Goodbye 2012 - Welcome 2013

Lessons Learned From Santa

Merry Christmas everyone! It's Christmas Eve and Santa is on his way, bringing gifts to all good little girls and boys. We could learn a few lessons from the jolly old man. 

1. Make your lists and check them twice
2. Nice is better than naughty (in most cases)
3. Laugh all the way through life
4. Be merry and bright
5. Give from the heart
6. Keep a sense of anticipation, wonder and surprise
7. Take a moment to enjoy the cookies and milk
8. Believe in magic, and in yourself

 

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
 It came without packages, boxes or bags!
 Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more.'" 

Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Wishing This For Everyone

A Box Of Fresh Fun

I just love opening a box of fun! My impulsive fabric order was delivered last week by our trusty UPS man. New material always inspires me and makes me smile. A rainy Sunday was the only excuse I needed to design a new lap quilt. I chose bright blue and fresh green prints from a Ty Pennington jelly roll assortment, adding in a few remnants of my own.

 
Grass and Sky is a simple four strip design, sashed with navy. A solid green border should contrast nicely. This is a quick one to sew; I already finished piecing the strips. The leftovers will find their way into a scrappy backing that I'll design later.

I may not need this quilt, except maybe to keep cat fur off my clothes. Take a look at Callie...she's all comfy lying upside down in my lap after supper. A bit spoiled, isn't she?

“Who among us hasn't envied a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life and to relax completely?” – Karen Bradenmeyer

Evergreen

Time in the sewing room has been limited, but I managed to escape for a couple of relaxing hours last week. The result is a new winter/Christmas wall hanging design that I've named Evergreen. I used fabric remnants that I had on hand, and I think it will look pretty in our living room.

I really have to keep using up some of my stash of scraps because I've been bad...or good, depending on how you look at it. You see, I got an email about a fabulous online fabric sale of 50 to 75% off at fabric.com. And I had a coupon for another 20% off plus free shipping. I couldn't resist that temptation! I ordered some basics, threads, and a few colorful fabric assortments. I saved over $100, so in my opinion, that's a good thing. My sweet husband must agree, because he encouraged me to buy even more.

An update on Granny Rose's quilts: I still haven't found the pattern name of the one with navy and pink sashing, although I found several nine patch blocks that are similar. I think she may have modified one of those to make her own version. I have recreated her block in Electric Quilt 7, and plan to sew it next year. 

And, thanks to American Quilter's Society for choosing Useful Remnants as their Blog of the Week when I wrote about those quilts.  

Useful Notion: Always take advantage of a good fabric sale!