Christmas 2015 is Past, Except for Packing It Up!

Christmas 2015 was much different from 2014 for me!

In 2014, I had cleaned everything in my home before dragging out my Christmas decorations.  Then I had to clean again!

In late November 2015, I decided to decorate first and the vacuum out the middle, and swish the feather duster over a few things.  You know what?  Nobody even noticed the difference!

Before I began decorating, and before I did my Christmas shopping, my heart kept telling me that I needed to do something special for a particular SS class at church which, to me, seems to be overlooked most of the time.  We do special things for the little children, the teen-agers, and even the senior adults, but rarely is anything done for this class.  It has 22 people (4 guys), ranging in age from probably 20 to 60, and everyone of them is severely mentally challenged, physically challenged, or both!  I couldn't rid myself of the idea that I needed to do something for them, just me by myself, so I did!  I dug through my Christmas fabric stash, (I won't live long enough to use it all!), pulled out lots of really pretty Christmas fabrics (lots of it Moda or the like from years past), and I made a Christmas pillowcase for all 22 of them, each one different.  No kiddie or Santa fabrics; just pretty Christmas fabrics.  I sacked them individually and dropped in a little party table favor (they love things they can hold in their hands), and took the bags to their class the first Sunday in December.  You would think I had given them $1000 each!  Of course, they loved their pillowcases, but more so, they loved being remembered by someone not normally connected with them.  I'm really the one who received the blessing!  Here's some of the pillowcases:

Consequently, I didn't have time to decorate early as usual, or even do my Christmas shopping, but nobody cared!   I made do with the time I had!  The most important thing left to do was make candy, which I did!

I had five parties scheduled this year in December.  The first one, December 8, had 22 church friends, and we had a wonderful time --- lots of beautiful and tasty food, some singing carols around the piano, and just getting to visit with some newer friends.

Two days later, 19 of my high school classmates were here for our annual get-together at noon.  We are all getting too old for them to be out much at  night, but they did stay until 5 PM!  Again, lots of fun and old memories!

At some point before the parties began, I noticed that my legs were becoming very unstable, but I was determined to carry out my party plans.  After all, the invitations had already been sent for all the parties!

I had a week before the third party on December 17, but I really was stumbling around a lot --- a recurrence of the vertigo from a few months ago I thought.  No problem; this one was for the church quilters, probably about six maybe.  Our leader wanted to move the party to her home or the church, but my home was all ready, and I insisted they come here.  I agreed to let her and my best friend handle everything else, and they did a super job while I just sat around mostly.  (Not my idea of hosting a party!)  Of course, everyone who had ever quilted with us, even if not much in 2015, decided to come; there were 11 of us.  Again, more delicious food, a gift exchange, and lots of fun.   Even though I did very little, I knew a trip to the doctor soon would be necessary.  (In fact, that will happen tomorrow.)

I had to cancel two more large parties, but insisted on having my family here on Christmas Eve, and I'm glad I did that!  Again, there were 11 of us, and we had a wonderful time even though I was moving very slowly.  My grandson had come early and helped me get everything ready.  It was not until time for dessert that I realized I had never even mixed up the Cherry Dump Cake!  If someone had not brought cookies, we would have had no dessert at all!  I was really embarrassed; but it had never entered my mind!  Well..... of course, I did have plenty of my usual homemade candies --- divinity, fudge, pralines, peanut patties, peanut butter balls dipped in white chocolate, orange-coconut balls, and also TV trash (that Chex cereal mix).

And yes, every guest in my home during December, filled and took home a can of homemade candy of their own choosing!  (That's a lot of sugar!  But....I think maybe that's the reason  everyone loves to come to my home during December!)

And yes, as usual, some new Christmas things were bought in for me (so my friends and family can see them again next year, but won't have to pack them away or find a place to store them all year!  ---*giggle*)  Here's a couple of special ones from my son and his wife:

The gold lighted crystal tree  (I'm running out of places to display things!)

The lighted Gingerbread House

I really have done not one thing since Christmas Eve.  I'm enjoying being lazy a little too much probably.  .....But remember, I'm just an old lady who truly enjoys life and especially Christmas!

Maybe by February, I'll have everything packed away!

This next panel hangs on my pantry door, visible from m den and kitchen; very appropriate this year!

In the meantime, Happy New Year to All of You!

One more thing:  Saturday it was almost 80 degrees here; Sunday morning it was down to 40; today (Monday) everything much colder and covered with snow!   Now at 2 PM, it's up to 34, and the snow is slowly melting.  It will be in the 40's all week!  What a way to end 2015 in Texas!

---"Love"

Quilt Show Pictures

I had the pleasure of attending a small nearby quilt show Saturday.  There were about 70 quilts entered, and three of them belong to me.  Believe me, I was outclassed all around, but I did have a wonderful time.   It was not a "guild" show, but rather it was sponsored by an outstanding group of church quilters plus a few outsiders, some of whom I've known for a long time.  There was a certified quilt judge there, and I would have hated to have her job!  I could have never chosen class winners, much less Best of Show from all the beauties there, but she did an excellent job after a thorough inspection of each quilt.

Here are a few of my favorites from the show, beginning with Best of Show.  The other pictures are probably not in order of class winners, but are just shown as some of my favorites.

Best of Show was a gorgeous Christmas quilt, with loads of needle-turned applique.  I definitely would have chosen the same quilt for that honor!

Best of Show

Probably My Second Favorite - Maybe; Tough Decisions!

1st Place in Class

You Know I Would Love This One! 

My Friend's "Scrap Happy" Won 3rd Place in Class-  Her First Show!  I'm so proud of her!

My Friend's "This Place is A Zoo"

Pink 9-patch Yo-Yo Quilt I Own But Didn't Make;  Won 2nd Place Ribbon in its Class

My "This Then Is Texas" - No Ribbon; No Problem!

My "Texas Wildflowers and Birdies" - No Ribbon; No Problem!

My pictures, as usual, are not the best!

My biggest surprise came just as the show was ending.  I was led over to my Wildflower quilt as it was announced that my "Texas Wildflowers and Birdies" quilt had earned the "People's Choice" award.  How could that happen?  It didn't even earn a ribbon, and that was fine with me, but a lot of viewers (all Texans no doubt) must have liked it.  I was surprised and shocked, and I still can't believe it, but I must say I was very proud!  And grateful!

All the quilts at the Show were really pretty and well constructed.  It was a joy to be a part of it!

---"Love"

Another Donation Quilt and Lots of Stuff!

I finished another donation quilt for the CPS kids in our County.  This is my third and final one for this Christmas.  It was quick and easy, and turned out okay I think.  Our quilting bee leader keeps telling me, "Some kid will love it!"  I hope so.  (Double click on the pictures to enlarge.)

62" x 41"

Backing

Our church quilters made 10 flannel blankets for our newly decorated church nursery --- 5 pink and 5 blue, about 38" x 30".   Someone gave us the printed fabrics, and we bought flannel backings to match.  They are folded in half in the next picture.   They are so soft. The nursery workers were glad to get them.

Last week I hosted a little luncheon (veggie soup and cornbread) for my pastor and his wife, and also the two ladies who helped with the 4-patch Stack and Whack Anniversary quilt we made for the pastor.  They were really surprised and very appreciative.  It was made from the fabric used on the tables for his first anniversary dinner (same fabric was used for our  raffle quilt for the Youth Dept. monies for church camp).  It is 68" x 49", just a large throw for their couch, or whatever they choose.

 This is the fabric we started with:  (I love how the blocks above turned out from this!)

I finally got the Cheerleader quilt delivered to my little friend.  She ran up to me at church last Sunday and said, "I LOVE my quilt!"  I'm so glad she likes it.

 For me, I just had to quilt this patriotic panel.  I really need to re-work the binding, but that may have to wait until next June!  It wants to wave on the edges a bit, but hey, it's a flag, isn't it? *giggle*  Otherwise, I love it, of course!

I'm working on a couple of other gifts for Christmas; hope I can finish them tomorrow and then be finished with quilting/sewing projects so I can get on with Christmas cleaning and decorating.  I'm running very late on that.  Have I been busy, or what???

Next Saturday I'll be showing my " Texas Wildflowers and Birdies " and my "This Then Is Texas " quilts in a nearby small show.  One of my quilting buddies is entering a couple of her small quilts too; it will be her first time to show.  I'm so glad she decided to participate.

I really need a day or two to just relax, but that won't be happening for a while, like January 15, maybe?!

I've been enjoying reading about and seeing lots of pretty quilts from all you blogging buddies!   Keep it up!

---"Love"

Two More Christmas Table Toppers

Finally --- I finished quilting the last two of five Christmas projects I pieced a couple of months ago, or longer.  Life just kept getting in the way, and then I just had to make that Music wall hanging for some peace of mind!  I may or may not make a few more Christmas things.  Again life and donation projects keep me busy and confused; we'll see.  I had fun quilting these anyway.  My original plan for them was to send them to  my cousins whom I don't see often; all live far away from me.  However, plans may change; maybe not.   Anyway, here they are --- again not perfect, but I'm fairly pleased with the results.

Disappearing 4-Patch Poinsettias

I was amused by the quilting design when I finished.  I didn't mark it; just eye-balled it! 

Octagon Stack and Whack - This was fun!  If I were to make it again, I'd make a little change.  Can you guess what?

I finished this last one last night, but didn't make the picture until today.

After taking the pictures this morning, I decided to clean flower beds.  I trimmed about 22' feet of Lantanas down to the ground almost and piled it all on the driveway.  Next week the bulk trash will be picked up on my street, and I certainly want to get rid of all that mess!  After that, I raked up all the leaves and trash in that bed;  there are lots of iris bulbs there, and the tops looked awful after being crammed under all those Lantanas all summer, so I cut them all off with the scissors!  Got all that mess bagged up and in the trash can.

Then I decided to trim the hedges across the front of the house and clean those beds.  It got dark before I got the last five trimmed, but I did get a lot of  other trash and weeds (literally!) pulled up and bagged.  I'll finish that tomorrow if I'm able to get out of bed, and IF my hands will move at all!   Can you believe I was out there 7.5 hours?!!  No wonder I'm a tired OLD lady tonight!

Then, if all that doesn't finish me off,  I MAY tackle the iris bed along the east side of the house tomorrow too.  The iris bulbs have multiplied so much over the years that they could hardly bloom this year.  Of course, our 30+ days of rain and then almost 60 days with no rain at all hasn't helped flowers or grass anywhere in my yard!  I just hope I've been able to keep the roses alive with watering; they are certainly not looking good!

If I get all that done, then the front yard will be set for winter.  I'll work on the back flower beds as I can find time, and I really must do that!  That's what I see from the sunroom where I sew.  That's also what people will see during my Christmas parties --- coming up before we know it!

Are you getting ready????  (I'm already tired!)

---"Love"

Music, Staff of Life

Music has always played a big part in my life.  My parents started me in piano lessons when I was five years old, and I've often told my friends that for all the money my Daddy spent on those lessons, I should have been a concert pianist, but I didn't make it; didn't even aspire to such a life.  However, I do play my piano every night for several minutes just before I go to bed.   I have also enjoyed playing either the piano or the organ from time to time in every church I've ever attended since I was a teen-ager.  Truly sacred music is very precious to me.

Sacred music certainly is not the only music I've enjoyed throughout my life.  My many moods are often affected by the type of music I'm listening to at any given time; it truly has a great effect on my life.  When I saw the panel below, I just had to have it; it expresses my appreciation of music exactly.  Actually it had four sections, but I decided to use just three in the wall hanging.   I will probably make a pillow with the fourth section someday.  It says, "If music be the food of love, play on," a quote from Shakespeare.

Can you believe I pieced and bordered it all in black and brown?  Very unusual for me!  Why would I do such a thing?  Well,  I know three men whom I love to hear sing, and I'm trying to decide whether to give it to one of them, or whether I'll keep it for myself.  I just thought the  black and brown would be better suited to the music theme, or better for a man than my usual pink and greens, (giggle), if I should decide to part with it.     My problem is that I simply do not have a place to hang it near my piano, so it is hanging in the sunroom now --- where something else is supposed to be!  I quilted the same squares in the black squares and triangles as in the white squares and triangles, except double and with black thread.  Consequently, it doesn't show up very well in the picture.  

Music,  Staff of Life

Now that's finished, I hope to get those two other Christmas pieces quilted next!  I've not made much progress today.

---"Love"

Another Donation Quilt

Here's another quickie donation quilt for the CPS kids.  It is not quite as ugly as the first one, but really not a whole lot better.  It needs and probably will get a little more quilting later this week.  It has the same red plaid backing as the first one, and I should have taken a picture of the back.  The fabric was wider than the top, but not long enough, so I decided to piece it, matching the plaids.  I did get that done, but in one corner I think there are about seven "little" pieces actually matched pretty well.  I had one piece left over about 4" x 6", but I got it done!

Letters to Santa  --- (turned every direction too!)

Just try to remember, our leader kept telling me, "Those kids are going to LOVE it!"  I truly hope so!

Today I finally got started (again) on a little wall hanging.  I'm not sure whether it will be for me, or maybe gifted to a friend.  We'll see; I do have someone in mind.  Hope I can finish it tomorrow maybe.  Then I'll get those last two Christmas table toppers sandwiched and quilted so I can then move on to another something I'm looking forward to!    I won't let myself start it until I finish these three still hanging over my head!

---"Love"

My Ugliest Quilt to Date!

Do you see the Stars?????   Really?????   I don't think so!

Last week friends from our little Quilting Bee (formerly the guild that folded) decided to make Christmas quilts for all the children removed from their homes by CPS in our county.  I was handed a stack of nine fat quarters and was told they were prepared and in order to cut, stack and whack style, into what would make a star design in each block.  I was quickly told where to cut, what to move where, how to sew it, keeping the blocks all in order.  I did as told, without ever looking through the fabrics.  When I finished sewing the first block, I was most unhappy!  Yes, there was a faint star, with Santa turned on his side in every block, the carolers upside down in every block, and the combination of kid fabrics and lovely poinsettias, with only one green fabric that reads solid almost made me angry!  Not a very good mood for making Christmas quilts for kids who have nothing of their own where they are being kept!  When I expressed my displeasure in the fabric combination, with the added problem of the directional fabrics, I was told not to worry ---- "Those kids will LOVE it!"  Maybe so, but I wish it could have been better coordinated!  

Here are close-ups of the mess:

See the carolers on their heads, below and right of Santa?
The plaid fabric on the lower left is the backing turned up.

See the carolers in the center on their heads? 

I do love the two poinsettia fabrics, the blue star fabric and the green (only fabric that reads solid!) are both nice, and the kid fabrics are all cute, but why would anyone put them all together, especially in a stack and whack where there's no control on where they fall?!!    I turned my blocks one-quarter to the right so Santa would be upright, which made the carolers stand on their heads!  Ugh!    I didn't stitch in the ditch very well, and I decided to just outline stitch the star shape (?) three times  to define it somewhat! 

We were told to do quilt-as-you-go on each block, and then put them together with the narrow sashings.  I'd never done that, but it wasn't difficult, and that part turned out all right, and I was even able to machine stitch the binding from the back to the top good enough to suit me, particularly after the rest of the mess!  

Yeah, I know --- not a good way to be feeling about making a Christmas quilt for a kid who has nothing of his or her own and away from family at Christmas.  Probably the most important thing I learned from this experience is to be sure to check out the fabrics I'm handed before I start on the project.    You should know by now that Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and I just like for everything to be special in every way for everyone!

I am working on another quilt for the kids, and it won't be fancy or special either, but I'm liking it better than this one anyway, and I think some kid will too!  

Sorry this has been such a disgusting post, but I just had to get this off my chest so I can move on to the next one!  

Now you've  been introduced to the real me, I guess.  Hope I didn't run you off from here!

---"Love"

Saturday's Quilt Show

As I said in my post "Friday's Quilt Show", there was just too much to include it all in one post, so be sure to check out the pictures for both shows.

Here are some of my favorites from the Granbury, Texas, Guild Show in Glen Rose last Saturday.  I'm not sure why they went to an adjoining county, but I guess they got a better place for the show.  It worked fine for me!  

Best of Show -  This picture does NOT do it justice!

Not a panel; truly a work of art!  Tiny little pieces!

My favorite; again picture doesn't do justice.  The next pictures are closeups.  Notice the lace in borders.

So delicate; so romantic; Wish you could see it better, or in person!  The lace is appliqued onto the border and then stitched onto the quilt with the border.  I suspect the lace is from an antique lace tablecloth, but not sure.  No matter --- it's gorgeous!

Someday I want to make one of these!

Which APQ blogger does this remind you of?  

Of course, I have to show this Texas quilt!  Not a panel; all applique.  

This was their incredible raffle quilt.  Unfortunately I did not win it!  (Picture copied from the Granbury Guild website)

.Hope you enjoyed the pictures from both shows as much as I did.  Maybe I'll have something of my own to show in a few days.  I finished a donation quilt tonight, but haven't taken a picture.  I'll just tell you it is the ugliest quilt I've ever made.  I'll explain another time!

Be sure to check out my "Friday's Quilt Show" post too if you missed it.

Hope you have a great week and get lots of projects finished --- or a new one underway.

---"Love"

Friday's Quilt Show, and a Busy Two Weeks!

I can't recall when I've had more things to do and more places to be than I've had the past two weeks!  Every day and several nights had something going that I had to attend, and most of them involved work of some kind.  I'm not accustomed to all that, and besides, I'm an old lady!  I won't bore you with all those details.  I did get a little (mighty little!) sewing done, but I'll save that for another time.

I want to tell you that the last two days of last week were fun, fun, fun!

On Friday a friend and I went to the Trinity Valley Quilt Show in Fort Worth and saw lots of beautiful quilts, and of course, we shopped through all the vendors.  I held my hands together tightly so I couldn't open my wallet very much, but my eyes enjoyed the quilts!  Here's a few I liked a lot.

Best of Show

Fabrics from Australia --- Guess who this reminded me of?

This one also reminded me of a couple of our APQ buddies.  The next picture explains that.  Click to read the entire card.

This had a few tiny jewels attached; it fascinated me a lot.  Cute!

Named "You've Got Mail";  see the envelopes?  Reminded me of my daddy, a postman.

My favorite; no doubt you would know that!

The next day, Saturday, we went to Glen Rose, Texas, to see the Granbury Guild Show, which is a few miles north of Glen Rose.  I guess they arranged for a better show area.  One thing for sure, they had a great show with really quality quilts throughout!  I think maybe I'd better do a separate post rather than overload this one with more pictures.  

So be sure to check out my next post for Saturday's quilt show too.  I'll post it right behind this one.  

Two days straight on my feet all day after the previous ten days really wore me out!  I'm still trying to rest up, but the fun we had was worth it!

---"Love"