And now for a little something quilt-y

Will you lookie here! Not even December and I've got the Christmas table runners on the front sofas already!

That's because:
1. I found them in the moving mess
2. I needed some red in my life right now
Did you know, sure you did, that color is really vibration and energy? Red vibrates and causes reactions in humans. I love red and all the warm colors. I also love blues and the cool colors but it's red's turn now.

I used my font stash to print out an alphabet to use on the words, and fused them on, stitching around each letter. 

I didn't make these this year, but wanted to remind you I'm a quilt maker lol.
They both started with stash as did this year's runner of hexi's. I got the 2.5" charm packs thinking they would go together, but the tones of green are too different to enjoy in one quilt so I returned to my little bag of Christmas bits and pieces, dug around til I found 2.5" at least, and right right tones and added them in.

Not the best angle but they are laid out on my kitchen table waiting to be sewn into rows, then all together. I do not like glue baste I can whip out the hand basting only on the back of the fabric in about a minute. Never have to take it out, and the edges stay turned when you remove the papers easily after sewing them.

lots of precuts look cute all wrapped up, and different when used... I wouldn't buy all of these designs now that I've seen them but it was fun to use them anyway

Look at my bear, from my own stash! The little star, plaid, trees and diamonds are all from my stash.
See even tiny scraps can be a focus fabric!

This purse is from the past but I'm enjoying using it on walks and shopping this year. I developed this pattern about 20 years ago and taught/will teach it in workshops to guilds. Since I started doing that, I noticed a LOT of similar patterns coming on market..... oh well... none use my methods which are fast and fun. One guild asked me to do do it in a 4 hour workshop instead of the relaxed 6 hour.

All the women left with a finished purse and one sent me pictures of another 5 that she made after!
It's a way to wear your quilts without looking like an unmade bed.

I basted the hexies while watching Survivor and now I hope to sew the rows together tonight. I think I'll decide then if I am going to try to border it or not. I see cute tiny gold seedbeads in each corner, and since the edges are already turned I could just blind stitch a back to it. I won't trim to make a straight edge because I love the hexi shape. It came out quite small, 77 one inch hexi papers, the whole thing is only 8" X 29"

Next project may be felt ornaments...or the wonky trees I saw online... stay tuned!

Linking to these parties!
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays
ruby tuesdays
 Free motion by the River Tuesdays    
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays                              
oh Scrap Sundays 
 slow stitching Sundays


sewcanshe Saturdays
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  

I Like Thursday #117

Welcome to this week's list of likes! I like these Christmas-y flowers from Trader Joes on the now cleared off kitchen table with it's red tablecloth

Wouldn't it be a little Christmas miracle if it stayed cleared off?
I like a the pops of red in Christmas decorations, and the new "old" ornaments I found at Michaels on black Friday

Santa is driving up in a 1960's car this year! 

 Look at that Rudolph mug! and of course Santa Cow!
We got a new green fake tree that day but haven't set it up yet. I did set up my older white tree with the burnt out lights (pre lit trees are really fast but when the lights go out? )

Pull them off with great difficulty and add in some flamingo lights (thanks to Maria, and Nancy)

and a big "Glam-ingo" for the top!

I am not happy that all my ornaments are lost in the basement (best case scenario) from the move but I now have the two older trees up at least!

and of course to go with, my pink tree. I'm now fretting because the lights on this pink tree are also pink, and when they blow out, where will I find more?


I have lots more quilty Christmassy goodness to share tomorrow... hope you come back to see them!

I like the cookies DH brought home, I like the box, and the cookies taste so much like my grandmother's "tea cakes" as she called them.

Not overly sweet, crumbly soft texture, big and white.

YUMMY!

I enjoyed this library book, and hope to make some felt ornaments this year...found my felt, yea!

The pattern wanted you to enlarge them and what a pain! I had to make a copy, then cut it out, put on our copier saying fill the page, where it made it a tiny bit bigger. Cut that out, repeat four times to get it large enough to make. But now I'm copied and ready to start!

I LOVE sewing hexies by hand. I got two little pre-cut 2.5" packages of really cute Christmas fabrics, made up a little kit to sew while watching Survivor tonight! I plan to mix in some of my Christmas stash fabrics as well, and make a table runner.

I really like having a kitchen desk area. We charge devises here, and I love all my little items from the flamingo pen of feathers, to my old fashioned clock, to the big window. I love the windows in this house bringing in light. Each morning it's a joy to go around opening shades.

I love Essie fingernail polish and it's time to paint the town red! Or at least my nails. Place your bets now as to how many hours til it chips.... As I said in my happy homemaker post on monday, I wanted my red damask table cloth on the table but it's big enough for all the leaves in the table. The table isn't opened right up now, so I folded the cloth in thirds and it looks pretty showing the dark brown ends of the table.

love the way the IKEA star shines each night on my adirondak table, and the new bunny ballerina

On Pointe!

Milo's Moments
Ho Ho Ho Bark!

I like the rug Mama put by the back door, it's really cushy and smells like back home in MD. I like watching the morning show, with the bunnies and squirrels and joggers.

I've been thinking about stuff a lot lately, now that I am a year and nearly 9 months old...

Mama doesn't realize all the Great Poodle Thoughts I have. But I do. I want to understand everything Mama says to me, even if I don't know why the things are impawtent to her. Like "stay with mama" of course I'll stay with Mama! That's a given. It's just that sometimes I NEED to follow up a smell or chase a rabbit.

Know what I mean? I want to make her happy, by walking next to her, but when nature calls, and it does nearly every tree, I have to answer.

Sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sits... but mostly I thinks about stuff I see on walks. And I do not like the weird Santas all over the place but don't know what to do about them but to bark at them.

She's talking again... I tilt my head so the words can better fit into my ears.  Heh heh when I do that Mama giggles, and when she laughs I do more and more funny things to keep her laughing!

It's so much better when she laughs than when she barks, stay! with! Me!

Why don't you also write an I Like post like these people do? Let my Mama know and she'll add in your link!

new this week:

barefoot susie!

 www.CheekyCognoscenti.blogspot.com

 https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
 maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com
.http://littlepenguinquilts
  
 http://sonotorganized.com/ 
  .http://homesewnbyus
http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/

http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/
https://grammasquiltingroom.blogspot.com/
craftscaviescontras
https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/

http://sandysnowden.blogspot.com/
Minou's Minute 
https://quiltingreadersgarden.blogspot.com/  



Linking to these parties... go see!
sunday selfie day for pets                                
all seasons
sundays in the city
shadow Sunday

Pink Saturday!
http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/
http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/
Thankful Thursdays pet parade

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

The week ahead #11

Ahhhh, is it Monday already?
Thanksgiving 2018 is behind us, and Christmas is ahead. This is my view this morning as I write this post. A fresh bright red damask tablecloth on our kitchen table.

Look fast, it's as cleared off as it will ever be!

Tips and tricks
My red table cloth is very large, big enough for all the leaves in the table, but the room only supports one leaf at the moment, so I had to figure out how to use this pretty cloth. I folded it in thirds, and turned it so that the table shows on two ends and there is little hangover. I do not like hitting a too long cloth when I sit down, so this works, and looks quite pretty!

The weather in Aurora CO
Now that the latest storm is over, the sun is out and trying to melt the latest snow. Unfortunately it does a half job, just melts the sidewalk snow on the top layer making ice. We had 60 MPH winds that blew decorations all over the place, breaking many of the ones neighbors had carefully put up. Sad.

On Saturday it was so hot in the sun I put on a short sleeved shirt, then by that night, gale force winds, 22F and snow. Whatever.

Breakfast
Of champions! Left over stale cinnamon sugar monkey bread from the holidays! Yum! (gnaw)

To-Do
such a list! I already watered the dry indoor plants

and started one of four loads of laundry. About that, I changed from fall quilts, rugs and tablecloths so they all need a quick wash to put them away for a while. I already got out the Christmas kitchen towels, which makes me happy. I'm in the great room more than any other space, and love to see the seasonal towels change.

I need to locate more decorations, and put them around the house. I did a little of that this weekend...

I put this little Betty Boop snow globe quilt on a picture easel near the TV so I can see it and placed one of my first little quilts is on Granny's antique dresser

I have to do the usual home things, like dishes, walking, and the ever present studio organization. I am not physically strong at the moment so all of that takes 10 times longer than it would have a few years ago, pre injury. I got some black out curtains on sale this weekend, and need to put them up in Studio 2 to protect my now exposed fabric bins.

I am not going to make a real list to do as it would depress me! I'm going to careen from activity to activity getting as much done as I can. Likely I'll get upstairs to some room, then say, "what was I going to do?"

reading
still on the one novel but it's more engaging now. Want to look over my Christmas quilt magazines to dream of what I could make if I knew where my Christmas fabrics were.

making
I found some hexi paper forms, and two little charm packs (2.5 ") a needle, basting thread and needle threader all ready to sew while watching tv.

Lessons learned
I can't say in truth I've learned it but I want to.
I know nowadays the euphemism for fat is "curvy" which irritates me a little. Curvy is small waist to big hips and chest. I am overweight, a condition I have fought all my life.
I'm an endomorph.
Since the stress of the last year, I'm now a bit heavier too. So much stress.
When I grew up, fat was one of the biggest insults for a woman. The idea that fat was a character flaw imprinted in my self esteem. I admire women who are overweight but don't feel less than.

Don't get me wrong... I know it's not that big a deal, if you're healthy. I know it's just a body thing like brown eyes, or blond hair. I know... but... I feel bad about how I look. I feel guilty about clothes that no longer fit.

I ran into that this weekend when I bought some replacement cuddle duds long underwear. A few pairs of my older ones, have now become too small. This is likely from our blankety-blank washer that does shrink things.
I'm now seeing a lot of pants and shirt sleeves that are too short while the other part still fits fine.
But my heart feels sad when I pull on a too small garment.

The other thing is... clothing isn't meant to last forever. It's my cheap side, why get rid of something that is still functional? Well, as my dh says, if it doesn't feel good then it's not functional.
It is... what it is... and it would be a good lesson to realize it's not a character flaw, or wasteful, it just is... what it is. Too small. Let it go. Maybe someone else will enjoy it now.

I'd like to accept my big feet, my pudgy waistline, my graying hair as what is.

I like your fat tummy Mama!

linking to these parties
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays
pet parade 
ruby tuesdays

 Free motion by the River Tuesdays    
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
happy homemaker monday

Sunday Stories

Welcome to this week's story from Sunday's Whirligig prompt, the words to use are:

feast, plates, table, little, hair, easy, storybook, day, wrinkled, wine, juice, luck

the image I chose today is a study of light and shadow. When we think of shadows we often picture bright daylight. When I happened onto this scene on our nightly walk, I realized shadow comes as the guest of light, any kind of light natural or created. I love the pattern of light and shadow, and realized beauty comes with the mix of light and dark. 
I also liked that the sidewalks are three quarters of the image, and rocks complete the square. I liked the texture change, a circle made of squares, and the visual texture of light on both backgrounds. 

Now for the story...                      
                               Luck and Life 
Someone on the outside looking in might think the scene looked a bit lonely... but these two were quite content and even happy today.


The small feast was nearly ready, the table was set with the fine china and crystal as if they had the queen coming to dinner. Candles were in the crystal holders and their wee flames were dancing to the swing music playing softly in the background.  John took Daisy by the hand, and pulled her into an embrace.


They had danced like this for the last 51 years, him holding her hand near his heart, his other wrapped around the back of her shoulders, as if it was made to go there. Indeed after so many years it probably left a small indentation there! She would nestle in and lay her head on his chest as he was so much taller than she. At first they just swayed a bit, but then memory kicked in and they moved around the kitchen turning and dipping, smiling then laughing.


"remember this song from the dance we attended in '66? " she asked.


"nope, I can't remember that far back" he chuckled, " but I remember how you twinkled at me the first time we met"


"I did not! You pursued me, begging me to go out with you" she replied. It was a familiar argument

"well then, it just showed my good taste at a young age" he said looking down into to her slightly wrinkled face.

"We've been lucky this year" she said quietly, as he tucked a little strand of her hair behind her ears. She loved that gesture, never tired of it. When he did that she felt cared for and protected. As if they could avoid the aging process if they just continued to dance. Wasn't it just 7 days ago, they left the hospital after his heart "event"


Ha! Event! as if it was something to celebrate! Of course, it kind of was, the fact that they left the hospital together. The event!


"let's toast to the event!" she suggested, reaching for the two glasses of red wine on the counter. He took his and said, "to leaving the hospital. To a fine dinner! To the prettiest woman I ever met! To many more moments like this!" and they sipped. She wondered if they should have juice instead, but the doctor said red wine was okay.


Their lives had not been a storybook romance. No lie, it had been very challenging at times to keep going.  People wish you luck, but luck runs the continuum from bad to good with all the in betweens. What is luck anyway... is luck just... life with it's daily challenges and gifts? How much control does anyone really have over circumstances. Do we just try to make ourselves feel more comfortable thinking we can ward off evil or make good things happen if we just plan enough? Is life mostly in the way we handle the random "events" that come up?


They never had children, or an extended family really, just their wee family of two, and when luck was with them a dog to share the days. It wasn't always easy to listen to other people discuss belonging to large families where they were wanted.  After so many years they now accepted that this was what was. In dark moments she wondered was this all there was, in lighter times she reveled in the fact that they shared something close in this life.


She turned back to the stove to get the plate of turkey for their table. He dimmed the lights, and for just a moment they stood still. The sound of music filled the room, drifting between and around them to fill the spaces. She stole a side glance at his profile, and thought for a moment of the worry of the last few days and thanked God, and him, for this moment. This time luck was good, this time their little family survived.

She was aware of what they had, again, and chose not to think of anything else.


He puled out her chair, and swept his arm across it in invitation.


"Madam?"  she giggled, still 20 inside. Placing the turkey on the table, she turned to him and he stepped around the chair and kissed her. He felt 25 inside and the event scared him too, but they were here. There was love still. Nothing but this moment mattered really.

Linking to:
Shadow Sunday
http://sundayswhirligig.blogspot.com/

I Like Thursday #116 Happy Thanksgiving y'all

Welcome to this week's list of likes... Thanksgiving Edition

 I'll miss Fall... it's already snowed about 6 times, and we still have some from two weeks ago, but I caught this lovely leaf during a sunny day this week. I love it and the shades of it. Makes me want to paint one, or quilt one.

the weather's  been so squirrely that the grasses haven't had time to comb their hair

make the most of the last of this year's pumpkins because if stores are to be believed, it's Christmas season! If Hallmark is to be believed, it's Christmas movie season all year!

cows in the meadow.... it's time to bring out the Christmas towels and dishes and put away the fall lovelies til next year.
I enjoyed the recent snow on the cattails although I didn't catch a photo of snow on them

but I caught snow on the dog-tails

There is ice and snow from weeks ago... and it's cold at night so...

.
I put flannel sheets on the bed, and it's soooooo soft now. A pure joy to snuggle into at night. Of course it's harder to roll over, lol! There's a lot more "pajangle" (where your PJ's get tangled after you roll over a few times) going on.

One of my neighbors lit up the 'hood this week...

 I assume astronauts circling the globe find their way back home from this.

Yep, all at one house!
I found these cool magazines with art supplies in them at Barnes and Nobel this week

Whee! Milo helped me choose them, between flirting with teenage girls and snuggling up to couples who stopped to talk.

I am still kind of peeved at the results of Dancing with the Stars but I loved loved loved watching it this season. My guy, the 17 yo Milo Manheim, was outstanding. Can you even imagine dancing on national tv in front of millions of people at that age?

I had fun watching old Betty Boop cartoons on youtube... here's one
Now I love Betty Boop... here she is as Snow White... back when cartoons were Ka-RA-zy and inventive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKOSJ5AAwfc

Milo's Moments

lotion??!!! Again?

what the heck has Mama gotten into now???!!!

whatever it was is ALL OVER her HANDS!

Here, Mama, stand still and let me get that off! It's everywhere Mama! How in the world did you get that all over your hands! My work here is never done!
I take my eyes off you for a moment and lookie here...
turn your hands over and let me get the backs... go on... if you're good I'll give you a treat...

whew! There you go, all spic-n-span again, smelling sweet of my spit!
Now try and stay clean, and no more lotion!

Ooops! Gotta go, I'm late for my nap!

Now sit! Stay! visit mama's friends also keeping it Pawsitive this week! And make her happy by joining us, let her know to add you into the line up!

 https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
 maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com
.http://littlepenguinquilts
  
 http://sonotorganized.com/ 
  .http://homesewnbyus
http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/

http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/
https://grammasquiltingroom.blogspot.com/
craftscaviescontras
https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/

http://sandysnowden.blogspot.com/
Minou's Minute 
https://quiltingreadersgarden.blogspot.com/  

Linking up with these Parties!
pet parade
Wednesday around the World
sunday selfie day for pets                                

sundays in the city

Pink Saturday!
saturdays-critters-
Nature with Rosie and the boys 
http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/
 http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/