Goals - week of December 22

I have been staying pretty busy this week.

Christmas has gone into the history books. I hope everyone had a day filled with the blessings of family and friends in some fashion or other.

It was really warm, so we ended up being really foggy on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was warm as well and sunny. Thursday, we made it into the mid 60s !!!! Not ideal for December or a white Christmas 😕

My goals started on Monday, even though it's Thursday already.

Here's the list:

1. Dispose of old mattress set, reorganize the space. done

2. Get two packages ready for Tuesday's mail. done

3. Gnome project #1, #2, decide on #3. #1 and #2 have been started

4. Jenny's Tiding stitchery - decide on finish.

5. Put away stray fabrics. done

6. Mending in progress

7. Kitchen duties - prepping for Christmas breakfast and dinner, Monday dinner. done

Some of these goals carried over to Thursday.

And since I'm here, I might as well make my list for Friday:

1. Gnome projects finish #1, #2, decide on #3.

2. Jenny's Tiding stitchery - decide on finish.

3. finish mending.

4. Christmas BOM book - contact seller again.

5. Preschool kids activity plans for January.

6. Menu

7. Sort through fabric sitting on my table.

That should keep me busy :)

I received some fun mail this week . . .

I won a collection of Superior thread !!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 NIVUK

Swaps and Gifts

With Christmas in the history books, I felt like I was as ready as I could have been. I finished my shopping over the weekend, and with school out for the next two 

weeks, the plan is to stay home as much as possible.

A trip outside with the pups on Monday found two packages waiting for me. One expected, the other not.

Susan's surprise Christmas box!!

All these wonderful things in one box !!!

 

A magnet, pretty pins, a soy candle, a tasty little cookbook and Christmas teas :)

 

A pretty little notebook. How cute is the pig pouch that contained these notions?

A bundle of coordinating fabrics tied with a bit of mini ricrac !!

And this sweet little snowman ornament that made it to the tree immediately :)

God has truly blessed me with my friendship with Susan. Not because of the goodies, but because the greatest gift we share is our love of Jesus Christ. This is just a small reminder of that shared faith and love.

The second box . . . 

I agreed to participate in a "Gnome" swap with one of my facebook groups.

Sharon's Gnome Box

 

Two little gnome ornaments and a big gnome that Sharon made. I just love him.

Gnome fabric. This is laying on my sewing table trying to come up with just the perfect project to use this on. Just so cute !!!

And salt and pepper shakers. Cute !!!

I'm still working on her swap items. I have until mid January, although I would really like to have them done before that.

Shoebox Swap 

 

My partner -was so very generous, I am overwhelmed.

Fabrics, notions, chocolate and hot chocolate.

Can't wait to start playing with those fat quarters. I think i have decided on a design and pattern.

Fun mail ??

 

This popped up on my facebook page. I jumped on it !!

"It's brand new, some of the pages are still in the original cellophone wrapping.

Complete, nothing missing.

$50.00 !!!! including postage." 

What ! ! ! !

No, wait ! ! ! 

The seller and her mom purchased two of these years ago to work on together. Mom ended up moving in, and they worked from one book. Sadly, Mom has passed away and obviously they don't need both books. Mom was also a quilt shop owner, so there are more goodies to shop. I can't wait to pull fabric and start this quilt !!!

Unfortunately, things aren't always as they seem.

I went through the book thoroughly because pages weren't in order. I am less thrilled at the moment. 

I pulled out the wrapped pages, they are from other collections.

I put pages in order under the tabs they belong. I'm estimating that I don't even have half of the book.

I made a thorough accounting of what I received and what is missing, then I sent an email to the seller. That was Christmas eve.

Today, I sent a message on facebook. Timing is bad because of the ho!iday, but if you are a seller you should be checking messages and emails. I'm not sure how long i have before i can file a dispute. I will have to check. I really wanted this book 😢

Thanks or stopping by,

-ishing you a day -illed -ith the things that make and keep you happy.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57 NIVUK

HQAL - December

It's that time again to report on our handwork and to see what everyone else in the group has accomplished, you can check them out here. There are new members, so new things to ooh and aah over :)

As for me . . . 

The last two blocks of Betsy's Closet.

Scheduled to be finished in 2020.

Five sets of Jenny's "Tidings" that I am planning to use as gifts.

Enough "Advent" blocks to make a quilt top.

You can find the details for them here on Susan's blog. (Link)

I pulled the center panel from my stash. I'm gifting this one to my husband who is a veteran of the army during the first gulf war.

The quilt is sandwiched and pin basted. I'm home for the next two weeks, so I'm hoping to get it quilted and bound before the  new year.

I made two pairs of pajamas for Newton for Christmas.

The first pair ended up an oops, so he's getting a bonus second pair. Why waste the fabric and he'll get a chuckle every time he wears them. Mom is only human, after all.

This is the last HQAL for the year. I hope you have been inspired to do some hand work through all the lovely projects our group has done this year. There are so many amazing, talented people.

Thank you for stopping by,

Wishing you a Merry Christmas 

And Happy New Year!!

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:4-5 NIVUK

Snowy, Cold Hump Day

It's a cold, snowy hump day.

It's been really cold and we are finally getting some snow. Not that it's supposed to accumulate anything.

I'm home for the day, so I'm doing some catching up and starting something new.

First, the Advent Challenge from DesertSky Quilting.

This is the block design that Susan is using. I purchased a red, white and blue fat quarter bundle and decided I could do this. So I spent part of Tuesday evening cutting my fabrics. I only have enough but to make five blocks, but I was able to order more. In the meantime, I made what I could.

So far, I have five 12 inch blocks.

They are very quick and easy, as advertised. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26:9 NIVUK

Advent

First Advent Sunday

This should be one of the happiest times of the year. I wish I could say that it is my favorite, but it's really not. 

My young adulthood to mid 30s was spent working retail. It wasn't fun. People are rude and nasty and everyone thinks their time is more important that everyone else's.

I love Christmas for other reasons . . .

snow

lights

music

Jesus' birthday

So I don't go shopping . . . much. We have decided to pare our gift giving way down.

I don't bake a lot of cookies, because we don't eat a lot of them. And mom makes enough to feed a third world country :)

I've decided to accept a challenge and add a few of my own.

The challenge can be found here.

Susan invites us every year to participate or encourages us to find something on our own that we are passionate about. I'm going to join her this year because I feel good about what she does and supports and she is such an encouragement and inspiration to me.

I'm also going to continue some of the goals I set at the beginning of the year - Susan's inspiration as well - and continue with making doll gowns, doll quilts and baby quilts.

I spent the weekend working on some charitable sewing (another challenge from a group I belong to).

Doll gowns

I had them already cut out. I sewed them together on Friday and Saturday. There are a 13 that just need to be hemmed and they are done. I have to cut out more to continue sewing.

These are all pink because those are the donation fabrics I recieved. I'm going to have to go through mine stash and see what other colors I have and can share.

I finished two doll quilts. I have a third that just needs binding and I have several more cut out and ready to go.

I don't know if I'll be able to do one of each of these a day during December, but I will do my best. I would love to send the box before the end of the month.

There are lots of holiday themed events. Here are some that I'm trying to participate in:

https://hugsnkisses.typepad.com/hugsfromhelen/

Check out Susan's blog for more inspiration this Advent season. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21 NIVUK

HQAL

November has flown. If you celebrated Thanksgiving, which we should honestly do daily, I hope you had a very blessed one.

It's that time again to report on our handwork.
To see what everyone else in the group has accomplished, you can check them out here. There are new members, so new things to ooh and aah over :)

As for me . . . 

The handwork on this scrap flannel is, of course, the binding. This sweet little quilt is being gifted to a seven year old girl who needs some comfort and extra lovin'. I hope she loves it as much as I do :)

The last few weeks have been wonderfully productive.

I finished stitching the last of the Gingerbread Village SAL.

 

 

I need to decide how I'm going to do the final layout. This will be another January finish, as I have quite a few irons in the fire at the moment.

I also got some time in on Betsy's Closet. It feels like it has been a really long time since I worked on these.

This is number four of the six I've chosen to do. I'm hoping to get the last two done this week. And this will be another one in January for setting and finishing.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’

Isaiah 40:3-5 NIVUK