Are you my pillow?

Couldn't resist adding this photo of my grandson and my best bud Apollo...they were both keeping me company in the sewing room.

Baby Jane

Well, it's been a long time coming to this point but here's the first two rows of my Dear Jane Quilt. This one is my "Perfection is Highly Over-Rated" Jane. I have almost another two rows done but am missing one or two here and there. I'll try to post a better picture another time. Super Bowl is on so DH won't be real happy if I ask him to try again!

I also have a second Jane going--"Little Jane Blues" which is done with the same background and different blues that I like. I'm just enjoying the journey and trying not stress if the little 4-1/2" blocks take me a while to complete.

As you can see--not perfect--just like me!

Yellow Monkey Wrench

My quilt guild is doing a block of the month and I liked the block they handed out for January so much I did a whole quilt of it! Now I still need to do a block for monthly drawing. Maybe I'll end up with two monkey wrench quilts!

Bear in the Woods

Wahoo! This was supposed to be my husbands Christmas gift, but the class I took was delayed so it didn't get done. He saw this at a quilt shop (yes, he went to a quilt shop with me!) and loved it. Making it for him is the least I could do! haha As if sewing a quilt was a hardship! Anyway, the longarm quilter just got it yesterday--she's going to quilt it in a pattern with trees and bears and moose. I can't wait to see it done!

What a relief!

Being a new quilter, I hadn't realized how difficult it would be to give up a quilt to someone and not be there when they opened their present to see their reaction. The first of four people just opened her quilt and called me. Thank goodness she really seemed to like it!

Not that I meant to make her cry but knowing that she did made me feel so much better about giving her one of my "babies".

Pam is my hardest sister-in-law for me to relate to. She's a wonderful and caring woman but we have never had a lot in common. Pam is also very vocal and assertive--another thing I'm not. I've always felt that she didn't really consider me part of the family--although she's been my SIL for 30 years...I guess we can't help the way we feel.

Anyway, if I can find the picture I took of her quilt ("Hard Candy") I'll post it on my blog.

I'm amazed too that I'm feeling this relief! One down, three to go...or maybe they've opened them but didn't like them so haven't called me because they don't know what to say?! Not a chance! Of course they'll like them!

Merry Christmas part II

Ok, so...I got up at 5:00 a.m. and finished the green and yellow quilt, then I cut and chopped and made the potato salads (one without eggs because my daughter is allergic).

The deal this year was, I made quilts and "stuff" and did the greatest majority of the shopping and my dear spouse was supposed to do the gift wrapping. YEAH! (I hate wrapping!)

So at this point--before the ham went into the oven--I said, where do you stand on the gift wrapping? He replied, I have a few left to wrap, no problem. I'll get them after my shower. So we put the ham in the oven. I took MY shower, then called my daughter and said "we won't be late this year! Things are well in hand!" Then I walked into the back bedroom where the wrapping was supposed to take place...and promptly called my daughter back and told her I didn't know how late we would be. For the next hour I stuffed presents and tissue paper in gift bags, filled out gift tags, and boxed and wrapped Christmas gifts. OH MAN! I think he thinks this will get him out of wrapping next year! I'll find SOME way to get him involved. Of course, if we didn't tell anyone, they wouldn't have noticed the shoddy gift wrapping!

Or maybe not.

I really had to remind myself of the "reason for the season". But other than being an hour late getting to my daughters (and we weren't the last ones there), it was a lovely day.

Merry Christmas!

Another Christmas come and gone. Why do we think the children today have forgotten what the season is all about? And are so happy when they love the gift(s) we have choosen for them? The gifts that meant the most to me were the quilts I gave to people I love.

Among them...a cowboy quilt for my 6-year-old grandson. When he opened it he started jumping up and down--"a cowboy quilt--a cowboy quilt" and smiling from ear to ear. I knew that was a hit. Then my sister sent sent him a horse costume--I didn't even tell her it was a cowboy theme this year! He was thrilled!

My granddaughter got the "circle" quilt. And my daughter's mother-in-law got the green and yellow quilt. They loved their quilts too. Hopefully as much as I did! I had a hard time giving Rhonda the green & yellow one. I love those fabrics!

Does anyone else have trouble giving away the quilts they've made? Even when I start one with a specific person in mind...I think it's because I put so much "me" into each quilt I make.

Anyway, hope your Christmas was as good as mine! Please say a prayer for all of those that most need us right now--including those that do not have a family, the homeless, and our service men and women...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!