Christmas Day 2011

Wow - Christmas is over. Well Christmas Day that is!!!   There is still the Christmas aftermath to deal with. And the new me is going to tackle it with a vengeance.

At our house - we toss the wrapping paper, but recycle gift bags and tags. And if you are wondering what goes in the green bin, the blue box, the garbage or wherever - don't forget this site -

Where does it go???

For the Region of Peel, it is an EXCELLENT site - if you want to know whether something is garbage or recycleable - check out the site - search for your item and then you will be SMART about your garbage.

Anyway - back to the Christmas wrappings.................

I went to put the Christmas bags back - yikes - stuff is all mixed up. So I emptied the container with the Christmas wrapping (OK - so we will NEVER have to buy a gift bag for Christmas again!!!). I clean it up - oh there is stuff that should go in the ALL OCCASION container. OK - so I got that out as well and cleaned it up. Now I need one more container and then all will be ship shape!!!!  And in future it will be a breeze to find what we want. All I can say - is that WE NEED TO GIVE MORE GIFTS to get rid of the bags!!!!

The organized gift wrap containers. Christmas on the bottom (notice the two containers with tags)

And next will be to find a convenient spot for them. There were NOT in a convenient spot so that is why they got messy and aren't used much. In the new year, I MUST find a spot for them. I think the purchase of more shelves in in order to keep track of some of this stuff. I have a great little storage closet that is HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW. Unfortuately when measuring yesterday - the darn thing is 46 inches wide. FORTY SIX - that is a stupid size when most shelving units are 48". We were NOT thinking when we planned that because we BUILT that wall. So now I just get some shelving and put up my own shelves and get the shelves pre-cut - yes that would be best. OK - off to the hardware store cause there is a LOT of wasted space in that little closet. There are THREE storage areas in this spot and I MUST make better use of all three.

Which door would you choose - Door Number ONE, Door Number TWO or Door Number THREE

Well hopefully - we will get a peek behind all those doors as they get cleaned up this holiday. And in looking at the pictures - there is a LONG container on the floor at the right which would be perfect for the rest of the gift wrap. It is those stupid rolls that are the issue. I could just take the quilts out of that container and then my wrap problem is solved. OK - good thing I took that picture!!!!!

Well after exciting start to the day have a look at these cool presents.

Dish clothes (I LOVE THESE THINGS - you can NEVER have too many) and look at the colour!!!!!    Thanks Margo - you are a sweetie!!!!!   These are BETTER than placemats!!!!

Something to help with my Scrabble game - thanks Santa!!!

Something for "The girls" - now to find a good picture.  Marian already has one in mind - I must dig it out. Thanks BFF!!!

PARIS storage containers!!!!!!!   Do you not LOVE LOVE LOVE that big trunk on the bottom. I'm so excited - thanks to my family. 

AND poles for HIKING!!!!    YEAH!!!!!    Now I have no reason to fall down when I am out with the others. I am going to fit right in. Again thanks to my family for that (OK and Jeffrey for helping to pick them out - I KNOW they will be the best there is)

Now you are all wondering how the dinner turned out - right?????   Well it was a rousing success INCLUDING the gravy.

I took the advice of Ruth and my Mom and STIRRING is the key to good gravy. Oh yes and the MAGIC APRON. See this gravy was made from scratch!!!!   Eat your heart out folks - well those that think I can't cook!!!!

Stirring the gravy

I strained it only because there was LOTS of turkey bits left in the pan

And the LOVELY tasting gravy - NO lumps.

Jim helped out by mashing the potatoes with the new masher. I have to say it feels weird because the masher is not solid like a metal one.

The masher in action

Anyways - it was a great dinner (if I say so myself). Actually I don't mind cooking when there are people who will appreciate it - just cooking for everyday - BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then we played a game provide by Marian - Would you rather??????    There were lots of interesting questions like Would you rather be deaf or blind? and Would you rather be super fast or super strong?  We took turns reading the questions and then guessing what the reader would choose!!!!!   Pretty interesting some of the responses. The biggest surprise of the night - M. Some of the answers she came up and the RATIONAL for them blew us all away. I guess underneath there is some common sense in that head. Wow -


The only bad part of the day - I had forgotten to buy more dishwashing liquid so we couldn't finish up the dishes. DRAT!!!!!   The dishwasher took care of part of them, so that is on the agenda today.

That meant that I could sit down and actually enjoy the evening. Got one embroidered block done and started on another. Oh shoot - I'll take pictures later. And 1 1 /2 CDs left to finish this book. It is LONG.

And then I got tidying. I was trying to find an iPod that we have. Do you think I can find the darn thing and I remember seeing it not that long ago. Hmmmmmmmmm - well anyway - I did manage to get through some boxes and I see that there is a LOT of paperwork that needs to be dealt with. Patterns that I thought would be a good idea to make, inspirations for quilts and lots more. Some of it is already sorted into boxes - just needs to be dealt with.

Case in point - how MANY Twelve Days of Christmas patterns does one need?????   I know I have a paperpieced one. I found an applique one and then found a picture of another applique one. Hmmmmmmm - I guess I could throw the picture out OR - I could put that in my inspiration book just so I remember it. BUT the trick is PUT it in the book so I can easily find it.

Oh I can see that this next round of clean up is going to be fun!!!!!!!


Well on that note - I see we are off to Michael's Boxing Day sale. Not that we need much, but their storage is 50% off and then another 25% off that. OK - I'm in.


Have a great day!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!

This is why I TEACH!!!

 In January of 2011, we started TWO projects at the The Hobby Horse. Yesterday was the BIG REVEAL for both of the projects. We had a couple of guests and loved having them and getting a chance to show our work to others. Since not all of you could be at our show n tell - I will bring the show n tell to you.

Get a cup of tea - sit back and enjoy the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Project Number 1

The first project was called Christmas Heart Light by Susie M. Robbins

A little history before we get to the show n tell. This is an older pattern (1996). Gail at The Hobby Horse has run this pattern as an ongoing class TWICE. Once when it first came out and again later in about 2002 with her seasonal club. I started this quilt in 2002 and it sat in a box NEVER finished. Then somehow this quilt came up as an option for one of our 2011 clubs.

OK - here we go......................

Linda - notice that Linda expanded the sawtooth border and the outer border all around the quilt 

Jo also expanded the sawtooth border and the outside border to all around the quilt

Janet has made TWO of these. She made one when Gail taught the original class. This allowed Janet to get super creative on this one. Notice that she completely changed the border and did NOT do the sawtooth and made a piano key border in stead. And Janet's had been quilted!!!  Oh yes - it was also bound!!!   

Some of the charms that she added

Janet used lame in the stars pinwheel blocks

She also created a trend by switching to a brown colour for the blocks in the tree trunk

More charms, but see what she used for the holly berries????   Those are upside down YO-YOs. Great - now if only her dog had NOT eaten the borrowed yo-yo maker!!!!

Pauline wanted a longer quilt so she added another row to the top of the tree and added a star block for the tree top. Notice that she used a darker background and made her pinwheels into snowflakes!

Anne has her top done, it is partially quilted and the binding is on!!!   I am sure she can get it finished to hang for Christmas THIS YEAR!!!!

Helen Anne - changed up her colour scheme from the traditional Christmas colours. I love it!!!!   She also added a row on the bottom. The red is her tree skirt. Great idea!!!!!

Helen Anne - used organza on her pinwheel blocks to give them some bling. 

She also appliqued hearts using the organza which I am sure was NOT easy.

Marilyn kept her quilt similar to the pattern

Look at the buttons she found for the holly berries. I LOVE THEM. 

And hard to see from this photo, but she used a variegated green fabric for the holly leaves and it looks amazing on the entire quilt. Marilyn was also pretty new to machine applique and did a fairly wide satin stitch and it looks AWESOME. WELL DONE!!!!!!

And then we come to Anne. Anne also made a Christmas tree quilt.
Wait  a minute - this is SMALLER than the others????   Well this was quilt NUMBER 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anne's BIG Christmas quilt. I love it. She added a saw tooth border on the two sides and then added a checkerboard and more sawtooth on the top and bottom to get the size she needed. Clever!!!!!   But two quilts? - That's ambitious. Oh yes - her big quilt was quilted and BOUND!!!!

In the top row of Anne's big quilt - she added this silver pinwheel star block. 

She use a variegated thread for the button hole. I love it. 

All of her blocks were fussy cut from a print that included mice and presents!!! She also used a  glitzy red fabric in the quilt and for the binding. It was GORGEOUS!!!!!!

Lisa's quilt. Very pretty colours.

Lisa's buttons that she bought from Europe??????   I think that is where she said she bought them. I LOVE them. I want some!!!!!

Lesley's quilt. I know they worked together and had the same fabric, but I think they made the EXACT same quilt - or I goofed on the photos. 

Mary's quilt which is currently getting quilted so it will be ready for Christmas. Gorgeous colours!!!! 

This is Gayle's quilt. It is still in pieces on my sewing table. I am helping her with the assembly. Notice that she made the tree trunk green. Great idea!!!   The border is going to have sawtooth and the outer border all around the quilt.   

Last but not least is MINE. Yes - I finished the quilt top. At first everyone thought that was awesome since it is the FIRST time that I finish one of these projects and have show n tell at the final reveal. However when I revealed that this the same quilt I started in 2002 and had half done - well they all had a good laugh at that!!!!!   I did stay with my original fabric choices even though I know I would never touch them today. And the applique???  - all done by hand. Don't ask me why. The important thing is that it is done and so is the backing and the binding.

So  Teresa and Judy - where are your quilts??????????



And now for Project Number Two.

Dragon Star by Judy Niemeyer

Yes - the quilt is as intense as it looks!!!   Not only is the entire quilt paper pieced, but here are "C" curved seams, there are "S" curved seams, and there are partial seams. Then we had to deal with the issue of fabric requirements - the pattern called for a total yardage of almost SIXTEEN yards of fabric for a quilt that measures 65 inches square. That was NOT acceptable in my book, so I rewrote the fabric and cutting requirements and brought the yardage down to a respectable 9.5 yards. Remember this quilt is paper pieced and does require extra for the paper piecing.

I LOVE Judy's system for using templates to cut the shapes required to fill the spots.

Keeping all that in mind - remember that some of these students had NEVER paper pieced before.

Jo - unusual colours but beautiful. Note - Jo ALSO made the Christmas quilt. AWESOME job on BOTH!!!!!!

Mrytle - another GORGEOUS choice of colours. Just fabulous !!!!!

Marg with a beautiful colour combination. That little bit of pink just makes the star pop

Katheleen who played around with the fushcia colour on the outside corner and it turned out awesome!!!!  Hey - we can fix ANYTHING as part of that point was buried beneath the next point, but we figured out how to make it come out front!!!!   Oh yes - Katheleen joined the class a couple of months after we had started and caught up nicely!!!!

Anne - this is a HOT FLASH quilt!!!   She used several colours from the same line of fabric by Patrick Lose. 

Marion - this quilt remind me of the blue Caribbean sea. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Takako who started VERY late in the class and was finished before anyone. We were not able to see her quilt in person as she has it in Japan to show her mother!!!!!

Janet - almost got her pieces together. Remember Janet ALSO did the Christmas quilt!!!!

Linda had all the pieces of hers done, but not together. She also did the Christmas quilt and works full time. She has her hands full!!!!

Pauline got a good start at getting hers together which she is making to match another quilt that she is working on. We are all suckers for punishment by trying to do everything!!!!

Linda who got her pieces finished, and started on the assembly. It is going to be gorgeous. I know Linda has been busy from another class I am teaching and also making samples for the block of the month at the guild!!!

And mine - sadly still not together, but almost all the pieces are made. A project for after Christmas.

My quilt so far - on the design wall. 

The pictures do NOT do justice to any of these quilts. They were all stunning in their own right. I would be happy to have any (or all) of them hanging in my house.

Ladies - it was a PLEASURE to have you in the classes. A little bit of humour, a LOT of creativity and a WHOLE LOT of work on your part and you all have some spectacular quilts. You should be so proud of your accomplishments!!!!   I am VERY PROUD of you all. Very impressive work.

And wait until you see what is lined up for next year - but that has to wait for another day.

Have a great day!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!