the week after Christmas

We have all had a very enjoyable Christmas here in our house, with friends and family some visiting and of course some good meals shared with them all.
Next week will bring in the new year ... new beginnings ,new projects, and new opportunities for us all. I do wish all the best to you all for 2013.
I would like to share with you a very special gift sent to me from Sheila from Sheila's Quilt World. We have become friends over the last couple of years through the land of blog and have had the gift of meeting last summer.

She has made me this lovely penny rug stitchery for Christmas this year I love the phrase on it
" All Hearts Come Home for Christmas" which is sew true as if  you can not make it home you often connect with those at home on Christmas. Thank you sew very much.

This is a little item made for the Holidays as a gift, the colors are more burgundy than purple but that is just how the camera picked it up. And of course there is a little fabric left over and another project waiting I am sure.

I did manage to get my 2012 FMQ challenge done a put together a little slide show ..... a learning curve for me but I had some great help with my dd. Now to put what I have learned with the FMQing into practice with a few of the quilts waiting to be quilted.  A new list for 2013 I am sure.

The weather is starting to warm up a little and the sun is shining, sew it will be nice and bright outside today.....perfect for a walk. WE have had a lot of fog sew the trees have been all deck out with frost ...just picture perfect ...except I did not get any taken.

I hope to get a little sewing done today as well...
I want to get a start on my next blog hop items as well as getting the backing ready for our son's quilt.
Sew that's all for now.... off to sew a little
in stitches
and Happy New Year
Annette

2012 FMQ Final entry

All good things come to and end ... or maybe it's just the beginning.
I have a little slide show of my samples to show you. I have done samples of each month and also did up the sampler quilt.

Personalize a free picture slideshow

I will be practicing more in the new year.... that a given.
I have enjoyed learning the different techniques and using a variety of threads.
Thread can add more color and details to your quilt and not just the pretty stitches.
I have really enjoyed learning more about how to quilt borders.As they are the last step before the binding on a quilt and are the perfect space to show case some special stitching. I find that sometimes I just do some meandering  free motion quilting just to get the quilt done. But now I will give it more thought and planing.
I thought this was a great way to learn more about the many techniques taught and learn more about the threads and battings that are out there waiting for us to give them a try.
I would like to thank SewCalGal and all the experts as well the the sponsors that helped make this all possible for us all year long.
Enjoy your families this holiday season.
in stitches
Annette
I have to thank my daughter for helping me with the smilebox slideshow :0)

2012 FMQ challenge

This is the last of the FMQ challenges and what a great lesson it was with Patsy Thompson
I have checked her blog in the past but have never done anything with the ideas shared there ... sew I must say thank you for sharing this with us and showing us all what we can do with a little practice.
Here is my pillow that I have done with a few of the borders 

pillow needed a little more stuffing
sew I went out and bought a new pillow for the cover
It is now in use on the couch

and here is the flip side where you can see more of what is going on. I know that doing sew much work on a print is missed but I had fun doing this and learning a little more along the way

Here  is  my sample quilt with a few different sample borders on it.

Now I am off to fry out the bonus lesson. I have it printed onto fabric and now to get it ready to quilt.

This has been a fun challenge to be apart of and learning along with all of you has been a blast..... just seeing what everyone has done with the lessons.
Now to Link up with SewCalgal and this months finishes.
Happy Holidays
In stitches
Annette

W.I.P 3-D Quilt Hollow Cubes

Well this weeks work is almost done ...... Over 2000 pieces , 88 x 108 inches.  I just have to piece the backing and do the quilting... in the new year. ( Monday night the center andTuesday night the borders :0)  )

I did have enough blocks left over to build a mini quilt just the right size for a baby. I thought with the primary colors it would do nicely. What do you think? I think they went together just fine. ( Wed morning )

took this pic out on the snow  .....brrrrrr

Nothing like getting some of the left overs worked up right away.

Well  I am not sure how much other quilting  / sewing I will get done this month. I do plan to finish this months lesson from SewCalGal's site, with the FMQ Challenge. She has had a lot of great teachers through out the year, and we have learned a lot of new techniques and skills. Thanks sew much to you all.

Christmas preparations are well under way with shopping almost done and maybe one or two more items to bake, just might wait for the kids to come home and do some baking with them.
How's your holiday prep going??

Stockings hanging on our door

 

Well I hope to get a little more editing done but it ( this post ) just will not let me rigth now
Sew, now I will link up with The Needle and Thread Network  stop in and see what everyone has been up to.
take care and Merry Christmas
in stitches
Annette

update

At supper time I have all but 9 block worked into the quilt . And sewn in to rows - 18 rows by 13 blocks, and I have started to sew the rows together sew far 6 rows complete.
It will be a queen / king size when finished.
Off to sew a few more rows together... who know maybe the border will go on tonight too.
In stitches
Annette

further update  @9 p.m..... after what felt like a marathon of sewing the, borders are left to do , the center is finished :) they will keep for another day.
good night all

off to the design wall

....... with some assembly required  .....
 Blocks are all make to the half block stage and the background pieces are cut. I cut 2 full sets of blocks just to have enough and sew that I would not have any leftovers.( a small quilt might be made from anything left right away)

 Now to sew the strips sets together and then join those to make the top. There are no Y seams in this quilt sew I think I could have it almost all put together today..... fingers cross and machine threaded and away I will go to the design wall to get-r-done..... I hope.

We did have a lot of fog this weekend and some beautiful frost yesterday... sorry no pics but it was picture perfect. I did get some baking done for the holidays and I might get a couple more things baked ...... not sure as the kids keep telling me not to bake sew much sew maybe I'll listen  ;)

Have a great day and if I get it done I'll show the quilt top off.
ta ta for now.
in stitches
Annette

Flurries still

Snow, snow and more snow.... we are going to definitely have a white Christmas in our neck of the woods....... And I love it!
I know that means there is a lot to shovel and walk through but it also means the kids will have snowball fights and sledding and just having fun playing in the snow. And if it warms up a little there will be snowmen not doubt.
I have been busy making the 3-D blocks for our son's quilt, 30 more to make and then I can start to build the quilt.
I have also been working on my FMQ lesson for December from the challenge on SewCalGal.
Sew it's just a short note for now ... I am off to work on a few more of those blocks and watch a Christmas movie while I work.
Take care out there and happy stitching on your Christmas projects.
in stitches
Annette

W.I.P.

Well the quilt is still on the wall but the number of blocks are growing I know have 60 blocks made and want to make another 60 and then see where it takes the quilt for the finished size . I know that I want it bigger than the pattern. I know that I would like it to have a few more rows in both directions and then I will frame it up in black and then a print border. Sew I know I will be busy as I still plan on having the top built before Christmas. A little here and there and I know it will get done.
I do have the next strip sets all cut and ready to organize and sew. Sew that will be today's step.

We made some fresh sausage yesterday and used up the last of last years deer meat. It's always nice to have sausage on hand for a quick meal. Sew far the deer have been safe from our guys, only 2 days left in the season. We also had a good snowfall again yesterday sew there is a lot of fresh snow covering the fields that they will be hunting in. We definitely have a lot of snow so far this winter. The kids should be happy as it will be perfect to go tobogganing, or snowshoeing, and snowman building.

I'm to late to link up with The Needle and Thread Network but I thought I would share.
Be sure to check out Sew WE Quilt aka Stash Manicure ..... this months feature is Books for Women  by Women. There has been some great reviews sew far , some great books to get us all thinking, about ourselves and others.
That's all for now
Hope you are having a great week, remember to take some time for your selves okay.
in stitches
Annette

Holiday Lane Hop Winners

Well today is the day that I will draw the winning comments

.......... drum roll....... Farm Quilter
and I did a bonus draw, just because I could...   :) and Christmas is in the air,
                                 Julie in WA
Now just to wait for addresses to send off the prizes.
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by on the Holiday Lane Pillow Hop.

Don't forget to stop by Sew We Quilt  for the month of December for a fun month full of give aways and other goodies.

Hard to believe that it is December all ready. Time is sure flying I will have to get at my shopping next week and I do have a start on some baking but after hearing everyone favorites I am not sure what I should make this year......

I hope you all have a great weekend and get some quilting/sewing done for the holidays.
in stitches
Annette