MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My nieces, Paula, Pat and Phyllis, were here yesterday and we exchanged gifts.  We try to meet once a month to sew together.  I wish I had taken pictures while they were here!!!!
Pat gave me this beautiful pillow.  They come to McKenzie from Nashville and she has written on the pillow:  "Over the river and through the woods to Aunt Joyce's house we go to sew, sew, sew."   She even stuck a deer behind the tree for David.

And from Paula, a needle holder. 

And from Phyllis, a beautiful box with a cross stitched top:

Can't really read it in the picture, but it says "home is where the heart is".
I am so blessed to have 9 beautiful nieces and  5 handsome nephews!!
I scaled down on decorating this year and like it much better.  Two trees:  the big tree and a small one with hunting and fishing ornaments for David.  And my mother-in-law's old Christmas ornaments (from early 1930s). 

I have a few other knick-knacks around -- my snowmen collection, a ceramic Christmas tree that my daughter made before she died, and my Christmas salt & pepper shakers and two navitiy scenes.  Simple and uncluttered.
  HOPE EVERYONE HAS A  VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!!!



Sampler Quilt

Our guild (Tennessee Volunteer Quilt Guild, Martin, TN) met in the Martin library for years and one of the librarians has cancer.  We decided to make a throw quilt for her.  Members contributed 12-1/2" blocks and I put them together and quilted it for her.  I sewed the binding on with the longarm and now it is ready for one of the members to do the handstitching of the binding. 

I am always surprised when I get a mishmash of blocks -- none go together at all -- and then you come up with a sashing and - BAM - it comes together. 
This is on my machine now:

Stay tuned because I am going to post a BOM beginning in January, 2012.  You will need 3-1/2 yards of a dark fabric and 2-1/2 yards of a lighter/contrasting fabric.  I am using a solid black and a print.

And here are my accent fabrics (you'll need about 2 yards total -- can be fat quarters.

Sorry, my camera doesn't do the fabrics justice.  But you will get the idea of what you will need.
The BOM will have one simple applique block -- very, very simple -- that can be appliqued by any technique you prefer.  All the other blocks will be pieced.  Join us for some fun!

Pat's Quilt finished!

I finished this a few days ago but just now getting around to posting them.  Here is a couple "in process":

And here is the finished quilt:

My nieces did such a great job on their applique!!  And they finished them in about 10 months!  And that is a lot of applique.  I can attest to that because it took forever to stitch in the ditch all the applique.  I have quilted lots of applique quilts but none with as much applique as these.  I started this quilt at the same time as my nieces and I have ONE block appliqued!!!! 

YIPPEE!! I'm finished with Nov. BOM!!

Note the date --IT IS NOVEMBER 5!!!! -- and my Ruffled Roses BOM is up-to-date!!!!!  I do like it now.

Well, it is sewn together but now I have to applique 8 more little berries where the seams join.  But that is a piece of cake! 
And just so those who visit my house and see my cat always on the towel - well, she has ventured off.  Her new resting place in on the stairs. 

Doesn't that look say:  "Don't you even think about putting me back on the towel!"
I brought my Christmas cactus in a couple of weeks ago.  Have a look. 

I have all the applique stitched in the ditch on Pat's quilt:

Now to do the fill.  I'm just glad to be through with the invisible thread.  I used monolon but it is so fine, it does tend to break often.  I loosened my tension to almost nothing and it sewed much better.  Now on to the Sew Fine and Bottom Line threads.  So much easier to use. 

Almost up-to-date on BOM

Nothing like waiting until the last day, but I am up-to-date on The Quilt Show's BOM EXCEPT for one appliqued block plus 7 more berries on the 3rd block.  Only 4 more baskets to go!!  Thank goodness.  I am tired of these little baskets.  I'm so glad that you only have to do 4 per month!!!  You can also see the pieced swag border. 

Here is one of the applique blocks that goes in the corner of the basket border. 

When I began this quilt in January, I envisioned a civil war type quilt.  Well, it is anything but civil warish (is that a word????) .  Too many brights have been added but I still like it, I think.

Billie Lauder - Four Patches

Check out this video.  I have never seen this technique to do 4 patches but thought it was great.
http://www.quilterstv.com/channel/video/0?video=1415
Enjoy!

Long time since posting

It's been a long time since I posted.  After doing Paula's applique, I did a lot of "bread and butter" quilting so I could get caught up.  I did do two custom quilts.  Here is Nancy's gecko (is that the correct spelling????) quilt:

Sorry the picture is so blurry.
And here is Barb's fall quilt:

I tried a new border technique (for me) that I have been seeing on MQResource.com.   You may have to enlarge to see it since the border is brown.  I really like the effect it gives.
Now to do Pat's Aunt Millie's Flower Garden so look for me in a month! <grin>