Baby day

My daughter asked if I could make something for a friend of theirs who is having a baby girl this week ....no pressure ...LOL!  Although I don't have all my Christmas sewing finished yet, it was a nice break...and I cheated and made something very simple!!
First..one of my baby bath towels... for more information on these you can check back here.

These are quick and easy..but messy...there is little terry towel fluff all over my sewing room now !!

And then a little quilt...kind of quick and dirty,  made from a panel...so no piecing(cheating)!
I think this might be a border panel,not sure.... but I liked the colours and just used 2 full repeats...

When it came time to baste it though...I realized that all my pins are in the 2 large quilts that I have ready and waiting to FMQ...and they have been there for awhile!

I could have gone out to the store for more pins but I didn't ..for 2 reasons.  First of all, I keep only enough for 2 quilts for a reason...so that I HAVE TO get the FMQ done!!!
And secondly, I had already driven to the fabric store once, and didn't want to go out in the cold again!!
Sooooo.....I used straight pins....

I have never done this before...and probably won't again! But it worked out OK, especially because this was a small quilt. I tried to be sure to tuck the pointy bit into the batting as much as I could.

I did the FMQ very simply..just loops and little hearts...now remember I am a beginner at FMQ so some of the loops aren't very loopy, and some hearts are a little lopsided..but I consider it all practice. Also after a washing it all crinkles up...and that hides a lot of mistakes :)

I used flannel on the back...nice and cozy...

and didn't have any fabric for the binding so used left over flannel. I have never used flannel for binding before...nor heard of anyone else using it.....is this a bad plan???
To late...already done!!

And talk about doing it quickly I sewed the binding onto the back of the quilt pressed it to the front and then zigzagged (is that a real word???) it in place. Like I said quick and dirty! But it is a done deal and delivered!!

Blog Hop Continues

Yes, there is a few more days left in the Blog Hop Giveaway.

                                   
PLEASE be sure that you include contact information! If you are a no-reply blogger, I can not respond to your message  (Marie, Granny, Vickie...) I would love to say hello!  Also if you win ...I can't let you know!

need a quick gift

OK..this isn't quilty...although there is some fabric involved.....but it is quick, easy and yummy!!

I made Lemon Curd the other day for a quick gift..

to dress it up for Christmas I just cut a circle of fabric ..

and topped it off with a bit of ribbon!

The hardest part of all of this was getting the little fabric "hat" to stay on !!  I actually used an elastic on first, under the ribbon.

Here is the recipe...and it is really yummy..serve on toast, muffins, pancakes...(or sometimes eat it out of the jar with a spoon !!!)

Lemon Curd
3 eggs , beaten
2 Cups sugar
3/4 Cup lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup butter

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice and peel until blended.
Add butter
Cook, whisking constantly  until mixture thickens (coats the back of a metal spoon)
Pour into small jars.
Cover and refrigerate

(I sterilize my jars and lids in boiling water first)

Am I the Christmas Grinch?

I really don't want to give the impression that I am the Christmas Grinch....but OK lets be honest...maybe I am!
This stems from the whole decorating the house for Christmas thing!  I know that lots and lots of people just love dragging up all those boxes and dusting everything off .....and then 2 weeks later....packing it up and dragging it all back down to the storage room!
                                                  

Me....not so much....I am less enthusiastic about that whole exercise. Don't get me wrong..I do love having everyone home for Christmas, and usually have about 25 people here for Christmas Dinner! And I do enjoy all the festivities and wrapping presents...just  get a little testy with the decoration part!
                                                  
 But.....last night I put up the Christmas tree and decorations.  And here is where the Grinch surfaces!!

First of all, the tree (artificial) is quite old, so when I get it out of the box several of the branches have fallen off .....this happens every year!  They are held on with little plastic plugs...many of which are now missing , and replaced with a variety of odds and ends of screws and bolts !!  So once I finally get the branches all attached to the stem....the color coding for the placement long gone!....I start on the lights!  We have a vaulted ceiling so quite a large tree....meaning that I have to have an assortment of chairs/stepladders to reach the top and circle my way around the tree!     It looks a bit like "Ring-around-the- Rosie" except up and down off the chairs and step stools!(Thank you DH for assisting me this year!!)

After finally getting 4 strings of lights on....yes 4 strings...I thought that I would replace a few of the bulbs that were not working. They are those little, tiny, bulbs about the size of a mosquito!! It was going well until one whole string of lights went out!!!!##*%*#*@!!!
                                                 
Of course it was the middle string!! And after several attempt to fix it ...I just took it off and sort of stretched out the remaining lights. There is only one dark spot.....really !!

After the lights...everything else seemed easier...of course it is all relative, isn't it?? I actually thought a glass of wine might help...but then I was afraid that I would fall off my step ladder, and breaking more than the Christmas decorations..and that would really not fit into my plans right now!

Anyway....I finally out manoeuvred the old tree, and got it done!

And hung all the stockings ......I don't have a mantel any more on the fireplace...(.gotta love modern designs, eh??) so my stockings are hung by the table with care! Even though a few of the kids (and assorted girlfriends, husbands etc) won't be here for Christmas morning this year!

Now that it is finished I am happier with it...of course the glass of wine to celebrate the finish helped too! I think I might check out the after Christmas sales and find a new tree....one with the lights already built in...what do you think??

Don't forget about the  Blog Hop Party Giveaway here. And check out all the other good giveaways  over at theQuilting Gallery!  Have fun!

Reminders!

I need to get my Christmas sewing finished !!

And I need to get my tree up !!
                              
And I need to relax and enjoy the Christmas season!!
                             
And I need to remind everyone that you can enter my Blog Hop Giveaway here.

Final reminder....PLEASE be sure that you have your contact information in your comment if you are a no-reply blogger. There are several people who I have been unable to respond to, so you will not be able to win if I can't reach you !! 

Blog Hop Giveaway!!

Tis the Season..as they say!!
And what fun...another Quilter's Blog Hop!  This one is organized by the Quilters Gallery and is filled with giveaways.....now that is Christmas Spirit!!

Go and check out all the fun stuff going on at the Blog Hop Party!!

So.....what can I put up for my giveaway???
How about one of these.....

It is kind of Christmassy (is that a word??) and I would love to send it off you one of you as my Blog Hop Christmas present!!

What do you need to do?
Enter by telling me what is the most fun Christmas tradition you have in your family!
and
second chance: Let me know if you are  follower!

These giveaways are open to everyone...international visitors welcome...starting Dec 10 till Dec 17. I will make the draw the evening of Dec 17. Please be sure to include your email so I can reach you if you win. And stay tuned :)

Dating Dilemma

I have a Dating Dilemma...

Hehehehe.....No, nothing has happened to my DH and I am not going to start dating again.....I have a dilemma with the date to put on the quilt labels!!

Some of my projects get the top finished, but not quilted, some get cut out, but not sewn together...others get sewn and basted but not quilted.  The combinations of my unfinished projects might be endless!!
                                            
But I do want to put a date on the label when I finish them.  In the beginning - last year- it really wasn't a problem, because I finished my early works and labelled them, but now I seem to be getting behind in finishes!!
                                              
So what date should I put on the quilt label??? The date the top was finished??? The date the quilting and binding is all done?? I am thinking that I should use the date that it is actually completely finished...what do you think?

.....unless it is a baby quilt that has no particular baby in mind when I make it...then maybe I should date that when I actually have a baby gift needed to give it to!!???