Spring Sewing Party!

9:20 PM Update

Had dinner, watched Canada win the gold in curling and finished the first sleeve for my sweater!  I haven't knit a sweater for over 20 years (and that was a baby sweater).  It's obvious...apparently a few times during the lacy portion of the sleeve, I messed up and the pattern is off.  Good thing I'm not a perfectionist...I don't think it will be a glaring error once the sweater is done.  If it it, I'll reknit the sleeve.  I'm going to check out all the blogs and see what everyone else has been up to.  I'll leave the cutting of my second block for tomorrow...I'm a little too tired to use the rotary cutter! Can't wait to see what everyone has been creating all day!

6:00 PM - Second Update

Block #1 is finished!  Dinner and curling, then hopefully I'll still be awake to do block 2.  :o) 

4:30 PM - First Check In...

The plan was to be ready to go, with dinner in the Crockpot by 10am.  I was ready, dinner was set...but due to circumstances beyond my control, my plans were changed and I didn't set foot into my sewing room until 3:30 this afternoon. I was going to make the two blocks for my Heartland Heritage BOM as my first project...looks like I'll be lucky to get both of them done as my only project!

The first block is now cut and the sewing has begun...

And I"ll be taking a break to watch the Gold Medal Curling match at 6...it probably will be my last chance to see curling until the next Winter Olympics! 

I haven't been near my sewing machine in over a week and it's time.  Guess where I'll be this weekend?  Yep, Kelly and Joan are the hostesses for the Charming Girls and Guys Spring Sewing Party.  I'll be working on my February projects...see you on Saturday!

Aunt Millie's Garden Quilt

My January block is finished...now on to February!

Surviving the Storm...

On Saturday we had this storm...

So Grace decided to have a little treat...

Yesterday we had this storm...

And with this one we lost power...and heat.  Miley had the right idea!!!

Now I hear that there will be another storm on Monday...we've already broken records for the snowiest winter ever.  Any chance we can send this storm to Andrew? After all, we've had more snow than he has, and he lives in Vermont!  Good thing I like winter...

Angels Needed!

Chemo Angels is a non profit organization,which supports those who are going through chemotherapy for cancer.  I've been a volunteer for them for about a year, as a Card Angel.  I was assigned a patient and until she "graduated" from the program (she completed her treatment and was declared cancer free!) I sent her a card of encouragement with a little note each week.  For an investment of about $1.50 a week, I was able to support and encourage a person who needed that little boost in her time of need.  I've since been assigned a new patient and have started sending her cards as well.

My point?  I received this email last week...

Due to the tricky economic times as well as the recent holiday season, quite

a few Angels have had to resign during the past few months. We are in

serious need of new volunteers. Please help us spread the word! Tell your

friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers --- anyone you feel would make a

great volunteer. We need Chemo Angels, Card Angels and Senior Angels. Send

interested parties to our website, www.chemoangels.com or .net to apply.

Thank you so much!

Chemo Angels Administration

If you can find it in your heart to volunteer as a Chemo Angel, please visit their website at Chemo Angels.  Also, if you know of someone who could use support during cancer treatment, visit their website and sign them up.  It's a fabulous organization, check them out!

February Goals

I think I'll take it easy on myself in February and only have a few goals!

#1.   Complete the 3 Heartland Heritage blocks that I am behind on...

#2.  Finish January's block for my Aunt Millie's Garden Quilt.

#3.  And finish February's Aunt Millie's Garden block as well...which I can't post a picture of because I haven't started it!  :o)

Also on my list of goals is to quilt 3 customer quilts and to sell a house.  We'll see how I do with those!

January Finishes...

January was a busy month...I started a new job, working with Keller Williams Realty and continued working both of my old jobs, Weight Watchers and my quilting business.  I still found time to get a few things done, both things on my list and things that weren't. From my list, I finished Ellen's Maine Morning Mitts...

And I quilted and bound Andrew's quilt...

Things that weren't on my list include another pair of Mitts which I gave as a birthday gift to a friend...

I also quilted two customer quilts...

Another finish not on my list was the Rachel's Reel quilt in the last post.  I've ordered backing fabric for that and hope to have it quilted soon.

The only thing on my list which wasn't completed was the first block for my Aunt Millie's Garden quilt, which is over half finished.  I have to admit, I was afraid to cut into the fabric and if I'd started the block BEFORE last week, it would have been done.  I don't know what it is about cutting into new fabric...something always holds me back.  Once I start I'm fine, but that first snip is so hard!  That one will be done in the next few days.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow night...Meredith from Quilt Threads is coming over and we're going to do a little stitching.

So, that's January...now to figure out what I'll be working on in February!

Valentine Party Day 2 Update

Please excuse the quality of this picture...it's night and my pictures and brain just aren't working too well! After a few unexpected, but very enjoyable interruptions (a visit from my sister, a nice long conversation with my son, and some hanging out time with my daughters) I was able to get back to work. I think this is the LAST time I will make a sawtooth border on a quilt, that was a lot of work! I love how this quilt turned out and look forward to getting it on the longarm. That will have to wait until I do a few customer quilts though! Thanks Kelly, for suggesting this sewing party...it was great fun!

Valentine's Party - Day 2

The little block from last night has joined its friends and has become this quilt center...borders are next!

Valentine Party!

Update # 2

I took a break after finishing the customer quilt to go to church and have dinner, then was back at it last night.  I finished this little applique block, which is the last one for my Rachel's Reel quilt.  Since I didn't have a lot of time yesterday, I've decided to extend the Valentine Party through today...is anyone else with me?  I'll post today's progress in a new post!

Update # 1

Customer quilt is quilted!

Kelly over at Charming Chatter is having a Valentine Sewing Party today.  Although I'm not sewing Valentine quilts, I AM working on a few things.  I'm loading a customer quilt and plan to have that quilted today and will be spending time in my sewing room later.  I'll post pictures as soon as I have some!

Haiti

There are so many in need right now.  Please click on the photo if you can find it in your heart to donate to this worthy cause.

Meet...

our new family member.  Yesterday her name was going to be Persephone, but today that may be changing...that's an awfully big name for a tiny little kitty!  I've been calling her Boo...but since she's my daughter's kitten, I don't get to name her!

January Goals

Project1...Finish Ellen's Maine Morning Mitts....

Project 2...get Andrew's quilt loaded, quilted and bound...

Project 3...make my first block for Aunt Millie's Garden along with the yahoo group I joined.  I'm using a chocolate brown as a background.  It's a Kona and is so soft...should needle beautifully!

It should be a productive month!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you peace and happiness in the new year...

Home again...

Arrived home safely on Sunday evening after spending a wonderful few days in Vermont with the kids.  We had our Christmas tree...

which the Fox in Sox kept a close watch over.  I remember how the kids used to open gifts and beg to have their pictures taken...not this year!

Max was happy to have HIS picture taken, with his new penguin! 

We had more snow in NJ than we did in Vermont, but it was just so pretty up there.  I was fascinated with the frost on the trees as we would drive through the higher elevations!  I guess that's why Andrew calls me a "Flatlander".

When I arrived home there were some wonderful gifts waiting for me.  First was this incredible pair of Evangeline mitts from Amy at abc creations.  They're gorgeous and I absolutely love them!

And second was this beautiful package from my Charming Girls Secret Santa Swap partner, Kate.  She sent a tissue box holder in a gorgeous Christmas fabric (I need to go buy tissues to fit it!), along with a little chicken pincushion, a 2" Omnigrid ruler with a ribbon on it (I hung it on my tree!) and a fat quarter of fabric.  Thank you so much Kate, I love everything!

I got back to real life today...worked a Weight Watchers meeting, then ran to the quilt store to drop my Pfaff off for service.  Tomorrow is my first day at the real estate agency where I'll be working...I can't wait!  The new year holds a lot of promise and I'm looking forward to seeing where it leads me!  I hope that the new year brings you wondrous journeys as well!

Christmas Memories

Kelly has asked for our Christmas memories...the one that stands out from both my childhood and my children's childhoods is waiting at the top of the steps for permission to come downstairs to see if Santa came.  You see, we'd be awake early and had to wait for my parents to get up.  Then my mom had to go downstairs and start coffee and my dad had to set up those BIG lights (remember those?) so that they could take pictures of the festivities.

When we had children, it seemed like a fun thing to continue.  I would get up and make coffee, tea and hot chocolate, my husband would take the dogs out and the kids would sit at the top of the steps and wait, not so patiently, for us to say they could come downstairs. This picture was from 2007. Last year was the first year where we don't have a step picture...because we opened gifts on Christmas Eve after mass.  This year will be different too...not only will be open gifts on Christmas Eve, but we'll be at Andrew's where there are no steps!

I was so looking forward to having a white Christmas in Vermont...who would have thought that we'd get two feet of snow in New Jersey the week before Christmas?  It was nice to be snowed in over the weekend.  But then, I had all my Christmas shopping done and everything wrapped...I know that the storm was a major inconvenience for a lot of shoppers!

I've completed my December project...the center of Andrew's quilt is finally together!  I'll be bringing it up to try out on his bed...it turned out pretty big, so I'm not sure if I'll be adding borders to it.  I do love it the way it is...I hope he does!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Charming Christmas

Joan asked us "Charming Girls" to post pictures of our favorite Christmas "corners" in our homes.  I didn't do much decorating this year since we won't be celebrating Christmas at our house, so this is easy...I only put out my favorites!

Right now the treee is up, the red and white lights are on and it's waiting to be decorated.  We'll do that tomorrow night when we're all home. 

There is ONE ornament on it though...

Right now it's a Phillies kind of Christmas!

I do love my nativity set, which we got from Avon when we were first married in 1985...we keep talking about getting a new one, but haven't managed to...it just wouldn't seem like Christmas without this one!

In the foyer there's a little table with my snowmen...I think they may stay out all winter!

And above that table are two very special Santas...

That's a peek into my favorite Christmas corners...I hope you enjoyed it!

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

The Fat Quarter Shop said I should post a letter to you, telling you what's in the shop that I'd like for Christmas.  There are so many choices!  I'd put down everything, but I like my friendly, neighborhood UPS man too much to make him work so hard!  I think if I were to wish for anything, it would be this Winter Joy Fat Quarter Bundle.  I love the fabrics and the colors...they would make such a sweet quilt for winter!  Maybe with a nice flannel backing...so comforting.  A cup of hot chocolate and a good book, wrapped in my Winter Joy quilt, snug by the fire...I may not move until Spring comes!

So, I think I've been a good girl...and if you bring me this little gift, I'm sure there will be some really good cookies waiting for you!

Love,
Carolyn

Walking down the street we saw this...

I really wanted to run through the brick wall and see if the train was on the other side...

Distractions

I've been watching these guys this morning...they seem to be having so much fun!

December Goals

I hate having posts with no pictures, but that's what I've got today.  My first December goal has been reached...I passed my NJ State Real Estate Licensing Exam!  My only quilting goal for December is to finish Andrew's quilt, which you can see here. Anything beyond that will be a surprise!  I do have 2 customer quilts to quilt, I plan to get started on those this weekend.  And I still have to do EVERYTHING related to Christmas...the shopping (I've done a little!), cards, baking, decorating, etc.  How many days until Christmas???  You know, this having to go to work thing really gets in the way!  :o)