"What's on the line?"

There's just a little Christmas tabletopper on the line today. And, yes, it's not really on the line today because along with being too snowy here in Minnesota, it is also very cold!! Only going to be in the teens today so it's a good day to stay in and do some more Christmas decorating. I am still working on my tree. Half the fun of putting the ornaments on the tree is remembering the memory behind each ornament. :-)
Let's say that you have all your decorating done and you'd like to make a tabletopper similar to the one in the photo above. It's super easy! I taught this little project years ago in a community ed class and this is a sample from that class. We made a lap quilt from several blocks of this size but just one of the blocks can easily be made up as a tabletopper for any holiday or occasion. The thing that makes this tabletopper unique is the doily in the center. I bought mine at a gift shop, but any doily will do. This might be a nice way to highlight an antique doily from mom or grandma. I did all the piecing and the hand-quilting and then when that was all done, I lightly hand-stitched the doily to the finished tabletopper. To make this tabletopper.......
Here's all you do.
1. Choose two fabrics - a solid and a print - and cut two 9" squares from each fabric.
2. Place one solid and one print with right sides together and mark with pencil from corner to corner so that you are creating two triangles. Repeat with the second piece of solid and print. I'll bet you've figured out that you are going to make large half-square triangles. :-)
3. It's time to stitch the triangle together. Sew a 1/4" seam to each side of the line you drew on each set of blocks.
4. When sewing is complete, cut along pencil line and fold open and you will have a square!
5. Press all four squares (light to dark) and then sew them together to create the tabletopper square.
6. You can cut a square of fabric that is larger than your topper and just fold it over for the binding......or.......cut a square of fabric the same size as your tabletopper and then add a bias binding to the topper.
7. Optional............Add center doily and hand-stitch in place.
If you try this and have questions, just send me an e-mail. I would have done a photo tutorial but I can't fit that one in right now. For a variety of reasons, I'm a bit behind in getting my decorations up so I need to stay focused on that and can always do a tutorial in some other holiday colors at another time. :-) So are you all done decorating or, like me, you are still in the midst of ornaments, garland and tree lights? I'm hoping to finish the tree decorating later today and then I'll post a picture.
My week is off to a good start. Our son, who has had pneumonia, is getting better and I'm glad to say, he'll be back at work this week. Of course, like a typical mother hen, I reminded him to be very careful and not overdo. It is hard not to be a mother hen. :-)
Here's wishing you a good Monday!
Sandi

A Crazy Quilting Christmas Potluck!

If there is one thing that most quilter's do well, aside from quilting, it's food. :-) That is certainly the case with our Scott County Crazy Quilter's group. We have a picnic potluck at the end of August and then the first Thursday in December we have our annual Christmas Potluck. We have been meeting since January of 2000. We do food, friendship and stitching and love every minute of it! We met this past Thursday and I thought I'd share our fun with you. And if you live anywhere near Shakopee, MN and you think you'd like to join our fun, just e-mail me for info (you can also call the Scott County Historical Society for info at 952-445-0378).

We were a happy group that night. Smiling on the left is Judith and on the right is Deanna. When we first began meeting Judith was the Education Manager at the Scott County Historical Society. She works at the Minnesota Historical Society now. Deanna was Manager of Education programs at Murphy's Landing and I met her in the early 1990's. Shortly after that I began volunteering there and the quilting aspect was a huge part of what I loved about stepping back in time at the Landing. When it came time for a fundraising project, I suggested a crazy quilt and the project was really fun and a successful fundraiser. We enjoyed crazy quilting and wanted to continue the fun so we began meeting at the Scott County Historical Society. If I had never met Judith and Deanna, I would missed a lot of fun in my life. :-)
When I took this photo, we were all enjoying raspberry-rhubarb pie that Judith brought. Notice also there were some of my cookies on the table and Deanna brought the delicious little cherry tarts in that pretty antique dish. No wonder they are smiling!
In the photo below.....that's Sharon on the left, Carol in the middle and Laura on the right. I met Carol when she came to the first program I did on Crazy Quilting at SCHS and you all may recognise my friends, Sharon and Laura. Met them when they took classes from me about ten years ago. Wow, how time flies when we are having quilty fun!!
Notice the deviled eggs in this photo. Carol is famous for these. She now knows she is expected to bring these to every food event we have. :-) Laura brought her crab salad that is so good and Sharon brought coconut macaroons that she bought because she admits that she isn't a very good cook. The chicken rice dish that I brought in my crockpot rounded out our festive meal. And so, of course, there were more smiles. :-)

Then came the annual ornament exchange. Four of us participated this year. If you bring an ornament, your name goes in the drawing and you get to pick a gift bag with an ornament in it. Interestingly............

Laura got what I brought - on the right..........and I got the ornament that Laura brought.

I didn't make the tiny teddy but I did wrap the little package and I have a way of weaving a thin-cut strip of ribbon to make the little bows on the packages for this and lots of other ornaments and projects that I make. The little bird is from a trip to Finland. When cleaning in my craft things last week, I discovered a dozen little shapes that I remember buying on a trip in 1994. Every tree needs a little birdie. :-) I have a thing for snowmen and picked Laura's gift bag because it had a snowman on the outside and as you can see.....on the inside, too!

Deanna got the ornament that Judith made - on the left .........and Judith got the smocked ornament kit from Deanna. She did all the smocking and Judith can personalize the ornament with her stitches. Judith makes an ornament every year and this year it was a Crazy Quilting Snowlady. She's a treasure and I love that bow in her snowy hair. :-)

One last photo.........proof that I was there, too, and that I also was smiling. Do you get the feeling we have a good time together? And we don't just eat and party, we actually do stitch or do some other handwork. Laura was doing some blanket stitch on applique blocks and Sharon and Judith were knitting. Carol was beginning an applique project and Deanna was crocheting. I have to be honest, though.........I brought no sewing. Kinda forgot, actually. I brought all the supplies and stuff and then stopped at the dentist on my way to the potluck and that was when I realized, I hadn't brought any hand-sewing. That's a first for me! It will also be the last time I'll do that! Now remember........if you live nearby and want to join our fun, just e-mail me. :-)

I'm happy to say that my tree is finally up and has brand-new lights on it. Check it out here . Later today, I'll add the ornaments. Just taking things one day at a time. :-)
Sandi

Warm on the inside, cold on the outside.....

Perfect description of Minnesota in the winter! It was warm in my kitchen this afternoon as I cooked up a chicken rice dish in my crockpot (for our crazy quilting potluck) but really cold as I went off to the dentist and then headed on to our crazy quilting meeting. I got a "look, ma, no cavaties" report from the dentist, and .... I won't tell, if you don't tell.......but I ate a lot of cookies, pie, and other sweets at our Crazy quilting potluck. I will brush and floss doubletime tonight. :-) Pictures of our fun evening will have to come in my next post. Tired again tonight and don't want to take time to load the photos from my camera. I am not as tired as my son is, though. Learned today that he has pneumonia but is on meds and hopefully will be better soon. Moms worry no matter how young or old their kids are. :-) Seems there are so many folks I know with the flu or other sickness. And the weather just seems to make it a little worse. And....more snow is on it's way tomorrow. That's right, more snow! So glad I have no place to go for the next two days. Let the snowplows and the snowmobiles enjoy the snow. I'll be warm and cozy in my sewing room!
Sandi

Busy day and very tired!

It's only the second day of December and I am already tired. Yesterday was a very busy day and, unfortunately, a "no-time to sew" day. I had a doctor's appointment and then errands to run that took up most of the day and then in the evening, I went to the Crechfest at Centennial Lutheran Church. It was a lovely event and I thought I would share some of the favorites. The creche figures and angels came from church members and friends. Some came from far away like those in the picture above and the one below.........

These figures in the photo below were given to me by my mother. She used to own a ceramic shop many years ago and told me that she made all the figures except the camels. She had the molds for them and so she poured the "slip/clay", fired them and then painted them. She bought the camels at a garage sale. My daughter's mother-in-law gave me the wooden stable. I've had it for many years and never used it. It was waiting for the figures that my mother gave me this past summer. :-)

I shared just a few old Christmas song books that were tucked in with the creche scenes........

This little vintage angel in the photo below was only about 4" high. She looks so sweet holding the little lamb.

Anything that had a creche scene was decorated and displayed. I just loved this vintage cardboard piece displayed on an easel..........

The creche that I made in the early 1970's was displayed under a Christmas tree, the same way that I do it here at home (and will again if I ever get the tree decorated).

I found this vintage book of pop-up Christmas carols at a thrift shop.

There was a large collection of angels and these little lovelies were my favorite.There was a wonderful evening of Christmas music followed by Christmas goodies and time to visit with friends. It was a really nice evening.

And when I got home........I wanted to add lights to the tree but every string has a problem. I'm sharing my Christmas thoughts over here. There's not much to read because I didn't get much done. LOL!

Today I'm off to the dentist and then, it's our annual Crazy Quilting Christmas potluck. Fun evening ahead again!

Later,

Sandi

Is it really December 1st?

I really do not know where the month of November went. I feel like I am missing at least a week's worth of time! LOL! I know that I am not the only one feeling this way!!
Today, I took my time and set up my tree. More on that in a minute. Wanted to tell you about an evening event you might enjoy attending for those of you that read my blog locally. See this pretty creche scene below........
It's one I made in 1971. I shared it with my friend, Joanie for the annual CrecheFest that will be at Centennial Lutheran Church in Henderson this Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. I set this one up under the tree that Joanie had decorated. I always put the manger and figures under my tree once it's decorated. I also shared a large ceramic creche scene that my mother gave me this past summer. There will be many others who will share their manger scenes for all of us to enjoy. Plus there will be wonderful Christmas music by Jeffrey Burkhart and goodies for all when the program is over! I'll be there and hope to see some of you, too!
Time slipped away from me and I almost forgot to show you the goodies I won over at Michele's QuiltingGallery. ................

This was the prize package that Michele offered during the Fall into Fall giveaway. Time slipped away from her, too, and she forgot to announce her winner until a week or so after the event ended. I didn't mind at all. I was so happy to win and to know that someone else had time slip away, too! LOL! Those are hand-dyed cottons and I have a plan for them. :-) The package arrived when my daughter was here this past weekend and she thought my friend, Connie, would really like them so I might have to share. :-) I had not read an issue of the new Quilting Life magazine and was very glad to receive a copy. Michele also included the issue of Quilter's Connection, a Canadian quilting magazine. I enjoyed reading it, too!

Since today is December 1st, this should be the first day of my posts about Christmas projects, memories, etc. I decided to set up a seperate blog for this. I have some plans for future projects and so if you go click here you will find yourself at my Christmasy blog......."Christmas Love and Joy". And that's where you'll see that I set up my tree yesterday. Notice that I did not say it was decorated. :-)

Okay, time's up for this post. See ya all tomorrow!

Sandi

OPAM UPDATE!

I just want to say "Thank you" to Peg and Kris, the hosts of the OPAM challenge. I may have not kept up with posting to my "finishes" list on my sidebar but I was finishing projects these last few months. Here's what I finished last Friday night...........It's just a big pillow for the back of my sewing chair but I started it last Christmas!! It was a square panel that my mom gave me years ago and I finally decided I would hand-stitch along all the crazy quilting lines in the panel. I used Perle cotton to do the stitching. I finished the stitching part way last winter and it lounged in my "to do" pile until last Friday when I finally sewed it up and slipped it over a pillow form. This wasn't the only project that required just a bit of stitching to be finished. Oh, no, there were lots of "almost finished items" in my "to do" pile. I had a pincushion I finally finished, another pillow, sewed casings on wallhangings, handles on a totebag, even added labels to a couple projects. Sometimes the finishes were so small that I couldn't see bothering to take a photo of them. I was just glad to know they were done. I'm hoping to finish a few more little odds and ends on projects in the next few weeks so I might have a little more to show at the end of December. It was fun to sign up for the OPAM challenge. While there was a chance for prizes, I was happy just to finish projects so that was prize enough for me! Thanks, again, Kris and Peg!!
Sandi

Christmas thoughts to share.......

Go here to read my Christmas thoughts that I'll share in the days up to Christmas. :-) The tree above sits in the park next to City Hall here in Henderson, MN. This would make a pretty Christmas card!
Hope you are having a good day!
Sandi