Quiet on the Western Front

This new year is shaping up to be quiet and, frankly, boring. Yes, last year I was wanting boring - and I have it.



I've been taking a few stitches every night on a binding. I have three more lined up after this one so I'll be doing this for a while. That's okay, though. At least I'm making forward movement.

And I've been playing with the iPad that someone suggested I really needed. It's nice. It's portable. I like having it upstairs with me at night. I've been looking around for apps and it's overwhelming. Just trying to find a nice cookbook app totally blew me away. I gave up on quilting apps; too many to sort through. Same with decorating and organizing. Maybe you all could recommend some of your favorites.

Just don't go suggesting I need any more "i" things until I figure this one out!!

And while you're at that someone's site above, did you notice the new project ... I'm in, I think. Positive I can find something around here that will work!

How many of you took advantage of that fabulous sale that the Fat Quarter Shop had going on at the end of the year? I didn't .... can you believe that? I was too busy sewing up a storm with friends. I did place a small order at some point over the holidays. At least I think it was small. Yep, I'm positive it was.

The 2012 Designer Mystery quilt looks awesome! I love Camille's bright colors. I already have in mind someone for whom I know this will make the perfect gift!

Love that I'm thinking about quilting again. It's been a long dry spell!

1/2/12

Well, I stood outside looking for the B-2, and it didn't fly over this year. I mean, it's flown over for six years. What's up with this? I'm gonna have to give the General in charge of the flight path a little bit of Cajun over this omission! I think I saw it way off in the distance, but my picture was only a big patch of bright blue sky. And it certainly wasn't close enough to hear. That's usually the first clue that it's getting near.

So, General, don't be surprised if you get a call from me before next New Year's Day! Priorities, sir!!!

Whatever you do on New Year's Day ...

... you do for the rest of the year!

Uh oh, I'm in b-i-g trouble.

I was watching TV waiting for the announcement of when the Stealth was going to fly over the Rose Parade. It flies over my house on the way home about two to three minutes after that. I got my coffee, my camera, a light jacket, and I went outside to wait. And wait. And wait.

The Rose Parade is tomorrow. January 2nd? Whose bright idea was that? And why didn't anyone consult ME about it?

But it's absolutely gorgeous outside. Well worth the effort to stroll around out there a day early.

Okay, so does this mean I'm going to be a doofus for all of 2012?

But while walking around on the outside of my patio, I discovered what was making the tapping noise for the past four hours. I mean, serious tapping.

This is an awful picture, but I was trying to zoom and crop and get the little thing to show up.



It's a little wren who fell in love with its reflection in that trash can sitting out there. Poor darling. It didn't even ease up on the tapping while I was around. I finally tossed a gumball at it and it flew away. I hope it doesn't have a bruised beak or something. Persistent little love-struck birdie!

The gray thing is the cover to my barbecue that blew off in the winds last week and nestled amongst all the leaves that were blown in that corner. Time to get out the broom and some garbage bags and clean up the patio, and a beautiful day to do it.

Okay. On to quilting news -- Friday I went to Ginger's Quilt Shop and spent all day sewing! Can you believe it?!! It felt SO good. I just grabbed a bunch of things that were sitting in a corner of my sewing room, and my Tutto bag with the smaller Bernina that had been sitting in the garage all summer, and off I went. I was so thankful the machine still worked!

I squared four quilts, made four bindings, and attached them all to their respective quilts!! Plenty of handwork to do in the coming week or two. And today, of course! Have to make some stitches today! Hooray!



I left my machine at the shop and went back yesterday and finished up the things I had hauled over there. I put the borders on a quilt. I was still wanting to sew, so I went out into the shop and purchased three yards of fabric to make the backing. Got that pieced and left it with Ginger to quilt for me. Hooray again!

Then I pulled out the little mini quilts that were in the pile and cut the backings for most of them. Two I didn't have back fabric, but had some leftover from the backing of the quilt I left with Ginger. It was the perfect amount!

So I bought three yards of fabric there and used it all up in the same day!

A really funny thing happened. A friend was there and was going over a small kit that she had purchased at a quilt show two or three years ago. She pulled out the fabric and saw that they had shorted her on the border fabric. She was so peeved as it was an older fabric and she said she would never be able to find it. I asked her how much she needed. You should have seen the look at her face when I whipped out a huge hunk of it and cut off a half yard for her. What were the odds that I would have that exact Prairie Paisley fabric with me on that day? I wish I had had a camera. She was absolutely speechless! A great moment! (This was the same fabric as the borders I had just put on my quilt. And since it was Minick & Simpson, you can bet I'll always have some of that with me!)

Now I'm off to unload the QuiltMobile, get the blackeye peas and cabbage going, get the ham in the oven, and then do a LOT of organizing in the sewing room.

I figure if I do that organizing today, I'll do it for the rest of the year!!!

Besides, I've gotten in enough trouble for one day, and it's only 9:30 a.m.!

Happy New Year!

Winner

I am so sorry for an all-day delay. My server is out again, so I purchased an iPad and just got home with it.

The winner of the gift certificate to the Fat quarter Shop is .....

DONNA

I was going to cut and paste her comment but I have no clue how to do that. Donna did say she worked in accounting, too -- that Donna!

Congrats, Donna! Email me and I'll get your gift certificate ordered for you. Again, sorry this is so late!

More tomorrow about what I've done for the last two days!

New Year's Resolutions

Does anyone still make New Year's Resolutions? I try to make them, even going so far as writing them down sometimes, but by the end of the first week I've totally forgotten that list.

I'd like to hear your resolutions this year. Maybe you will spur me on to do something differently. I hope to have some quilty time this year and I plan to make the most of it.

So with that, I've made my list. It's short. It's concise. It's do-able.

1. Make a quilt!!

Seriously, though -- wait, I WAS serious! -- blogging weekly is also on my to-do list for 2012. It's been a crazy year with all that's gone on in my little world. I need to get out of my box and go back to doing fun things! I figure if I commit to blogging more, then I'll have to sew more to have something to blog about!!!!!

But back to the purpose of this post:

Leave your comment to be entered in the drawing for a $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop.

Let's have the drawing on Saturday 12/31/11 at 8:00 a.m. If you're the winner, you can place your order before January 1st and not mess up your resolution to buy less fabric in 2012!! (I have a devious mind, don't I?) And if you're stash building, what a great way to start off the year!!

Good luck to everyone.

Oh, one more thing. I repeat every year what Mom used to tell me every New Year's Eve --------

What you do on New Year's Day, you do for the rest of the year!

I plan on stitching!!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

We hope Santa left you lots of goodies this year!

Pre-Christmas Activity

That sounds like I've got a whole bunch of stuff going on, doesn't it?

Nope.

All is quiet here at the Quilting Condo. Penny is carefully inspecting packages as they arrive. She sniffed and pushed around a couple of boxes, and then finally decided there was one she loved more than the others. When I opened the box, it was a tin full of fabulous sugar cookies and petite pecan pies made by a very dear friend. That Penny! She sure knows how to pick them! She won't get any sweets, but there was something special just for her in the package.

A couple of more wonderful presents have arrived:



This is the "open immediately" part of the secret elf exchange with my online quilting group. There was also an angel ornament that I love. Penny thought the towel and potholder were hers!

There was also a toy just for Penny. It's a bird that chirps when you press the button. I have it on a shelf - and when she's snoozing, I press the button! I love screwing with her head! It's too funny!





This teacup ornament came without a card. That always happens to me! I decided to post pictures in a couple of places and finally someone 'fessed up to sending it! Isn't this the most adorable little thing?!!

Yep, doxies abound at our house!

We're having two four-day weekends to celebrate the holidays. I have several projects that I want to accomplish over those two weekends. There are some pretty significant renovations that will take place shortly, and I'd like to be a step-up on getting things out of the way for those.

Only one dinner to attend next week. I need to scour through my closet this weekend to find something suitable to wear. I'll have to change at work... hate doing that!

What's up with this wind? I've been kept awake for two nights straight because of the howling and things going bump in the night. It's been a bit rainy and very cool. I love the cool part but old Santa can keep his winds, thank you very much! Sounded like hurricane forces last night and it's still blowing! It needs to calm down so Rudolph can find his way without being blown off course!

I hope everyone has a dry, warm, productive weekend. Me? I think a nap is in order!