Down to the Wire!

It's been happening a little too much lately...getting down to the wire and not sure if I'm going to make the finish line for the One Monthly Goal or not.  
I think one of the biggest mistakes I make is thinking - Oh I still have lots of time.... Then things come up and distractions happen and NLIP (Not Like I Planned).   
Well my OMG this month was to get the Secret Santa Ornaments done.  There needed to be four of each A Santa, An Elf, A Snowman and An Angel.  

Here are the first four that I made and already gave to Gloria and Cheryl.

And here are the rest - 

16 Ornaments total - Whew.....
Now I'm going to link up to Elm Street Quilts OMG. Please go and check out some of the other finishes.
So Glad I got them done - I am NOT going to let myself do this next month.  (Famous last words I'm sure) 
Have a Blessed day - 
Lynn 

What's Up?

There is not a lot to report from my end of things. I am working what little sewing time I have had lately on the Secret Santa gifts/ornaments.  I also have been helping my Sis get her UFO's done. She only has 3 - isn't that disgusting?  
First up - Yesterday I helped her make a pillowcase.  She's done them before but it's been a couple years so just needed a refresher. 

She's going to send that to her FIL law, along with the quilt for her MIL.  Just a love gift - not for Christmas.  So I made a label for her to put on the quilt. I got it printed on muslin and then she pinked the edges and fused on the back of the quilt and she 

finished the binding.  
Here's a picture of Sis when she finished the top at the retreat last February -     

Here is it quilted and a close up of some of the quilting.

Below is one of the table toppers I made at the last retreat - I had planned on giving one to my Sis and Brother-in-law, but she asked for one and offered to finish the binding on it herself - so here it is in their snowbird 5th wheel home.

So what am I doing?  Well we have been doing a lot of shopping lately.  We have 90% of our Christmas shopping done - that is good. And on top of that we did a couple days of picking up groceries from a local farmers market and a couple grocery stores. Hubby and I are on a healthier eating plan.  (nicely said huh?)  And - well I have been a little consumed with all the planning and prep for that.  
On the happier note 3 days in I'm down 2 pounds so I guess it's working.  I have to say it hasn't been too hard. Here's a look at last night's dinner. 

It was delicious and hubby said it was a definite do over so win win.  
Now for the next two days I need to really stay focused and get those Secret Santa ornaments done so I can do my finished link up to OMG.  :) 
Hope you have a blessed day - 
Lynn 

For Easton

I had another of my NLIP (Not Like I Planned) moments.  I saw where my daughters ex brother-in-law had a new baby boy.  Well you just have to make a quilt for a new baby.  :) 

It went together really quick sine it was a panel. Then I did some free motion quilting on it, and here you go.  A nice little gift for baby Easton. Now I just need to get it in the mail.
Meantime I am still working on the OMG ornaments, and since the month is almost over I need to finish them up.  
Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn  

Santa Gifts

Thursday is our November meeting for the CRQ guild where we are doing secret Santa's.  So for this meeting I made a mug rug for both my Sister (Randi) and I to give to our persons, and then the coaster that Cheryl made for us to give them. C for my person and D for my Sisters person.

I'll be wrapping them up and giving at the meeting.
Then as us four friends are making stuff for each other, I'm making the wool ornaments - I got 2 each of them for Cheryl and Gloria done and gave them to them at the SNR guild meeting last night.  

I need to finish the other two angels and snowmen for Randi and I to give, then do the elves and Santa's for us all to give.  I will keep you updated on all the other stuff we are doing too.  

What else have I done... Well we are getting a new dining room table.  Right now we have a 5x3 glass one and we are getting a 4x3 wooden one.  So I had a couple of scrap pieces of fabric one was flannel so I put them together for a quick little table cloth. 

 Below is the flannel.  More Fall like so can use for longer if I want. 

I have no idea where I got either of these pieces of fabric but it should work well for a Thanksgiving this year.  And now of Course I'm thinking ahead to what I have that I can make for Christmas and Winter.  

As I was sewing I had a helper....

She kept bugging me and wasn't satisfied with just being petted or even laying on my quilt.  

I thought she wouldn't like the sound of the machine as I sewed but she was funny. 

She acted like she wanted to figure it out, tilting her head one way and then the other.  Thanks Pumpkin for all your help. 
I'm going to do some more sewing today so I guess we'll see if I have a helper again or not.  

Have a blessed day - 

Lynn 

OMG Plus

The retreat ended Wednesday, Thursday we worked to finish stuff up for garage sale. Then Hubby and I did shopping and ran errands.  So yesterday after I got home from the garage Sale I worked on my OMG ornaments. 

There are 4 of each since there are 4 of us.  Two are from me, Two will be from my Sis. 
Next - Barbara's Garage Sale.....Day one of four.
Yesterday was opening day. I didn't work it yesterday, but went down with a friend to see if there was anything she wanted.  She got a few things, and it seemed pretty busy.  
As close as I can figure, we have been working on this since early September.  It could have been the week of labor day. Here are a couple of pictures I took back then. 

Five of us in separate cars spent two days packing it up and hauling it to the garage where we were having the sale.  I think these pictures are from day one.  I also know there were more trips made by Jean afterwards to pick up a few extra boxes several times.  All of the boxes, bins, baskets and bags had to be sorted, measured.  UFO's and Kits had to be checked to make sure all pieces where there and that they had a pattern. It's been a lot of work every Friday and several Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for a couple of months. 
Here's a picture from about a week ago when we were almost done. The far table under the pictures on the wall, are the kits and ufo's. The table in the front of this picture has scrap and strip bundles on the left of the table and then next to Karen is Christmas fabric. 

 This front table has yardage from 1 yard and up.  The table in the middle, in front of Cheryl and Jean, contains Rulers, pre-cuts, Fat Quarters, and half yards. The table in the background up against wall has misc tools plus Minky and Upholstery fabric. 

And of course there are patterns, pattern books and quilt magazines.

We are doing all of this for her, and she said she would make a donation back to the guild. She is selling everything at about 20-40% of what she paid for it and there are some wonderful deals. She is almost 90 and relocated to an assisted living home. 

Well I need to get some stuff done around the house and then Hubby and I are going to spend the day together.  We may do a movie or go for a drive, we haven't decided.

Have a blessed day!

Lynn  

Retreat Recap

I am pleased to announce - I am not wiped out, or cranky and I got lots done.  However it's always sad to see the retreats come to an end.  And it will be almost 4 months before we have another one.  Oh sad, cue the violins.  haha. 
Okay so what all did I get done.  Well here is the bonus quilt that I threw in thinking I was over packing but just in case. 

 Good thing I did, because I even called my husband and warned him I was probably going to need to have him bring me something else. But I finished this right before we went to bed last night so this morning I worked on my Santa gifts.  I started tracing on the fusible. 

 Here is one fused.

But what else did we do????  Two More Table Toppers.

I got my Brother in laws zipper bag for his Birthday done.  (Minus the hand stitching of binding) 

I finished the flannel Christmas Quilt - 

and the back using up the left over pieces from the front.

Then some of the others stuff: Here is one of Vicki's Quilts

and even though she hid, she is here standing up. 

And Pam's Quilt

Cheryl's Bag 

and One of the quilts she got done. 

Gloria's Baby Quilt

This lady's name was Debbie - she said she had another border to go. 

Here are some random pictures of the layout this time.

They always go so fast, but I had a great time and will be looking forward to the next one.  

Have a Blessed Day - Lynn

November Goals and a Retreat

In a few short hours I'll be heading out for my next retreat.  Yay!! So I wanted to put a couple things in writing as far as what I want and need to accomplish for November.  November yikes.  I don't like how fast time is going.  Anyway I have a lot of little odds and ends that I want to finish up this month, aside from my One Monthly Goal that I posted about in my last post.
1. I have a ton of hand stitching to do of bindings.  I have my "Quilt As You Go" that is finally done ... but I need to do quite a bit of hand stitching on the back where you join the blocks and then the binding.  

Then I also have the pinwheel baby quilt that will be for charity.  It is done and quilted - I'll show pictures after binding is done.  

And the Java Runner

With those three done - that will add 3 more to my UFO done list.  And I think brings it to 13 this year. 
Okay next on the bindings, the Christmas Table toppers I have two and after this retreat there will be four.  

Oh and I still need to finish (almost done) the binding on my Turkey Table Runner.  

I'd say that's a lot of hand stitching on bindings.

2.  Next on the goal list - I am taking it to the retreat, but I need to make a zipper bag for my Brother in law for his Kindle. I already packed it but I'm using some golf fabric.
3.  If I can get to it - It's a busy month and my Sister will be back in town, hey I should have her help me with bindings.  :)  Anyway I would like to finish my Jelly Roll Jiggle (I posted about it here) AND that will make yet another binding to hand stitch.  ha ha.  

Here's how far I am right now. 

I am sure that is quite enough for the month.  There are also guild projects and charity projects that will need to get done as well.  Lots of work but can't complain - I'm sewing and that is all good.
The retreat goes until Wednesday afternoon, so I'll post all my goodies I get done the end of the week. Until then have a Blessed day and have fun sewing. Lynn