A CHRISTMAS GREETING

FROM  OUR  HOUSE  TO  YOURS

As I was decorating our "family tree" a couple weeks ago, some of the first ornaments that I came across were my lace angels.  Looking at those angels, I just knew that this year, our family tree MUST be an "Angel Tree".  So you see, the tree is all snowflakes, gold and white balls, and angels.  After all, my angels looked over me so lovingly this year.  And I consider so many of YOU, because of your precious prayers for me and my family this year to be among those angels.  Thank you so much for your love, thoughts, and prayers for us all this year. 

MAY  ANGELS  WATCH  OVER  YOU  AND  YOURS 

THIS  HOLIDAY SEASON  AND  NEW  YEAR

It's been a while, I guess, since I've touched base to let you know what I've been doing.

Perhaps that's because it's taking me forever to get anywhere with these leg warmers.  This is the first one.  I'm finally getting the hang of it.  Sure is a good thing, though that it is for a January 27th birthday and not for Chirstmas.  I'd never make it.  I may still be late; just hoping not.

And after my knitting is done, I'm hoping to get back to some quilting.  I picked up this book a couple weeks ago to give me some ideas for the embroidery that I'm doing on my latest quilt.

And I just have to share with you all a wonderful, cold, crisp, East Tennessee "Good Morning":

FUN STUFF

Oh my, I guess O I haven't been around in a while.  I do need to stop by occasionally and let my faithful friends know what I am up to, I guess.  So here it is:

How much fun is this!  Won't a 5 year old just really love it?

I sure hope so!  It's for her January birthday.

These leggings are for her big sister who will be 17 in January.  Lots of January and February birthdays in our family!

I haven't started on the leggings yet, though.  Since I won't be with any of my children for Thanksgiving this year (We will see them all at Christmas, though-YIPPEE) , I thought the least I could do was send Gary the Gobbler to help them with the dishes.

I've also been having lots of fun with some embroidery.  Great to get back to a type of needle work that I've done so little of in the past several years.  I'll share more of that next time I stop by.

Time to take a break

OK, I've played around with quite a bit of leftover fabric from years' past Christmas pajamas.    This is the last of the baby quilts from that fabric.  And it MUST be the last bit of quilt sewing that I do for a while.  There are this year's jammies to be done, ya' know.

 

I did have some other fabric on hand that I used for a baby blanket for one of my very first on online friends who is having a baby in January.

So now there will be no more quilting until after this year's PJs are made, but I am still doing some knitting.

This was going to be a vest for my grandson, but we decided that the yarn was too feminine, so we were going to save it and give it to my granddaughter for her birthday in August.  But it would be WAY too big for her even then, so guess what?  I tried it on and it fits, so I  HAVE  A  NEW  VEST.    I've been wanting to knit something for myself and I finally have, even though it was unknowingly!  

Sorry it's sideways;  I'm still learning my new computer.  It seems that everytime I download photos they go to a different storage place, sometimes with the flip option and sometimes not.  ARGH!

But on to better things:   How FUN is this! This is the start of a vest for my granddaughter who will be 5 in January!

Well, I'd better go cut out some more fabric and get crackin' on the Christmas jammies.

A Melange of Fabric -- and Quilting Stitches

Well, I decided before I began to make the jammies for my grandchildren this year that I should get rid of some of the scraps (AKA stash) from previous years of their pajamas.  Timing is good, too, as I wanted to make a baby quilt for a newborn at our church and also one for his one year old brother who I never got around to making a quilt for last year.

While I was at it, I made this quilt too.  I have no idea who it will go to; but always nice to have one on hand, don't you think?

Oh, yes, there's plenty of feminine fabric too, but I think I'll only work on one of those before I start sewing the Christmas jammies.

Oh, and I gotta tell ya'; I'm having so much fun with an old form of needle work that I haven't done in ages:  hand embroidery.  This quilt now has some machine (stitch in the ditch at the sashing) and hand quilting and machine (initials of the ladies in the fabric exchange who sent me the fabrics) and the hand embroidery running stitches and French knots that I have started in the sashing.

Only problem is:  I'm having so much fun with the embroidery (and it will take me FOREVER to get all the way around that quilt), that I'm neglecting my knitting.

 Gotta get back to it.  See you soon.

INTERNET FRIENDSHIPS

Oh my goodness, I had a wonderful opportunity yesterday to meet several of my internet friends. Some of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I first got in to the internet friendship circles through a Weight Watchers Message Board.  Over the past couple years some of these women have truly become my best friends.

7 of my quilting friends are spending a few days on their own little  "quilting retreat" at a wonderful retreat center in western North Carolina.   I was not able to go for the entire time, but  since I live in East Tennessee, I decided to drive there for the day yesterday.  You'd have thought I'd known these women all my life.  It was a wonderful day.

These women have been absolutely wonderful to  and for me this year with my health challenges--sending me all kinds of periodic  little  "pick me ups".  It was truly an honor to get to meet each and every one of them.  I just wish that more of our quilting group could have been there.  They are all so very generous.  One is involved making quilts for injured service men and women.  I was able to hand deliver some red white and blue fabric to her to help with her efforts.  

Another is involved in making quilts for hospitalized children.  I made a few quilt tops that I was able to give to her personally.

While they were all sewing away on their quilt projects (Yes, they all had their sewing machines with them,)   I was busy knitting like a fiend all day so that I could give them each a dish cloth--just a little something to pay back all the love and care that they have shown me.

And speaking of knitting, I have also been communicating with a Weight Watcher's knitting group.  These lovely ladies got together and collectively knit me a prayer shawl. The weather was perfect for me to wear it to church this past Sunday.  Since the ladies who knit at the beginning of the project never saw the completed shawl, just thought I'd show you all how lovely it turned out!

THANK  YOU  ALL  FOR  BEING  MY  CYBER  FRIENDS!

Sorry about the underlining; I'm still figuring out the commands for this site on my new computer!

IT'S OFFICIAL: AUTUMN IS HERE

I don't quite know why, but somehow in the autumn it seems at my house that it's time for home deocrating.

Maybe it's because, with fewer daylignt hours outside, I'm in the house more.

Maybe it's because I'm getting in gear for the really big decorating season; you know the one I'm talking about.

Anyway, I received a special little gift in the mail a couple weeks ago:  quilters charms.  Just fit the bill to get me in my autumn decorating.  Made perfect scarf for my coffee table, and with the autumn "dish" that my godmother gave me years ago, my living room now seems all spruced up for autumn.

And with autumn in the air Turkey Time can't be too far away.  In Tom Turkey's honor, I made a dishcloth.  But then I had to try something Christmassy too.  Alas no red or forest green cotton yarn in the house so the best I could come up with was a yellow star.  I have downloaded several other patterns that I'm eager to try.

And speaking of Christmas: yes I finally have started on those jammies.  The fabric you see here is now pj bottoms for the two oldest granddaughters that will go with the tops.  

 And there are three plaid fabrics on my cutting table just waiting for their turn for the 3 older boys.  Hooray, I'm gettin' there--and even a little ahead of the game this year, maybe.

More Quilts and Another Beret

Well, after playing around with different commands, I've finally figured out how to do this.  I just hope I'll remember it next time.  

So here it is:   I've finally finished the quilts for my husband's nephew's twins, a boy and a girl.  They will go in the mail next week.  I think maybe they were rolled up and folded in the mailing box a bit too long already, hence the wrinkles.  I promise I really had pressed!

I also have all but the hand embroidery finished on this quilt that's been on my back burner for several weeks.

And I finally finished knitting what I believe will be the last beret I'll be making for quite a while.

And here's a funny for you:  Remember the netting that I purchased for crocheting pot scrubbies?  Well, I'm happy that I  bought a lot extra netting.  My husband needed something for his fish net to scoop up minnows.  OILA, a little ingenuity and we've got it covered:  

Happy to report the minnows that he captured in this modified net helped him catch a couple catfish and blue gills and one beautiful large mouth bass.  He released them so they're back happily swimming in our beautiful Tennessee River!  Maybe next time a couple fish will make it to the frying pan.  I'll let you know.

Hmmm, can't figure this out

Well, I have a new computer and for some reason I am having trouble getting both text and photos in my blog set up window.  I'll be back with you when I figure it out--and with may tech abilities, that may be a while.  HA!

WHAT'S ON THE NEEDLES NOW?

Well, now that I (for the first time in a long time) have a birthday sweater in the mail on time

it was time to get started on some new projects.

This may be a sweater vest for a January birthday; however, if I find when I get to the armhole decreases that there's not going to be enough yarn (I'm doing it double stranded, so I kind of doubt there will be enough.), I'll just keep going strait and make a scarf. Not sure who the scarf would be for, though.


And, something I've wanted to do a for a long time is to try my hand and the nylon net pot scrubber. My mom used to make them and I always intended to have her teach me, but ALAS, I never got around to it in time. I was able to locate a pattern, though (a bit different from hers, but I think I can wing it). As you might imagine, I spent quite a bit of time today cutting strips of netting for this ball of "yarn".


Oh, and the background fabrics behind my current knitting projects are the backs of not quite finished quilts. So you see, I'm still in the quilting as well as knitting mode, too.

STILL STITCHIN'

Well, I am still--slowly but surely--getting some stitching in, both with thread and yarn.

I completed another beret


and am almost done with another sweater for an Oct 4 birthday. I'll actually have this one finished in time!

I have a baby quilt finished except for the binding and I have been a "good girl" and have finally labeled my quilts.




OK, I guess it's time to go work on that binding.

BUTTERFLIES AND BERETS

Well, my picnic quilt is finally completed (minus the label, which I am told by my quilting friend experts is a must!).



The butterflies in the sashing of that quilt became the inspiration for this butterfly baby quilt for the new baby of a young couple at our church:


And, no, it didn't take long to get something back on my knitting needles. It started off with this really neat cast on for a picot edge:


and ended with some fun binding from my daughter's Chocolate Lollipop collection of fabric:


I felt really good, when I wore the beret for the first time yesterday and a young lady complimented me on it and added, "It suits you."


I think that was a compliment too; I'll take it as such anyway. Now to decide which of the stripe colors I want to use for another beret--monochromatic this time, with maybe a contrasting band.

NO KNITTING ON MY NEEDLES?

My goodness, I can't believe that after having 3 knitting projects going at the same time that I have no knitting on any of my needles. I will be doing something about that in just a few minutes here--starting the beret that I showed you a couple months ago.

I was able to complete the sweater vest for my grandson and sent it off with his mom this morning after she left here from her too short visit:

I'm actually happy that I didn't have quite enough yarn to complete it; I trimmed the neck and arm bands in dark brown and really like it. (Not sure you can see that in this not-so-good photo.)

And this quilt is most likely as I write winging its way over the Atlantic to my sister-in-law for her first grandchild:


So now it's on to that beret I'm knitting for myself, a sweater for an October birthday, 3 baby quilts, and then I think it will be about time to start on the Christmas jammies for the 11 (one more than last year) grandchildren. Then I guess it will be time to start the knitting projects for the 3 January birthdays. Looks like I'll be able to keep busy for a while.

TYING UP LOOSE ENDS

Well, I'm finally getting around to finishing up a lot of works in progress.

I just did a quilt tying, I think only the second I have ever done.


And I also have the binding machine sewn on that tied baby quilt and another--remember that "picnic" quilt"? Just need to do the hand sewing of that and they will be finished. Hooray!


I'm also working on a couple strip quilts that I'll show you in a couple days. Wow, they sure go fast!

Oh, and I am so pleased that I figured out a spot to keep my binding strips so they won't get all wrinkled before I get around to using them.


And I'm moving right along knitting the vest for my 11 yo DGS.


All in all, it's been a pretty busy sewing and knitting week.

Oh, and by the say, yes, his sister's sweater did finally arrive. Whew, that was a relief!

WHERE'S THE SWEATER?

Oh, no: the sweater that I sent "priority mail" to my granddaughter on Monday still had not arrived yesterday. And to top it all off, I don't even have photographic proof that I finished it. I did take a photo of it, but looked all through my uploaded photos and cannot find it. Isn't that a bummer!

At least the hooded sweater that I completed for my son to take home to his little girl got there safely and I even have a photo to share:



Back to some sort of needle work now--well after I do some house cleaning that is.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF KNITTIN' GOIN' ON

Oh, my goodness, too many projects and not enough hours in the day!

In the midst of assembling the sweater for my 13 yo granddaughter, and starting a vest for my 11 yo grandson, I decided to try and finish the birthday sweater (the red one) for my almost 6 year old granddaughter so her dad, who is visiting this week, can take it home to her--almost in time for her birthday on the 20th.


In the meantime, I'm working on a couple baby quilt tops:

This one is for my sister-in-law's new granddaughter in Greece. I did my shopping in daughter Anna Maria's studio when we visited there last weekend. (It's from her new Garden Party line.) Lucky me, huh?


This will be a strip quilt for a sweet young lady at church, having her second daughter any day now. (Some fabric from my stash, some that I picked up this week at my favorite quilt shop.)


In the meantime, this hand quilting has been put aside, waiting for a time when the birthdays aren't quite so imminent.


Oh and while we were visiting our daughter last week, I convinced her children to model some of the knitting that I have done for them through the years.

Can't let that go by without sharing with you!

Lots of fun knitting on the horizon

Well, I've been doing a bit of on line pattern hunting and have found what I think my almost 6 year old granddaughter will like for her upcoming birthday. She showed me some "fancy" yarn that she said she would like for her next sweater but said that the color was "your choice". So I'm making this for her in red. I couldn't find the yarn at any of the "big box" craft stores or local yarn shops, so I ordered it on-line yesterday and can't wait for it to arrive.

I also found an adorable vest for another granddaughter who will be 5 in January. Her mom "fessed" up that she has all of 11 sweaters, so doesn't need another. All the better for me--less knitting and time saved.

The sweater that I've been working on is all done except for assembly and knitting the front and neck bands. In the meantime, I've started a vest for my grandson who will be 11 on Sunday.

(Drats, I can't figure out how to rotate the photo, but "you get the picture".)

But all this knitting (and my quilting) has taken a back seat temporarily while I have been making creole and spaghetti sauce from our bumper tomato crop.


Hmm, that's my hubby in the background, making his favorite summer meal: a Greek tomato salad. He could (and really does some times) eat a tomato salad 3 times a day! Ah, but with such good tomatoes and our own wonderful olive oil, why not?