Are You Ready For Christmas

Who would think this wreath was ugly! Well it was. My mom sent it to me a few years ago. she had just stuffed a bunch of hodgepodge things into the green wreath part including little sports balls of all kinds, plastic candy canes, cardboard ornaments, the red and silver berries and the bow. I actually hung it like that for a couple of years and since she did not actually attach anyting things began to slide out. Well this is a good thing. I had made the wreath in the previous post from scratch and was on a roll so I decided to redo this one. It sat on the table a few days with just the greenery and the pine cones (those were actually attached. I had some of the plastic red bulbs left over from the other wreath so I attached those. Then I used floral wire to attach the silver and red berries. I took the bow apart and retied it. Voila! I sure looks nice now hanging on the front door. I forgot how much I liked making wreaths and think I need to do one for spring. I think I actually have all the stuff I need with the exception of the frame. Guess it is time to go to Hobby Lobby and see what I can find there.

We got snow again yesterday and it looks like a winter wonderland again! It is a wet snow so the pines and juniper are pretty much covered with thick snow on their branches with the needles poking thru. This morning we took a walk around the yard and saw lots of deer tracks, coyote track, mouse tracks and rabbit tracks. It is amazing how may animals are out there and also fun to see their comings and goings.

Holiday Cheer

The wreath in the photo is the one that I made to go on the gate. Well it hangs out in the living room now insead of outside. It just looks too nice not to have it somewhere where I can enjoy it all the time instead of just a welcome home. The wreat is made out of a wire frame for wreaths, floral wire to attach everything and keep things in place and secure, pinecones, fake red berries, cheap plastic Christmas ornaments, a premade bow, and one and a half of those garlands from Hobby Lobby. I think I spent about 2 hours putting it all togher. I think I need to hit the after Christmas sale and see what supplies I can find for 90% off and store away for next year.

I did not work on that pesky quilt yesterday. I did however get 3 more flowers appliqued to my log cabin quilt and have one more to do on the 3rd corner and then I get to put on the leaves. I love appliqueing on the leaves as they are just so simple and there are no inside points. Once those are on I can begin on the 4th border.

Now to get back to getting stuff ready for Christmas. I still have gifts to wrap, some cleaning to do and a few details I need to get done. Yep there are still a few cards to write.

This time of year it would be nice to just take a long soak in the tub with a brand new quilt book or magazine with tons of great photos.

Counting Down

Well if I had a really cool blog I would have lots of cool photos of what I have been up to. Actually I just tried to photograph my wreath I made the other night but the light was so bad that the photo did not come out. Maybe I should try again when it is daylight.

The other day I decided that our gate needed a wreath this year so I went off to Hobby Lobby to find one. Well they did have some really nice premade ones all ready to go but even at 50% off I decided I was not gonna invest so much in a wreath that was gonna be outside in the snow, wind and maybe rain if the temp went up (you just never know). I finally decided to make one and found all the stuff to make one for less that the cost of the really nice ones. Well I made a really beautiful wreath with great plastic ornaments (which were really quite pretty and also on sale). I also put red berries on it not sure what those were made of but they were pretty cheap so I got em. I just used a garland that I went around the large frame twice with. Everything was attached with floral wire. There was the big red bow at the top and real pine cones that I had in a basket in the bathroom (figure I can always get more of those. Well I wanted to admire my work so I put my wreath where I usually hang the one I put up in the living room every year. Hummm this wreath looked better than the other one so guess what................it is still there. Guess I will have to make another wreath for the gate..................next year. I also took the time to redo the wreath I had and now with the makeover it looks wonderful. Garlands are hung over the balcony with ribbons made from the after Christmas sale from last year. The tree is cut from the yard and all decorated. I even got about half of my cards done today. Most of the gifts are purchased but I still need to wrap. I am starting to think I might just get thru Christmas this year without a huge last minute rush.

Today I even worked on a quilt I have been trying to finish like forever. Bad news is that it is still not finished but the good news is that I was working on the border which is mostly the last thing to be done. I do have to go back a do a tiny bit more detail in a few of the blocks but since I need to change thread color I went for the border first. Who knows I might actually get this quilt finished before New Year! Now that would be wonderful.

Seems nobody has been by my blog or at least nobody is making any comments. Wonder if everyone is just busy or if I need to get more glitzy photos going :)

Getting Close

Have you ever had a project, in this case a quilt, that seems to just never end. Yep we have likley all had those. Right now for me is is my friend's quilt. I have had the top forever now and finally began quilting it a few months ago. The top was so beautiful that I was scared to touch it at first. It is an awesome sampler. In any case I finally got it loaded on the machine only to have problems with the thread; bottom line. After struggling with that I called the company that makes that thread and they told me some changes to make on threading my machine and adjusting the tenision. Then the thread seemed to jsut disapear in the print of the fabric so I could not really see it when I was quilting. Yes this is indeed a problem as I cannot visualize where I am going. Again problem solved by useing my husbands shop light on a stand shinng from the side and the rest of the room is in darkness.

Mind you this quilt deserved something special so of course that means custom heirloom quilting. So I have been working away on this for a couple of months between other quilts. I try to work on it a few hours at a time when I can. Now is the time to just get it done and out of my studio. I have been making this my main focus this week and it is finally starting to get to the end stages. I have a few more things to quilt on just a few of the 13 blocks. The sashing needs a little thread ripped and requitled where I was having the initial thread problems and then the border needs to be quilted.

I wish I could wave the wand and have it done but figure if I really try it will get done in a couple more sessions on the machine. Now why do some things take forever like this one and others just get done in a snap?

I have decided to also work on my log cabin applique border again. It had been set down for a few weeks and the past three days I have picked it up again and have made some good progress. A little each day will get it done eventually!

Suzanne's Christmas Meme

I saw this on Threadtails blog and thought I would do it as it looked like fun. Feel free to comment and then do your own on your blog. If you read this consider yourself tagged!


1 Apple cider, eggnog or hot chocolate? Are you kidding.................how about a latte with some Bailey's!

2 Turkey or Ham? Well it could be either depending on the year but this year I think I am gonna opt for a stuffed pork loin roast this year.

3 Does Santa wrap or just set them under the tree? Santa always wraps every gift here.

4 Colored or white lights on the tree? I love the white lights. I have a ton of them and this year I am gonna put them on the garlands that go on the balcony too.

5 Fake or real-cut-it-yourself-tree? We cut a tree out of our yard..........they are not always the most spectacular but we enjoy picking one out as much as anything.
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6 Favorite Christmas song? Whatever I can sing along to. I think I love them all!

7 How do you feel about Christmas movies? I love them. My very favorite is Its a Wonderful Life.............but then I am a huge Jimmy Stewart fan.

8 Favorite Holiday dish? I love the cookies especially the ones with ground nuts.

9 When is it too early to start the Christmas music? Figure any time after Thanksgiving. I usually enjoy putting it on when decorating as it is a good way to set the mood.

10 What is your favorite holiday smell? The smell of the fresh pine of the Christmas tree.

11 How did you learn the truth about Santa? What do you mean? He brings gifts here so I think that he must be real.

12 What kind of decorations are on your tree? The tree is a hodgepodge of ornaments. Some very nice and others homemade. It is a tree of memories.

13 Open presents Christmas Eve or Day? Both. We usually open on gift on Christmas Eve because nobody here can wait that long.

14 Go to someone else’s house or have them at yours? This year we are gonna stay here.

15 Giving or receiving? I Love giving gifts. The look on someones face when they open a gift that the love is better than anything else.