Popping in to say thank-you!

What a great weekend as I was able to stay on track with my Christmas Cafe club project.  I'm the only one with a Bernina embroidery machine as the other gals have Husqvarna's and because my machine is such a big gal I don't take her to any of the classes but just take notes and inspiration.  Therefore I do all the stitch outs by myself which means I learn along the way with quick emails to Natasha http://joyofquilting-natasha.blogspot.ca/ our fearless leader who explains my fears away.

I just need to trim the threads and remove the stabilizer from the back and tuck them away until next months project.  These designs are from Embroidery Libraryhttp://www.emblibrary.com/EL/default.aspx and wow if you want some good deals check them out and see if you can leave without buying some great designs at great prices.
I've been fortunate to win some great giveaways this past couple of months and here is my loot!

Here is a cute quilt kit from Wake Up Susie aka Jamie Wood in little boy fabrics.

A sweet Chickadee fabric kit from Holly McLean which is a bird that I will always remember from my childhood days in the winter time on the Saskatchewan prairie.

From Primitives Gatherings a cute sheep wool project.

The Jelly Roll is from Hayley aka Mrs. Pickles and it is a cute Bear Country School via Green Fairy Quilts.  I can see a sweet child's quilt from that one day, can't you.

This is a great big bundle of light blue fabric from Ellie Quilter, the gal from http://lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.ca/2012/12/dark-blue-giveaway-and-light-blue-winner.html.  This win will surely help out my tiny stash of blue fabrics.  Thank-you everyone for your generosity and I will do my best at working them into my quilty projects.

Another top Pieced

Well, here is the second top pieced and I'm happy with it, now to quilt the two up and send them on their merry way.

They are for a husband and wife and though I don't know this couple I'm sure they'll enjoy them.  It was nice to use fabric from my stash for part of the lap quilts.  So the plan this weekend is to machine quilt them, do the binding and get started on my Mother-in-law's 80th Birthday quilt and guess what, I have great fabric in my stash for that too, Woot-Woot!

Top pieced and trying to be a friend to my Embroidery machine.

Top pieced and another should be done this week using the Arrowhead block which makes up really fast.

Used my embroidery machine to make this mug wrap and also this little valentine gift for the grand daughters.  The wrap just needs to be sewn together as it was done in the hoop in two pieces.  Will trim  and place a backing on the valentine project, then add a cute ribbon so they can hang it on their bedroom door.

Found some great fabric by Stof which now will be coveted and a quilt for moi some day.

The story goes like this-your wife quilts right-yes she does-how about she makes a couple of quilts for my mom and dad-sure she can and even a couple of mug mats-great, thanks!  And there goes my selfish thought of quilting something for myself this month after the frenzy of Christmas quilting for everyone else.  This is the block I choose and they get duplicates with a different colored backing.  I don't know these people and they are an older couple and because he asked for two I'm thinking they have twin beds, not sure just thinking so!  It is called the Arrowhead block and works up really fast.http://www.quiltmaker.com/content_downloads/QM_Anita_s-Arrowhead.pdf

I did up three blocks while quilting with some friends last night and my sides are still aching from the laughter from Christmas escapades to father-in-law moments.  I'm off to spend an afternoon with another quilt buddy and this evening is the first installment of Downton Abbey, season 3. Tah tah folks!

Mug mats almost done (for now)

Time to get back at the Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt and after the mindless fun of the mug mats and with only 3 bindings to stitch down I ventured into my WIP.  Well after a stressful attempt at finishing one of the paper pieced blocks and a quick FB message to The Rogue Quilter http://theroguequilter.blogspot.ca/ she gave me the best advice, just walk away from the block, so that's just what I did.  Now with a fresh outlook I'll give it a go again today and polish it off for sure today, oh quilting gods be good to me, please.