Happy New Year!

I borrowed from http://jellybeanangel2.blogspot.com/ Last year's Resolutions, she gave me the ok.

finish what I start
make more from what I already have
clear out what is not beautiful or useful
plan ahead more often
live consciously and with purpose
laugh especially when things go wrong
set a good example
appreciate what I have already

I think these resolutions will not be too stressful to try and live by for 2010. 

I wish everyone who reads this a very Happy New Year!

Favorites

I already had the ipod from last Christmas, the speakers are my present from my Daughters this year. I love them, now I can listen to my tunes while quilting and no worry when my battery will run out.

This is my other favorite this year! My DH got me this lightweight fold up handtruck to use for transporting my sewing machine and supplies to quilting classes.

Unfolded it has nice big wheels for getting over curbs and steps. I found that the sewing machine from JoAnn's just don't hold up.....mine's handle and wheels broke within the first year of use.

Yesterday I went on a road trip to The Quilted Pearl and Mary Jo's. At the Quilted Pearl's sale I purchased some $2.25 per yard fabric for a quilt backing and some batting at 25% off. At MaryJo's I Purchased some wide batik backing fabric for the Carolina Christmas Mystery quilt. We had a very fun trip had lunch out and even hit the Mall in Columbia for a little after Christmas sales shopping.

Today's mail brought these two new books to my house. But they will have to wait until I finish some UFOs before I can play with them. I am planning to make a list and take a picture of each of my UFOs so that I can begin finishing and checking them off in 2010.

Are any of you planning to make a commitment to finishing UFOs in 2010?

Tablerunners

I had time to sew today and I was in the mood for tablerunners.

So, I cut into this Christmas fabric that I got on sale just before Christmas. The top one is going to go to my Mother and the other one is for me unless I find that it needs another home.

Next I need to put my Carolina Christmas Quilt together.

This pattern is "Jingle Jolly Runner" and is available free here:

http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/

go down in the right hand margin and find "Projects", then "Jingle Jolly Runner"

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from my Family to Yours!

Carolina Christmas Blocks

I played with the Carolina Christmas Blocks, but this is as far as they will get , as I am busy baking cookies and finishing preparation for cooking dinner on Christmas Eve. Our tradition is eat a prime rib roast with yorkshire pudding and then open presents.

Between Christmas and New years I plan to work on sewing the blocks together and piece the border that Bonnie gave directions to. Now back to baking........Marj

Christmas ornaments

This is my my favorite ornament that I received as a child, as I am old it must be an antique.

The Oscar Meyer Car is a family favorite, it plays the "Oscar Meyer Hotdog song"

The Kitten and the bird are my daughter's collectable ornaments new for this year.They get one a year and will take them with when they start their own homes.

I hope that you are all enjoying yourselves this holiday season!

I will post some more quilt progress this weekend.......Marj

CPQ Chrismas Party

As usual we had a great spread of tastey food and many wonderful deserts.

Dianne's first show & tell is a fall table runner that she designed from an old JoAnn's BOM.

Then she showed us a Christmas version of the runner.

Joyce also showed us a finished table runner!

One more table runner shown by Karen. I guess all the holiday tables of the Carolina Pine Quilters will be beautifully dressed for Christmas dinner.

Karen also made this beautiful quilt for a gift. Her sister is very lucky.

Susan has been learning how to use her embroidery machine and some celtic applique techniques. These are Birth announcements for 2 new babies in her extended family born this year.

This is a quilt that she made for her Mother, from the family plaid. I bet her Mother will be speechless because it is so beautiful.

At this point my camera battery died, so you only missed about a half dozen show & tell items.

Right after the show & tell we had our Holiday gift exchange. The Chrismas Cookie Story was read and we passed our presents R & L until the end of the story and the gift you ended up holding is the one you got to take home.

This is the gift that I ended up with at the end of the story.

This huge pile of 2 1/2" strips was my thank you gift from the CPQ Guild members for being President this year. I am blown away by their generosity. Thank you to eveyone who participated this year.

Now I must get back to finishing up a couple of presents that I am working on.......Marj

Sneak peak

I have been busy getting all my decorating and shopping done, well almost....and I have been working on the mystery part 5. I have almost half of the blocks put together. This is a sneak preview of my first machine applique table mat. It's not as good as I would like it to be, but practice will help. It is for my MIL and she loves whatever I do. (she is not a computer person, so I can post it) So it's back to sewing.......Marj

Carolina Christmas

~A Quiltville Mystery~

Part 5

Well, as usual my guess was wrong. I think that Bonnie's block layouts are much better.

Yesterday I did some Christmas shopping and today I will do some sewing. The next part of the mystery is not due out until Monday so I can just do a little every day or all in one day. I might even go back and work on sme machine applique that was put on the back burnner.......more later, Marj

Mystery Part 4

Carolina Christmas

~A Quiltville Mystery!~

Part 4

I have caught up with Bonnie's mystery.....Yea!!

I am begining to wonder what the layout of the block units will be.....I have never been able to second guess her yet!

Mystery part 3 Continued...

I was able to get more of my background fabric yesterday. It was a great day to drive over to the Quilted Pearl to get it. Now I have all the squares cut for Clue 3! I am sewing like crazy to get caught up by tonight when Bonnie reveals Part 4.....I'm about 1/4 of the way there.........Marj

LQS for more background

Carolina Christmas

~A Quiltville Mystery!~

Part 3

Well, I started the day off cutting out my next part of the Mystery Quilt, while it rained outside. Found out that I am going to need more background...so off to the LQS to see if they by chance had some of the fabric that I purchased in Columbia......No, but they did have Moda scrap bags.

And they also had the fabric that matched what was in the scrap bag....got some of it & some background. I also picked up a EZ-dresden wedge ruler.

Also found a piece of striped batik to use for binding on the mystery quilt. Alas I will have to make a trip to Columbia tomorrow to see if I can get some more background fabric for the mystery quilt. If I am lucky the rain will stop by morning and they will still have some of the fabric I need........Marj

Part 2 Sewing complete!

Carolina Christmas

~A Quiltville Mystery!~

Part 2

It took me most of the afternoon, but I have finished part 2. I think that so far I am really liking my fabric choices. Now I will wait patiently for part 3.......Marj

Clue ONE done

I was up late last night, as I am a night owl......so I went over to Bonnie's blog and there was the link to the first clue to "Carolina Christmas"

I just had to start, I love to piece and with Bonnie giving instructions all I have to do is piece. It will be a lot of fun. I hope that everyone else is sewing along and shareing pictures on their blogs.

Now I am off to spend quality time with family members that have come from CA to visit, see you later.........Marj

Giveaway spotted

Giveaway spotted at Retromummy's Blog. these are brand new fabrics and can also be purchased, if you are not lucky enough to win them.

Go over to Retromummy's Blog, use the link above and good luck. I hope that I can be the winner this time, but if I don't win I hope that I at least know the winner!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who stop by. I am missing my parents, but I will be fixing Thanksgiving dinner for my Husband, daughters, MIL and SIL.

This is a picture taken this past July and it holds good memories. I am thankful that everyone is in good health, but also miss the ones that passed this year.
Hope that all of you Bloggers have a blessed day tomorrow enjoying the company of your families.........Hugs Marj

I have a Winner

The winner of the guessing game is Arlette. I also have a second winner Carolyn (she is a nonblogger).

The box contained a Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine, made in April 1954. It is even older than me which I find amazing. I had to get a few things fixed on it, but now it is as good as new. Thanks for participating in my guessing game.
Now I must get back to quilting......Marj

A Clue and a Finish

In my previous post I showed a picture of a box that I received in the mail and challanged you to guess the contents......So far no one has ventured a correct guess.....Now I must give you a clue......The box measured 12"high x 9" x 16" and the contents are something that I have dreamed of for a long time.

I finished piecing this scrappy quilt top and it passed the inspection by Grady

I think that the prize for guessing what was in my box will be a copy of this magazine and a surprise. Try another guess and I will draw a winner on Sunday and also reveal what was in the box. Good Luck!

100 blocks and a Mystery

After seeing pictures of this magazine on other blogs I picked up a copy at the grocery store. I had cut a bunch of squares out by mistake when I made my 30's quilt, and found a set of blocks that will use up the squares.

I am using left over white on white scraps and the squares that I cut by mistake to make an extra scrap quilt. I hope to get about 30 blocks out if my scraps.

This is the mystery, that arrived in the mail on Monday. I think that it would be fun to do a giveaway. I will draw a winner from the ones who guess correctly what was in this package. The winner and the Prize will be announced on Sunday. Good Luck! 

Swap Mail and Shopping

Thank you Sandy ( http://www.sandysinstitches.blogspot.com/ )

I received my Christmas Swap in the mail on Thursday. What could be better than beautiful fabric in the mail.......Fabric and chocolate! Thanks again to Sandy for the gift.

On Friday I took a road trip to Laurens, SC. I had 3 quilts that I wanted to drop off at Stitches Quilt Shop to be quilted by Betsey Dinger, their very gifted longarm quilter. I was able to schedule with her to do a quilt a month starting in January. Yea! Also they were having a SALE Nov 13th & 14th.

The shop is full of  books, patterns, and beautiful fabric.

While in the shop I ran into two of my fellow quilters, Rori and Debbie. So we had lunch together in Laurens at the Hummingbird Cafe. Then we all went to The Quilted Pearl in Columbia, SC on our way back to Aiken.

This Shop is one of my favorites, because they have a large selection of Batiks and Oriental fabrics. When we arrived they were just unpacking 24 bolts of 30's fabric. They also have a large selection of every color in the rainbow.

I got a shot of Rori, but Debbie didn't want to pose.

Instead she took a picture of me.

This is a picture of an example of the One Block Wonder, isn't it interesting?

Finally I was able to fill in the needed fabris for Bonnie Hunter's upcoming mystery Quilt. I chose the top fabric for a border to bring it all together. Now just patiently waiting for the day after Thanksgiving for the first clue............Marj