Well, I was completely surprised when I found a gift certificate in my Christmas stocking to the fabric store that I work at!  I had fantasy's during the few weeks prior, of how great that would be to be able to stock up on some of the fun fabrics we have in right now, but I thought for sure that he would think there was no need for that since I am well taken care of in the fabric department these days.   I guess it's a tradition though [his words, not mine] and needless to say I could hardly wait till Just Sew opened back up again today after our Christmas break.   I had to buy a few more fabrics so that I could finish up this project that I started about a month ago.

Here's what I came home with:

I was so tempted to splurge on fabrics to start new things, but I was good.  And boy am I sure glad that I didn't buy those South Hampton fabrics that have been calling to me because this is what I realized after doing a little inventory...

Count that - 8 [yes 8!!!] piles of fabric to start EIGHT new quilts this next year!?!   Oh my gosh.  I feel a little bit bad.  O.K.  Let me just say that I got a lot of it at some really good sales or with my discount at work sooo...O.K.,  there is really no way to justify it all.

Well, I better get busy and not start ANY new projects this year!  Hmmm, maybe that should be my New Years Resolution (isn't it something like 80% of all New Years Resolutions are broken?)

Anyways.  Here's a closer look at my upcoming projects:

1. Sweet Sugar Swirls by Fig Tree

2.  Hot Cross (a Schnibbles pattern) 

3.  Wild Thing by Thimble Blossoms

4. Center of Attention (cover quilt) by Heather Mulder Peterson.

(I really need more 2 1/2" strips of Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut/Pop Garden line.  I don't need alot and it's a little hard to find these days, so if anyone out there has some that they don't need anymore and you want to do a trade, then leave me a comment below.)

5.  I had an idea for a sampler I was going to design, but don't know if that is going to happen so I might use these to do this project that my local quilt guild is doing in 2010.

6.  A scrappy Dresden Plate Quilt

7.  This honey bun I got for $2.50 from Lanie Jane's Liquidation Sale this past summer!  I think I'll do this Cameo pattern by Fig Tree:

  

and last but not least, this project:

in spiderweb form.

So, the problem with all of these projects is that they are in piles on my shelves, in bags behind my curtain and basically just strewn about.  I am now on the hunt for clear, stackable boxes with lids to store these in.  I am wondering if you have any suggestions on where to find the perfect (inexpensive) boxes? 

So what are your projects for this new year?

A lost tooth and a lost thimble.

Have you seen this new candy to the Halloween market?

Gross huh?  Well, Sunday night while we [as in the husband and two kidlets and I] were all sitting around watching America's Funniest Home Videos [like we always do], Blake [my 7-year old] was munching on some Halloween candy.  While he was enjoying this delicious treat of gummy bandaids that look like they have blood on them [nice huh?] he held his half eaten piece of candy out to RJ and said, "Dad, I think this has real blood on it."  RJ laughed and then with a little inspection he realized that B had lost his FIRST tooth.  Yeah.  FIRST.  So I am all caught up in the "Oh my baby lost his first tooth [with my hand over my heart]" moment and not a minute goes by before we start to wonder where the heck the tooth is?!? After a lot of searching we came up empty handed.  So what's a boy gonna do?  Well, write a note of course!

Cute huh?  Well the Tooth Fairy left him a nice $1.50 in quarters [which by the way, B told me the next day that he knows it was me because he saw me go into his room.  But I will tell you right now that it was NOT me.]  Anyways.  My baby lost his first tooth and I mean REALLY lost his first tooth.

  

Oh, and I am really sad because my kids lost my thimble.  They were playing "Hide the Thimble" [which I told them to find something else to play that with] and I haven't seen it since.  I have searched high and low.  I am so sad.

Hopefully it will turn up one of these days.  I can't be too mad though.  I mean come on, look at this face!

(Note: Little Missy found my thimble on Christmas Eve in the kids cup and plate drawer.  We were both ecstatic!  Yay!)

Buttercup Quilt

I've been binding my little heart away this weekend. 

This quilt pattern is called Buttercup from my favorite book these days called Stop, Drop & Roll by Heather Mulder Peterson.  I am a big fan of hers.  This was my second project (my Baby Bloomer wall hanging was the first) from that book.  

Both were fun, fast and whimsical little projects that are brightening up my quilt collection.  Most of the fabrics are from Riley Blake's Sublime line. The oranges are from their Bloom & Grow line and the polka dots are Mary Englebreit's (love those!)

All of the applique was fast.  I used a few different methods.  There's a little hand applique and a little machine applique (using Heat n' Bond and a couple different stitches).  Heather's directions make it easy and fast! 

This is my backing.  Do you see the little knots on there?  You don't notice them from the front but they are all over the back.  This happened another time that this quilter quilted something for me.  Last time she said she wouldn't charge me, but when I went to pick it up I told her it wasn't that noticeable so I paid her full price.  I probably shouldn't have done that, but I did.  So when it happened this time, I called her and talked with her about it.  She will be giving me some credit on my next quilt (or doing it for free?) so that will be nice.  Not sure what happened here, but it is kind of a bummer.  I get so frustrated sometimes, because it seems like there is always something wrong with the quilts that I get back.  Not sure if I expect too much (?) or what...  Anyways.  I love it from the front and she really did do a great job - she free handed all of the quilting.  She did tight quilting and the design was beautiful.  She said she checked to see if it looked o.k. on the back and just didn't notice the knots. 

Do you have any advice on how to get the most out of a quilt job?  I've been getting things quilted by professional longarm quilters for probably about 10 years now and I just can't believe how often I get one back that has problems.  A lot of times it is a scale issue.  A couple of times it's been this knot issue.  Then there was my raw-edge fiasco...   Sorry.  I don't mean to complain, but I'm just wondering what I can do to help avoid these situations in the future?  I'm really sick of not being completely happy when I get a quilt back.  You spend a lot of money and time on these things and it's really sad when they come back with problems...

I just need to focus on the postive.  I love the quilt and those knots can be fixed, they just take a lot of time to work out.  Anyways, this quilt is off to Just Sew tomorrow for display so it's good-bye for now.

Mystery Quilt

Well, I just finished another one just in time for Christmas.  This one is going to the In-laws.  It was a "Mystery Quilt" that I did in a quilt guild a couple of years ago.  We didn't know what the finished product was going to look like when we started.  I probably won't do another "Mystery Quilt" again because I think if I'm going to spend the money and time on a quilt, I would want more control of the final outcome.  I did change a few things up when we got to the end though.  It was suppose to have beige strips in between each vertical row, but I kind of liked all of the secondary patterns I found when there wasn't any sashing inbetween.  I also added the tiny red borders on both sides of the pieced outer border, as well as the final outside border.  The quilt measures about 84"x56".

I'm glad to have this one checked off the list.  It's another project done that I can count in Jacquie's Joy In The New Year Challenge.   I think I've only gotten 2 out of my 6 projects done so far.  I did just get a new quilt back from the quilter though!  I just need to bind it and then I can post pictures.  My quilter told me she would have my Fig Tree quilt done by the end of the year (I'm crossing my fingers!) and I'm hoping one more of my projects will get done miraculously.  I'm going for 4 out of 6 projects done for this challenge.  I've got a few other tops in the works and fabrics to start a few more.  I'm really hoping to finish up a lot of these in the next few months and then start fresh from there!  

Here's to getting projects done and tying up all the loose ends for Christmas!  Have a great weekend!

The Winner

O.K.  It's not letting me copy and paste the info from RANDOM.ORG [I guess I accidently didn't allow access from the website to my clipboard and now it really doesn't want to give it up!] so just trust me when I tell you who the winner is [and know that I did this honestly and without bias :)]  Really.  There were only 53 entries and I knew most of you personally, so the chances that I would know the winner were high...So.  Without further ado.  The winner is #39 - my dear Sister-In-Law, Melanie Johnson.  She lives in New York, but will be coming out here to Utah for the holidays, so Melanie, we'll hook up soon and I'll get that table runner to ya.  Can't wait to see you guys!  Anyways, thanks everyone for playing.  I love doing these giveaways and hope to do more soon (possibly with some of my patterns...:) and please, don't ask.  It's a long yada, yada kind of story.)  I really am working on them.  The patterns are done, it's just the covers that have been giving me fits.  

Anyways, Melanie, this one is for you!  Hope the rest of you have a wonderful Christmas season!

In the spirit of giving...

We'll, it's kind of a special occasion around here.  It's my 150th blog post AND it's Christmas time, so I thought it was definitely time for a giveaway!  I've been thinking about all of you and the kindness you've shown me over the past year and a half since I've started blogging.  I wanted to make you a little something so I came up with this scrappy runner.  It's a little Christmas-y (lots of different greens, whites, & beiges) but you might be able to get away with using it other times of the year too.  I love having lots of table toppers this time of year.  It just finishes things off sometimes. 

The runner measures 31" x 12.5" and it's REALLY scrappy (even the back and binding are pieced) so, if you like it... or you don't like it, but think maybe someone you know might like it...then leave me some comment love below. 

The giveaway closes at NOON on Tuesday, December 15th.  Don't be shy to enter.  Anyone can enter and you don't have do any work for this one!  Leaving a friendly comment wouldn't hurt though:)  I'll ship to wherever and TRY to get it there by Christmas.  

Plus, a cute little snowflake, from me to you!