February Sewing

So - guess what - I won these 20 Nordick Star blocks at the Pine Tree meeting this month.

They are really pretty and all but one are very well sewn. I was thinking about how I might set them together maybe using the narrow sashing like in the blocks. And then I thought of all the UFOs languishing around here.  I decided to offer them to a gal who really wanted to win them  as a group she was in was doing a red and white quilt challenge.

Ready to deliver to Shirley!

These are the blocks for the March Meeting - one features a children's print and the other is a disappearing nine patch using warm autumn colors.

I'm still looking for borders for this Medallion Quilt pattern from Edyta Sitar. I added three more rounds than the pattern called for. 

I made WAY to many half square triangles so I am using them for another quilt that uses 16 per block.

They are then bordered with a one inch wide black borders with cream colored cornerstones.

 I think I have about 40 blocks that need to be bordered - I just found a black I really liked last week. 

Going to the beach for a retreat with a few friends - so will round up a few easy projects to work on while there.  The weather has been perfect for staying inside and sewing.

..........to be continued.....

January---- Cutting and Sewing

Pine Tree Quilter's has a great Block of the Month Committee.

The members take turns choosing and providing instructions for various blocks.  And then other members make several examples of the chosen blocks for the group to view before they decide if they want to make the block any given month.

Night time houses

This is my block - we were each given the pattern and the sky and window fabric.

 This is the traditional block for February.   It is called Nordick Star.  We were given the pattern and Thangles papers to make the HST units.

I knew I could not wait to the last minute to make these blocks.  I like them both and would love to win either one of them.

This is one of the blocks from last year.  The lady who won the blocks brought back the quilt she made from the blocks and it was so pretty I wanted to make the quilt.

So I have been cutting and cutting.  I think I will take it to sew on when I go to Myrtle Beach in March.

It's had to believe there is enough fabric in this box for a 75" by 90" quilt top.

I had a copy the magazine that the pattern came from - BONUS!

And as long as my sewing room was a mess anyway - I cut out the fabrics for a Sunflower Table Runner that I saw on Pinterest.  That really didn't take long.

So with all this activity - I thought I would treat myself to a Root Beer!

There were some beverages left out on the porch from various holiday activities - ---

I know - I know 

I've had weeks to put them away but out of sight out of mind right!

Lucky for me this was the only one that had frozen and popped it's cap!

Am I living in North Carolina???

Annual WUMC Cookie Walk

After months of planning, baking, decorating etc., it was finally time for our annual cookie walk.

I made 8 dozen peanut blossoms, 7 dozen molasses crinkles and 12 dozen sand tarts.

It was a great success - the weather was cold and brisk and all the town was buzzing with happy children our for an evening of fun with their parents or grandparents.

The Town has their annual tree lighting ceremony with trolly rides and a visit from Santa. 

 

We had plenty of cookies - more than we have ever had  - many cooks made lots more than the 12 dozen asked of them. 

Kathy P in the background making cocoa for our cocoa bar.  She also set up all the decorations in the kitchen area.  

The Cocoa Bar  - I know we served over 100 cups probably closer to 150.

 Just starting to put out cookies - two of the Sunday School rooms turned into cookie storage areas.

Tracey came by for a visit just before we were ready to open. Got a picture at one of our Photo Spots.

Cocoa Crew!

We opened at 4:30 this year and we were sold out of cookies and cocoa at 7PM.

It was so enjoyable seeing friends and serving cocoa to all the little ones - watching their faces as they decided what to add to their cocoa.

But to be sure my toes were ready to end the day!

A Rare December Occurrence

Thursday - December 8

 3 warm days and the pink Sasanqua is in full bloom!

Sunday December 9

Cloaked in a 5 inch blanket

Monday December 10

Hard to tell but after a couple of inches of rain yesterday afternoon,

we are getting a wintery mix - snows for a few minutes then sleety stuff!

So rare to even have snow in December but this is the first time I can remember since I've lived here to have frozen precipitation.  

I'm ready for it to stop - even tho I love those postcard pictures of the snow.

I didn't even venture off the porch yesterday.

A nice cushion for the deck chair.

So pretty and puffy!

Not a lot of sewing going on around here - sharing my sewing room with my grand - dog Luther

and the rest of the house with Kathy and Jesse until their house is completed at the end of the month.

It's so nice having someone in the house to share in the Holiday Preparation and Fun.

Luther's favorite pose - Can I have some of whatever it is you're eating or fixing to eat?

Kathy and Jesse put together a Moravian Star that Kathy had given me years ago.

This is the Block of the month for December at Pine Tree.

Veteran's Day 2018

We were greeted as we gathered for worship by this starling who made himself right at home in the artificial plant by the alter.

He flew back out before the service began!

I've always loved our beautiful windows - the colors are amazing.

While honoring our Veteran's this morning  -  our choir director directed our attention to the window behind the organ!

Given in memory of Lt. Edward Cedric Harris 

Killed in France - November 11, 1918

100 years ago today 

Yesterday Pat J. and myself delivered 120 quilts to the VA Hospital for use in their Hospice Unit.

Each Veteran receives a quilt when they arrive for care and the quilt is eventually passed along to the Veteran's family in memory of their their one.

We will deliver another 53 tomorrow along with 42 pillowcases and bags of magazines.

++++++++++

In  memory of my loved ones
who served their country!

Gordon - 21 years US Air Force

John - 5 years - US Army 

Patriotic Stoplight Top - and Bundling Finished.

This morning while waiting for guy to come by and look at some work I want done, I bundled the last of the veterans quilts stacked up in the dining room.  I took just a few pictures of ones that caught my eye as I really wanted to finish them up.  These are from the Pine Tree Quilters   and the Undercover Bee.  There were 79 quilts from these two groups.  I think we are supposed to pick up a few more Thursday at the Pine Tree meeting.  Then we will deliver them this weekend.

 Like the large yellow stars.

It was so gray today - these pictures are pretty dark.

C made this as a mystery quilt at one of our  Retreats a couple of years ago.

So much sewing and a beautiful graphic quilt.

Eighty- two quilts ready to be toted out to the car.

I finished this Patriotic Top for a start on next years donation quilts.

It is 54 by 60" and I sewed the the backing for it too.

I managed to get a few rows quilted on this quilt that I loaded on the machine way back in the early summer.  It's a quilt that I sewed a couple of years back.

It's 80 by 92" so it will take a few days for me to finish esp. with all the other chores and activities going on around here.

A freeze warning is predicted this weekend so I'll need to take care of the porch plants.

The begonia on the screen porch has decided to have one last little bloom!

Tomorrow, bright and early, we take the first load of Veteran's Quilts to Durham - we will take the remaining quilts on Monday.  

I have 125 quilts in the car along with the pillowcases and magazines.