What To Do on a Snow Day

Since it looks like this outside...

I've had the knitting needles a clankin' and I completed my first little hat! It was an easy one that I whipped up (after a few tips from Starlyn) as a quick last minute gift for Elsie ~ I'll let you know if it fits her, I have no idea if it will or not. It was fun to make, and I'm already addicted. I'm starting another, and will take it on the car ride on Christmas day :)

...And Jocelyn over at the Happy Cottage Quilter blog is also enduring home renovations this Holiday Season and has decided to have a give-away for this Meme's pattern, some tea towels and fabric. So hop on over there and leave a comment to be in the running!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

The Big Dig & Warming Up With Baby Blankets

So the snow stopped coming down, the sun came out (although the wind kept on blowing), and the big dig commenced.

Bobby, being the youngster that he is, was determined to get out in his Blazer and do a little toiling around even before we were all dug out. But we finally got our other vehicles somewhat mobile, and even got over to Heather's to take her a snow shovel (one purchase none of us had thought of yet for her new apartment). After being snowed in all weekend, Heather decided to come back with us and hang out at our house for a while, and we decided to play with/pack up some Mountain Baby Blanket donations that we had accumulated.

Some customers at the quilt shop donated little quilts and blankets last month. Jenny made the cute little flannel rail fence quilt above.

Ruth donated six little quilts that she hand quilted from panels like this one. Some were a little larger for bigger kids too.

Along with some fleece blankets donated from our church, we had enough to box up for another shipment. So because of some very generous people, for 2009 we have donated 30 quilts/30 childrens books and 11 fleece/receiving blankets to the Christian Appalachian Project for Mountain Baby Blankets. Thank you all!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Some Token Snow Pictures

It's snowing here in Maryland, and with just one week to go, I consider it Christmas snow! I think Heather's cat Maddie is thinking that too.

I think we got enough for it to stay around for Christmas! This is what Heather's balcony looked like last night.

I thought our grill looked like a little elf :)

It sure is peaceful here in the back yard ~ definitely magical Christmas snow!

And thanks to forward thinking on Mr Stewart's part, we got the refrigerator in the house before the snow came and all got installed yesterday ~ I now have a, not quite completed, but fully functional kitchen. I think I'll pop some popcorn and make a little hot cocoa!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Santa's Workshop in Full Swing

We've been working and working chopping up old clothes and aprons, and piecing, and piecing...

Santa's workshop has been bustling to meet all the deadlines. It's been a real team effort on the part of everyone at the shop. (Don't worry about us, we've sustained ourselves with donuts, chocolate and spiced tea!)

Starlyn pieced all of these great blocks and the pieced borders, Gail and I worked on cutting and piecing nine patch blocks, Carolyn is quilting the quilts with a little help from me, and Starlyn and I have been binding away.

This is one of the eight quilts that we are making for a customer out of Grandmother's aprons and clothes. What special gifts the members of this family are getting for Christmas this year ~ I like to think Santa would approve :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

PS ~ The pattern can be found is a book called St Louis Stars by Toby Lischko, published by Kansas City Star

Sloanies Show and Tell

Ruth Green brought some of her recent Pat Sloan quilts to the shop for our Sloanies group this week, and it was such a treat to see them. This first snowflake quilt is from Pat's Quilt the Seasons Two book. I just love the fabrics in this one!

Ruth got her Harvest Moon all quilted up. She shared that she pieced the background and borders, quilted it, and then added the fusible applique and blanket stitched through all the layers. This quilt is not too big, so I thought that was a good way to approach it. Harvest Moon can be found as a stand alone pattern by Pat Sloan, and in Pat's Folksy Favorites book.

And finally, this is Folk Art America (it's a stand alone pattern designed by Pat Sloan). Ruth used great fabrics and the little wavy flag fabric was just perfect in it! I think I'll have to make this one, it would look great on the wall in our spare bedroom :)

Thanks Ruth for the great show and tell, you are such an inspiration!

Enjoy the day,
~ Dawn

Tiny Parade of Trees

Since our house is in construction mode, we've decided not to decorate a large Christmas tree in our limited living area, but I'm getting into the Christmas Spirit here, and thought I'd share a few of my humble little (read that as tiny) Christmas trees that I have out around our house. They really are prettier than these pictures show ~ all have tiny white lights, but I don't have the photography skills to give them justice.

Our little seashell tree is decorated with shells that we picked up on Atlantic Beach NC, plus some sand dollar and starfish ornaments that I purchased. When Lisa and Cory got married 3 1/2 years ago, and he was stationed at Cherry Point Marine Base in North Carolina. We went down for a visit with them at Christmas, and spent a memorable Christmas Day at the beach (a first for me!). So I remember that beautiful day each year with this little tree on the side board in my dining room.
These next two trees are crafted by a lady who attends my church. I just love them and they go out somewhere each year. The first one sits atop a basket and has a little model train circling the tree. Seeing that I'm a great basket lover, and make it part of my personal mission in life to keep Longaberger in business, and Bob is a model train fan, this little tree arrangement just had to come home with me and sit on our hearth.

This little tree sits up in our "window seat area" outside my sewing room and just glows Victorian pink. I love the little Angel on top, and this year I sat this little porcelain doll that was given to my by a friend some Christmases ago underneath, and she just looks perfect here.

I think I definitely need to get one of my pink and brown mini quilts quilted up to go with this tree next year, as opposed to my Autumn colored one ~ but it was handy.

And finally, my little elf has to go out somewhere each year. This year he is sitting on this little bench at the top of our steps that Bob's Dad made us. Both the elf and the heart shaped pillow was made by my best friend back in the days when we did craft shows together.

We'll be working like little elves in the quilt shop all this week. All of us are in together to work on finishing up our customer quilts that need to be done by Christmas. We'll have quite the quilt assembly line going!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

PS ~ If anyone just needs the HoHoHo shelf sitter, it is available in my ebay store, so rush on over!

A Cute Christmas Quilt

Just a little Christmas quilt to share today ~ Sandy Lynch showed this cute Thimbleberries Christmas quilt at our meeting the other night and I just love it! You can find the pattern in Lynette Jensen's Thimbleberries Table Toppers book. I think I will have to make this one up for Christmas 2010...Oh no, I'm starting the list already!

Also ~ Quiltwoman.com has a promotion where you can receive $5.00 off of your pattern purchase when you sign up for their email list. (Great way to pick up my Rootin Tootin Cowboy or My Hearts Content patterns...just sayin') :)

And...24 years ago today I was missing my company's Christmas party to give birth to my oldest daughter. Little did I know then that she would go on to become one of my greatest joys, and closest friends ~ Love you Heather, Happy Birthday!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn