Christmas Projects Dec. 11 Update

Hello Blog Friends,

Since my last post two weeks ago, I have made progress!  I also battled a nasty head cold, but am better now, just in time for holiday festivities.

1.	Sock Monkey Felt Stocking	Complete	100%	Nephew Kurt
2.	Sports Theme Quilt	Complete	100%	Grandson Cory
3.	Olaf Snowman Quilt	In Process	75%	Husband Denis
4.	Jelly Roll Race Quilt	Complete	100%	Friend Sally
5.	Prairie Point Wreath	On Deck	0%	Me!
6.	Surprise Gift	Complete	100%	Sister-in-Law Bev
7.	Surprise Gift	Complete	100%	Daughters
8.	Surprise Gift	On Deck	0%	Son-in-law Doug
9.	Surprise Gift	On Deck	0%	Nephew Kurt

As you can see from the chart, the BIG project, Surprise Gift for my daughters is complete, after 2 weeks of almost solid work.  I've also added a couple of quick projects, one for son-in-law Doug and one for nephew Kurt.  I still need to finish the quilt for husband Denis.  Prairie Point Wreath is last project on deck, since it is for me and there is no deadline.  Although, I'm thinking I should have it done by Christmas Day.  

Back to the craft room.  Projects  await...

Christmas Projects Completed!

Hello Blog Friends!

I have progress to report...this past week I have been able to complete four of the seven projects I listed last week.

Here is the updated list:

1.	Sock Monkey Felt Stocking	Complete	100%	Nephew Kurt
2.	Sports Theme Quilt	Complete	100%	Grandson Cory
3.	Olaf Snowman Quilt	In Process	75%	Husband Denis
4.	Jelly Roll Race Quilt	Complete	100%	Friend Sally
5.	Prairie Point Wreath	On Deck	0%	Me!
6.	Surprise Gift	Complete	100%	Sister-in-Law Bev
7.	Surprise Gift	In Process	10%	Daughters

I have pictures!

At long last, the UFO Jelly Roll Race Quilt is finished!  It is a standard jelly roll race quilt and I used a large meander as the quilting pattern.  The fabric is from the Lulu line by Chez Moi for Moda.  I named it "A Little Ray of Sunshine".  Sally has had some sadness in her family this past summer, both her mother and older sister passed away quite suddenly.  There will be some very cloudy days for her coming up this holiday season.  I hope this quilt will remind her whenever she sees it, that someone is thinking about her and cares about her and that someday the sunshine will return to her life.

Here is the Sock Monkey stocking for nephew Kurt.  Several years ago, I started a sock monkey collection for Kurt in a big way...with a 4 ft sock monkey.  Each year since, I've given him something to add to the collection.  This stocking is this year's installment.  This is a felt stocking kit by Design Works.  18" finished length.  I have made these stockings for almost 40 years for friends, parents, husband, my daughters and their husbands, the grandchildren, etc.

Here is the sports theme quilt for grandson Cory.  He is this year's lucky recipient of a quilt made by Grandma.  This is a pattern of my own design, using 14 different sports theme fabrics using bright images.  "Sportz" is quilted with a straight line cross hatch grid in the center blocks and has a black flannel backing.  

I've also finished the surprise gift for sister-in-law Bev.  Since she is know to read this blog, I'll have to share it with you after the Christmas holiday.  

Back to work on the projects...I'll report progress next week.

Till then...

Christmas List Update

Hello Blogger Friends,

As promised, here is the update on my Christmas project list.  You'll notice a change in the chart since last week...No. 7 is now also listed as a surprise gift for the daughters.  It seems that one of them also reads this blog.  (I guess I'll have to be more careful in the future when I mention them!  LOL)

Here's the updated chart:

1.	Sock Monkey Felt Stocking	In Process	75%	Nephew Kurt
2.	Sports Theme Quilt	In Process	50%	Grandson Cory
3.	Olaf Snowman Quilt	In Process	50%	Husband Denis
4.	Jelly Roll Race Quilt	In Process (UFO)	50%	Friend Sally
5.	Prairie Point Wreath	On Deck	0%	Me!
6.	Surprise Gift	On Deck	0%	Sister-in-Law Bev
7.	Surprise Gift	In Process	10%	Daughters

Several items have been started and advanced in the past week.  The quilts are listed as 50%, they all have tops and backings done.  Quilting, label, and binding are left.

Here is a sneak peak at the Sports Theme Quilt in process for Grandson Cory.
There are 14 fat quarters and some yardage, all with black backgrounds and with various sports themed prints.  It looks like a jumble now, but I assure you, with white sashing strips and border, they will really pop.  

My goal for this week:  finish Jelly roll quilt for friend Sally, finish Sports theme quilt for grandson Cory, and finish Sock Monkey stocking for nephew Kurt.  I'll post that update next week with pictures!

Till then...Happy Turkey Day!

Project List, Christmas 2016

Hello Blog Friends!

I've been thinking about and going through my fabrics/craft supplies and have come up with my Christmas project list:

1.	Sock Monkey Felt Stocking	In Process	Nephew Kurt
2.	Sports Theme Quilt	On Deck	Grandson Cory
3.	Olaf Snowman Quilt	In Process	Husband Denis
4.	Jelly Roll Race Quilt	In Process (UFO)	Friend Sally
5.	Prairie Point Wreath	On Deck	Me!
6.	Surprise Gift	On Deck	Sister-in-Law Bev
7.	Surprise Gift	In Process	Daughters

Sorry, item No.6 will have to remain a surprise until after Christmas.  Bev reads this blog, LOL.

An update with pictures next weed...I promise!

Pillowcase Party 2016!

Hello Blog Followers!

I've gone into pillowcase production mode again.  In the past week, I've made 13 pillowcases, some for donation, some for gifts, and (gasp, can it be true??) some for myself.

For donation:

For gifts:

 Computer Inner Workings for grandson Conner, Model T cars for husband Denis.

This one goes with the Little Book of Quotes from last post.
Just for me:

 I found this fabric in Delta, CO on our recent trip.

These fabrics are from the 2016 Row by Row Collection.  Love them!  Mine, mine, all MINE!


Next time...my Christmas project list.  Till then...

Quilt Show and UFO's

Hello Blog Friends,

Here I am, checking in with a good report!  Last weekend I:  machine hemmed two pair of jeans (the curse of being short), finished two UFO's, and attended a local quilt show.

I attended the Darting Needles Biennial Quilt Show in Appleton over the weekend.  Here are a few of my favorites:

 Love this wall art piece.

 This one won Viewer's Choice.

 A unique shape.

My favorite block...the Dresden Plate.

One of the UFO's I finished was this book of quotes.  (I first showed you this back in May of 2015.)  The overall size is 6" x 7", but each of the pages has a different edge contour.  I made this for my friend and former boss, who has both MS and also had a recent bout with cancer.  I filled this book with inspirational poems and sayings, and I hope it gives her some comfort in days and years to come.  It is a Close to My Heart product (retired), and I used all scrap papers.  The sayings are printed, stamped, or a sticker of some sort.  This will be a Christmas/Farewell/Remember Me gift.   Here is a look at some of the pages:

 The front cover.

My friend has a very deep faith.  I chose to include several bible passages, too.

It was a good weekend.  Next post...A Pillowcase Party!  Till then....

Jeepers Creepers Pages

Hello Blog Friends,

This week I'd like to share some new pages I've made.  I was away on a scrapbooking retreat this past weekend.  Our entire monthly group was also there, so we combined the two events and made our October pages while at retreat.  

These pages are from Close to My Heart Jeepers Creepers paper packet.  All the papers are double sided, and several of them had definite Halloween themes.  This month, Kristy (my daughter and consultant) gave us a choice to do Halloween or non-Halloween pages.  I chose the "non".  Here's the results:

Well, I've been retired now about a month, and am starting to get into the groove of being home everyday.  My goal is to do some sort of crafting for a block of time everyday.  Tune in this weekend for a report on what I accomplished this week.  Wish me luck!

Till next time...

Memorial Book for Fran

Hello Blog Friends,

As I mentioned in my last post, I made two small size memory books in the last couple of weeks.  The first was for my boss, Lynn, to commemorate her 50th birthday.  The second book is a more reverent work, it is a memorial book of my mother, Fran, who passed away last summer.

Fran lived a very long and rich life, with many friends.  She lived in Reno for 15 years.  When she retired from working life, she and her husband Jim moved to Grand Junction, where they lived for 15 years.  She moved home to Wisconsin after Jim's death 9 years ago.  While in Grand Junction, she made many friends, who could not for obvious reasons, attend her funeral service here in Wisconsin.  A trip is planned to visit some of those friends, and I wanted to take something other than just loose photographs to share with them.

My brother and I actually held three different good-byes for Mom.  A funeral was held last August.  We also buried a small portion of her ashes next to our Dad, and just this last May, traveled to Colorado to release her ashes on a high mountain pass just west of Denver.  

The book I chose to make is a collection of photographs from these events.  I also included a copy of the Eulogy I wrote and gave at her funeral, some favorite poems of hers, and a copy of the service I wrote for the burial of ashes.  I think the book turned out very well.  What do you think?

I choose to think of this book as an outgrowth of the healing processes involved in closure and letting go.  

This book was made with an "Everyday Album" using My Crush Everyday Life Pages, all from Close to My Heart.  The 3-ring binder is a hard cover black album with a gold foil design.  The pages are 8 3/8" x 6 7/8" size, just large enough for two 4" x 6" prints.  There are also page protectors available in three different styles.  I chose the 8" x 6" full pocket, so I could insert my typewritten pages.

Next up...my first project as a retiree!

Pop Up Travel Container

Hello Blog Friends,

During our last driving vacation (to Indiana in August), my husband and I realized that we needed some kind of receptacle for trash (tissues, candy wrappers, empty water bottles) in the car.  I realized almost immediately that I had the perfect thing in mind...a pop up container.  I had seen samples of these in local quilt shops and at the quilt show I recently attended.  

The pop up is made from "Stacking Pop Ups" pattern by the Fat Quarter Gypsy.  It was easy to make, and here is the result:

I love the license plate fabric on the outside...how fitting for a container that will log many, many miles with us.

Til next time....