I've been doing much more thinking about quilting than actual quilting in the last week. I did finish embroidering this little guy, which took a 12" square of backing and one of muslin out of my stash. I also quilted a quilt that my mother made and used about two yards of 108" muslin for the backing. I have a few things planned for this afternoon, so will post those if I actually do them!
I loved Christmas when the kids were younger, but I think it's so much more fun now they're older! Andrew came home from college on Sunday afternoon, much to our surprise. He had to go back down to work on Christmas Eve, but got back shortly after we returned from 7:00 mass. We chose to let the kids sleep in on Christmas morning and opened our gifts on Christmas Eve. This had to be the best Christmas ever!
I hope you have a blessed, peaceful day, filled with the people and things you love. Merry Christmas!
I turned the jelly roll that I won from the Fat Quarter Shop into a fall rail fence throw, which is awaiting borders...
The reason for my trip was for some planned purchases, which I believe Judy said were legal! I'm planning to make an applique quilt for a dear friend for Christmas next year. Since I'd like it to be hand appliqued and quilted, I thought it would be a good idea to start now, seeing how the last applique quilt took me 10 years! I'll be using some of the blocks from the Rose Sampler Supreme pattern and making yellow roses . The gold floral will be for sashings. I'll be adding more yellows and golds as I go. I was surprised that I only had 2 yellow fat quarters in the stash, I guess that's a color that's definitely lacking!
Yesterday, as my husband was driving through Connecticut, a sheet of ice broke off the top of a panel van. He saw it coming and slowed down a bit. That may have saved his life. The ice hit his hood and then came through the driver's side windshield. Had he not slowed down, it would have come straight through the windshield, full force. He called me about an hour after the accident and said, "You know those movies where ice comes off a truck and flies through the windshield and the person is always killed?" Fortunately, he walked away with a cut on his forehead, a cut in his finger where a piece of glass went in when he was brushing the snow and ice off of him and some sore muscles. A miracle.
During the Christmas season, friends of ours participate in the Living Nativity that is presented by their church. At the end, cookies are provided for all. Last year over 14,000 people attended...that's a lot of cookies! I volunteered to bake some this year to help out. So I made these. The recipe comes from a book called "Ideal Cookie Cookbook" which was published in 1984. I got it as a freebie when I signed up for weekly delivery of the Courier Post...way back when I first got married. I don't know how I missed this recipe until now! 
And here's Cheyenne, trying to get into the Christmas spirit. It's not working....
| You Are Easter |
 You are an optimistic, hopeful, and genuinely sweet person. Sensitive and affectionate, you are easily touched. You love nature, animals, and anything cute or cuddly. For you, every day is a new chance - no matter what happened yesterday. What makes you celebrate: Almost anything. You love most holidays and celebrations. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The peacemaker. You can prevent any squabbles that might break out. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Remember to include everyone |
This week I finished the Strip Twist quilt from Bonnie's site. Everything came from stash, even the flannel print for the backing. I've been saving this for years for something special. I think I found it! 
This project made quite a dent in my flannel stash. I do have some customer quilts to quilt this week, I'm hoping to find time to bind a few quilts that are waiting. That's next on the list, along with some sock knitting that's been languishing in my knitting basket. How is everyone else doing???
I've also pulled my pile of flannels and cut most of it into 2.5" strips to make Bonnie's Strip Twist as a Christmas gift. I'm working on that one tonight and hope to have the top done by the end of the week.
Once finished that will be a nice bit of flannel out of my stash. I don't plan to keep track of yardage as some others are, I'll just be happy with a little more shelf space!
I'm always amazed when I go that they have entire buildings and architectural elements inside the galleries....
After a jaunt through the Asian Art, then the Contemporary Art (which,like Contemporary Quilts, I just don't get!) we headed down to the old Philadelphia Waterworks.
We had a beautiful view of Boathouse Row....
After the museum, we met our son at Dave and Busters for lunch and a little game playing, then headed home a did a little bit of Christmas Shopping at some fun stores.
