Saturday, November 21, 2020

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.

8 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I have never made a turkey roulade and had to look up a recipe to see how it is done - it sounds wonderful to me - are you totally vegetarian now? I don't eat a lot of meat but enough that it would be hard to switch now - I like a good hamburger and beef roast - but I do eat a lot of fish and grains/veggies - hubby doesn't.
Your in the middle of holiday decorating and I haven't even started - it is always hard for me to get in the Xmas mood when it is 70 degrees - maybe I will feel like it after Thanksgiving when it is supposed to cool off and maybe finally get a hard freeze and get rid of all the bugs. Is the virus bad up there in Alaska too? Here is not great I stay home almost all the time.

moosecraft said...

I agree! The cold, crisp air certainly makes the season feel more like the holidays! I knew I could never live in Florida (or the like) as having Christmas with heat (and Santa's in swim trunks and pink flamingos with santa hats) just would make me miserable! lol! LOVE all of your ornaments....especially that Mill Hill Snowman (Jim Shore)! Looks like that quilt is going to be another beauty...always some awesome stitches happening over there in Alaska! :-) Happy Thanksgiving!

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

You have some great projects going. We are staying home for the most part too, and I have begun holding Zoom classes and day retreats so I can keep connected. We also have a movie tradition for Thanksgiving, ours is the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th street, as it begins on Thanksgiving with the parade. Happy Christmas season!

Deb G. in VA said...

I love all your ornaments! I'm curious how you stitch the felt to the back of your ornaments? I have several cross stitch ornaments I have stitched, but haven't put backing on them.

Sally said...

I'm really liking the progress you've made on the quilt. It's going to be stunning - just like everything you make!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Mary said...

This will definitely be a very different Thanksgiving for us too. My daughter is vegan and I am vegetarian so besides roasting a turkey for everyone else I make a lot of side dishes and desserts. My son loves to blast Alice's Restaurant on the radio every Thanksgiving while we are cooking.
I love the colors of the fabrics you are using for this quilt. Very pretty.
It has been warmer than usual here in NJ so I will wait til after Thanksgiving to start decorating the house and outdoors.

Gretchen Weaver said...

Royal Garden is lovely, happy stitching!

Suz J said...

Wow... loving how your Royal Gardens quilt is looking. Some quilts just look so neat and tidy as they go together. This will be another stunner. I have bought 3 new clothes patterns... simple basics... hoping to get some clothes sewing done during the Xmas holidays.