One Creative Family

This morning brought ICE.  I woke up and set out to my Saturday Morning Weight Watcher’s meeting, stepped outside and OH MY GOODNESS, my feet went one way and my body didn’t want to follow.  The ice on the windshield was about 1/2 inch thick.  The street out front of our house has a layer of ice on it and it is slow moving.  The roads were pretty good, but the parking lot was ice.  Not treated.  Got out of the car and before I could stand up I was dangling by my arms(I was holding on to the door frame of the SUV and my feet were up in the air. I ended up taking my shoes off and did a very ungraceful sliding walk in socks across the parking lot(more traction with socks than shoes).  I am glad it was 5:45am and not a lot of people around.  After the meeting it was about the same leaving and we looked like a group of beginner ice skaters giggling and hanging on to each other.  Now home and waiting for the snow to arrive.  Staying in today.

Be safe everyone.

This morning we got freezing drizzle.  It was light and not too bad, but tomorrow it hits.  SNOW all day.  Anywhere from a dusting to 5 inches.  Staying in and watching it snow is great and so pretty.

Tomorrow will bring me making 2 large tote bags.  The lady will be taking her art work from place to place.  She said the dimensions were 30×40 inches.  Once I am finished with those I will be project less.  Can’t have that.  Will have to get some stuff going.  Do you panic when you have all your UFOs completed?  I do.  Seems I have to be doing something all the time.  Didn’t used to.  Oh well such is life.

I will leave you with our Christmas tree.  Woke up at 3am today and when I plugged her in I couldn’t resist a photo.

 

Today has been a day for baking.  Cookies galore.  Chocolate Thumbprint cookies. Sugar Cookies (need to ice and decorate) coconut bars, lemon bars, lemon and white chip cookies, butter horns, Only chocolate chip and snickerdoodles left to make.  Chocolate fudge, and peanutbutter fudge done, working on peanutbutter balls,and burbon balls.  I will be working bread next week. Gifts wrapped and ready for Christmas.

How is everyone else standing on Holiday readiness?  What all do you do to get ready for any Holiday you celebrate?

I would also like to take this time to say  THANK YOU to all my new friends on these blogs. When my daughter suggested this I thought, “Are you nuts?!”  Now I am glad.  This has been a great Blessing for me.  Thank you all for accepting me and teaching me.

 

Since yesterday started out in the dumpster I had to do something to turn it around.  So what did I do?  I sat myself down at my favorite place most afternoons, at my sewing table.  Yes, I finished the Quilt Without Corners top.  I love it.  I think a pattern like this would make a beautiful skirt also.  

I will now have to decide where to put this.  It will fit on my table with the leaves taken out.   On the wall?  Oh well I will have fun figuring that out.  With only 9 days till we celebrate Christmas with the kids and grand kids (due to work schedules on for the Post Office, and for the Police Dept) this is when schedules work, I have 1 more gift to make.  That had better happen today.  Maybe.  Enjoy your day today.

This morning I got 4 1/2 dozen tamales made and ready for the freezer.  Check that off the list.

Now to finish the quilt without corners.  I am loving this.  All I can say is that I am so glad I have a 1/4 inch foot for my Janome. This has made it so much easier.  I do think there will be more of these in my future.    I am using suede for this.  Next one will have to have some pieces with a print i it and more color to it.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Yesterday found me at my window watching the first snow of the year.  It stuck to the grass and not the roads or side walks.  We got only a dusting and today is a cold 10 degrees.  Winter is finally here.  Now I am ready for Christmas.

Am working on my quilt without corners while my pork roast is cooking then it is making tamales.  One of our traditions for Christmas.  No matter what we have we have some tamales for the day.  My Grandmother and mother would work all day making tamales when dad would butcher the hogs.  My son and daughter in law have started making them.

Do you have some wonderful traditions?  I would love to hear about them.  This is just a wonderful time of year, most people are happy and laughing and friendly.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Good morning all.  I hope you are having a wonderful day.  We have an “Artic Blast” hitting today and tomorrow.  Not as cold as it could be so I am glad about that.

Just finished the 2nd of wall hangings of National Parks. The first one is the Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon.    The 2nd is Arches at Bryce Canyon.  These were fun, but not too sure I liked the pattern.   It has made me rethink some of my photos.  I may just have to try to use some of my own photos.

Now to start my quilt without corners.  Alicia is busy making Christmas gifts for her sister, brother & Sister in law. Then her 2 girls. I am glad I am not her.

Today found us baking for Christmas and trying to get some sewing finished.  All gifts are made and ready for wrapping.  Tomorrow is the last craft fair and then I will start a circular quilt.  I have my fabric and pattern and ready to go to work.  It is out of suede and in tan, rust, and black.  I got the book while on vacation, it is  “Quilts Without Corners”. Can’t wait to start it.  The one I want to try is the black and green.  

Now as I leave you I hope you enjoy this sign as much as I did.

Just sayin, wouldn’t it be nice?

 

Yesterday was so busy and not all fun.  Day started off with putting up the tree.  Hubby and I got it decorated and some of the other decorations up from the basement.  We then went out looking for a manger for my Nativity set.  This was purchased about 67 years ago for hubby’s first Christmas.  The manger is cardboard and is starting to look its age.  No such luck.  I did get some new shelves put up in my sewing room and items put away.

The not so much fun we mulched the leaves in the yard, worked 3 1/2 hours and have 6 large leaf bags, and a 55 gal can full of leaves.  So glad we have a leaf blower, mulcher, and a mulcher mower.  We were worn out, but not so much I couldn’t sew a little.

Christmas gifts made and now to start wrapping gifts.  I won’t put them under the tree till closer to Christmas.  I want to see how the Granddaughter will deal with the tree and decorations.  This is the first Christmas she really knows what is going on.

Below is a quick pattern for the cold weather ahead of us.

Stitches to know-

Hdc-half double crochet 

FPDC-front post double crochet  

BPDC-back post double crochet

LHdc-Long half double crochet

I used Red Hart WW yarn with an I hook

Ch 60 and join

Row 1) Turn chain slightly so the “bump” of the chain is showing ontop, ch1, Hdc in each bump of the chain.  Do not join.  (see photo below)

When you get to the top of the hdc, you will turn it toward you 180 degrees so the first hdc is upside-down and work hdc in each chain on the reverse side.  (This will put the natural twist in the headwrap).

Row 2) Ch 2, FPDC (YO, insert hook in on right side of previous hdc around to the left side of hdc -your hook should be “behind” the hdc stitch- YO, pull through 2 loops, YO pull through last 2 loops).  FPDC around each hdc until you reach the ch2, then join.

Row 3) Turn work, ch2, Lhdc (YO, insert hook in top of previous hdc, YO and pull through all 3 loops).  Lhdc in each stitch around and join beg ch 2.

Row 4-7) repeat rows 2 & 3.

I do give permission make and sell what you make as long as you give me credit for the pattern.  Thank you, Alicia Hill, One Creative Family.

Today brings a day of making sleep pants for 3 granddaughters, and a daughter.  We try and make each family member 1 gift.  Something that is just for them for Christmas.  I think making something for other people brings me more joy than getting something myself.

Today the sleep pants, tomorrow finish a wall hanging, and then some kitchen items for Daughter in law.  Two granddaughters get IOU for quilts.  They hadn’t given me an idea for colors and being teenagers with definite likes and dislikes, they will go shopping with me and pick out their colors themselves.  We will spend a day doing this and having lots of fun.

What are your plans for a wonderfully cloudy,windy, fall day?  No putting lights up for Christmas, too windy, and new siding on the house.  No bueno.  Not a good idea.  Tomorrow brings putting the tree up and bringing out the decorations, then finish sewing.  Baking will start in a week or so.  Have a wonderful weekend.