November Finishes

I got a start on my Christmas decorations this past weekend. I have to add some greenery, but as you can see I collect Santa's, and I especially love old fashioned Santas. I also collect Christmas tins, and love the old style tins as well. The one in the middle was a gift from my sister in law quite a few years ago, and it is one of my favorites.

One of my November finishes was to square up the blocks for Darcy, my little Schnibbles. I got that done, as well as the top almost pieced...but really I have been the most pathetic quilter this month. The new job has just taken me out, and I have come every day exhausted. I feel that I am getting on track though, and getting used to driving into Calgary again, and getting used to working a completely different shift than I have ever worked. There is a snow storm today, so my boss was kind enough to send me home, so I will actually get some quilting done tonight. As you can see Chloe likes the Schnibbles, but I have to say she has never met a quilt she doesn't like.

I have almost completed my Secret Santa gift, but can't preview that one. I will post on it after she receives it.

Do Dogs Get Embarrassed?

This wall quilt Snowy Day Snowmen is finally complete and hung on one of my newly painted walls. Since this is a winter quilt and not just for Christmas, it will likely stay up until close to spring. I guess that means I need to plan what to put up there for the next rotation! I do love it, and even though there are panels that are part of it, there are also many small HST's as well. I love the colours and the snowmen are just so cute.

I am wondering if Chloe is embarrassed. She was at the groomer's yesterday, and they shaved her almost bald. She is a Golden Retriever, but now looks like a yellow Lab! I feel embarrassed for her! I curse the long hair on a daily basis, but this is far too short! Remember the days when you (or your mother) cut your bangs too short, and you were embarrassed for weeks? I think she may be feeling that way. Tony said she went back to bed after I walked her and left for work. She never does that...a sure sign of depression. She was probably afraid that one of her neighborhood boyfriends would see her in her usual place laying by the sliding doors. Poor thing. She won't need a haircut now for months, and I'm sure will make a dash for it when we pull up in front of the groomers. Smart girl!

Grandmother's Quilts and More...

I have one "finish" so far this month for the Charming Girls Quilts Club. I knew this month and next would be busy so rather than stress myself, I aimed low...I got the blocks squared for my Schnibbles quilt that I have been working on (sitting on my quilting desk) for several months. Yay! Also I have almost put the quilt top together, but that is for another blog.


This past week I asked Tony to pull out the Christmas decorations from under the stairwell, and came across two of my grandmothers quilts under there. I knew they were there and had been thinking about them and wondering what to do with them. The top one Chloe loved at first sight, and claimed for hers. It is all hand quilted, but the binding is just about gone and much of it has just worn away. I have no idea when it was made. My grandmother died in 1973, long before I was interested in quilting. The yellow one she was making for me when she died so it has very special meaning for me. It is made from her scraps from dresses that she made for herself and for me, so when I look at it I can see those dresses I wore in the 60's. The ladies from her church finished it for me after she died. I used it for many years, when I was single as I loved it so much, and it is one of the reasons I became interested in quilting. I want to preserve at least part of each one but am not sure how. I was thinking of framing some of the blocks but really hate to cut them up...

I now have the name of my Secret Santa recipient, so am on a mission this week to decide if she has been naughty or nice, and what will be an appropriate gift!

November Tag

Kelly, our grand PooPah for the CGQC has tagged us to ask what we are most thankful for as it is the US Thanksgiving. Well, this picture says it all- this is it! We have 2 wonderful kids and are very blessed. Even though life might not be what we would chose it to be right now, we have each other, and this IS what matters.
The other question she posed it "what are our other hobbies?" My main one is card making. Above are the colours I chose for the 2009 Christmas cards.
These are templates for cards I have made in the past. I always make a few extra of each so that I can see my Christmas cards were for the previous year etc.

I am thankful every day for all my blessings and love that I am able to afford to have these two hobbies that mean so much to me, and help save my sanity through difficult times.

Half Pint Quilt Behind

This is my living area now, and I think it looks great! Some of the pictures have been hung, but I think I may rotate others, so am going to live with it for awhile. It looks cozy and inviting and you can see my hand sewing sitting on the ottoman. Today I got Half Pint laid out for sewing. I piled each row and numbered them for my sewing desk, because if I left it on the floor Chloe would have laid on it. I had to shoo her away several times in order to get this done.

Today we are off to Calgary to visit with Tony's mom and do some errands. Since Neil will coming to our place for dinner tonight I have put a chili in the crockpot and prepared garlic bread for later. Half Pint may not get any further than this today, but I am just happy that I have made it this far...I am going to participate in the Secret Santa Christmas swap with the Charming Girls so have been searching for ideas on what to make. Once I find out who I am matched with, I can try to make something that person would like, and that will be fun. I have really enjoyed participating in this club, and reading other blogs of club members. I have "met" ladies from all over the US and even a couple of Canadians, one being our cohost Joan.

Also in the next week or so I have to start putting my Christmas cards together. I have created the design, chosen the paper, so now I just need the time to make them. Time is such a gift, isn't it?

Lest we Forget

This is my grandfather (my father's father). I didn't know him well at all as he died when I was 9. But the most important thing I know about him is that he fought in WW1 and WW2. I don't

know many details about his time overseas, but I do now he was never the same after he came home. Two of his sons (my uncles) also fought in WW2. I can never forget what they did to help make Canada what is is today, and give us a life of freedom. God Bless them and all our troops of yesterday and today.

Half Pint Coming Together

This is how my living room looks these days. Progress is being made-Tony got the second coat on today, so tomorrow he will pull off the tape, and we can move the furniture back. I can't wait to have the room set back up as that is where I sit to read, and where I go in the middle of the night if I can't sleep.
This is how my blocks for the Half Pint Quilt Along/Behind looked this morning. I am still way behind, but progress has also been made with this...
as this is how the blocks look now! I honestly felt last week that I would never get this far, but now I know that I will start sewing the rows together this week. The HST border may not be for me, so I think I will improvise on that. Kelly, hope you'll forgive me! I love the blues and greens and love the way they look with the background fabric. Yay!

My Date with Keith

My cutting is complete for the Half Pint Quilt Along, or as I like to call it the Half Pint Quilt Behind. So this evening and tomorrow I will sew these together and square them up. Keith will be my date for part of that. I have his new CD that I have not listened to, so he can serenade me as I sew.

My projects for November CGQC are going to be more realistic as I also have to design and make my Christmas cards this month. So, my projects will be

• catching up on the Half Pint Quilt Along/Behind
• squaring up the blocks for my Schnibbles pattern that I have been working on for what seems like the last 5 years
• completing the 2 mini wall hangings so that I can hang them for Christmas when Tony has the painting done

These are more realistic goals and give me some space/time to get ready for Christmas. With Tony not working this will be a very different Christmas, as we went away as a family last year. This year will be close to home, and I will be trying to figure out what gifts I can make for my family. I usually do try to make some gifts, but I will not be buying anything to make these gifts. So the next few weeks will also be spent searching for ideas. I am not complaining as we do have so much to be thankful for and I am grateful for that.

What's In the Mail?

I got my prize in the mail yesterday. The fabric is just lovely, and is called Rural Jardin. I won it in a draw in October from Kelly and her Cotton Charm Quilt Shop. This is all part of the Charming Girls Quilt Club. I am very excited and am in the process of deciding what to make with it. I won a jelly roll and the 10 inch squares. Wow! Some of the fabric is very toile like so I want to make something that plays on that. Suggestions?
I finally packaged up my scraps to sent on the Greyhound to my sister in law, so they will get on that bus either tomorrow or Friday. I love that I can give these away and know that are going to a good home.
I have to decide what projects I am going to work on for CGQC, so imagine that will be another post for later this week. I will keep my ambitions in check this month ...