To all my friends!!!

as usual...

Looking back
on the last couple of weeks before Christmas:

the tree was sitting naked in the living room,
the kitchen cupboard was covered with baking & candy making supplies,
and the house needed a good cleaning.
Oh, and on the Eve of Christmas,
there was a burst water pipe in the the kitchen, just for fun!

Fast forward to the 30th of December - today:
The tree did get strands of lights, cranberries, and popcorn - it was beautiful - and without ornaments.
The baking & candy supplies got pushed to the pantry - I'm thinking now Valentine candies.
The grandchildren were over frequently (I can't believe how much they have grown during the year) -
there was lots of fun accomplished 
and we did finish our 'this year ornament'.

There were three wonderful family gatherings.
There was a baptism for SIX children!!
Sometime in there, a quilting friend came to visit for the day.
AND - I received a new kitchen faucet and plumbing!

No worries or stress though.
(Well, maybe just a little stress when the water was running from under the kitchen sink 
all over the floor while I was preparing for the annual Christmas Eve Feast!
The kitchen floor, with it's flood of leaking water, had it's best cleaning in quite a while, and I'm thankful that it happened when I was home.)
My usual thinking is that things will get done when they do.
And if the don't, that's OK.
Spending time with family and friends is what counts in my book.
And THAT has been happening!

On the quilting-friend front:
This quilting friend and I have an annual
Christmas tradition of going out for lunch together. 
But we decided to change it up a little this year. 
Instead of going out somewhere for food,
she picked up carry-out and came for a visit and some sewing.
A whole 8 hours of visiting occurred,
and some sewing was accomplished. :)
It was a wonderful change of pace
without all the surrounding distractions in a restaurant,
one we think we'll make a new tradition.

Also as usual, 
the end of another year quickly approaches.

I am so thankful for:
family & friends
opportunities & traditions 
blessings & trials.

I wish each of you a safe & wonderful end to 2014
and a 2015 filled with everything you could hope for and more!  
And to my quilt-y friends:

Happy Stitching!, 
Debra

another friend and surprise...

Another great friend - and another great surprise!!!!

A friend that I quilt for stopped by 
and surprised me with a very generous gift!

THE cutest turkey fabric!  
A matching orange-y/red fabric! 
THE BEST MUG with quilt-y slogans all over it!!
And a PINK project box!!!! 

See? The CUTEST turkeys!  
And that mug!! I'm almost afraid to use it, it's so cute!

As you can see, my newly received pink project box
has my newest project fabrics and blocks -
my tiny Shipshewana houses!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you dear friend!!!
Christmas has arrived early!

Quilty friends are THE BEST!
You know what I'm talking about, right?

a nice surprise and friends that surprise

Are you the same as me, 
in that you have a good friend that you've never, ever met in person?

Remember (waaaay) back in school when we had pen pals.
Write a letter in your best handwriting, seal it into an airmail envelope, stick an airmail stamp on it, and mail it off.  And then wait for WEEKS and WEEKS to get a response back.  We did grow a friendship that way. Continents apart and correspondence only a handful of times a year, and a good friendship was born.

Today, in this century, electronic mail is the norm, 
and I'm still making friends by correspondence.
Albeit with a handful of correspondences an hour, not just during a year.

I met a new friend when I joined an online Prim Quilts group, as she became the group moderator.  We've shared pics of our quilts, projects, our homes and our lives.  Being hundreds of miles apart, we've never met in person, but through this correspondence we've become friends.  
I mentioned on this friends' quilt-in-works picture that she shared that I had the same project on my list of "someday quilts", and that I had once had the pattern, but had lent it out or given it away, but I still really liked it.  She offered me the pattern after she was finished.  Of course I said yes, that would be great.

A few months later,  
she asked if I'd like the whole, unfinished project...
that she was just over it.  Done. 
My question was, are you sure?  
Too many hours invested, fabric invested, 
cutting blisters and needle-pricks were involved.  
She said YES - she was sure - just finished.

Well, fast forward a few weeks, 
and this Humongous envelope arrives in my mail box!!!
(: My Sweetie, of course, thinks I've ordered another whole fabric line. :)
I excitedly open the package and, OH, what a surprise!!
I had forgotten the size of the blocks and quilt itself from my long-ago wish list.

Look at these blocks!!! and there is border fabric AND extra fabric!!

The remaining applique pieces are cut out, ready to needle-turn!!

Gorgeous fabric choices and excellent needlework!

I LOVE IT!!!  I love it all!!!
I am so blessed to have such a wonderful friend.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for being in my life!
And thank you for such a generous gift, Karen!

I don't promise it will be finished any faster here than it would have been there, but I do and will treasure it! 
(And another smile for the day:
you should have seen my Sweetie's face when he saw me open a package of another unfinished quilt - hilarious!)

Happy Stitching to you!  

PS. I have been told before that I collect UFOs.  
True.  So true. :)

meanderings, in the snow

During the last week of snows that have come through central Ohio

I have been doing some meanderings in thread,

aka quilting. 

A close up of the first quilt: 

The quilt, above, is a beautiful rose-y red, sage green

and a warm, chocolate-y brown,

which the close-up photo shows much better.

 

The quilt, below, has a couple of great florals 

in yellows, oranges, and purple.

 And a close-up of the fabrics in this quilt:

These first two quilts pictured were made by Janet.

She made these quilts for friends who lost all in a fire.

and I was honored to be able to quilt them for her. 

She knows that these two quilts

won't replace what was lost in the fire,

but wanted the family to know that they are

surrounded by love and prayers -

all wrapped up within a hand-made quilt.

I also got to meander over a little baby quilt...

Louise made this cutie of a quilt 

for a baby that is trying to come into this world way too early. 

The momma- Louise's grand-daughter,

is on hospital bed rest, so Louise is now binding away,

trying to get this quilt done before the anxious baby arrives.

 

My meandering/quilting on these three quilts

was done with prayers for the families they are going to;

also with introspection and thanks for all of our blessings.

 

And then I took a walk and meandered through the snow...

The stockings were hung...

To all of my friends near and far,

I thank you for your friendship.

Thank you to those that read and follow my blog.

And a big thank you to those that take the time to comment.

Although I try, I don't always get a response out to those that leave comments,

but I'd like you to know that I do appreciate you!

 

I wish you a very Merry Christmas

and great health, joy and peace -

today, tomorrow, and in the New Year!

 

Our weather here in central Ohio is

very cold and snowy on this Christmas Eve.

It sure is nice to be inside, beside the fire,

watching the lights twinkle on the tree.

Midnight has come, and

my preparations are as complete as they are going to be.

I did finally finished this quilt:

It was only a top for a few years...

and I finally quilted it last month

so I could hang it for this Christmas.

 

While I was stitching binding on gift quilts,

(yes, I always seem to be just making it under the wire :), 

my daughter

made the wrapping happen in a timely manner:

It looks like the two older grandchildren

love their new quilts:

Time for me to settle down for a nice winter's nap!
Merry Christmas!
I hope your holidays are wonderful!
Debra

signs that Autumn has arrived

Pumpkins

(my quilt, pattern and quilting)

 

Apples

(and apple pickers).

 

Nights cool enough to need a quilt

and turning leaves.

Happy October!

 

blessings

I love working playing at the LQS a couple of days a week.
It is a great reproduction and wool only shop
and the owners are WONDERFUL folks. 

I feel very blessed to be able to work at Good Wives Co. 

and contribute to the quilt-y-ness

in my small part of the world. 

I get to help choose fabrics,

see new products & patterns,

and

smile everyday
not only during work,

but on the drive there and back!

I have been busy this year
 at home, too, working playing 
with the long-arm quilting machine - "Big DD". 

 I just did a quick count of quilts (pictured on this blog),

and I have gotten to meander and quilt across
 +/- sixty-five.

65!!! 

Wow, I wouldn't have guessed! 

I didn't count as I stitched,

so this number is a nice surprise to me :).

  I just knew I was having fun quilting along!

 

I also am blessed with great friends...
in life and here in the world of blogville...

blog-friends I have never met, but hope that someday we might meet.

(That would be some road/boat/air-trip, wouldn't it?!)
I thank each of you for your friendships and interest.

 

Thank you to all the pattern, fabric, and notion designers/makers, too.

Your creativity helps me keep my stash growing!

SO,
A big Thank You
to everyone for a great 2012!!

My wishes to all
for great health,
greater peace and happiness,
and the greatest abundances in your lives
for this year of 2013!!!

And, finally, a few quilt photos -

the last commissioned one for 2012...

Judy's beautiful toile'-centered quilt
(that she is planning on finishing with a
scalloped border):

and a close-up of the Sashiko quilting:

 Lastly, a quilt-y finish for me:

50" x 50" farm animals for Logan

that I gifted to the latest great-nephew on Sweetie's side
(no pattern, just modified a friends' quilt finish).

Happy Stitching in 2013! 

blessings and remembering 9/11

There were a couple of pictures that
I was going to insert
*here*
in rememberance of
that horrible day a decadeand a year ago..
BUT...
I'm still having computer issues -
and can't insert pictures...
I'm using the one
working, big, old, SLOW computer that's in the house. 

I'm really blessed, I know. 
That I have a computer. 
That I have a house.
That I live in America
and SO much more.

The computer issues are
just a little squirt of icing
on my wonderfully, blessed
cake of a life.

carrots & chicks

Yes, these carrots have purple sprinkles...

and yes, these orange, purple, yellow & green chicks

have carrots for noses.

I had great helpers icing and decorating!

Happy Easter!