Gearing Up for Christmas

 Winter weather helps increase holiday spirits. 

Just trying to look on the bright side of cold, dark days.

I am always amazed by the snow/ice crystals that form on everything when temperatures drop into the teens.  I get totally distracted during my daily dog walks.

I have started putting up all the garland with lights around the house. Today I hope to hang some Christmas quilts which will get me to the last of the garland hanging.

My studio is a little chaotic. Thought I would share what my poor quilting frame looks like between quilting projects...it’s like those treadmills folks wind up using as clothing hangars.

I do plan to quilt a Christmas quilt on it next.

I’ve prepped all the cross stitch ornaments I finished this year for wool felt backings. I stitch the perforated paper to the green wool as I find gluing the felt backing does not last in all cases.

I am struggling like everyone with feeling shut in...always a problem every winter but of course this year is worse. So...I gave myself permission to work on whatever makes me happy at the moment. 

I am done with Santa ornaments for this year but have started a set of snowmen ornaments from Mill Hill that are small projects and only take two or three evenings to complete one kit.

There are six snow folks in this series. One done.

I am working a little everyday on making rows and getting rows sewn together for the Royal Gardens quilt. I thought I wouldn’t make any changes to the original pattern but as I am working on it I feel the need to create a different border. 

I am one kit short of my personal goal to finish 10 Bucilla kits a year.

 I picked a kit from my stash that I feel confident I will finish before 2021.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! 

I'll be spending it calling family this year as no one will be in the Anchorage area this year...it happens when hubby and sons are pilots. I switched to a plant based diet several years ago so I am thankful I will not be fixing the traditional meal everyone else likes to have at Thanksgiving. 

Hubby insists we make a turkey roulade when he gets home but he will tolerate side dishes that are modified to my new tastes. I'm anxious to try a couple of new recipes. 

We have two Bailey family tradition for Thanksgiving. 

First, we all share what we are thankful for this year. 

Then, after dinner we watch, "It's a Wonderful Life." 

I'm very thankful for the connections I feel to so many stitchers around the world. 

I have really relied on internet relationships this year!

Even my workouts are through the internet now!

Thankful I have that option. 

I know so many folks have many more real struggles.

A Great Start to November in the Studio

I finished my mini Fall Frolic, a 35-inch square. I gathered those chopped of corners from the original Fall Frolic and just had to make a mini one! 

With the help of EQ7, I took a photo of my border fabric and was able to make a pretty close rendition of the colors.

A little close up of the quilting...it mimics quilting on the big Fall Frolic.

Here are the two quilts hanging together in my dining room...a gloomy day so not an accurate look at the vibrant colors. I am not sure where the mini will be displayed...I'm already thinking of getting the Christmas garlands with lights out to combat our dark weather. 

And my second major accomplishment pictured below was finishing this top...not yet named. A set of Hoffman Bali Pops and Crackers in the colorway parrot made up this quilt. The pattern started out as "Birthday Cake," from the book "Perfect 10," by It's Sew Emma. I added blocks and a piano key border. This quilt is now 70 x 90-inches. I am thinking this will be a gift and since both my sons are over 6-feet tall, even a lap quilt has to be on the big side. 

I have a general idea of quilting circles which pop the further away I am from the design wall. The colors remind me of walking through the woods. Indoor winter pictures of quilts...not so good. These colors are so pretty and the photo just doesn't capture those colors.

My last project is still in progress, Llama Christmas. So cute! Lots of presents get stacked on the saddle and a cactus to add for the finish...and lots of sequins in the background. This is the last planned stocking project for the year, but not the last Bucilla kit on my list.

And just like that...the holidays are approaching and I find the feeling of really not having enough hours in the day taking hold of me!