Christmas 2020

 Here we are...almost to the end of the year! Can you believe it? 

Al and I enjoyed a relaxing Christmas with just our girls (and families). Michigan is under restrictions ...no restaurants or bars are open. We didn't visit with any other family. My brothers we at their house in the U.P., my dad was alone at his place downstate, my sister was with her family downstate and all of Al's siblings were at their homes. Just a very quiet holiday. 

We were lucky enough to have a nice dumping of snow just before the holidays started...a good 8". I just love having a white Christmas. Al doesn't agree with me but he hates shoveling and snowblowing. 

When Lisa came up she brought her annual gingerbread "house". Every year she improves upon the year before.  This year she made two AT-ATs (from Star Wars) for her nephews. They were adorable.... Well, as adorable as is possible for attack vehicles! 

She tied ropes (licorice) around their legs, which is how the good guys toppled them in the movie.

Isn't she talented?!! 

Henry was so happy to see that the gingerbread structure for this year was this. 

Our tradition is to break the structure open, starting with the youngest. Charlie gave one a good smack with a wooden hammer, crushing in the side and then Henry delivered a fatal blow to the other.  Lisa had lots of surprises and candies hidden inside. 

This was a new gingerbread cookie recipe that Lisa tried out and it was really tasty. The boys gobbled it up, and a bunch of candy too, until Jenn put a stop to that!😂 

They weren't the only ones with too many treats. I made a bunch of cookies and a coffee cake (which Lisa decorated for me). 

I KNOW I put on a few pounds with this holiday😣 

So now it's just Al and I here in the house. 

He's back to working on finishing the basement off (including my sewing room!) 

And I'm working on my thimble quilt. I haven't touched it in a week or so. I'd REALLY love to get it done by the end of the year but that's not happening. So I'll work on it and finish it in the beginning of the new year. 

I didnt accomplish anywhere near what I hoped to this year but still, I had finishes. And that's a good thing in this horrible, crazy year. 

And...I'm back to sewing

Maybe it's a cold weather thing but my sewjo is back. And so is winter! We just had 6" dumped on us! It's beautiful and cold and it makes me want to curl up in a nice warm quilt by the fire...but also to sew!

I added a few more rows so my Thimble Quilt about 31 rows long now.

All the scrap fabrics were cut into thimble shapes so I just need to sew...just keep sewing...just keep sewing (reminds me of Dory in the Finding Nemo movie)

When I finally have the last row on, I know there will be leftover thimble pieces. Do I make a second quilt like this? Or do I give them away? I considered that but it's such a specific template... Maybe I'll do a few mug rugs. Those are always fun to have and to give. 

Here's the entrance to my backyard...a bit of snow, you say? 😂 Yes! It is! But that's why I love living in northern Michigan. It's alway so beautiful and the weather is always changing.  

 

Reading, working, cooking but no sewing

I ran out of sew mojo today. It's been a hectic week with babysitting the grandboys, working on the basement and cooking up a storm. 

Restaurants and bars are closed here in Michigan for another week so I've been cooking and cooking. We could have done some carryout but by time it gets home it's cold or soggy or dry. It's just easier to cook all our meals at home.

So besides cooking and baking, I'm painting ceilings and Al is doing trim. The sewing room has walls and doors. It has trim around the windows and maybe shelves in the closet by now (his current project).

 I'm taking a break to read a bit from my this novel. It's different, can't really say if I like it yet.

Yesterday I did some cleaning and decorating for the holidays. Usually I enjoy decorating but this year...I'm just not feeling it. I'll probably just do the minimal... like the tree and the table. I put a few lights outside because the grandkids love them. 

So back to quilting...i have NO urge to sew today. I debated bringing out my sewing machine and doing one row on my thimble quilt but decided to wait till tomorrow. Maybe I'll feel like it then.

For now, I'm just going to read.

Scrap quilts are my favorite

I have to say, I'm truly enjoying this process...creating this scrap quilt. This started as a way of cleaning up my stash, my scraps, my strips ...but this scrappy thimble quilt has become a daily therapy. It's my escape for an hour or so to just doing mindless sewing. I grab a bunch of pre-cut thimble pieces out of the tin I keep them in and start piecing. There's no "right" way to match them. I just make sure there's some contrast between the two pieces but other than that, no rules.

Today was super busy...we had the grandboys so I didn't get to sew AT ALL. 

So tomorrow I'll be making up for that and sew up 2 rows to add to the 27 rows done so far.

There's ONE fabric that has driven me crazy and I really wish I hadn't used it.

Look at the picture below...

See the red one in the center. It has those white lines, which look like threads. You wouldn't believe how many time I've plucked at those "threads" to pick them off the quilt top. 

And you would think I'd learn but NOPE, I keep doing it. 😂

So, would you like to make a scrappy quilt similar to this one? Go for it! I put off starting this thimble quilt for a long time and WHY? When you have a closest full of half started quilts like me, you might feel some guilt BUT you shouldn't. Quilting is our hobby and relaxation, right? So create! 

I'm working on 3 quilts at once right now. Everyday I try to do one row on the thimble quilt and after that I do a bit on one of my other projects. There are days I want to sew for hours and then days I don't pull out my machine at all. My hobby, my rules😉 

I'm thinking of starting something else new tomorrow after I make my 2 rows. What, you ask? Well...I need a Christmas tablerunner. No idea what kind...I'll probably look on Pinterest for ideas.