More Joy Coming Right Up

Today has been incredibly productive. I made a pledge to myself last night that I would get up, get dressed and get busy by 9:00 a.m. this morning. I almost made it...it's just that I discovered the Fall-Inspired Mini Quilt Swap Flickr group at 11:30 p.m. and stayed up until 1:30 a.m. perusing quilts and blogs and websites. This happens to me a lot. Easily distracted by colourful images.

So, I only missed my self-imposed deadline by half an hour. Not bad for the holidays. My Fall Mini Quilt needs to be in the mail by January 18th. Not a major panic, but it is the second UFO on my list for Jacquie's Joy in the New Year challenge and that deadline is January 1st (hours away!).

Remember, it started with this:

There have been several design ideas floating around up there. I like to keep my options open. It's my first swap, so I want to do a good job. I did some spying on my partner. Seems like she is a fairly traditional quilter and she kept the options open too, by not specifying any likes or dislikes in her swap profile. Fall for me here in Canada obviously involves maple leaves. That goes without saying, really. So that was one design element decided.

At first, I imagined pieced maple leaves, but when I started cutting and piecing the batiks, this happened instead:

1" strips pieced to make 25 patches. Sweet. As in 'sweet hook-up', not cute (watch Napoleon Dynamite for superb contextual example). I digress....that lead to this:

Which immediately lead me to this book, my bible of all things quilty, for setting triangle and corner triangle calculations for a 5" finished block. Once I had those all pieced in, I got to thinking that a skinny little tuck border might frame everything nicely and *GASP* I happened to have a perfect piece of Thimbleberries fabric in my stash. Shhh, don't tell anyone. Don't ask me how it got on my shelf. Even though I'm technically allergic to it, I managed to sew it into my quilt before any hives could break out.

Not bad! Finally, as you can see, the maple leaves. I downloaded a free template, traced it onto some Lite-Steam-a-Seam II and cut out wool leaf outlines to fuse onto the 25 patches. I'm very happy with the results of my day, considering I didn't have a plan when I started.

Tomorrow, the 'quilt as desired' part happens. Then, I will have 2, count 'em, TWO finishes!! Mwah ha ha.
What I haven't yet told you is this: Robert Downey Jr. kicks some serious butt (and leaves me somewhat weak in the knees) in Sherlock Holmes. I saw it with my QFF Andrea and T last night. Guy Ritchie has a winner with this one. The sets, costumes, acting, dialogue, lighting, score...all brilliant. Go see it!

Holiday mornings...

are simply the best. Or perhaps, the best are simple.

Jammies 'till noon.

Maple-glazed cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven.

Doggie naps on the couch.

Holiday mags to flip through.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Ahhhh, Christmas. And just to be clear, it is almost 2:30 in the afternoon. Still fully jammied.

BTW, check out the cover of Quilting Arts. Barbara McKie is so talented! The baby sea lions she has rendered in cloth and thread are incredibly lifelike. I just love their little ears. The texture she's achieved in their coats with disperse-dyed polyester prints and threadwork is amazing.

Hallelujah

A finish. Yes, that's right, a completed quilt! I realize that it's been a long time since I finished a quilt of appreciable size (read: larger than a wallhanging). This quilt top was complete back in May but I was stalling on the quilting. An all-over swirly or floral just didn't seem right for the modern feel of the pattern and fabrics; straight lines would have been too rigid. I felt it did need some softening, so went for organic wavy vertical lines that sometimes intersect.

After washing (that white fabric wasn't looking so white after all of the piecing and travel to a retreat, and being dragged across my sewing table about a hundred times during quilting!) it wrinkled up nicely and was very soft.

Many of the fabrics were purchased online from Sew Mama Sew in 1/4 yard chunks and the background is Kona Snow. For the first time, I used a white cotton batting so that the white would remain bright on it: Arctic Cotton White.

The quilt is called "Homecoming" and for me, the green and white represent faith and hope. It is a gift for a friend and her daughters who are living in difficult circumstances while awaiting the return of her husband and their father. You can read their story here...it is a cautionary tale for anyone wanting to live in, or visit Mexico. There is a community of support around this family, however every day brings disappointment and frustration to their situation that are difficult to overcome. Sometimes we make quilts because it feels like it's all we can do to help. We sew with love and gift our work in the hope that it's soft warmth will provide comfort to someone in need. This is such a quilt. I wish I could do more to bring him home.

"Homecoming" is the first of my two UFO's for Jacquie's Joy in the New Year Challenge. I'm starting to feel the joy....

On Christmas day SewCalGal had a random drawing for prizes in her virtual Christmas Quilt Show. In a lovely karmic twist, I happened to win a prize donated by Mrs.Moen (a couple of posts ago I put a shout out for her giveaway) who featured this quilt in the virtual show. I thought it was fabulous, so voted for it as my viewer's choice. I will receive her Mix n' Match for Christmas pattern, which I'm so excited about because it is definitely something I will make. Thanks for the prize Mrs. Moen! Thanks for the show Darlene!

Every Christmas Eve I take a picture of the kids in front of the tree before they head up to bed.

The timing of this photo shoot is getting later and later every year, making it tough for Santa to get all her work done at a reasonable hour! Luckily everything else was wrapped and ready to go, so the stockings were filled and we all had sugarplums dancing in our heads by midnight. We were not expecting D to tiptoe in at 4:30 a.m. whispering that she 'just couldn't fall asleep'. Even more unexpected was the gentle knock at the front door at 7:30 a.m. from grown-up sister in law who apparently couldn't wait any longer, either! Ahhh, Christmas.

Hope you had a wonderful day, too.

Let there be light

What a weekend. Yesterday, B and I spent the day in a haze of post-Christmas party exhaustion, dehydration and general feelings of "what just happened?" Two house parties (grown-up variety), 2 circus performances by daughter D, two open houses and a Dutch pancake lunch. Phew. I have pretty much completed my shopping, so was not at all stressed about spending the weekend away from the crowded stores. It's been years since we had such a social 48 hours. To commemorate our survival, we watched "The Hangover" last night. Don't worry, our weekend was nothing like the night those guys had!!

To help us regroup and recharge, a convenient power outage occurred at 5:30 pm last evening. I happen to enjoy the peace and quiet of a power outage in winter (as long as it only lasts a few hours and I don't have anything half-way cooked in the oven). We live in a neighbourhood with very tall trees so high winds and/or torrential rains can result in power failures for a few hours, or on rare occassions, a couple of days. Our usual reaction is to all camp out in the living room with candles, the gas fireplace on and individual headlamps lighting our books or magazines. Very cozy family time, indeed. Well yesterday we were all so tired and stuffed from the neighbours open house buffet that the four of us (plus doggie) all napped through the 2 hour outage (I got the couch with dog, B got the wing chair and T & D took the fireplace benches). Upon reflection, the group nap was probably not the safest thing to do with candles burning throughout the house.....

Good thing I had recently purchased this handsome silver reindeer candle-abra. It did a great job illuminating the living room. The lights came back on before 9, the kids went up to their beds and we watched the movie.

So, my gifts are all wrapped (this is definitely a new record of advance preparation for me). I would still like to bake some stollen bread and do a last grocery shop before the big day. Other than that, there are two UFO's on my "Joy in the New Year" list that are desperate for some attention over the holidays.

There is a fabulous giveaway for you to check out at my newest blogroll addition, Mrs. Moen. Nina makes beautiful modern quilts in Norway and her Snowy Village Table runner is just the ticket to a fabulous table for next Christmas! Look:

I may be back over the holidays, but can't make any promises. If it cools down and we get some more snow on the local mountains, I hope to ski, ski, ski! So, friends, I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas. xox.

He Knows....

...how to pack a sack...

...jingle ever so softly...

...gather special friends...

...dress immaculately in a warm quilted coat...

...if you've been bad or good...

So be good for goodness sake!

Cheeky Mice!

SewCalGal is hosting a Virtual Christmas Quilt Show online! This is a great way to share your favourite Christmas quilt or other stitchery item with everyone in blogland. I admit - I have never made (or met) a handmade Christmassy item that I didn't like. It must be the sentiment of the season that goes into every stitch, but I absolutely LOVE all of my handmade holiday pillow covers, Santas, quilts, wall-hangings, doorknob pulls and ornaments.

For my entry into the virtual quilt show, I'd like to share my sweet little embroidered and quilted wall hanging that wasn't quite finished in time for the holidays last year, but was completed 11 months in advance for this year!! (I highly recommend continuing those unfinished Christmas projects into January so that when they are finished, you can feel totally rock star and smug about your advanced preparations for the next Christmas!).

This little honey is from a pattern by the uber-talented lover of all things tiny and sweet, Natalie, of Cinderberry Stitches. I mean, just look at these cheeky little mice:

Natalie uses a lot of blanket stitch as outlining in her designs and I often have trouble with it. When it's used around the edge of an applique, I don't have any issues, but when used as an outline (like on the little hanging ornaments), I find the traveling part across the top of the stitch often gets pulled down/in. I've experimented by pulling the stitch tighter, or leaving it loose (seems worse). At any rate, it's a small issue because I adore her designs and have done several. I will order her newest Christmas stitchery quilt 'Raspberry Cream' to make for next year - go have a look, it is adorable beyond words!

I also wanted to share my tree skirt. This project was many years in the making! It is a Bare Roots pattern, but you can really make it your own by embellishing the houses with embroidery: holly, light strings, wreaths and candles in the windows.

If you have a favourite Christmas project to share (and I know you do!), then toggle on over to Sew Cal Gal's blog and enter...there are lots of great prizes to be won!! If you're visiting from the show listings, then welcome to Poppyprint and thanks for stopping by!

**Merry Christmas Everyone**

Give Away Alert:

Green Fairy Quilts is having a really fantastic give away, so head on over there for your chance to win a gorgeous Christmas present for yourself! She has two new flower quilt patterns just published that would both make fantastic lap quilts for a teen girl - plus they are on sale, buy one get one free!!

It's a decorating frenzy here today. We bought our tree from the Boy Scouts yesterday and for the first time in many years B was able to wrestle it into the stand (so it stood straight!) with minimal sawing/hacking/bad words. It is a lovely tree - all decorated and smelling amazing. We are still working on the paper chains for the windows. I will share photos once we're all done and shining. I hope your holiday preps are going along nicely. A dusting of snow today made it all the more magical. I'm off now to my cookie exchange......

Barbados Red

Barbados Blue

Holiday Preps Underway

Busy day. Between blowing my nose and applying Chapstick to my parched lips, I got a fairly good start on house prep and decorating today. Serves me right, going to Barbados. I seem to have picked up an airplane headcold of the icky variety (I guess there's no such thing as a non-icky headcold, but this one is up there in icky factor as it includes sinus headache and blocked ears).

Headcold be damned, I soldiered on and accomplished:

• shrink-wrapped living room and dining room 90 year old, single-glazed-ill-fitting wood windows that function more as screens than windows in winter.


• vacuumed those rooms


• lovingly removed from storage and set out my favourite all time Poppyprint-made Christmas decoration, my beloved Woodland Santa (photos soon)


• did 3 loads of laundry


• wrapped with LED white lights and hung my new gorgeous faux cedar outdoor wreath on the front of our house even climbing ladder to do so - possibly not a very bright idea considering foggy head! (will take nighttime pix for you for full seasonal effect)


• found a satisfactory display spot for my incredible new German Christmas Pyramid (this was my promissory gift from B last year, seen above and ordered online from this place earlier this fall)
• ate a delicious bowl of homemade turkey soup delivered to my door by my fantastic friend Shelley
• made a batch of spectacular spiced nuts. Photo and recipe coming right up.

Now I'm going to sip a cup of hot lemon/honey water and await the kids' school Christmas concert this evening. I plan to snag an aisle seat with B next to me in order to minimize germ transfer.

Elaine's Spiced Nuts

(I have no clue who Elaine is, but her name is on the recipe that Susan sent me, so I'm giving credit where credit is due!)

1 egg white beaten with 1 Tbsp water in large bowl

add 8 cups mixed nuts (I used pecan halves, whole walnuts and almonds)

Toss nuts to coat

Combine 1 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp nutmeg and 3/4 C sugar.

Sprinkle over nuts, toss to coat. Toast in a 275F oven for 30 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an air-tight container. Makes 8 cups for sharing with friends, neighbours and other holiday dropper-inners.

Tomorrow it's cookie day. I have to produce 12 dozen for my exchange on Sunday. That's a lotta butta! This year I'm ditching my old standby of Mexican chocolate chili drops for chocolate oatmeal shortbread rounds...stay tuned for results. Oh! and the holiday photos are uploaded, just need a little more of that elusive thing we call time to compile some mosaics for you.

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Helloooo friends! I missed you! Although I only started blogging a few months ago, it has become a really fun, exciting part of my life and I definitely missed connecting with all of you while I was on vacation.

We had a most excellent family time together in Barbados. I will share some themed photo mosaics in the days to come, so if the weather outside is frightful where you live, then come back for some delightful Caribbean visuals coming soon to this blog!

I've got loads to do (of the laundry variety), as well as general house tidy in prep for holiday decorations. I'm terribly distracted by these, though:

What a mailbox haul! Nothing like returning home to inspiring mags. My neighbour kindly shared her September Marie Claire Idees (WOW!), I received my second issue of Quilter's Connection Magazine, Canada's brand new quilting mag and finally my copy of special-ordered Stitch that I cannot find here in Vancouver on any news stand. I'm only about 10 pages in and already I love, love, love it. I'm going to try and have our local mag shop order it in for next issue because it is utterly brilliant and features so many of my favourite bloggers' project ideas.

Also arrived in our absence (no thanks to the Canadian Customs & Border Services):

My beautiful fabric bunting from Sweet Jessie. Jessie was kind enough to share her bunting on a giveaway and then we had several worried emails back and forth, because it took more than a month to cross the Canadian border! Jeesh. It looks so nice in my dining room window and the colours are actually perfect for Christmas, so I'm leavin' it up!

Back soon with tropical treats for your eyes....

(edited to add: blogger is automatically inserting it's homepage address in front my links and I cannot figure out how to make it stop! sorry...just follow the 'try this instead' links from your browser to see Sweet Jessie and Quilter's Connection)