December 31: Happy New Year's Eve!

The plan was to sew all morning, but I had to do some errands first thing, so I went from 10:30 to 2:30 with time off for lunch.  Had to remake one set of the color combo because I needed two more large triangles and did not have any more of it in my stash.  Worked out well though because I like having two fairly black sets. I am pretty certain that this is the final layout, but I will decide definitely in the morning One of the blacks and the darker plain turquoise will be borders.  The back is a t-shirt quilt.  Plan is to put it together tomorrow and make sure the borders work on both sides.  Then I will quilt it on Wednesday or Thursday depending on our schedule.  Need to have it bound by Jan. 5th.  It is LONG overdue.

 

What are your plans for tonight?  Going out celebrating?  We are just going to stay home, eat, and quietly welcome in the New Year.  It has been said in the past that you should start the new year as you intend to have it go and with those you love.  Kevin will be with me, so that is what counts most.  As far as the doing goes, that means that I would personally vote for 10:00 bedtime, but the guys think we have to stay up and welcome it in.  That means my second choice is to be doing some type of quilting, so I will bind while we watch a good movie and then watch the ball drop.

 

 

My car is celebrating the New Year by actually being able to be parked in the garage for the first time since all the renovations began.  Can you hear it singing and shouting for joy?  Its next wish is for a warm enough day to go to the car wash and get spiffed up.  Love winter, but it is hard on the car, right?

 

 

Life is GOOD!

December 30: PDA (Plan of the Day)

• Went to church.
• Ate a couple of mini-doughnuts made in Dad's new doughnut gadget (He is a gadget man)
• Unpacked several more boxes searching for the 2nd Wii.
• Clean the storage space next to the studio
• Office paperwork on the agenda for the remainder of the "working day"
• Meatloaf, potatoes and green beans for supper ---YUM!
• Work on binding

This was not the original plan, but we decided that these were necessary changes.  On the very last day of the year and the very first day of 2013, I have claimed each morning for piecing and each evening for binding.  Whatever fits in around these things will be just fine.  Figure that we will play some dominoes or cards on New Years Eve  -  Traditions, they don't ever go away!

What are you doing to end and begin the two years?

December 29: Hoar Frost!

When I was a kid, "hoar frost" truly fascinated me.  I felt like the world had just become a kingdom of ice.  So magical!  I know it is probably not good for the trees and bushes, but I still feel the fantasy.  =0) 

Life is GOOD!

 

December 29: Random Thoughts, As Always

This is the quilt I am binding

Yesterday was quilting day, but alas, today is paperwork day.  The best part of this day will be doing binding in the evening, but there are tasks that can't be put off.  Household budgeting and business - probably need more than one day for the business end.  However, tomorrow is scheduled as church and reorganizing the spaces so we can truly take advantage of the storage we have created.

Life is GOOD!

Found a fun way to enjoy the "boobie prize" from our
bunco night.

December 28: A Day of Quilting

This quilt is for my niece, Isabella. One side is a t-shirt quilt, but this side is all about "birds in the air". She and I went shopping for the fabric in the summer, but lots of things have taken priority over quilting, Obviously, life gets in the way at times, right?

Life is GOOD!


Okay, Deb, here are pictures.

Started just before 8:00 AM

Designed on EQ6

1st "birds in the air" block

Managed to complete this many in the AM after
spending quite a bit of time cutting

  Lunch
          Break

Blocks completed today - need to work on the layout



Quiting time!!!



December 27: Especially for Deb and other Quilters

Yesterday and today I have been in the studio.  It is all back to being organized after the upheaval created by running the gas line and more electically lines through to the main utility area.  Yesterday I quilted and attached a binding to one lap-size quilt I made in Vermont.  I even managed to do one side of the hand stitching.  Today I quilted a twin-size quilt for the grandkid's room.  It is one I made this summer.  The binding will be attached tomorrow.  Photos won't be shown until finished.

Big announcement is that tomorrow will be spend working on a new quilt top.  I will take photos and post them after dinner.  DECEMBER 28th has been declared "My Day to QUILT" and I am going to do just that!!!

Life is GOOD!

December 27: Two Days of Family Christmas Gatherings

Christmas Eve found 23 of us gathering at our house for a wonderful time of family fun, food (chili and far too many treats).  Kevin and I have been carrying the "boobie prize" from another family game night held 31 years ago.  We had hoped to award it to someone else after a rousing game of bunco, alas, Kevin had the lowest score, so we still have "the frog"  Even so, it made for some great laughs.





The grandkids and great niece and nephew played in the new den and with Great-Grandpa's Christmas tree train, while we played.  I think everyone had a good time.  Of course the food as an added bonus.  I know we ate too much, but everything was so wonderful.  Do holiday goodies really have calories, anyway?

Zoe and Henry did their part to entertain and share the true reason of the season.  They made and frosted the birthday cupcakes to celebrate Baby Jesus's birthday.  Then Zoe acted out the story of the Nativity while her mother read the story.  There was no doubt that we knew the ultimate reason for the gathering.

On Christmas day, we went to church and celebrated the birth of Jesus with prayers and music.  Then we came home to sticky buns, eggs, smokies, and more oohing and ahhing over the food.  Had a hard time not breaking of humming do to the tasty treats.  I put two roasts, potatoes, carrots into crockpots, made green bean casserole, and then spent the rest of morning and afternoon playing with new toys the kids got for Christmas.  It was so relaxing.  Then the kids took naps and the grown-ups simply collapsed in chairs and chilled.

About 5:00 more family showed up for more fun and games along with more very tasty food.  Check out a few of the participates who played Headbandz.

Dad was a super good sport about the invasion of all the family.  He even played the games both nights.  Then he felt that he was also part of the clean up crew.  He is just a great guy!






During these family gatherings a new family mystery has come to pass.  I had said that anyone who was old enough could bring libations, but they also needed to have a designated driver.  Although a little wine was consumed, the only beer used was in biscuits.  On Christmas afternoon we found these two ornaments.  No one is confessing!  But, I do have my suspicions,.............. Wendy.


Life is GOOD!