I'm excited about Christmas! Think Christmas!

Nervous? Yep. Excited? You betcha! This feeling that I'm having reminds me of when I was a kid waiting for Santa Claus. I love it...It's brought back some great memories. Tomorrow is the day. You say, the day for what? I'll tell you what... A Christmas Blog Hop. Yes, that's right, Christmas. You see, it's time for the Think Christmas blog hop and my day is tomorrow!!! Oh my! The first day! I've been sewing like crazy trying to get ready for it. My block is ready and waiting for you to see and I'll show you how I did it my way. I've even finished a UFO in honor of Think Christmas. I didn't plan on it when I started . I just thought I'd do a block and show you how I did the block but as I was working on the block, I thought about this little quilt needing to be finished and I pulled it out and started quilting on it and I'll be finishing it just in the "nick" of time. (Ho, ho, ho!) I have several other Christmas UFO's that need to be finished but I can't have them finished in time for Think Christmas, but I'll be working on those soon. I have some other things after this with deadlines. Deadlines, you know how they are. I like them but I don't. I like them because it motivates me to get things done but I don't like them because I can't do all that I wanted in the time allowed. Oh well, we suffer for our craft, huh? I love Christmas and like working on it all year through. I like Red, White, Green and like Red, White and Blue too. I'm so glad the quilt stores accomodate us quilters by keeping Christmas fabric (and patriotic fabric) on hand all year long. Anyway, please come back tomorrow and you'll see what I've been working on for "Think Christmas". Until then, enjoy your day and go sew!

Christmas in July, yes, let's Think Christmas!

I worked on my Think Christmas projects last night. I'm getting it together and will be showing you on the 30th what all I've been up to. I'm getting nervous and excited too to show you. There are so many bloggers involved in this Blog Hop, it will be fun to see what everyone is and has been working on. I really like what I am doing and hope you will like it too.

Working on these projects has really gotten me in the mood for Christmas. I have boxes in my closet now and as I make things or buy things, I've started putting them in the boxes for Christmas presents. Maybe this year, I won't have to go crazy and shop at the last minute or stay up sewing all night Christmas eve. Anyway, it's hot here but I'm still thinking Christmas! Ho, ho, ho! Now, tomorrow, I'll be thinking Mary Poppins, Voldemort and sports! I can't wait to see the opening to the Olympics tomorrow night!

Tonight, I'm going to the local quilt store for a trunk show and demo on long arm quilting. Sally from Gracie Frames will be the one doing the demo. It will be fun to see her in person. I've seen her on videos and in ads for years. If I can and they let me, I'll take some pics. Til tomorrow, happy sewing!

Christmas in July...Sentiments

The first things that come to my mind about July is fireworks, hot weather, my kids birthdays and Christmas.  Well, I've done the fireworks, we are having the hot weather, kids birthday, yep, that's done too. Now it's down to the Christmas part. Christmas, yep, that's right, Christmas.  I've always thought of Christmas in July. I guess it all goes back to when I was a kid and they always had Christmas in July sales. Now is no different.  Everywhere I turn.  I see Christmas in July sale.  I get emails about it too...Well, I'm going to be participating in a Christmas in July celebration and my day is July 30th. I'm getting ready for it now. So, please drop by on that day and see what I've got going....There is a blog hop celebration starting on that day and I am one of the many (almost one hundred bloggers are participating) getting ready for it.  I'm so excited! You'll see the blue button on the right hand side of my blog that says Think Christmas. Just click on it when it starts and it will take you to Madame Sam's blog and she will be putting everybody's stuff on pinterest every day.
Come back and see what I'm doing....

During the meantime, I went to the local quilt store to buy some fabric to bind a quilt. I found out they are having a Christmas in July celebration too.   They are having all kinds of things going on this week. I'm going Thursday night to see a Trunk show and demo on Long Arm quilting.  I can't wait to see what they have to show.  While I was there, they asked me to sew up a quilt for them.  I couldn't say no, the quilt is so pretty.

I cut it out Sunday afternoon and started sewing on it. I sewed on it a little yesterday too.  I took the day off today so I could stay home and finish it.  (I have plenty of vacation time.).  I wanted to get it done asap so they could show it during their celebration.  I was able to finish it today.... This quilt was fun to work on. The fabric feels so good and I love the reds in this line.  This fabric was designed by 3Sisters for Moda and is called Sentiments.
They wrote the pattern to go with their line of fabric too. 

The middle part is a panel you fussy cut the post cards from. Then put some of the lovely Christmas fabric around  them to hi-lite them. 

Here's a close-up of some of the fabrics.

So pretty, the pics don't do it justice. 

Family time and tatting.

Wow, I need to stop time so I can catch up!  It was a very busy weekend and I got a little bit done but most of the time was spent with family.  Friday night and Saturday I kept my youngest grandbaby so I didn't get any sewing time in.  I took her with me Saturday over to my #1 son's house to help pack.  They have bought another house and are starting to move this weekend.  They can't officially move in until Monday when they close on the new house but the sellers have agreed to let them move their stuff into the garage starting Saturday.  The house they are selling has to be cleared out by Monday so the new buyers can move in.  It's a lot different now since we bought our house 20 years ago.  Anyway, this week will involve helping the kids move.  Saturday night I had both boys and their families over for my #2 son's birthday and his fiance's birthday too.  Her birthday was Friday and his is not until the 28th but with the moving and everything going on, we decided to celebrate early.  It's not like we have a party anyway, my boys are grown. But, we gotta have cake and ice cream, right?!   After everyone left, the hubs and I watched a little TV and got to tat a little bit.  I made some more earrings.  These are so simple to make and go so fast.  I made one of them Saturday night while watching TV.  I finished the other one Sunday afternoon and made another little pair too.  Here's the pair I made. It's the same pattern as last week.  This pattern is so quick and easy and fun to do.  I just love this color...This was made with Lizbeth size 20 thread.

Here's the other pair I made Sunday evening.  In our Tatting group, we like to use up bits and pieces of thread on the shuttle.  I made a little tabletopper out of left over threads. Nancy is currently working on a piece that this little pattern came from.  She is also making a tabletopper but hers is made using this pattern.  I've been kidding her about this one.   It's easy to remember this little pattern.  I have teased her about it and called it Damien because it uses a 666 pattern....For those of you that are old enough, you might remember back in the late '70's, the movie, the Omen. The little boy in it was named Damien.  Anyway, it's kind of a standing joke with us and it made it easy for me to remember the pattern...

I'm calling this pair: Dear Damien

Here's the pattern if you want it...

It takes 30" of thread wound on the bobbin, don't cut your thread from the ball. I put 5 beads on the ball thread before I wound my shuttle and placed them where they were called for in the pattern from the ball thread.  You can put them on the shuttle if you want to but since the bead is on the chain, the bead shows up better if used from the ball thread.  I tried it from the shuttle and didn't like it as well.  Just so you know....

Put  5 seed beads onto your ball thread.  Push them down and  pull out approximately 30" of thread and wind your shuttle. 

R6-6 cl,RW (this first picot needs to be a good size because all of the rings will be joined into this...)

Chain 6 B 6 RW  (B means bead. After bead is in place, work 2nd stitch (to lock it in place), then do your 6 stitches as normal.  I like to lock the bead like this as I think it looks better. If you want to leave this step out, it's ok too....

R6+6

Continue in this pattern until you have 6 rings. The last chain, is ch6 - 6. Join in base of first ring and cut and tie. I do not put a bead in this picot space but you can if you want to.  Add the earring finding that you prefer and you have a cute earring to keep or give to someone. These are quick and easy.

Block exchanges, tatting, knitting and a little wallhanging.

I did a little bit of sewing on Sunday afternoon.  This week is my small group meeting and I wasn't ready for it.  I'm in two exchanges in this group and I had to get ready.  So, even though I wasn't really "in the mood" to sew, I had to suck it up and do it anyway.  So, I did. I made my 40 nine patches for my 9 Patch exchange and I started working on the other 5 blocks I needed for the other exchange.   Here's the 9 patches I did Sunday.

I finished my tatted earrings and my knitted scarf too.  The top earrings have seed beads on them. The little owl earrings have seed beads for the eyes.  I found the metal owls at Hobby Lobby and made earrings out of them too.  The other metal owl I found at Walmart and I'll just make a necklace out of him.  I like owls...can you tell? 

Here's a close-up of the earrings with the seed beads.

Here's the knitted scarf I finished.   It's made from Premier Starbella thread.  It was fun and easy to make. I have some gray/black/white to knit up too.  This one is a gift and the other one is for me.

Tonight, I finished the other 5 blocks I started on Sunday afternoon.  These are all made from Civil War fabric and we are about half-way through with the exchange.  This is going to be a great quilt.

This last picture is for Lesley, the Cuddle Quilter.  I told her I had made a small quilt out of the maple leaf blocks and had done it the same setting as she had done...I made this a few years ago and  enjoy this little wallhanging every time I see it. I had put it away and had to hunt for it to take the pic.  Now that I have it out, I'll put it up on the wall and enjoy it for awhile.

I hope you have a great week and get some creating time in.  til next time, happy sewing.

This has been a blah week.

Have you ever been burnt out?  I guess that's what I am. Everything I start to do ends up with something wrong. I haven't been in the mood to sew. I just wanted to watch TV and go to bed.  I am knitting again and tatting too but haven't finished anything to show you.  I'm working on a scarf and tatting some earrings and I'll show you both when they get finished.  I went to tatting on Tuesday and was almost finished with my earring that night.  I haven't picked it up again yet.  Like I said, it's been a blah week.  I don't know if it's the heat or I'm just being lazy but I hope this passes quickly.  


On a happier note, I have been enjoying the Red, White and Blue blog hop that Madame Samm has going on.  There has been so many wonderful blocks and quilts and projects to look at.  I have really gotten some good ideas from this to finish a red white and blue quilt. I have about 17 blocks done on it but needed a few more and thanks to the blog hop, I have found some good ones to finish it with.  You'll be seeing it soon. 

I hope everyone is having a good week and you get to sew or create this week.

Happy 4th of July!