blessings...

Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Hello There!!

Well, hello there!  I have been absent for way too long!  Gosh, I just didn't realize how long it had been, and once I did...well, it became longer because I knew it would take a bit of time to sit down and catch you all up on what's going on around here.

Not that there is much that is exciting...if anything, at all.  Just busy.  And, more busy.

Things are going well with Mum being here...and looking more positive.  Back in late October, she had abdominal surgery.  Went to the ER with a distended abdomen...found air in her abdomen, which was leaking through a very thin wall in a small portion of her colon.  Removed and resected.  Good deal.  She did well...very little pain afterwards.  At this time, she is experiencing a bit of progression with her Parkinson's Disease, but she is stronger than she has been since she moved here and we're determined to build on that.

Jill and I had lunch with Brenis in November.  We met about halfway between here and Aurora...ate at 3 Margaritas restaurant and spent a few hours chatting and laughing and exchanging gifts. Brenis' birthday was in June...you wonder why she was getting her birthday gifts in November?  Well, the thing is, we had been trying to get together (as in, trying for her to come and stay a few days) since before her birthday.  Not sure why she brought gifts for me, but who am I to say no to gifts of fabric and a 24" Omnigard ruler??  LOVE it!!!

Brenis

Brenis did some quilting for me.  Fabulous quilting!  You may have noticed that the list of flimsies (on my sidebar) has gotten shorter. That's because I have gotten 5 quilts finished this fall.  YAY!!!  I showed you both the HST String and the Anna Maria Horner patchwork quilts here.   Bren quilted the Kashmir Filmstrip quilt, the Lotta Jansdotter patchwork quilt, and a baby girl granny square quilt. I need to launder them and will get some good photos, so you should be seeing them very soon.

I have been working on Christmas gifts.  Cannot show you much of anything...except for some extra things I made.

This Patchwork Christmas Tree Pillow was so fun and easy to do. Sherri, over at A Quilting Life blog, shared it here.  I did not do the patchwork border, so my pillow cover measures 12".

I was planning on turning this next piece into a pillow cover, but left it as a mini mat, instead.  Jennie, over at the Clover and Violet blog, offered this free Pixelated Present quilt block pattern...find it here.   I didn't do the pixelated part, but I think it is dang cute as is. I made it to measure 12", I think.  

Also, I made this mini quilted zipper pouch.  I found the tutorial here.  I plan to make more.  Cuz how could I not?  And, besides, this one is mine...you may have recognized that it is made with Kashmir III fabric.  (it's okay if you did not know that.)  It measures 4" wide by 2.75" high by 2" deep.  Love that big metal zipper on the little pouch, don't you?  This has got to be one of the most adorable little zipper pouches ever.  EVER.

I made a 16" pillow cover and fabric basket for sister Julie's birthday.  Fabric is from the Purebred collection by Erin Michael.  Love it!!

Then, just because I could, I made some cloth napkins.

2 odd remnants of fabric.  Playing around with decorative stitches on the blue one.

These are from the Blossom fabric collection by Urban Chiks.  2009?

2 different pairs.

Lots more sewing for Christmas going on, but nothing else I can show you.


And, here are a few random photos...

Me Mum on Thanksgiving Day.

Pumpkin French Toast.  YUMMY!!

Ran across this...it is exactly how I feel about Tag.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11