Christmas Club reveal - at LAST!!!!!

We finally had our show n tell for the Christmas Club project yesterday. The weather wasn't cooperating with us in December!    Thanks to Judy at Sew Sisters for letting us use her class room.

This was our FOURTH project in Christmas Club and not that we had exhausted the Christmas theme by any means - we chose a pictorial WINTER scene instead of something specific to Christmas.  I think we learned a valuable lesson - while these pictorial quilts are great and fun to do - they are a challenge to do in the monthly Christmas Club format!!!!

Anyway - I am happy to report that we have a NEW HOME for our Club and anyone is welcome to join in. More details on that in a separate post.

The project was called Bringing Home the Tree by Seams Like Home.    I should have taken close ups but I did not!!!!    But the detail in these quilts is fabulous!!!!!!     There were embellishments, thread painting and fabric choices that were absolutely stunning!!!!!!!!!!!

Marlene - she has about 1/3 of the stitching done. She used satin stitch on the window shutters and curtains, she machine stitched the wire on the fence and look at that sky fabric!!!!!     Awesome job Marlene and so proud of you - she just jumped right into the unknown!!!!!!

Helen Anne - a little further behind, but again - excellent fabric choices, stitching is amazing and hand painted fabric on the bridge to get some value contrast!!!

Mary - who was completely done and the quilt has been given away. We only got to see pictures!!!!    She did bobbin work for the fence, mini rick rack on the trim for the house and a 3-D wreath on the bridge. 

Detail of the quilting that Mary used in the border

More of the quilting

There were others working on it, but were not able to attend yesterday.


I had asked the class to bring in show n tell from other years or whatever they happened to be working on. Oh my - have a look................

We started with Marlene

Her Amish with a Twist  blocks. We had received the first six months of this quilt and then the store where we took it closed. I had put mine away. Marlene ordered the extra fabric and has some to spare. I pulled mine out this morning and I'll be in touch Marlene!!!!!

Marlene was working on sample blocks that were posted by someone on the internet. There was a name to the project and I have forgotten it now. But these are her blocks. They look awesome and she made an alternate block in grey and white!!!!     Marlene has been busy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nancy brought in O Tannenbaum. This was our Christmas Club quilt from a couple of years ago. It is absolutely stunning. Nancy changed the houses to some some styles that she saw when she was on vacation in Germany. While it is mostly quilted, she still has the houses to do and add some embellishments and the of course - the binding. 

Karen Powers did the quilting - and it looks awesome!!!!

Linda brought in another one of our Christmas Club projects!   This was called Candy Cane Lane and was loads of fun. 

Linda also brought in Welcome to the North Pole - another one which I just LOVE. 

One year our group worked on an exchange. Each person chose a theme and we all worked on blocks to go with that theme. Linda's theme was autumn and she had this BIG block for the center. We had to make a 16 inch block.   I made the sunflowers.

Linda's AUTUMN themed quilt. It is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!     Nicely done Linda!!!!!!!!!!

Linda's sister quilted the quilt (on a semi-industrial - Mega Quilters) and did an amazing job!!!!!

Linda had also participated in an exchange at one of her guilds. Same idea as the autumn project - this time her theme was Halloween. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!    Her sister quilted this one as well. 

Linda has been VERY busy because she was also working on a couple of quilts to use up 9-patches that she had made in another exchange.

Here are samples of two of her designs that she is putting together

And another setting for 9-patches. 

Helen Anne has also been extremely busy and completed her knitted shawl. One of the yarns is silk and then there was something else - alpaca????   But not wool. Anyway - this is the SOFTEST thing you ever touched. It is to die for!!!!!!!!!!!

Helen Anne also brought in this quilt which the top is complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary brought in this made with hexagons. I JUST LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!    It is so spring like and we need that right now!!!!!!!!!!!!   Now she doesn't know what to do with it!!!!!     Trust me - we all gave her advice!!!!

I did take in show n tell, but I can`t show you. Not quite yet.


I did buy something though ----------   I COULD NOT help myself. It was in the sale bin and all alone. I felt sorry for it!!!!!!!

Halloween fabric

I will post the NEW project for 2014 in a separate post so it doesn't get lost with all this other stuff.

I finished the book - The Power of Habit.

The end is rather sad as it describes how a lady got addicted to gambling and how it changed her life. And as Mary Kay noted yesterday  - buying fabric is a HABIT!!!!    Oh yes - if you think that as a quilter - there are no bad habits - no one is tracking what you buy. THINK AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!    Buying fabric is a HABIT - not as addictive as gambling, but it is right up there!!!!!!!!!!!  


What is sad (and I see it in our house ALL THE TIME) - if the product (whatever that product is) and it is endorsed by someone with amazing credentials or creditbilty, it is the latest fad - we are COMPELLED to be part of that movement and HAVE to have that product. That product will DO THIS FOR ME - oh that product will DO THAT for me.      Product and service companies have MADE us NEED and WANT MOST of what we buy. By preying on how our brains work and by forcing themselves in our faces, we HAVE NO CHOICE but to give in and buy the product. The company makes money and when that product idea starts to wane - the product and service companies CREATE a NEW TREND (trends are NOT created by people - they are CREATED by those who stand to MAKE MONEY as a result of the new trend).

Now this does not have to be just for purchases - it can also be for a movement, a thought process, acceptance of safety standards and a whole pile of other things.   And this whole process CAN BE A GOOD THING.

Anyway - if you get the chance - you should read it. I am sorry I missed the discussion at book club.


And Kathy (thanks!!)  posted the link to this article. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!    You NEED to read this.


Data Collecting!!!!!!!!

Went to a two hour YIN yoga class yesterday. OH MY GOD - I am stiff today. But it was an awesome class and just the kind that I like.


On that note - I am out of here.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!