Archive Quilt 194, 198 - 202

In 2005, I made 6 quilts from this pattern.  One for each of my children's families and I gave one to our church for the fall community day.  I remember sitting here on the sofa in the evenings, tracing the pattern pieces or cutting them out after they were bonded to fabric.  Each quilt was similar but I used different fabrics here and there.  I guess I was so weary of them when I finished that I never took pictures of them.  This is the only picture I have! And why didn't I make one for myself?   The little tree to the left is one that is up all year in my sewing room.

Tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent so the worship committee met this morning to deck the church. The children will finish putting the ornaments on the Christmon tree.

I love our church and the colors of our windows.  Whoever designed them picked the perfect colors as far as I'm concerned.  The front of the church originally had a blue velvet drape in the center so perhaps that is why the blue was used.  I may have to do some research.

 After some shopping  - It was back to the cookies.  Peanut Blossoms.

And these are filled cookies that both my Mom and John's used to make.  Mine used jelly and jam in the middle - John's Mother made a raisin filling that was very good.  Shelly like the jelly filled so that is what I used.

Thanksgiving Family, Food, Fun

We had a good day  - we all missed John but have great memories of all the past Thanksgivings we shared with him.

After dinner - we had a Catan Tournament - games at both ends of the table.

Doing a puzzle in the kitchen

Must be the football game got a little boring! Lots of other tricks followed.   One of the last things the kids did in the evening was to bring in and set up the Christmas tree.  Don't know when it will get decorated but soon I hope. 

I'm going to bake cookies for Shelly to use at her open house next week so time to begin.

Russian Tea Cakes  -3 dozen

Sand Tarts -6 dozen

Thanksgiving Tuesday - Completely Dotty

A friend and I have been talking about making a quilt with our dotted fabrics for quite awhile.  Today was the day. We spent the morning cutting and sharing our fabrics. 

We had several pattern ideas and decided to use the Completely Dotty pattern from Piece of Cake designs.  It was in an old issue of American Patchwork and Quilting - 10/2004 - I think but can also be downloaded from their website.

Then after a long delicious lunch break we decided to try and get one block sewn.  We each made 2 arcs of the first circle before it was time for me to leave.

It was rainy and cold outside but it was so much fun to spend the day with a wonderful friend.

Things I'm thankful for today

A large umbrella

A warm coat and gloves

Sharing lunch with a friend

Let the cooking begin tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Monday - Table of Grace

Happy kitchen helpers

Baked spaghetti - one of our favorites

About 75 came out on a cold evening to eat and share fellowship with us.

From the archives - Quilt #106 -  a bow tie quilt top that I made in March 1999.  I finished it in October that year and it was used as a fundraiser by the WUMW group at church. I never took a picture of the finished quilt.

Today I'm Thankful for:

• The friends who help out with Table of Grace - cooking, washing dishes, serving, and cleaning up.
• Warmth on this cold day
• The big beautiful white poinsettias that I found at Sam's today - now I don't have to go out on Friday to look for them.

Thanksgiving Sunday

An inviting tablescape  from my sister Barb.  Wish she was here to do my table too.

Things I'm Thankful for today:

• Friends and family who send wonderful notes and remembrances of John
• Al - so much like his brother  - always ready to help if needed
• Good friends at church - and our intern delivering an uplifting sermon - the choir with a wonderful rendition of The Hymn of Promise.
• A comfortable warm home to relax in this evening and a good book to enjoy. Reading "The Little Friend" by Donna Tartt.

Not Much Time For Sewing

Trees to set up and decorate!

 

Tables ready for the thousands of cookies!

Still need to put up trees by the entrance.

The men have the Nativity Scenes set up.

This is the second year for our little town to have a light show for Christmas.  It is free and tonight was the first night for it to be lit.  The town square also has it's lighting tonight.  Our church has a cookie walk sponsored by the women and the men also had a live Nativity in conjunction with the town's doings.

It was a lovely warm evening and we had lots of cookie buyers. 

 Seemed a little strange to be doing this before Thanksgiving but that wasn't my call.  I was just a baker of cookies and weighed the boxes of cookies.  It was fun to see all the little ones so excited to see so many cookies at one time.

Actually I did get all my trees sewn together.  It measures 51 x 63".  I will go to Bee in the morning and maybe  I can try out some border options.  I'll have to leave early as my Table of Grace gals are going to meet to cook collards for Monday.  It will be a cooking lesson for me.

Forestry

Last night I sewed more trees and I think I have enough  - maybe too many!

Now I can rearrange them and sew the rows together.  I think my forest will measure about 63" long by 50" wide.  

Maybe after Woman's Club and cookie baking!  And I need to take time to visit a friend  in the hospital who will have surgery tomorrow.

Orca Bay - Hooray!

It was 2 years this month that Bonnie Hunter started the Orca Bay Mystery - and finally today I finished quilting it and made the binding for it.

I made a red binding for it but decided to go with black instead.  Just happy to have it finished.

Next up for quilting  - The Nine Patch Plaid Shirt Quilt that I finished here.  I loaded it on the Crown Jewel this afternoon.  I think I will practice some feathers on this one.

Lots of cooking and cookie baking this week.

Our Woman's Club has our annual dinner to thank our Town Employees on Wednesday.

The ladies of our church will have a Cookie Walk Friday evening and the men have set up the Nativity out front of the church.  There will be a live Nativity that evening also.  Our town has a wonderful light display which opens this week too!  Seems strange to have it before Thanksgiving but I guess it is because Thanksgiving is so late this year.

We have Table of Grace on Monday  - A couple in our church is bringing us fresh collards for the meal so we will get together on Saturday to cook them.  It will be a learning experience for me.

So quilting might be put on the back burner so to speak!

Beautiful Fall Days - A touch of winter Ahead

Yuletide Sasanqua

Bonanza Sasanqua

 .

Light pink Sasanqua

 A good day to take in the porch plants as our weatherman is predicting temps in the 20s this week and even the mention of possible snowflakes - Good Grief!!!  The sasanqua camellias are so pretty right now and I have an Encore Azalea that has been in bloom for about 3 weeks.

 A quick trip up to the lake this afternoon to make sure the heat was turned on up there.  The porch seems 

to be saying "Stay awhile!" 

Added a few more blocks to the Arrow Star quilt.  Need to prepare for this month's Stitcher's Garden  block at Thistlebee in Goldsboro tomorrow.

A Start

Flash back about a year - I finally have the Orca Bay Quilt from Bonnie Hunter's mystery  2011 on the machine.  Need to work on my lighting down there before winter sets in.

Using an allover floral  for the pattern.

Started another Arrow Star Quilt.  My first had blocks that were 16".  These are only 12".

Dreadful pictures but that is not my forte.

A Feel Good Kinda Day

 Pat Jetter and I delivered 63 Patriotic quilts and 40 Patriotic pillowcases to the VA Medical Center in Durham Tuesday.

 They were made by groups from Sew Happy Quilt Shop in Clayton, Pine Tree Quilters and the Undercover Quilters.

Each Veteran who enters the Hospice Unit is given a quilt to brighten their surroundings and it is passed on to family members. They also use the quilts for patients on dialysis. 

Thanks to all the wonderful quilters who give their time and effort for this very meaningful project.