Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays!

Well - I have been getting irritated lately at going to people's blogs and not finding any updates - and realized I have not posted in quite a while either - so shame on me!!!

We have been so busy - Stephen moved out of home 2 weeks ago into an apartment with a friend, tonight will be our first dinner with Stephen and Charlie will also join us, so we can get to know him better. They have been game playing friends for years and both were looking to be 'liberated' from home at the same time so this worked out great. They have a nice 2 bedroom in a building on my way home from work so we can do dinner or whatever after work - we'll see...since he's been gone two weeks and this is our first dinner I don't think he's missing me yet!

Diane and the girls are driving from NC to be with us for the holiday (Glenn will fly up Christmas eve)so we have been redecorating Stephen's room into a guest room and what a big job it ended up being! I decided after the primer was on that the walls really needed to be skim coated. They are old plaster and had gotten damaged in wallpaper removal from previous owners. So my one day paint project turned into 3 days and by the time we got back into the next work week progress really slowed down! The colors were all inspired by a hand stitched Jacobean style pillow I got at a local high end furniture store outlet at a price too good to reveal!!! The walls are a nice deep tan called Peanut Shell, we kept white trim on the windows and baseboards. The draperies will be floor length deep red and the rug is a shag area rug with sage, ivory and the peanut shell color blended together. I love it! We are keeping the day bed and trundle in the room, covering it in sage linens and an ivory matelasse spread and skirt and shams with sage microfiber toss pillows and the inspirational pillow. I am adding in a restored treadle sewing machine that was a gift from Mike and Jean my in-laws. It's very special as it was Jean's mother's machine and restored after getting it from the lodge in northern WI that her father had. It has beautiful carved filigree and iron work. I'll add in lamps and art and that's about it. Not sure on art yet, but am thinking of moving all the cross stitch I did for Stephen as a baby into a collage grouping on one wall - since this was his room! I've also been working on a modern quilted wallhanging that may end up in the room also - I'll have to try it after I get it finished - I am at the binding stage tonight! The colors and decor are a big change from the turquoise walls and black carpet of Stephen's residence, but I think it's more us and will last a long time.

We had good news from Diane that her house here in IL finally sold, they are closing soon, so we are thinking ahead with all our home projects and trying to go 'neutral' for the day we put ours on the market. We're in no rush and are enjoying the space by ourselves, but eventually we will downsize I guess.

So for the holidays we will be in IL with Diane and family and Mike and Jean this year, Fred will be in Seattle with his family then go to see mom on the 28th and Grandma Sharon will be on her own in NC. We hate that, but it's hard to juggle a family with so many parts!

Mom and I will be heading to WNY in early January for a secret trip that I'll have to come back and tell you about later!

In the meantime - whoever you are, where ever you are, what ever you celebrate this season, I wish you glad tidings, be safe, be warm and check back in next year! Hug - Toby

DOILIES???!! Click photo for a close up!!

Yes - Doilies!! I know your grandmother or great grandmother used to have them all around the house but they are certainly not seen in younger or more contemporary homes - but since I love all things vintage and live in a very traditional house I love doilies under lamps and figurines. They provide a little more protection for the wood or objet d'art so I like them. And from time to time I need a little crafting challenge so I have made a few over the years. This past month I made the two doilies shown here and the thread bookmark. The Burgundy one is just under 12 inches and the white and purple one is just over 12 inches! I really liked both of these patterns, though the purple and white doily pattern was a little hard to follow I think it turned out great. I am now going to make the burgundy one in white thread, maybe a few of them for use in my china cabinet. I'll be taking these to the craft show October 16 and 17 at the Legion Hall but I won't be sad if they don't sell. I also made some thread crochet book thongs that were fun to make and a change from fabric crafts. Have a good week! Toby

Quilt Gifted and another one coming.....

I have been working off and on on my courthouse steps quilt. Finished 32 blocks and am a little burned out - I need 64 total - so I think I'll turn back to my unquilted table runners and get those done for the craft show in October. I really haven't done a lot of the things I wanted to do for that show - the ADD kicked in and I got distracted - but I will have to get back to some of those! (I am tracking the variations of courthouse step blocks in a spreadsheet of all possible combinations of the fabrics in use - so there's a lot of work, not just creativity in this one!)

I gave a scrappy quilt to my son's friend Tony this past weekend. He is a great guy and we really have enjoyed his company over the years. This past Thanksgiving he house/dog sat for us while we vacationed in Seattle and on Sunday he brought his GF Caitlyn over for dinner. She is also a very nice young woman. Giving Tony a quilt was just an extension of the care we feel for him. Then, last night I got a text msg forwarded from Stephen that says Tony's mom loves his quilt and would I make one for her? Well it turns out I have so many already made that she is going to come over on Thursday and decide if she likes one of them (that I am willing to give up) or if I will make a new one for her. This will be a gift also - just because.....

I will however have to get back to Thomas' college quilt if I am ever to get it done for christmas! I am mailing him a box today full of home baked cookies and a SBSP (Sponge Bob Square Pants) tin lunch box with a coupel of Sponge Bob pillow cases inside. Yes, he's in college, but he still likes SPonge Bob - so what the heck - at least it will make him smile! I'll probably also get another email out of it!! LOL.

I was on a baking binge Sunday night - made Lemon Poppy Seed muffins, then two batches of cookies, one tollhouse and one with M&Ms mixed in, then 3 batches of buttermilk jalapeno cornbread. Mark requested the cornbread to take to work and it was a hit there on Monday. We had one batch with dinner Sunday night - ham with Tony and Caitlyn and it was good! Leftover cornbread worked last night also with a big crock pot of beef stew that smelled so good when it was bubbling all day!

More later - want to check the elections in Provo to see if NieNie's dad is winning - hope so - he sounds like a great guy! Ciao!!

Stephen's Quilt

I finally got pictures of the quilt I finished for Stephen several months ago! It's not looking it's best - pulled straight off his bed and tossed over the log pile in the back yard, but I had to take a picture of the Fourth Annual Scraps to Treasure quilt I finished at 3 am this morning so I thought .. as long as I was out there getting a photo of that one - I'd throw this one on the pile too!

Stephen has always been intrigued with knots. When he was little I would keep bow-biters on his shoes to protect the laces because given a minute he would have the ends knotted over and over till there was no lace left just a line of knots. He got out of that finally, but when I saw this Celtic knot fabric I knew I had to get it for him. I made the top probably 4 years ago and it sat waiting for me to find the black batting that was stored in the garage. If you use white batting in a black quilt, you run the risk of seeing white at the stitch holes when the needle pops in and out. So - probably 6 months ago I found the black batting, and finished his quilt. It is meander quilted in red thread, which is striking up close.

Stephen loves it and that's all that matters. I have another in the works for him - queen size for when he moves out (if ever! LOL)

Can't share the picture of my scrap quilt until after the contest ends - but that will be forthcoming in a month or so! In the meantime I am bust working on a courthouse steps quilt and as always planning more projects.

Found a lovely little quilt shop out in Huntley, IL that carries a LOT of batiks, so I had a great time picking up some new pieces today. I am gathering for two wall hangings. Now I just need more time to work on all these projects!!

More soon - hugs - Toby

Chuckles

I went to the microwave at work the other day to heat up my Smart One lunch and while waiting for it to heat, I turned and looked at the vending machines. I was surprised to see Chuckles in the machine.
I hope you remember Chuckles - I had a friend in my youth turn me on to them and I have had a life long love affair with jellied candy ever since. Chuckles were just the best for clear fruity flavors and good sugar coating, I always saved the red one for last.
Then I discovered those jelly orange slices!! Heaven!! and a neighbor down the road had a recipe for cookies with little snips of those orange slices mixed in - I must ask Mom for the recipe from her box.
But I haven't seen Chuckles for a long long time. I used to get Sunkist jellies at Joann Fabrics - but they don't have them much anymore. And now - here are Chuckles just down the hall.
I went to the vending machines a minute ago to get a drink and checked to see if the Chuckles were still there. Yep, still there neatly stacked between the coils of the silvery spring that twirls to deliver your treat. Then I noted they are a dollar. Wow - a dollar for the same little six pieces of jelly bliss that were probably 35 cents when I first fell in love with them.
Complaining about the price makes me feel like an old woman "I remember when..." instead I should be glad I can afford the dollar and just take the ride back to my youth as I work my way through the packet, still saving the red one for last!

2 weeks just rushed by!!

I should have lots of pictures to post because I have been busy working on crafty quilty things - but have not taken any pictures. Maybe I can rectify that tonight and will post later. In the last two weeks we have had the American Legion Installation banquet which took a turn this year into a more casual and technically advanced format. Going green - we (the presidents and commanders) decided to use the new projection system in the hall and not print programs for each attendee. So I put together a powerpoint program and also put together a slide show of pictures taken during various events from all the clubs this past year and had that running all night during dinner and after the swearing in. I worked set up and did simple floral centerpieces for each table and then Mark and I helped clean up after and scooted home for a little rest. The rest of the crew stayed and karaoked with the DJ.
My SIL Diane and her family moved to Charlotte NC this past week, and though we are deeply saddened to have them so far away, we understand that sometimes you have to make tough decisions to do what's best for your family. Mark and I have often talked about retiring to that area of the US so if they stay put this may 'seal the deal' down the road. Wouldn't it be more fun to be retired and live close so we can play together more?
My SIL Sharon from Seattle is in town for work and will overnight with us tonight. She is craving some home-style italian food, so we'll be heading out tonight for dinner then get back home to hang out and chatter and maybe dig up some hand made gifties to send home with her.
I finished the binding on a huge quilt this past weekend that was meandered by Joanne Lendaro - check her blog at splittingstitches.blogspot.com I am happy with the quilting and the quilt. Joanne has two more of mine to do which I am sure will also just be great! As promised pictures later.
Evenings I have been doing some thread crochet - discovered book thongs with lovely long tassels on the end and a crocheted motif on the top, they work up quickly and are fun to do in different colors. This past weekend I actually made a doily! I thought I would go blind doing it in burgundy thread while watching TV (I didn't see much TV!) once I get it blocked and starched I think it will be great under a figuring in the china cabinet or something. The pattern was a toughie, but I am glad I worked it through and finished!
I've also been playing with some quilted table runners and getting ready for my next RHMC Crayola Challenge quilt. I have yet to quilt and finish the Scraps to Treasures quilt - better get on that - I have just two more weeks I think to have it done and submitted.
Stephen is still at home waiting for full time hours and paycheck and Thomas is safely esconced in college and doing well.
So all is good - well except for the darn skunk who has been stealing my Roma tomatoes from the garden and leaving them half eaten as if to taunt me. My basil is flourishing but I have not gone out to pick any - I have some fresh pine nuts and parmesan to make more pesto - better pick up some romano cheese and get on that task before all this rain takes it's toll on the leaves. I freeze the pesto - it lasts forever! Also make some with sun dired tomatoes - yummy easy way to dress plain pasta when there's nothing else to eat in the house!!
Ta for now - Toby

Fred's LR quilt

When I was out at my brother's new house in November last year, his LR would get a little chilly at night and silly me I only took quilts for his beds!! I came home after seeing his new couch and started collecting new fabrics to add to stash and made him this quilt for his LR. I sent it to him a few months ago, but just found the picture on my camera. Hope he gets some use out of it this coming fall and winter! It's a 'manly' combination of golds, browns cream and black. I really liked the simple layout and blocks of this one!