Happy New Year!

My blog has been quiet.  Not too much going on.  We are actually headed to a wedding this evening.  My cousin is getting married.  Amelia is excited because we get to sleep in a hotel tonight.  I'm excited because I get to get dressed up and celebrate bringing in the new year properly instead of passing out at 10:00 p.m.

I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!  Talk to you in 2011!

Cheers!
Jen

Snow Sparkle and a Sneak Peek

Staying warm??  It's FREEZING outside over here.  The wind is just howling.  We got our first significant snow fall of the season yesterday.  I think we got about 8" of snow here at my house.  The western part of the state hit about 18".  Did you have a nice Christmas?  We did. Amelia is overwhelmed with new toys and doesn't know what to play with first.  I have hopes to leave this house sometime this afternoon. I would like to hit a few stores and do a couple of returns.  We'll see if that is going to happen.

A few weeks ago, I participated in a quilting class in one of the LQS in my area.  We made the Snow Sparkle pattern by Laundry Basket Quilts using the Let It Snow batiks by Moda.  Batiks are NOT my thing but I liked how the sample was done so I bought the kit and attended the class.  The teacher was great.  I would take another class from her in a heartbeat but again, she works mainly in batiks and batiks... not my thing.  The one thing she did was alter the pattern for strip piecing which was SUCH a lifesaver!  The original pattern had you cut 200+ individual 3.5" squares and make the 9 patches squares that way.  Are you kidding me??!  While the pattern was very easy to do, you really had to pay attention to your light and dark fabrics.  There was a method to the madness and I became good friends with my seam ripper for a while there.  LOL.

I got the top done minus the borders.  I don't have enough of the border fabric.  The kit I purchased is supposed to have enough but it doesn't.  After the new year, I will hunt the border fabric and binding fabric too.

I don't know if you noticed but on my sidebar there on the right, there is a new button for a "Be Mine" Blog tour that happening in a couple of weeks.  And I was asked to participate!  YIKES!  Talk about nervous!!  I've been working a prototype of my project so that I get all the measurements correct and it's coming along.  I wanted to give you a sneak peek of the fabrics and colors that I'm planning on using in my project.

I'm also going to have a little giveaway when it's my day on the tour so make sure you come back and see what's happening!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Merry Christmas!

Christmas greetings to all my bloggy friends!  I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of family and friends, joy and laughter!

Punkie's tree - 2010

Merry Christmas!!!
Hugs!
Jen and Amelia :)

Friday Night Sew In Results

This Friday's sew-in was a bit of a bust for me.  I took the day off from work to get some things finished and started around the house for the upcoming holidays and sewing just didn't fit into my schedule the way I would have liked.

Only thing that I sat down to finish was finishing the hand sewing the binding on my 12 Days of Christmas table runner.  It's on my table now.  One more Christmas decoration on display.  LOL.

I found the backing at one of the LQS here and I really like it.  Red snowflakes.  Coordinates will with 12 Days of Christmas.  They also had it in blue but the blue was too royal blue for the top.  I have plans to get more of both for my stash.  Would make a cute stocking cuff, wouldn't it?

Other than that, I got some cleaning done.  Our tree is up and lit but not decorated.  That is on the agenda today.  I got some dark chocolate almond cranberry bark made and some dark chocolate cookies baked.  Oh. And some gifts wrapped.  Today's plan is to make the dough for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, continue wrapping, decorate the tree and have Amelia finish her last beaded snowflakes for her gifts.  Busy busy day!

Have a good one!
Jen

Friday Night Sew In Results

The title to this post should really be "Friday DAY Sew In Results".  I had Friday off and I got lots done. 

I got her stocking done!!  WOOHOO!!  And I LOVE IT!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!  I did a simple stocking but it is adorable.  I modified the pattern a bit.  The way it is written will give exposed raw edges on the inside and I think I've collected enough knowledge in my bag and tote making that I could handle changing things up.  So instead of quilting the lining pieces with the top and batting, I made two separate parts and attached them as I would a bag lining.  And I embroidered Amelia's name.  Did I tell you that I love it??

fabric - Be Merry by Riley Blake

I really wanted the red snowman fabric from this line but I couldn't find it.  I searched and searched.  So I settled on the green.

I made some Dr. Seuss pillowcases that will go under the tree for her to open.

And some Christmas candy/winter ones for her bed for now.

Lastly, I made a treat bag using the tutorial that Kim kindly shared with us back in October.  I plan on making a second one and using them for Amelia's teacher's Christmas gifts.

That is what I got done during my Friday DAY sew in.  And I'm really happy!  Looking forward to next week's sew-in.  I have plans to work on my BOM blocks.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Gingerbread House

We have a little holiday tradition among us cousins and we get together and decorate gingerbread houses.  Last year, Amelia stuck on 2 pieces of candy and was all done.  Here's the link to last year's house.  This year, she actually sat with me and we decorated together.  I came up with the chocolate tiled roof.  The rest of the house design was all her own.  Only thing I was in charge of was putting the icing where she wanted it.

Here's the front:

The back:

and one of the sides:

A few photos of the whole group's.  We are missing one.  One person had to leave before we snapped our photos.

Next year I'm going to do some research and get different candy supplies and possibly my own house.  I've seen a few out there and people are so creative!  I just like to be a copy cat. ;)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Secret Santa Swap Received and A few other things

I was Judy's swap partner and she made me a very cute wallhanging.  Amelia already claimed it as her own.  I really like it.  Judy did a beautiful job on the stitching.  I love the label on the back.

Thank you Judy!!

And something that I finished.  Vickie shared a tutorial on her blog on how to (quickly) make up an XL hot pad.  CLEVER!  I liked it so much, I made two!  My Christmas table is going to be very festive!

I also got some quilted items back from Sharon.  I'm working on getting the bindings on now. Once I'm done, I'll show them off.  :)

Enjoy your day!
Jen