A great finish to 2018

I think I become more nostalgic at the end of each year than at any time in the year.  This was a tough year for our family, with my mom's declining health and her move to the assisted living facility.  Sadly, she is going to progress to the memory care portion of the facility this week, on her 91st birthday!  

We've had the chance to spend time with our grandkids up at the cabin although there hasn't been a lot of snow.  That didn't stop them!





I grew up in NY and played in the snow as a kid so I do remember how much fun it is.  Right now, they are all bundling up to go shovel the little bit of new snow we got last night.  It's just adorable.

On the sewing front, my November mini is almost done.  I've even been hand quilting it...I made this little top years ago so it's nice to get it finished.


Speaking of finishing old ufos, I pulled out this kids quilt and put the binding on this week.  It's been waiting for the binding for at least a couple of years.  


My oldest grandson likes to sew with me so this week we've spent some time in the sewing room.  I showed him how to string piece!


He enjoys mostly sewing charm squares together, so he kept busy and I worked on a few of the Moda Blockheads II project that I've fallen behind on.







Here is the crew hard at work with their shovels and winter gear!

I wish everyone a wonderful end of 2018 and great things for 2019!

Fabulous swap received

I think I told you some time ago that Wendy Reed  (constantquilter) and I were doing a little challenge.  I chose a pattern by Kim Diehl and we were both going to make one and swap them.  Wendy wanted to try her wool applique skills out again;  I thought the pattern was going to be fun.

Well, I finally finished mine this week and just mailed it out.  I won't be showing a picture until Wendy gets mine in the mail.  But once mine was finished, I felt it was the right time to open up Wendy's package. (I had resisted the temptation to see what she made until I finished mine!)

WOW!  I feel so lucky that Wendy did this swap with me.  She does such beautiful work!



You can't see the beautiful wool appliqué work that she did in this picture but it's just fabulous.  You can see a sliver of mine next to it;  I took a picture of them side by side!  Once she gets mine, I'll post a picture of them together and you can see the difference!  We both modified the pattern a little, which makes it even more interesting.  Thank you, Wendy.  I love it!!  I love the colors!  I love the design!  The quilting is wonderful (of course she did a little hand-quilting!)

I also want to show you the top I finally finished recently.  This was a Primitive Gatherings summer sew-along.  I absolutely love it.  I especially love that some of my houses are STILL crooked! ;-)  I'm going to need to quilt it myself although I don't think it needs much quilting. Isn't this just a fun top?


Now that I finished my swap, I will have the time to work on other projects.  We have been at the cabin in Oregon since mid-December and have had grandkids and kids so I've had little to no time to sew---which is just perfect for me!  This is little Eli helping my husband shovel the driveway!


My daughter and her 3 kids are arriving today!  We feel so lucky that we get to enjoy the kids in our cabin!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas...

Little Miss Muffet sat on her Tuffet ...

Remember the nursery rhyme?

Does this remind you of that??
Remember I showed you one small segment of this project a month or so ago?  Well, It's DONE!  I actually finished something!  WOOHOO!







This is something I've wanted to make for a long time; and I've been looking for a way to use the Kaffe Fassett fabrics I've been collecting. (And Tula Pink as well) 

I made this in a class at the nearby LQS.  The pattern is made by Tuffet Source and is called Pieced 18" Tuffet.  I don't think it'd be easy to make with just the pattern.  I'm pretty sure you can buy a kit, which I'd highly recommend because there are so many odd things you need (ie, the legs?  The base?  the large foam for the body?)...

I have also been working very diligently on a swap project with my friend Wendy Reed (constantquilter).  She is more diligent than I and already mailed me her version, which I'm not opening until I finish mine.  It's a Kim Diehl pattern, which proved to be much more work than I originally thought (wool applique and piecing).  Stay turned for the finish-- I'll show you Wendy's once I mail mine out to her, hopefully next week.

Hope you're all having a nice holiday season.  I'm heading tomorrow to the cabin for the holiday and plan to stop in Chico to drop of 15+ quilts for kids and adults who lost homes in the Paradise fire!

Our Channukah with the grandkids!  We got back after the last night but still had them each light their own menorah, which they love doing every year!~  You'll probably notice that Emma is still wearing her uniform, from the Catholic school they attend.   Ironic, no?? ;-)) (and they are all standing on stool, btw... not that tall!)

quilt patterns in unexpected places during my travels - where in the world is Randy??

This is right, don't you think?? vbg


This was in an entryway!  Pretty impressive.


This was on the floor of a restaurant.

We saw hearts painted on the walls of buildings!


Hawaiian quilts high up on the wall in a museum.






Where am I?
On an island.
Very large island.
English is the language.
It's below the equator! (check your atlas!)
It was formed by volcanoes!
The country has two islands!
The slang name for the residents is a fruit!

This is an easy one!!
;-)