Merry Christmas! SSCS gifts . . . . . . and other gifts

I am once again hunting for a camera. . .  .so I don't have pictures on this post. 

To all of you that celebrate Christmas I hope that you have had a blessed day and continued peace.

Mr. Books & I attended the candlelight service last night & our regular Sunday service this morning.  It was very hectic but rewarding.

We haven't yet celebrated Christmas with my family yet. . . . and won't be celebrating it with Mr. Books daughter until next weekend so there will be additional updates.

But, as of right now I can say that I did not add to the stash for this day --- at least not fabric; I did pick up a pattern yesterday for a wall hanging that I am thinking of making for my office wall for next Christmas.

I opened the gift from Dale in Australia that was my SSCS gift. . . .oh, just wait until I can get a photo!!  I received a calendar and the most wonderful stitcher's case that I have ever seen.  The colors are wonderful & there are very many "nooks & crannies" for me to use to store things for "on the go" stitching.

The calendar will be wonderful on my refrigerator and will let me see what wonders there are to see in other parts of the world.

Thank you Dale, I love the gifts you sent and appreciate all the time you took to make it!

Mr. Books knows that I love novelty pins (brooches) and is always on the prowl for pieces to make to my collection.  (I'm known as the "pin lady" at work.)  Well, he added 2 pieces to my collection. . . . in a theme that I had not yet started -- SPORTS!!

We went to an antique mall yesterday (kind of a new tradition for us in the past couple of years).  While there he found a billiards pin and a golf club pin for me.

He had been looking for a treadle sewing machine but we hadn't come upon one of those in this trip.  Which is a good thing because right now I don't know where we would put it (at least so I could use it) until I get the house organized a bit better.

I'll post more later on. . . . and hope that by then I will have pictures. . . because I also have pictures to show of blocks that I made for a Flickr swap and I will get those blocks in the mail tomorrow so that I am ahead of the deadline.

In peace and pieces,

What a difference a year makes (or, in my case, maybe not)!

Judy Laquidara has posted her 2012 UFO Challenge and, once again, I know that I need to get myself in gear.

Here's a link to what I had said I wanted to get done for 2011.

Not one blessed thing on that list was completed.

The Bear's Paw & Square Dance quilts were lost in the sewer flood (unless, by some miracle they were in a box that I haven't gotten a chance to open. . . . but I'm pretty sure that they are gone).

The quilt blocks are still that --- blocks ---.

The Flowers of the Month kits are still kits.

The Spa Mystery has been found --- but I can't find the directions so I'm going to have to "wing it" for the borders.

Linda's quilt still needs to be completed and I hope that the pre-marked white on white can be located or that will be another quilt that I lost to the flood.

However, I have moved some things forward. . . . I've done 2 quilts for Wrapped In Hope; I've gotten my Scrappy Trips quilt to the flimsy stage; the quilt top that I did for the New Life Island Retreat is a flimsy; plus there are 3 more flimsies that are a year overdue for baptism gifts.

And I did participate in several doll quilt swaps and Secret Santa programs which had projects that were completed.

I'm hesitant, at this point, to make a list of things that I "have" to get done in 2012 --- mainly because I want to get alot of things done in the house --- which will require time to be taken from my quilting and crafting projects so I think that I will just plug along as best I can without feeling any guilt that I am not working on the "correct" project for that month.

Good luck to Judy & the rest of the gals who have signed up.  If you are a brave soul perhaps you should join them. 

In peace and pieces,

Just a quick check-in

I haven't done much lately because I have been sick. . . missed work on Tuesday because I felt absolutely lousy.

I am hoping that I can be up for Friday Night Sew In tomorrow.  Have you signed up for it yet?

My project for tonight was talking with the son of friends of mine. . . .I couldn't figure out how to get my Nook hooked into my wireless (I'm only partially a geek).  But that's to my "family" geek I was able to get the Nook hooked. . . .and now I think I might be able to get Mr. Books' laptop connected to the network also (well, if I can't I know how I can ask for help)!!!

It is wonderful to have someone that isn't bugged by my dumb computer questions!

In peace and pieces,

Friday Night Sew In

Tonight is the first FNSI's for December. . . . and I won't be able to participate.  Boo Hoo

But I'm not too sad because I will be (hopefully) wrapping a lot of packages and getting lots of donations for Animal Rescue Force.  Barnes & Noble is kind enough to offer free gift wrapping to their customers and opens it to charitable organizations.  In lieu of an actual fee all that is suggested is a free will donation to the organization; and the organizations are different every night.

Seeing as how this is a Friday night I am hoping that there is alot of activity --- because it will make the time go by faster.  If I'm busy I won't be too bummed out about not being able to be in my sewing area.

In peace and pieces,
 

What, there are FINALLY pictures???!!!

Ok, I still don't have my camera USB cord replaced (or found) but I have Mr. Books' camera. . . so here are some pictures:

This first picture is a doll quilt that I did for a swap through Delphi Forums.  The theme selected by my partner was Winter.  I love how the green (from a fabric line called "Winter Wonderland" -- sorry, I don't remember the designer) just "pops".  It reminds me of how scarves are so colorful.

 This next series of pictures are of the quilt that I did for the 2nd "Wrapped In Hope" recipient.  This child listed "basketball, orange and green" as favorite things.  I had a fun time looking for basketball themed fabrics (as you can see from the detail pictures that follow).  This is the 2nd quilt that I have done on our Grace quilting frame.

 This is a another view of the quilt. . . . gives a little closer view of the fabrics.

 This is the central panel (also used for some of the smaller pieces). . . .definitely basketball.

 Here are some basketballs (and orange).

 And you need basketball shoes if you are going to play!

This is the adorable ornament that I received from Dale in Australia. . . .both sides are beaded (wish I could have figured out a way to show both sides in one shot)!  It is wonderful.

I'm working on several other projects at the moment so there should be some more pictures in the not too distant future!

In peace and pieces,

End of Year Thoughts

In bouncing around blogland it seems that everyone has been gearing up for 2012 projects, quilt-a-longs, BOM's, etc. And I have been extremely tempted to sign up for several. . . but I think I am going to "lay low" for a little while.

As I've mentioned previously, the home computer has been having issues since the beginning of November. . .and, I think, I have finally "kicked the habit".

Granted, I really do need to get the computer back up & running --- there are way too many things that need to be done on the computer not to. But I see just how much time gets sucked out of my life by mindlessly sitting there hour after hour, day after day -- most of the time playing games on Facebook.

I don't count blog reading as a waste of time. . . but I can see where it could become a "black hole" if I'm not careful.

So, you may be asking, what ARE my plans for 2012. . . .hmm, I haven't quite figured that out. But it does require more "hand's on" time than I have been doing for a while.

Guess the first goal would be to complete the quilts that I have started. While that may sound like a "no brainer" it is very important to me --- especially since there were many that I lost in the flood from earlier this year.

To that end I have a couple of huge tubs with kits and UFO's. . . think that might be the first place for me to start working.

I have also committed Mr. Books & myself to four quilts for "Wrapped in Hope" (a program run through Margaret's Hope Chest). . .and it would be nice to have those quilts done & ready before I need to send them out. The first one is due in May so I have some breathing room.

Other than that I don't really have any plans for 2012. . . making lists of the UFO's that I have just causes me to freeze; so I'll just "put one foot in front of the other" on a project or two at a time until things get done.

There, I've made a commitment. . . let's just hope that I can stick with it!! LOL

In peace and pieces,

SSCS has arrived!!

Last night I received my SSCS from Dale in Australia!!

Things got busy & I did not have a chance to take a photo of the ornament -- but that is on my list for this evening. Take it from me (for now at least) that it is very adorable!!

I don't know what else was sent because there was clearly marked "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS" card on the other package. Mr. Books is keeping me honest so I have another 19 days to wait.

Not having a working computer at home has become a bit of a pest --- not so much for missing Facebook, but for uploading pictures and such. But I have been getting quite a bit of sewing and housework (gasp!!!) done.

I hope to be able to upload pictures here tomorrow so you can all see my great new ornament!

In peace and pieces,

Another Chance to Win a Travelling Stash Box

If you are looking for another chance to win one of the Travelling Stash boxes here goes:

http://joyineverythingthruhim.blogspot.com/2011/12/guess-who-got-thetraveling-stash-and-is.html

Although I would like to win one of the boxes I'm willing to pass on the information.

In peace and pieces,