and loaded onto the quilting frame at a 90x90 size.

 21) Ella Maria Deacon Blocks. Hand pieced, machine stitched together into a top. Patterns from Sentimental Stitches.

 I need to measure and see if it is happy with it's size or now. All my quilts seem to have a mind of their own!

22) Vermont Quilt Festival Booth Hop from either 2008 or 2009.  it is 71x71.

23.) Y2K Joann's BOM - quilt top

24.) 1857 Quilt Along Top - This one is in the hoop for hand quilting as of December 2024. ** Might unpin this one so it doesn't rust and do something smaller first with the big BITA on the frame...

25.) Spring Hexagons - not sure if this wants to be bigger or not.... 

26.) Triple Irish Chain - green. 80x80 I think. I did find both fabrics extra with it... Might need a green or cream border first or both... Made in the early 2000's. circular feathers in open spaces.

27.) Hexagon flowers on a black background. These are a stack of blocks I hand pieced a few years ago then hand appliqued to the black background a couple years after that!  

28.) String of Beads is a top. I do want to add green circles to the meeting points of the green peels I think as well. The yellow ones really helped the colored parts of the peel flowers. I need a new photo of this one as I did get it to a top on 10/5/25. I promise!

Jan 2

 

I did start a new project for 2026.

I started the November design out of the Paula Vaughan  Quilts for all seasons.

I started around the middle so the red left border of the quilt on the wagon.

Another puzzle was started.

We spent time at my sister's yesterday. She lives in the woods and with the fresh snow overnight it was a winter wonderland. We also got to see three deer right outside the window while playing Rumacube. 

My BIL Bob took Emily to the rink where my brother and SIL were meeting her fir free skate time. Turns out Bob grew up playing hockey and he had not skated in years. He had fun... and now wants skates!

Bob and Em.

It is -1 outside feels like -10. We will see if we head to camp or not for a drive by. 

The overlook on her property.

December 31

 I did not bring my computer with me this trip, so the recap will happen next year! 

Busy visiting with family this week. The kids and I went skating yesterday.  Their second time on skates. I never learned to skate but went around the edge once and turned in the skates. That was enough for me. Emily wants to go again, and learn more with my brother,  so she'll go tomorrow too. 

Got to shovel the ice off the driveway before the temps dropped late Monday night to the teens. There is a dusting of snow from overnight I'll go shovel in a bit. That will be my workout with a kid or two! 

Puzzle making was Monday during the rainy day with frozen roads.

Happy New Years!