Giveaway Day!

Tomorrow is Giveaway Day!

Sew Mama Sew is hosting this event and I'm participating along with tons of other bloggers.

Come back tomorrow morning, bright and early, and enter to win a handcrafted gift!

Let me sew, let me sew, let me sew!

Ohhhh...the weather outside is frightful.

But Bernice is so delightful.

Since I've no place to go,

Let me sew, let me sew, let me sew!

Last night was the Friday Night Sew-In. And, after running around town looking for new Christmas tree lights with Mr. P, I finally sat down to do something at around 7:00 pm.

Some of the projects I worked on are Top Secret and, therefore, cannot be revealed just yet. But I did make some progress on a table runner for my neighbour, inspired by Vanessa's tutorial.

I wanted to make the snowflakes random, each one different, as Vanessa suggested. That plan just didn't work for me.

See... uuuuugly!

So I went to the computer and printed out a snowflake colouring page. I was able to customize the size for my needs.

It was fiddly to appliqué, with all those round bits on the ends; I should have thought of that when I chose the pattern, but I was in a hurry to find something that worked. My go-to snowflake pattern that I've used a few times before was a bit too large, and it was time for something different anyway.

I got all the appliqué done (it took me until 1:00 am) and now just have to hem the edges.

I used Kona cotton in Straw for the background. I love it - I'll definitely be ordering more of that fabric!

So...what did you do on Friday Night?

Don't forget!

Tomorrow night is the Friday Night Sew-In, one of two planned for December.

If you want to join in, just visit Heidi and sign up. It's a great way to get things done...and to commit a little time to doing what you love to do!

What will I be working on tomorrow night?

How about one of these for my awesome neighbour, Shannon?

Or I could finish another Seed Scarf (but that wouldn't be sewing).

Or I could make another tea towel - I do have a pink and green Santa towel ready to applique.

Whatever I end up doing, it will be nice to spend the evening at home, working on Christmas projects. That is, after we decorate the Christmas tree. Mr. P is waiting patiently for me downstairs because we're going to pick one out right now!

Gotta go...

One Baby Quilt - Finished!

I can breathe a sigh of relief now. This quilt actually will be delivered to the recipient before he graduates from high school.

Kidding... he's only a few weeks old.

Still, though, it took me far too long to finish this quilt. Two months for a baby quilt? Ridiculous!

I just need to pop it in the wash before it can be delivered.

Now onto other things. I have a couple of Christmas gifts still to finish then my project for over the holidays (fingers crossed I don't get a huge pile of marking like last year) is the Checkerboard quilt top that I finished in February, all spray-basted and ready to be quilted.

Please help...I have no idea how to quilt that one.

Say Hello to Kim

You have to meet my good friend Kim!

Kim is not one of my "imaginary" or "invisible" friends. I've known her for a long time. In fact, she was the OnlyChild's grade 2 teacher. We live in different cities now but, thankfully, get to see each other at least once a month. She's the mom of two beautiful little girls, an avid quilter, a fearless character, and a great friend.

She just started a blog and I hope you'll go over and welcome her to Blogland.

No excuses!

Yesterday after school, I basted two quilts.

You must be getting sick of seeing these two quilts...and wondering when I'm going to move on to something else.

I used this basting spray:

Have you ever tried it? Boy, it is sticky! I thought it would be easier than getting down on my knees on the classroom floor and pinning. It was...and it wasn't. It's hard to smooth out the fabric, plus everything stuck to me. Everything. The newspaper I put down to protect the floor, the floor that got sprayed anyway, fabric, batting, random threads and fluff. All adhered to my clothes with the faintest puff of gluey spray.

But now I have no excuses not to finish these two quilts. No excuses! (Well, except for the 30+ essays sitting in my school bag, waiting to be marked. Just those...)

And you, my friends, have no excuses not to go and visit Lola to enter her Homespun Holiday Giveaway.

So go on. What are you hanging around here for? I've got nothing for you but high hopes and unfinished projects...unless you're volunteering to help with the marking...?

Hello December!

I wasn't expecting you to arrive so quickly. I didn't even get to say goodbye to November.

December, you bring with you...

Short days and long nights... and bright lights.

Lots of snow... and lots of snowmen.

Big plans...and little projects.

Unfulfilled expectations... and new beginnings.

Cold weather... and warm woollies.

November is always a bit bleak, but December brings more promise, more hope, more warmth.

Happy December!