Christmas from the heart.

I am only getting a fraction of the sewing projects I had "planned" on doing. I didn't think I was going to get anything done at all but with crunch time I am squeezing in some sewing for some loved ones. I had the Black Apple doll pattern saved for a while and completed it over the weekend for my angel of a niece Isabella :-) I think it turned out so cute. My husband kinda raised his eyebrows at her, lol. He doesn't appreciate homemade like I do! I embroidered the eyes and mouth instead of using paint as suggested in the pattern. I was going to make her a little quilt but happend to have a little table topper that I barely used that "matched" her. Now I need to make a little pillow(pattern from crazymomquilts) and she will be ready for packaging. I hope Isabella loves her as much as I do!!

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/black-apple-doll?rsc=fav_Homepage_Homepage

Next gift is for my sister Shannon who loves make-up. So I made this for her to hold some of her make-up and pretty stuff in. It's made from hunny bun strips. I found the reds the prettiest and best suited for my sister. I hope she likes it! I will be adding a gift card to one of her favorite stores she loves to buy make-up from :-)

Poochie Bag n' stuff.

I printed off the instructions a few weeks ago for a Poochie Bag by Happy Zombie. http://thehappyzombie.com/pb Tonight is my book club christmas party and we are having a book swap. I knew right away what I would use as my "gift bag". The pattern calls for 3 fat quarters and mine measured smaller than hers so I had to downsize the pattern a bit. I used some christmas fat quarter by Nancy Halvorsen(fave!!) and think it turned out sweet.

I thought while I was at it I would make a bookmark to go with it. Have had the tutorial saved for this easy bookmark for a while from Polka Dot Pineapple. http://mousechirpy-polkadotpineapple.blogspot.com/2009/05/quick-n-easy-fabric-bookmark.html I find she posts such sweet/great tutorials. On hers she has a flower, but since this is christmas I used a little tree :-) p.s...there are pockets on both sides. great to put pens or good things like candy canes like you will see in the last pic ;-)

Here's the book mark all tucked in the book. I liked the star I put in on as this will keep the book mark from sliding down in the book!

All ready for tonight. I think this will the hot item don't ya think ;-)

A Christmas runner...or two.

I recently finished up two christmas runners.

This first one is going to be for my inlaws. I will be making some co-ordinating fabric coasters to go with it.

This one is ours and will be going on top of our little electic fireplace.
The fabric used on the back of both is so lovely they can easily be reversible table runners!

This fabric backing is my favorite, actually the color looks dull in this picture.

I am hoping to get more christmas sewing done over the next few weeks!! So hopefully I'll have more posts for you soon.

PIF received...so sweet!

Sure is fun to go to the mail box and find a parcel waiting for you :-)

Today I received my PIF gift from Kaaren from http://www.thepaintedquilt.blogspot.com/

It's the sweetest little needle case.

(click on pic if you want to see larger image)

She even added "matching" scissors. Now the nicest scissors I have ever owned!!

Thank-you so much Kaaren. I appreciate your talent and time that went into this special gift made just for me :-)

I still have 2 of my PIF gifts to forward. My 365 days will be up before I know it. Something I need to get at in the NewYear!

Snowman doorhanger.

I've had my eye on this pattern for a few years now and finally got to it! Picture quality doesn't show the colors nicely but you can see it's kinda cute :-)

A pillow or two....

I was recently finished two pillows. Feels so good to finally be making some progress on stuff! I am thinking I am going to have to convert my dining room into my sewing area for a few weeks. I have so many things to do and am finding it hard in my bedroom, running downstairs to cut etc. My husband would also like to get into his dresser without fighting with an ironing board!

Cute Christmas pillow and easy!

oh and this little guy may not be a pillow but he is as snuggly as one. This is Benjamin(remember the Benjamin quilt), he came out to visit me yesterday :-)

September tisket a tasket block done!!

Ready just in time. Tomorrow, Novembers block will be out and I am ready!! I had today off and made it my mission to start and finish this block and I did it! I am trying to get motivated to finish some things and get sewing, sewing, sewing for christmas!! Hopefully I will have lot's to show you over the next month :-)

I just thought these tarts looked so pretty. I made them a few weeks ago. Easy!! Just buy the frozen tart shells, make a custard and top with your favorite fruit. We added some whip cream on top...yummmmy!

October tisket a tasket block complete.

Being home all weekend with my two sick kids allowed me time to get my October block complete. I have to go back and make the September block now and this week the November block comes out!! I really want to get them caught up and finished so I can feel free to start some christmas sewing.

Pillow and cake class.

I wish all these were pictures of sewing projects I have completed! I miss my sewing room soooo much, I just can't seem to get motivated to keep at things when it's set up in my bedroom. Before, even if I had 10 mins to spare I could go in and leave everything whenever I wanted and not worry about how things were left. I have so many things I want to do!!

Anyways, I did take a beginners cake class with one of my best friends since moving back and on the last night we we learned how to make roses. I never dreamed I could make these. With practice they will be even better!!

I finished this pillow just last night. I was supposed to embroider little swirly vines coming from the stems, but wanted to have it done before halloween. I was sorting through the christmas sewing I have to do and it's lot's...I better get motivated in my new sewing space!!! ;-)

It's a Happy Halloween Giveaway!!
I don't enter many contests because I know my chances are close to nil to win anything so wonderful, but once in awhile I just cannot resist and this was one of them.
Go check out this awesome giveaway.
http://pumpkinpatchprimitivequiltshoppe.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-happy-halloween-giveaway.html

I hope I win~~~ :-)

Fall....

....my little nephew is going to join in the leaf fight that is going on.

Love the colorful leaves.
This is the gorgeous view out front of my house looking down into our little village.

My poor little neglected blog :-( Things have been so busy with the move, settling in to our house and all the "life stuff". I miss my sewing room sooooo much. I did set up my sewing maching in our bedroom :-/ Not much sewing has been going on but I did manage to finish this pillow for my very very VERY dear friend Jody. I forgot to take pics so she took some for me. She loved it so much, it's her profile picture on facebook, lol. Don't you love giving things to ppl who truly appreciate it!! I made her a little tea bag pouch and she went on and on how much she just loved it...she is the sweetest thing and has been such a blessing in my life which is why I made this pillow just for her!!

Nie Nie is going to be on Oprah!!

Oh my gosh! I knew it from one of her previous posts that she was going to be on Oprah. She didn't say what celebrity, but she did say she was in "chicago" filming talk show segments...and today on a oprah preview, it showed a peek at her story!! I saw the family picture, it was her!!

Okay, for the few of you who have not heard of this amazing woman you have to check out her story. I first heard of her and her husbands plane crash a year ago and have followed her blog ever since. I was so intrigued by her that I went back and read every one of her blogs she had ever posted.

http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

According to Oprah.com it will be on Wednesday. A few other stories will be shared the same day as hers. Wow, her story is so worth making it to Oprah, she is so phenomenal!

Her sister also has a blog, she is an amazing writer...smart, funny, witty..worth following her too! :-)http://blog.cjanerun.com/

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I'm trying to find my camera software so I can upload some pictures for blogging and I cannot find it! My other computer is stored away...I will get pics and an interesting blog up at some point!

My first PIF gift has been received!

I have completed one of my obligations to pay it forward, now I have to get busy and do two more!! I wonder where I am at with the 365 days, hmmmmm. Surely I have quite a bit of time left! ;-) Kathy, http://quiltinginthecountry.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-cup-runneth-over.html?showComment=1254309589187#c2775897427155172520

blogged about it so sweetly. I was concerned wether it was good enough etc and she sure seemed to appreciate/enjoy it and that makes me happy :-) :-) I hope she doesn't mind that i stole one of her pictures to share with you as I did not take a picture of everything before sending. She shares more on her blog.

She loves cherry's and mentioned in one of her earlier blogs that she was going to decorate her new sewing room in a cherry theme, so that inspired me to use the oh cherry oh fabric just for her!

PIF feel good :-)

Giveaway

I wish I was blogging about something exciting I finished. But, I am still in the unpacking process and have not yet had a chance to sit down and sew. (I have no idea why my typing is being underlined???) Anyways, I did find a lovely little giveaway going on at bluebird quilts and thought I would post that so my blog didn't seem so dead!! lol

http://bluebirdquilts-lyn.blogspot.com/

I hope I win! I hope I win!!!

Hoot Hoot!

I was able to complete my cute little owl wallhanging last night.

I have to credit http://sewlittlefabric.blogspot.com/ for the Hoot saying. I knew I wanted to write something with Hoot and when I saw her cute little owl stitchery with "Life's a Hoot", I said "that's it"!

(click on pic for larger image)

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I was sooooo pleased to hear that my pincushion swap partner FINALLY rec'd her parcel after almost 3 months! I was so discouraged as this was my first ever swap and I thought for sure it must have gotten lost in the mail.

Ruthie blogged about it the other day :-)

http://ruthiesplace.blogspot.com/2009/09/goodies.html

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Today we start the process of the move. It's going to be a stressful 2-3 week process, but will be worth it in the end. We are going to stay at my inlaws until we find a place so we can let the kids start school with everyone else. No sense starting them here for a few weeks and then switching. My sewing room is the last one to go. When we are here I may to need to sneak away for some me time!! Hopefully!

SOLD/Skor cake

The final papers have been signed and it's official...our house is SOLD!! From the time the sign went up to the final signatures, it took two weeks...crazy!! Because it's a done deal now, I will be able to travel home and get the kids started in their school which will be better for them..although it's going to be a crazy month with travelling back and forth and finalising the move!!

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Over the weekend I didn't get around to completing my owl hanging, but I did make a Skor cake. I thought it would be fun to take pictures to share the recipe as I have had the recipe requested from my friends on facebook. They loved the pictures to go along with the recipe. It's sooo easy peasy and it's terribly sinful but oh so good!

Okay...so first off you need these 5 ingredients. You can chose any chocolate cake mix you fancy.

Prepare cake batter as instructed.

Once baked and hauled out of the oven, poke a gazillion holes in it. This allows the 'sauce' to seep into the cake. I used the end of a wooden spoon to poke the holes.



Pour the eagle bran milk over and then spread all over cake followed by the butterscotch syrup doing the same. You do this while the cake is still hot.

Then you crush up two of the skor bits. I usually freeze first as they seem to crush better and a meat tederizer does the trick or anything that you can smash them!

Sprinkle the skor bits all over the cake and then allow to completely cool.

Once cooled you add the large tub of coolwhip and then add the remaining two skor bars you have smashed to bits!! ;-)

And voila!

Enjoy.

Sewing for therapy~

Yesterday was a day I needed to duck into my sewing room. It has been extremely stressful for me with selling the house, we are still going through the conditional phase and not knowing which way the buyer is going is getting to me. So after I got home from work and supper was done I announced, " I NEED to go in my sewing room" I wasn't sure what to do but I knew i wanted to do something that was instant gratification. I had printed off a template from here: http://www.colorfulkisses.com/2008/09/how-to-make-your-own-canvas-bird-art.html a few days ago and decided to go ahead with a little project I had in mind. This will be a little wallhanging i will hang in my sewing room. Isn't he a HOOT! ;o) Fatique started to hit me and I left it at this point....will try and finish it up this weekend.

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On another note...today is Mr. Greer and I's 17th anniversary :o)

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Have a good weekend everyone, xo

TA-DA!!

The quilt is finished..yay! I finished the binding after supper and quickly went outside to try and get a good picture for here. The sun was setting as you can see from the shadows of the trees behind me.

I moved it out of the sun to see if I could get a better picture. Not to bad.

Let's try it over here on the neighbours fence, lol
Anyways, I am happy how it turned out and the colors seem perfect for the fall that is suddenly approaching!

Wayyy back in May I blogged about completing this lap size quilt top. It's made with Nancy Halvorsen *swoon* charm packs and some yardage for borders and those little squares( I think there is proper name for those little squares).

Well yesterday I finally basted it and started machine quilting it!! I used the walking foot and followed all the straight lines. I knew I wanted to do something for the charm squares but wasnt' sure...then an idea came to my little mind. There are little apples on alot of the blocks so I wondered..."could I machine quilt an apple on them"? (Remember I am a total newbie to all of this machine quilting but am willing to step out of my stippling comfort zone!)
I got out my new sketch pad..like I can draw..hahaha...and did a quick scribble. Definately not the greatest drawing, but a plan was in place!!

And for a lot of the blocks the plan worked!! But, I am not going to lie..there were a few bad apples in the bunch, lol and I can promise you I won't be posting any close ups of those ones! Actually two were so bad that I did rip them out and once I quilt nicer ones back on, I will be adding the binding and sitting down tonight to work on the hand binding part..yay..I just might be posting a comleted quilt picture tomorrow!!! yahooooo!!!

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We SOLD the house..now we wait for all the conditions to be met so it will be finalised. Please pray it all goes through, the stress of it all is really getting to me....ahhhh.