Stocking Swap Gifts

It is Sunday, December 30, 2012.  the next to last day of the year and it is really, really cold here today.  There is no snow or moisture of any kind, but what is new about that?  It is just cold air and even colder winds.  A great day to be inside sewing and blogging.  So, as a result, there may be more than one posting today so stay tuned.  The camera finally made it up the stairs and to the office.  It has been down the hall in my bedroom for about a week now.  I don't know why it couldn't walk the 15 steps down to the office before now, but that is life.  Finally, I get to share with all of you the gifts I received from my Stocking Swap partner, Ellen of Ellen Gets Craftsy.  This swap was so much fun and I am so thankful to everyone who made the commitment and hung in there until the end.

 

Below are most of the gifts I received from Ellen.  I say most because I was so excited when I opened the large cardboard box and saw everything individually wrapped, I was like a child and started opening presents.  After the first two or three, I made myself stop so I could get a picture of everything.  Isn't that what bloggers do?  Take pictures of everything.  That is why I am not the best blogger.  I always forget to take pictures.  Anyway, she did an awesome job of wrapping each gift individually.

 

They each had their own handmade tags that coordinated with the month.  On the back of the tags it had what month it was and what we were to make that month.  Can you guess the months from the tags below?

A lot of work went into making each of those tags.  I love them and have them kept to show my Bee friends group in January.   Matter of fact, I have put all my gifts into the bag that I received so I can be sure to have them all together for the January Quilt In meeting.  I am forcing myself not to take anything out of the bag.  I wouldn't want to leave anything out of the sharing so after the January meeting, everything will be put to use. It's like a delayed Christmas present to myself!  Here is a picture of everything. 

 I thought I took pictures of everything individually, but I guess I only did a few items.  Below is the amazing journal.  I love the fact that Ellen painted and crafted the cover.  It is awesome.  I just can't find words for how wonderful this journal is.  See the beading on the right side?  WOW!

Then, there is this fantastic pin cushion with a gorgeous pin.  It is beautiful!  It also came with a package of pins, not just that one. 

I love everything!!  I can't wait until the January meeting.  I am going to use my mug that day to have coffee at the meeting!!  Everyone will be so jealous of me when they drink their coffee from the styrofoam cups! 

I was just over on Ellen's site Ellen Gets Craftsy and she has posted detailed pictures of the gifts she made.    

Storm Naming

When did we begin naming winter storms?  I first noticed it with the last storm system that blew through the northeast last week.  I think it's name was Doug - or something that started with a D.  I made a comment to someone who blew me off because they thought I was crazy.   Now, we have winter storm Euclid.  Did I miss something? Was there an announcement about the beginning of naming winter storm systems?  I thought names were just reserved for hurricanes.  Do we name other acts of nature and I have just never noticed before?  When does a winter storm officially get named?  Hurricanes don't get named when they are just a little blip on the weather map.  I have seen on the weather channel where they are referred to just by their numbers.  Which I don't know what the numbers mean either, I guess it has something to do with the year and how many previous blips there have been and then which ocean in which it has come to life.  It's not until the hurricanes are a category 1 that they get their official name.  I think.  I know there is an official list of names that is made up before hurricane season even begins.  Because you can't have a second hurricane Rita or Katrina.  I think there is even a separate list for the east coast hurricanes and one for the west coast hurricanes.  (are they still called hurricanes on the west coast?  I think they may have another name entirely over there)  Is there a list for winter storms?  When and where were the A, B and C storms?   I don't remember hearing about storm Euclid until today.   Is this a new storm or is it the one that passed over Texas and dumped snow in Lubbock and Dallas?  Granted, I haven't watched the news a lot in the last 3 or 4 days and I don't watch it much on a regular basis.  I am just curious and wanted to put the question out there to see if anyone else knows anything about this naming of winter storms. 

It could be because I live in the desert of Texas that I haven't heard about it, but then again, we do - every once in a while - get a storm pass through here. Remember last year's frozen lake?  

Oops, that's not it, that was this year in January. 

Nope, not it again, that was a day later - still this year in January.

There it is, it was still snowing in this picture which is why it's so blurry looking.  This was February 2011.  Almost two years ago now.  The lake was frozen over and you could walk across it.  A big difference from summer of 2011 when you could walk across the lake, but that was because it was dry.   I thought I had a picture of that, but I guess I don't.  Oh, well, just imagine this picture, but instead of all the white or green, replace it with brown.  All tints and shades of brown and you have what it looked like a couple of summers ago.   Not a pretty picture. 

Neither one of those storms (the January 2012 and the February 2011) had a name that I ever heard of so maybe this naming the winter storms is new this year.  Well, so long to Euclid from Texas.  You have just about passed out of here and even though you didn't come all the way down to Odessa with your snow, you still left behind some really cold temperatures.  Tonight it's hard to imagine that a week ago we were in the upper 70's/lower 80's and today - I am not sure it got out of the 30's.  It's supposed to be another cold night in the teens again - which, since this is a windy part of the world - wind chill temps will be in the single digits.  Cold, cold, cold!!  I stayed inside today (except for taking a gift by to someone and a small Coke run this evening - okay, I don't have any cola here at my house so when I want one, I have to go to Dairy Queen or Sonic or even to Stripes if I don't mind getting out of my car.  I may have to put Coke on my grocery list along with the black eyed peas and Mrs. Renfro's salsa - the best pomegranate salsa!!  IMHO)  

I am looking forward to learning if anyone knows about this storm naming conundrum and if anyone knows what the next storm will be called while I sew away on my next Christmas quilt.  More on it and other items tomorrow.    

Stocking Swap Call for Participants

Okay, Quilters, it's time to gather all those fun things you have been making all year long, pack them into a box and send them to their final home.   If you have participated in this swap this year, e-mail me at neillna@yahoo.com and send me your home address.  Please do this before Friday, December 7th.  That will be my deadline.  If I don't have your mailing address, you will get to keep all your goodies for yourself.  If I do have your mailing address, I will e-mail you on Saturday, December 8th with your mailing partners name and address.  Your job is to get it postmarked before December 15th, sit and wait on your gift to arrive to you and let me know that you have received it.  It's that simple. 

If you have been participating all year and have made a couple more items along the way, you should have Christmas gifts ready to go for the entire neighborhood!  If you are like me, I am finishing up the pillow cases - yes, I still don't have them finished!!  I should have never given away the original ones I made.  Now I can't seem to get in the mood to make another set.  Thank goodness that is all I have left to make and I have everything ready to go, I just need to sew it up.  Simple, yet one of the hardest things to get done.  Okay, back to gathering.  I am including a list again so you can simply check each item off and put it in the box. 

1 mug and mug rug
1 pillow cover for a 14" pillow - do not include the form - just the cover - this will save on shipping cost and
            space.
2 matching pillow cases - or coordinating if you wish - they have to go together, but don't have to be           
            exactly the same.
1 pin cushion and a package of your favorite pins
1 table runner
1 bag - any type - small or large, your choice
1 stocking
1 ornament
1 journal cover and a nice pen - you can send the journal, also if you want, but not necessary.
1 pot holder - be sure you used an insulation
1 book - any kind
some candy and nuts - because it's not a complete stocking without these items.  (if you are sending
            chocolate - be sure it is wrapped up so it won't melt all over your lovely handmade items! )

That is it!!  These are the mandatory items to go into your box.  You can add anything else you wish.  I would recommend you add a card or letter telling about yourself, maybe add a story about some of the things your made - why you chose that item or not.  Anything beyond the required items it totally up to you.  Have fun putting together this package for your quilting partner.  I look forward to receiving an e-mail from all of you.  By the way, you will receive a package from a different person than you sent to.  (just in case you were wondering)  

Stockings and Ornaments

I decided the stocking I made for the Stocking Swap needed a little extra umph so I added a scalloped border at the top and finished it off with some black ric-rac and then added three random buttons on his/her belly.  Now, it is perfect and ready to go to it's new home.  I still need to finish up some pillow cases.  I don't know why I can't seem to get in the mode to make some of those.  I will try to buckle down tomorrow and crank out 4 or 5 sets.  Oh, wait, I know why I haven't made any yet, I need to wash some fabric.  I don't like to make pillowcases from unwashed fabric.  It just doesn't seem right, you know.  When I get a new pillowcase I want to use it right away and if it's not washed, well . . . then I am not happy I have to wait a few hours (days) to get to use it.  So, I always wash the fabric I use to make pillowcases so if the person receiving it wants to sleep on it right away, they can.  I guess that means I need to put in a load of fabric in a little bit. 

In the new Crate and Barrel magazine mailer I recently received are some of the cutest little penguin , gnome and snowman ornaments.  They are all knit and so cute.  I wanted to make me some right away.  However, I don't knit.  So, I drew up a pattern for the penguin - still working on the other two - and made me a prototype penguin.  I grabbed the two purple batiks off the stack of freshly washed - see, I do wash fabric from time to time - purples and cut out a penguin.  I got him all sewed up and realized I had forgotten the feet.  I drew, cut and sewed him some feet and he looks so cute!  His feet need to be a bit bigger, but that's the only thing I needed to change.  I quickly cut out, sewed and stuffed 4 more in the more traditional colors of black and white and voila!!!  a bevy of penguin (or whatever you call a group of them) ornaments.  I put "hair" on a couple of them and all of them have hangers.  They are ready to be hung on the tree and one of them is going in my box for the Stocking Swap.  This is a much better ornament than the one I previously decided to use. 

While I was stuffing, I decided to stuff this owl doll.  A few years ago I designed this one and made up 4 or 5 and sold them all.  I had this one along with a few others all cut and ready to go, but didn't finish them in time for the bazaar/quilt shows that I sold them at.  I could have sold the pattern if I had it printed up and ready to go.  Maybe this next year I will do that.  Anywho, this one is ready to go to it's new home wherever, whenever that might be.  I still have one or two more that just need to be sewn around and stuffed.  Just one more thing to work on this weekend.  

It sure has been nice being off this entire week.  Not doing much, staying up as late as I want, not having to be anywhere at any specific time, it's been great!  A much needed rest from the hectic whirlwind that has been my life for the past month.  It should start to slow down a little between now and Christmas (only 5 or 6 things happening between now and the next vacation in less than a month - not bad for this time of year!)

Whirlwind that is my Life

I know, I know - it's about time!  LOL  I know I haven't been on here in quite awhile.  I have been busy, sick, busy and busy!  As most of you know, I teach culinary arts in the high school.  We have a restaurant there in the school and are open about 2 times a month.  Since I have been on here - way back in October - wait, let me check the date - October 24th - we (my students and I) have assisted with helping with our local Taste of the Permian Basin.  This is where the restaurants (okay, I had to respell that word three times and several others in this sentence a couple of times, also - what is up with my typing tonight? I know, it's been awhile and the fingers and brain aren't working together, yet)  ANYWAY,  (sometimes I can get so sidetracked LOL) Taste is where the local restaurants set up booths and offer "tastes" of their food.  There is a cost to get in, but once you are in, you can eat to your hearts content - or your stomachs discontent whichever comes first.  (I meant from being full - not from anything else.  My students and I go early that morning and help set up the decorations and tables for the preview party (companies purchase tables for their employees/customers to go and enjoy).  This year we were there from about 10:00 that morning until 9:30 that night!!!  I was exhausted!!  to say the least.  It was a long night.  Due to the shortage of employees here in the basin, one company sent food, but the culinary students from my class and the two Midland culinary programs helped to man that booth.  It was a great experience for my kids.  It was sad that so few of my students were able to make it that night.  I know they have other commitments and their life is busy, but with 2 months notice you would think they could rearrange everything, I know, they are teenagers.  Oh, well, they missed out on the fun.  Maybe next time they will pay better attention. 

A couple of days later we assisted the Chuck Wagon Gang in prepping food for the Merry Market (a junior league extravaganza - with shopping, meals, shopping and food!)   We assisted the Gang last year and they asked us to come on board again this year, but with more assistance.  We prepped and served appetizers for  300, assisted in the dinner for 750 and prepped and served and cleaned up for the luncheon for 950.  (no, those are not exaggerated numbers.  There really were that many there and after making 1200 fruit kabobs, 1000 cups of pink fluff and decorating 1000 cupcakes, I would know).  This was over a 3 day period of prepping and serving.

 In between the two events I was sick, sick, sick.  I was home for two days (plus the weekend) and I tweaked my knee.  (actually I did the knee thing before the Taste event)  After x-raying it the doctor told me to stay off of it and keep heating pads on it.  I just laughed and told her everything I had to get done before Thanksgiving and told her to get me well.  She just smiled and said to stay off of it as much as possible.  I guess she understood that it wasn't going to happen. 

The rest of November - so far - we have had two restaurant openings.  One with only about 20 people and at our Thanksgiving feast we served 93 people.  Needless to say, I am ready for this week I have off.  Yes, you heard me correctly, I have the entire week of Thanksgiving off.  No cooking if I don't want (I already had my Thanksgiving meal at school) Nothing that has to get done - well other than feeding the dogs and - - nope, that is all that has to get done.  (I was going to say doing the dishes, laundry, taking out the trash, cleaning the house, etc., etc., but really truly, the only thing I HAVE to do is feed the dogs and they let me know when 5:00 comes around so I don't even have to set an alarm if I take a late afternoon nap - Doctor did say I had to stay off that knee, didn't she? LOL)

I haven't gotten much sewing in - when did I have the time?  However, last night I did design and make up one complete and 4 partial penguin ornaments.  I am going to finish the other 4 today, but I may just have to go take that late afternoon nap right now. 

Stocking Swap

Second Post of the Day!

I can't believe it is the middle (okay - 2/3 through the month) of October.  If you haven't worked on your potholder for the swap - you need to get on it!!  Not really - you have one more month to finish things up, but if you are like me, the year just gets busier and busier.  That is why I put for November a book - something you don't have to make and December - candy and nuts.  Again, something you don't have to make (unless you want to make something special)  By now, you should have most of your sewing wrapped up (I still need to make some pillow cases from March since I gave those away)  You can start gathering your items together and if you are like me and made more than one item each month, decide what goes in the box for this swap and what goes as Christmas gifts.  I will be calling for names and addresses soon from everyone who is participating in this swap.  If you can sew really fast and get it all together by the end of November, come join in on the fun!!  It's not too late.  Just go to this link - Stocking Swap - and start sewing. 

I have posted some pot holders before, but it has been awhile ago, so I will post some I made for this swap.   

OOPS!!  that is the only one I could find that I have a picture of.  It may just be the only one I have.  Now, I am the one scrambling to find out if I have made anymore pot holders.  If not, you all know what I am working on tonight!! 

Finally the Spider Web Quilt

I finally took my quilt tops and camera up to school to get some pictures to post.  I can't get a full pic at my house so I have to have my students hold them up.  Let me tell you, this was an ordeal trying to get one picture without all the heads sticking out around the edges.  Even though it looks like there is only one person behind this quilt, and there is only one person holding it up, there are also 5 guys who thought it would be funny to stick their heads around the edges or over the top of the quilt.    It took four tries to get one without heads!!  this is my spiderweb quilt.  It really is as bright and colorful as the picture shows, but I didn't realize the green bits in the border were sooo bright.  They don't normally jump out at you like that. 

I loved working on this quilt and have a similar paper pieced quilt in the planning stages.  I haven't done much more than pull fabric and get the paper ready.   This one just needs a back and binding and it is ready to quilt.  (like so many of my tops - they also just need back and binding)  I have been asked about the green background.  I really like this color green.  It is a Kona, but I don't know the color off the top of my head.  I had it a fairly large piece of it when I first started this quilt way, way back.  It kind of has an old fashion look and feel to it.  I used a similar, if not the same color, as a background for hearts about 20 years ago.  (that quilt is quilted and has been used many times) There is something about the color that just pulls me in.  (who knows, it might be the same fabric left over - I don't think so, but you never know)

This next one was fun and fast to make up.  I got the directions from a quilt blog, but can't remember which one.  It was only for the middle section blocks, but the directions I wrote down didn't make any sense, so I just started sewing pieces together. I need to go back and re-read her directions and  I might revise it before I give it to anyone else.  I had some fat quarters I picked up at Tuesday Morning that were just sitting there so I jumped in and made the cuts I needed from the directions.  (I still have one strip left over)  Then after sewing it all together, I picked up some Kona that was also laying around (really need to get on cleaning up the studio) Added a wide border of it (2 1/2" strips) Then with the leftover FQ pieces I cut 6 1/2" strips X width left.  Sewed them all together and added them on.  I really like this quilt and the girl holding it up (by the way, got this in one shot - the boys weren't even ready)  said this one was her favorite.  I am going to make the backing from the rest of the FQ's and the extra ones in that set that I chose not to use. 

This is what happens when you leave your camera on your desk.  Random pictures of students.  I also have one on my cell phone that I just deleted.  At least my desk was relatively clean.