November wrap up of goals...

I think I did pretty good this month!
1. The maple leaf quilt got finished. Well... I just need to hand quilt some maple leafs into that plain border. Two leaves are in the black print right now.10 to go int he black and 12 in the cream =)

2. Celtic Solstice was finished into a top. Bonnie's new mystery starts today... Are you joining in?

3. The Century Quilt was finished into a top 10/28. I'll quilt this next year sometime.

4. Snails Tail - no progress.
5. RSC color of the month was light blue. Hexies, churn dashes and a 16 patch block were made. I made a couple of missing 16 patches and then made all 12 into stars... then put them into a quilt top!

6. Tiny Tuesday - I made a couple but I think I have enough for my sampler quilt. Just need time to start putting them together.
7. Hugs and Kisses got pinned and the hand quilting started on Thanksgiving! The yellow block is done....48 to go!

8. I pulled out the Little T quilt and finished the hand quilting. It is now a finished little quilt.

9. I also decided to make 6 place mats for Thanksgiving this year. I got them done thanks to a pattern from Joanne at Canuckquilter.com.  I put Christmas fabric on the back so they are reversible!

I think I did pretty good. December there is no link party of goals.... but I'd love to finish up a couple of my RSC blocks into complete quilts. I also want to do my last two appliqué blocks for the Quilt Square Along blocks... the motive on that is to have two small things to hand quilt for a trip later in December. Head on over to see Kathi and visit her link party of goals.

Happy Thanksgiving.....

I got the place mats done in time ... and wouldn't you know it one got dripped on.... and yes, it was mine from me! Oops, guess that one will be turned over to Christmas for the next meal!
I think they turned out great - thanks Joanne for a great pattern.

As the kids were trimming the tree this afternoon....

I pulled out the Hugs and Kisses quilt and put my first hand quilting stitches into it! Hopefully it will be completed before next year's Thanksgiving! I am using a hoop for this (second attempt at a hoop type device) and hopefully it works since this is a pretty big quilt at 78x78.

The kids moved on from the tree onto the Christmas train that I put under my tree. It is currently in the front reading room getting a workout. Notice the nativity scene - Emily grabbed that out first and had that set up before Daddy even put the tree together. That is her job I guess!

Time to wake Daddy from his nap so I can go out and take a walk and get some steps and burn off some turkey before the sun goes down. Hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Waiting until the last minute......

The placemats for Thanksgiving are in process. No sewing yesterday as I was attempting to clean the house. Never fun when you notice at the end of steam cleaning the carpets that the bristle spinning was OFF! Arrgghhh. 

I just finished quilting the last four this morning and have the binding on one side. I'll stitch them down tonight while watching movies with the kids. I've been informed it will be a movie night with popcorn! The last place mat is on the machine - bobbin thread ran out on the last side. I put Christmas fabric on the back so we can use them all December. Two are fun kids prints and the other 4 are the Christmas print you see. Wish me luck on getting them done for tomorrow.

French onion soup is in the last 30 minutes of simmering for my lunch after cooking down all morning. Turkey giblets are all boiled up and ready for the stuffing tomorrow. Just need to finish the thaw on the pumpkin to make the pumpkin pudding for tomorrow. The boy popped a little fever yesterday after school. He had his 3 hours of running around and is resting on the couch all snuggled up under a quilt =).

This was them earlier this morning - playing with a can of snow that one of my employees got for them. You add a cup of water and instant snow! It was for them to practice with for next month when they see the real thing =)

Wishing you all a safe Thanksgiving Holiday to those in the USA. Happy Thursday to everyone else!

Edit....Someone came home with a sheepish smile on his face. He got things to build a fire pit. Yes - the kids already are out with a fire in their new fire pit and have cooked their dogs and marshmallows already for their dinner!

Slow stitching Sunday...

Kathy reminds us every week to slow down and enjoy some slow stitching. I have been lucky and have been doing a bit of slow stitching this week. I got my Little T little quilt all finished - quilting done and bound. I just freehanded that outer border with the kids green chalk for their easel! It washed out just fine.

I finished the binding on my Maple Leaf quilt last night during a movie marathon with Emily and Greg. Frozen and then Happy Feet - we opted out of the parade as it was a damp drizzle all day long. She got a pizza and movie date with Mom and Dad. Aidan was at Grandma's for the day and had his sleepover last night. He'll be returned this afternoon. Em also got to sleep in her tent in her room last night =)

So.... after going into work today for a bit to pay some bills and do the books.... I plan to enjoy some more slow stitching this evening.

The options -
Hand quilt some maple leafs onto the middle border on the Maple Leaf quilt.
Start (finally) Hugs and Kisses...... I think Hugs and Kisses will win and the Maple leaf will be the car line hand work for Monday and Tuesday. Kids are off Wednesday through the rest of the week.

Off to try the chocolate Puff Pancake Emily and I just made for breakfast (I added cocoa and mini chocolate chips).... the joy of her going to bed at 7:15 last night was short lived when she got me up wide awake a little before 6AM this morning. I think Hugs and Kisses might get a few stitches put in this morning before work.

Head on over and visit Kathy's Quilts and see what other slow stitching projects are being worked on today.

I'm blaming Joanne....

She was kind enough to send me the pattern for her geese across the table runner and placemats. Instead of cleaning..... I decided to make the placemats! I cut this out yesterday.

 I need 6 for Thanksgiving this year. So far the six tops are made. Now to find some backing fabrics.... christmas maybe?... and then quilt and bind them.

See - I told you it was all Joanne's fault! You can purchase her pattern for Geese across the table here. She did hers in contemporary colors.

*** Mom - I think I am just going to have a few things shipped to you for the kids. Expect a pink Janome sewing machine from Joann's Fabrics to arrive sometime soon for Ms. Emily. ***

Progress......

Well, the Little T got the final quilting stitches in yesterday in the car line. I quickly threw a binding on it but have not hand stitched it to the back yet. I plan to take it with me to bowling and get the binding finished this morning.

I added some borders to the orange peel mini quilt. I think this print gives it that 'aged' look!

I also got these blocks finished and all put together yesterday! It is 48x 64....I think that is a good size snuggle quilt for a young girl..... or should I add a border? Kathy - I used 4.5 inch strips to make the flying geese which finished at 4x8 using a flying geese ruler (Fons and Porter). My 16 patches were made with 2.5 inch squares. I'm thinking a scrappy color binding for this one.

Now to press Celtic Solstice and get it rolled to the boards for pinning. I need to cut the backing and batting and it is best to do that when everyone is away from the house (school and work). One week to get that baby quilted. I'm thinking circles a la Kim Diehl. Fingers crossed that it will go smoothly on such a large quilt. It did well on the 60x48 one I did but this one is 82x82.......

We had a hard frost this morning.... so the weathermen were one day off! Good thing I had covered everything Tuesday afternoon... and kept it covered. The kids had fun scraping the windshield this morning ( a novelty in Florida!). Hoping all those up north getting all the snow are careful driving and shoveling all that snow. We are back to 'normal' temps in the 80's this weekend. Thank goodness =)

Tuesday......

I started picking up a little in the sewing room yesterday and found two separate piles of orange peel blocks! So....... I decided to sew them together to make a little quilt. It is 20x16 right now and I think it will just get a border added. I wonder what color it will be? Looks like a new car project for the pick up line at school since the Little T is nearly done. Two more sides of the last border and then the binding and that one will be all done.

I also made the missing blue and purple 16 patches for the RSC Challenge and decided to start making them into stars. Last year I had a colored square in the upper corner of each block. I decided to leave it plain this year. I might alternate the background color with a lighter cream in some of them to add movement.

I should be pinning Celtic Solstice.... but I'm just not in the mood so I'll continue making stars out of my 16 patches this morning. I am doing lunch with Aidan today at school since I did lunch with Emily yesterday. Hopefully it will not be a rainy pick up at school today - I got there at 1:30 and they are released at 2:05. My car did not move until 2:20 and I was only about 35 cars or so in the line. They were lined up down the road both sides waiting when we got through.  I am guessing it took well over an hour to get the kids released yesterday. It did give me a lot of time to stitch on the little T!

Mom - I'm on Chapter 32 - 55% done the Cindy Blackburn book. I am reading her new book Unbelievable which is a 'fictional' place that is a lot like the little town my parents summer camp is in =). There is even an Arlene in the book - which is my Mom's name! Pretty neat to read about a place I know so well. If you like easy read mysteries, go check it out.

I also got my fitbit zip device in the mail this weekend and set it up Sunday. Yesterday was my first full day wearing it and I got 10,000 steps in! I guess I walk around the house more than I thought I do!

Off to sew......