today

Is a great day. A really, really great day.

Why?

This has been my view since Christmas Day.

I got rushed into the ER just before mom pulled the turkey dinner out of the oven.

This morning they sent me home. And I now get to enjoy a better view.

Ps: posting from my phone so no idea if the pics will be in the right order. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to tell which view is better.

Merry Christmas

Was going to do a lovely Christmas post today but things change. Like having your hot water tank blow the day before Christmas. The good news? Plumbers are still working today so we don't have to pay extra. And we get to put a bigger tank in.

Have a wonderful, blessed Christmas. I know we will.

snack saturday

Cranberry Bliss Bars

cake: 
1 cup softened butter
1 1/4cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2tsp vanilla
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1  1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup diced dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
preheat oven to 350
beat butter and sugar until smooth, add eggs and vanilla
gradually mix in ginger, salt, flour
mix in cranberries and white chocolate
pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. let cool

frosting:
4 ounces softened cream cheese(half a block)
3 cups icing sugar
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4cup diced dried cranberries
combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and icing sugar. beat until smooth
once cake is cool, spread onto cake
sprinkle with cranberries

drizzle:
1/2cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp vegetable shortening
whisk together and drizzle over cake

once cake has fully cooled, cut into squares or the traditional Starbucks triangles.

card friday

wordless wednesday

19

I post this picture every year; it is one of my favorites!

Today is mine and Jim's 19th wedding anniversary  19 years; wow. Time sure flies; how has it been that long already? And I love him more now than I did on that day long ago.

I should probably buy him a card ;)

quilt monday

How is it only a week until Christmas?? Sadly, I am still working. I had hoped to wrap everything up on the the 14th but some quilts just took longer than expected. Thankfully I should be finished with only 2 more days of work. Than it's time to sit back and relax!

I found some fabulous charm squares earlier this fall and knew they would make the cutest teachers presents.  I can't decided which line I like more.

I did two in this line.

sorry, crappy lighting.

I love the prints in this line. And the fabrics!

And the other two

Pretty, pretty!!

I kept it simple(and fast lol) and meandered all 4 runners. Now I have to get going and get the binding done on the last 3 so I can drop them off tomorrow!

card friday

wordless wednesday

because I'm a sucker for punishment

Last night I started addressing all our Christmas cards(it would have been more successful if I had realized before I went to craft night that I had packed my address book lol). I soon discovered that I was short 11 cards. So I had to decide to either cut 11 people off my list or make 11 more cards.

Guess what I'm doing tonight?

At least they will all be in the mail in the morning.

quilt monday

I thought I had posted this earlier today, sorry!

Not a lot of sewing going on here right now. I still have 3 gifts to finish piecing; actually, I have to start them to finish them ;) I am hoping to accomplish that on Wednesday.

I pieced this quiltie a few weeks ago. With all the straight lines, I knew I wanted it quilted with something circular so I actually had mom quilt it for me using her CircleLord boards.

I really love the way the circles soften the harsh lines of the blocks.

I was really hoping to have the binding finished before I posted it on my blog but I fell asleep last night working on it lol.

This week is my final week of work before Christmas. Today I did not accomplish as much as I had hoped too; I hope it's not a sign to come! 

card friday

6 in four

This was a crazy, crazy week. Started off on Monday with this cute quilt by Judy. She wanted the quilt customed. All she requested was a freehand loopy star in the borders like I had done for her on a similar quilt last Christmas.

I loved this block.

And this hot air balloon block.

Tuesday brought me Teresa's quilts. Teresa leaves Saturday for Tanzania and needed these done asap.

quilted with Tractors

Love her fabrics.

And Teresa's second quilt

quilted with Plush

The pattern looks great on her fabrics.

Wednesday brought Renae with a beautiful modern baby quilt. Renae is due with baby on the 16th and now she has some binding to do before baby arrives.

quilted with Surf's Up

Check out the beautiful lace in the quilt.

Denita brought in these two beautiful sampler quilts.

One for Wednesday afternoon

quilted with Surf's Up

And one for Thursday.

quilted with Princess Garden

Now I really get to enjoy Friday off! 6 more days of work and 9 more quilts to finish before Christmas.

wordless wednesday

christmas cards

This is my favorite card from the Christmas card class I took last week. I love this chevron embossing folder!

And the pretty sparkly paper. Love!

Now to start getting some envelopes addressed!

quilt monday

Why yes, it is another table runner!

Gizmo really likes it too.

I'm still working on a wavy stitch; I think I almost have the hang of it.

told you he likes it. I couldn't keep him off to take a picture!

I wasn't sure about these colours at first. They are leftover fat quarters from a previous project and thought I would take the chance that they would work for this. I think that the one fabric is variegated makes it work. Now if I ever get my stuff together, this will get listed in my empty Etsy shop lol.

where did the week go?

I feel like I've lost a week here. Things have become crazy busy; the Christmas rush at work has hit full throttle. The work weeks of 3 days/week are gone. Jim and I are in our church Christmas production. Between our practices and the one that boy#4 are in, we are at church every day of the week except for Fridays. And did I mention that last week we got a Japanese exchange student for two weeks?

As a result, I hardly posted last week. Did ya notice? lol.  I have been busy though. I took a Christmas card class last week; loved it. I had so much fun!! And have almost all the Christmas cards I need for this year.

This is the current state of my sewing room

See that pile of quilts? The bottom one belongs to my sister in law. For her birthday last week. It's at least quilted. And the binding is made. I just have to get it sewn on. And mail it.

I did get a start on my second Christmas giftie. And I love where it is going.

Fingers crossed I get the borders on this week!!

card friday

wordless wednesday

quilt monday

I'm still swooning.

I saw the black fabric at a recent trip to Joanns and knew it would be perfect for a single Swoon block.

I quilted this one like my Swoon quilt; all with a water-stitch.

If you haven't jumped on the Swoon bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for?

snack saturday

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

12 tablespoons butter, melted, plus extra for pan
2 ½ cups flour, plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour two loaf pans.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In a separate bowl whisk together butter, sugars, pumpkin, and eggs. Add flour mixture and stir until combined.

Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake 45-50 minutes.

Cool 15 minutes, remove from pans.

card friday

in the zone

I have been cranking out the quiltie goodness lately. Now I need to find to quilt some stuff for myself :p

 I posted about my Bento Box oops here. I ripped it all apart and a few hours later,

I'm not sure how I feel about the brown; I hope I have enough to bind it with that, should tie together than.

I went a little crazy and bought up bunches of Double Chocolat and made the following,

a table runner

a fabulous zigzag,

and a stripy quilt,

I think I'm done with this line lol.

Next, I made 3 twin quilts and a baby quilt earlier this year. I was so sick of the fabric that I shoved all the leftovers in a box and left them. Until this week.

Wednesday I pulled the blocks out and ended up with two more baby quilts.

I'm still debating taking the borders off and adding a white inner border but being lazy may win out.

And lastly, another table runner.

I fell in love with this Share the Joy line.

I might have to pick up a few more charm packs and make these for teacher gifts this year. It's time to start thinking Christmas!

wordless wednesday

quilt monday

I'm still on a table runner kick; I love that in an hour or two, I can whip up a fun gift.

My favorite pattern is still from the book, Happy Hour quilts by Terry Atkinson. For this runner, I wanted more of a table topper so I modified the pattern layout and came up with this.

I love straight-line quilting these.

Lots of straight-line quilting.

I wish this matched my house more; I really love how it looks and just might have to make one for myself.