Done, doner and donest.

My Spools quilt is complete!  Several people from our quilt guild participated in a strip exchange so we could each make this quilt.  Or, really any of the strip quilts in Edita Sitar's book.  I finally got the quilting done!!!!  I was quilting this when my sewing machine first started acting up.  It's the first time I had quilted something that was mostly batik, so at first, I thought it was the fabric.  Well, 4 trips to the repairman later, I realize it was a lot of things.  I still can't free motion quilt without skipped stitches but at least it's 99% back to where it should be.  And, I remember why I loved my machine in the first place.

Every time I look at this, the colors make me so happy.





Christmas Wishes is also complete.  I was trying and trying like a mad person to finish this one before the guild's Christmas party.  It was quilted and unquilted twice during the great machine drama of '012.  Well, it wasn't finished for the party but I brought it anyway.  The binding was about 1/2 sewn on.  I love the wavy border.  I ended up quilting it with a walking foot.  I may eventually try some free motion on it but for now I call it complete.

These are the flowers that will eventually be on some of our quilt show ribbons.  Some of my color choices are a little non-conventional but I think they're going to be beautiful.  These freaking things take 30 minutes per flower to assemble just the top of the ribbon.  I had no idea how labor intensive this was going to be.  That 30 minutes doesn't count cutting and sewing the pieces.  Now I've got to make the tails and put the whole thing together.  Thank goodness a group of ladies came forward to help out.  We're making 12 sets of 3.  I would have lost my mind.  As a side note, I really want to win second place so I can have that red gingham flower :)

Last but not least, I made boot cuffs for Sierra.  You wear them at the top of your boots, over your pants.  It looks a little like you have super plush socks on.  I hope she likes them.  I found the pattern on Ravelry.com

Pinterest Update:  I made card hangers on my cabinets this year.  Don't judge me for how few Christmas cards I have.  The picture was taken in early December.  However, I don't have a lot more if I'm going to be honest.  And, 2 of the 3 were Anniversary cards.  I used to get tons every year.  Now I end up with about 15ish.  Either people no longer like me, or the Christmas card is a dying art.  I remember I used to hand make about 50 to send every year with a letter about our family and an adorable photo of the babies.  This year, I sent out 30 and didn't do the letter.  I did, at least, include a picture of the kids.  I suppose I'm just as guilty as anyone.

Oh, and get this, I've been mailing a card to my grandmother-in-law to the same address for 20 years.  This year, it was returned stamped with no such number.  Really?  How?  Then my father-in-law tells us he doesn't think that's her address.  He doesn't mail things, he just goes there.  So, have they been delivering it because they know where I meant to send it?  Or, has it not been delivered for 20 years?  Mystery.