I Like Thursday #217 Christmas Edition

It's the Thursday after Christmas and I'm still recuperating! My house was a wreck but it's getting back to normal. I'm trying to put away all the gifts but I still have more to do. Anyways, I got these oven mitts from a dear quilting friend. She's been sick and she still found time to make these. I really appreciated her thoughtfulness. 

My future daughter-in-law set up a Bloody Mary station as soon as she got to our house Christmas Day. It certainly brightened up the day! My mom even enjoyed her drink before dinner. It certainly mellowed everyone out!

We had great desserts this year. My mother made her wandie as she usually does for the holidays.

My future daughter-in-law also made this dessert plate that was worthy of Pinterest! Lots of good stuff there. My son helped her make everything. I was impressed!

I made Gingerbread Cake. The recipe came from this month's Food Network magazine. It came out really good. I tried to make it look festive.

That's my week in a nutshell. I'm hoping to get back to quilting and my usual schedule with Christmas over. It's sad it's over but it's so work intensive that I don't mind! I'm linking up with LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color. Hope you visit her blog!

Merry Christmas!

 From my home to yours, Merry Christmas!!🎄🎅🤶Have a wonderful holiday! 💝

I Like Thursday #216

It's time for I Like Thursday. Some of us bloggers write happy and fun posts on a weekly basis. Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to find links to more like minded blogs. I used to have a Christmas Cactus that I had for close to 30 years. It died a few years ago and I never replaced it. I found this cute little plant at the grocery store and just couldn't resist buying it! I hope this one lasts a while but since I don't have a green thumb, we'll have to see!

This is Bonnie Hunter's leader and ender challenge this year. It's called Oopsie Daisie. Each block measures 9.5". I have 48 blocks made so far. It's a great project to use up some small fabric scrap pieces. I found the block a little difficult when I first started this project, but they're much easier now. I try to make 2 per week. I'm not sure how many I'll end up making.

I started using this moisturizer and I just love it! It smells so good and I feel my skin just soaks it up. I like to change whatever cream I use for my face. Over time, I think your skin gets used to the cream and doesn't work as well. I really love this one. Fresh is a great brand.

I'm almost done reading this and it is wonderful! It's not for the faint of heart but it's a great read. Stephen King never disappoints and this book is no exception. You might want to start reading it after Christmas! It's a little gory and doesn't really fit in with the holidays. That never bothers me. I just tell myself that it's only a book! Haha!

I hope you're ready for the holiday. I'm still wrapping but done shopping. Not bad for me! Have wonderful holiday!🎄🎅🤶❄⛄ Happy Winter Solstice!!!
 

Stormy Monday

Today has been a miserable day! We've had heavy rains and high winds. We lost power around 6:30AM. My husband hooked up the generator a little after 7 but the actual power came back around 11AM. It wasn't too bad but that wind was awful! It kept me up most of the night. I never take naps but I'm actually considering taking one this afternoon. I thought I'd share this picture of my neighbor's house. Look at his lamppost! We  had wind gusts up to 55mph. I felt as though we were experiencing a hurricane! The wind and rain have calmed down but it's still dark and stormy,

 I usually don't turn on my sewing machines on days like these. I've been sitting on the couch knitting socks for my husband. I've made him a few pairs in the past but he always seems to get a hole in them. I thought I'd make him a new pair. I'm still knitting the leg which is made up of 3 knits and one purl. It's kind of nice to sit on the couch and knit today. Lily is curled up next to me keeping me warm. I'm hoping for better weather tomorrow!

I Like Thursday #215

It's I Like Thursday time! A bunch of us bloggers try to post happy content once a week. Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up with more blogs. I tutored at the library yesterday. I really enjoyed seeing the Christmas tree surrounded by all the books. It was fun to read and talk in the shadow of the tree. It felt very festive!

I finished my Christmas ornaments. The round ornaments were much more difficult to finish. They took much longer than I expected. But they're all done and I'm happy with how they came out. 

I just had to show you how great my ornament looks hanging on our tree! We finally put up our tree last night but we have more ornaments to add. The painting made our holiday decorating so late!

I met a former co-worker for coffee and this is what she brought me! Crumbl cookies are the best. I better not eat too much of them. I'm going to gain too much weight but they're so hard to resist!

Have a great weekend! I'm going to try to finish everything up so I can relax until the holiday. Let's see if that really happens!!

 

State Fair Sampler Quilt Top

I finished this quilt top last week but couldn't take pictures of it. The painters had my floors covered with paper or plastic and there was paint everywhere. They're gone for now. They still have a few things to work on while different areas of the house dry. Anyways, I couldn't take a picture of the entire quilt due to it's size. The quilt measures approximately 92" X 97" give or take. This is the middle of the quilt.

This is the left side. I really love how it came out. The black is such a great contrast with that solid fabric. The colors look so vibrant!

This is the right side. Some of these blocks were so difficult but it all worked out in the end! My two halves matched perfectly. I was a bit nervous to sew the final seam but it was much easier than expected. I'm planning on quilting the Carrie Hall Sampler Quilt next. I feel that will be great practice before tackling this one. I'm just not sure when I'll get to it. This time of year is so busy and I'm so behind with all the painting. I'll get to it eventually!

I Like Thursday #214

I almost didn't post for I Like Thursday. This week has been a bit difficult. Painting the house has been a bit trying. Although each room has been painted in my house, the kitchen cabinets are in the process of being painted. Then, we will be done! I can't wait to be back to normal! I have a crew of 3 in my kitchen right now. I keep telling myself that it's almost over! Anyways, we don't have our tree up yet but did manage to put up a few things. This is the wreath on the door. 

We did get a little coating of snow yesterday morning. My front steps still have a little remaining snow this morning. I'm surprised it's still there but it's too cold to melt! 

I bought a little kit for my daughter to make these ornaments years ago. She started them but never finished. Since I'm stuck in the house, I completed them. When we put our tree up, they're ready to go!

I saved this for the last picture. This is my kitchen. I can't access anything in the cabinets. I wish they had told us so we could have taken out a few items. We got take out last night. They say we'll be able to use it tonight. I hope so! I miss my kitchen! I want to go back to normal.

That's my week! It wasn't the best but I'm hoping my house looks better next week. Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up with more blogs! 

 

Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments

I finished my last counted cross stitch Christmas ornament. I made this one for my tree! I love that it's round and looks like a real Christmas ornament. My favorite thing is the polka dot ribbon. It was so fun to see the image blossom!

These are all the ornaments I made. They all have to be washed and trimmed. I'm still debating exactly how to finish them. I should figure it out. I hope!! I'm so happy I rediscovered counted cross stitch. I used to enjoy it years ago but quilting seemed to take everything over. It's nice to have another skill!

I Like Thursday #213

Welcome to I Like Thursday! Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up to more happy posts. It's been a quiet week for me. My house is still being painted so I'm sort of stuck here. I've done a good amount of online shopping so I'm doing fine with my Christmas list. I like staying home but hate that I can't leave when I feel like it. Anyways, my mother received these gorgeous flowers from my brother for her birthday. They're too pretty to not share!

My mother's 84th birthday was one week before Thanksgiving so we had a cake and party for her on the holiday. I don't think she expected it! It was fun to surprise her. She loved all her gifts. I made her a chocolate cake using a recipe from Ina Garten. It was so rich!  

My cats get along okay but they're not the best of friends. I think this is the closest I've ever seen them sleep near each other. It was a Thanksgiving miracle! They did eat some turkey so maybe the tryptophan got to them!

Due to being home, I'm making great progress on my last cross stitch ornament. This pattern is considered intermediate and I'm doing okay with it. Once this one is done, I'll have to make all 5 of them into real ornaments. I've read a few tutorials and think I know what to do.

That's my week! I think the painters will be here another week. We decided to have our kitchen cabinets painted so that will take longer than we expected. We might as well get it done now and get it over with.

Have a great weekend!

Half Done!

 I have half of the State Fair Sampler Quilt all sewn together! It's a little slow so I just do a few pieces at a time. There are so many seams to match up and points to keep intact. I do love how it looks so far. I can't measure how long it is right now. The final measurement should by 96" X 92".

My house is an absolute mess! The painters are making great progress but this is how my kitchen looks right now. I think it will be worth it in the end but it's not easy to get through. I can't reach certain parts of my house if they've been painting. It does dry fast so that's good. I'm just trying to not get into their way, They should be done sometime next week. I can't wait!

Panel and Cross Stitch

I had planned to post on Thanksgiving Day but cooking and company got in the way! I haven't been sewing too much around the holiday so I tried to make some progress today. I did manage to sew together the first section of the State Fair Sampler Quilt. This section measures approximately 69" X 48.5".  It's a bit slow sewing these sections together. There are seams to line up as well as points to try to keep intact! I love the look of this. So far, so good!

I started the last counted cross stitch ornament. This one is for me! It's called Festive Ball and it looks like a round Christmas ornament. I hope to work on it over the weekend. The painters have been here everyday including this morning. I find it difficult to get anything done with work people in the house. I'm trying to go about my own business but it's not easy! I get called away quite often. My family room is done and most of the first floor is finished. We still have a ways to go but the painted rooms look so much nicer. It's definitely worth the discomfort!

 

24 Seams

 I'm so happy to say I have finished making all the blocks for my son's wedding quilt, State Fair Sampler Quilt. Some of these blocks were very difficult. I probably won't forget this one. It's called Cedar County and measures 8.5" square. It was paper pieced. The problem is there are 24 seams that meet in the middle of the block. My block isn't perfect but I felt it was close enough! It looks pretty good to me. I'll start sewing the blocks together after Thanksgiving. 

We found a great painter over the summer to paint the interior of our house. They started this past Monday. This is my family room. They'll probably be here for a few more weeks. I think I'll be doing quite a bit of online shopping for Christmas this year! They just finished our family room and it looks great! I can't wait for them to work on the rest of the house. It's long overdue. 

I Like Thursday #212

 It's time for happy posts! Welcome to I Like Thursday!! Make sure you visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up to more blogs. This drink was so delicious! My husband and I went out to eat and I ordered a pomegranate sangria. I had never had one before. Such a great fall drink!

I haven't put up any decorations for Christmas yet but I did bring up the Christmas bus for the cats. As you can see, the cats are enjoying driving that bus! I always think it's so funny to see the cats enjoy their little toys. I always wonder how they know they're supposed to sit in it! Haha! They're fun to watch. 

There's a fox sitting at the tree across the street. I was about to go out when I noticed this fox enjoying a little bit of sunshine. He walked around and got himself quite comfortable. He ran away when a neighbor came by walking his dog. I enjoyed watching him for awhile.

I have a bunch of half yard cuts and am not quite sure what to do with them. I saw this book and grabbed it. I'm hoping to make a few quilts and use up those fabrics. This book is from Fat Quarter Shop. I love shopping there! I found this book at JoAnn's and on sale! 

That's my week. Enjoy your weekend! Can you believe it's Thanksgiving one week from today?? Time just flies!

Two More Cross Stitch Ornaments

 

I've been having so much fun making these cross stitch ornaments. I finished this one over the weekend. It's called Christmas Chaos and measures about 4.5" square. Those kitties are so fresh!

I haven't finished this one yet. This is Poinsettia Fairy. I still have to add her green wings. These ornaments are such fun to work on! I'm going to try to make one for myself. I plan on finishing them all at the same time. I'd like to add some trim to each one but not sure I'll be able to figure that out!! More pictures to follow!

I Like Thursday #211

It's that time of the week! It's time for a happy post. LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color hosts a bunch of us bloggers each week to post uplifting content. I will start with my latest block for the State Fair Sampler. This is block 21 that is called Scott County. This one was paper pieced and very quick to make. It measures 12.5" square. I have decided to make all the blocks for this quilt before I start machine quilting my applique quilt. I just don't have the time to do both at the same time.

One reason I don't have the time is because we're having the interior of our house painted. It's been awhile and each room needs it a nice fresh coat! I have too many decisions to make. Do I keep the colors the same or should I change them?? The painter is dropping off the charts tomorrow. He'll get samples of 5 colors that are all close and paint them on the wall, wait for them to dry, and then let us decide what we like best. This painter sounds so nice. So glad we found him. 

Since it's Fall, I've been craving pumpkin. I decided to make this pumpkin walnut bundt cake. It came out so good! I just made a quick confectioners sugar icing for the top. I'll have to decide what to make next! I can't believe it's Thanksgiving in 2 short weeks. Where does the time go??

For those of you readers, I started this book and cannot put it down. It reminds me of the old gothic mysteries. It follows 3 different women in 3 different time zones. I think they're all related but can't say for sure. I'm really enjoying this and thought I'd pass it along.

We had a little wintry mix this morning. It was a little sleet mixed with rain. We all know that winter will be here soon. Today was that reminder! Have a great weekend!!

Cross Stitch and 2 Blocks

I'm still trying to catch up on showing you all the blocks I've made for the State Fair Sampler Quilt. But before I get to that, I wanted to show you this adorable cross stitch ornament I've been working on. This is only the lower half of the ornament. I'll be cross stitching another cat and stocking in the upper half. This one is so cute and so fun to make! Those silly kitties are so funny!

This is Pocahontas County and measure 12.5" square. This one is made up of half square triangles and flying geese as well as a square in a square in the middle.

This one looks so fun! This is Polk County and also measures 12.5" square. This one was pretty fast to make. It looks like a double spiral to me.  Only 16 blocks to go!! I'm getting there. I'm getting a little faster making these blocks now.

More Blocks from State Fair Sampler

I haven't been on line too much lately. I made the mistake of getting the Covid vaccine, flu vaccine and pneumonia vaccine all at once. It was nice to get it over with but I didn't feel good for a few days. I had a 101 temperature the next night. I was also busy with hair appointment, tutoring and bringing my mother for her own Covid and flu vaccine. I'm fine now but not sure I'll do that again! I have been working on the blocks for my son's wedding quilt. I thought we'd have a little catch up! This one is called Dubuque County. They all measure 12.5" square in this post. I made the 4-patch units by sewing strips together so this block was quick.

This one is called Emmet County. I used paper piecing to make this block. There were 2 units that were made 4 times each and then put together. I use freezer paper so I don't have to rip out any paper. I prefer this method over all other paper piecing.

This one is called Hancock County. There were lots of seams and points to match up. I'm lucky it came out this good!

This is Monona County. This one is made up of half square triangles as well as quarter square triangles. Once I made the units, it was quick to put together. 

I'll be cutting another block this afternoon. I need to get used to the time change. I was so hungry but I couldn't figure out why! That hour can make a huge difference! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!