HOLIDAY SEW IN!

I like to plan...I like to make events, well eventful!

As a member of Columbus Modern Quilters

I decided to organize a Holiday Sew In

at a local library for as many sewing elves as possible.

Attendees had to SIGN UP via a Google Doc

and sign up for committees, etc. 

24 sign up and 22 attended...

There were 'homemade' sweet treats made by many attendees!

I collected SWAG for the attendees that included

shopping discounts on quilting designer websites, to rulers 

and Coldwell Banker Real Estate (thanks Katy Jones)

put together a book of 10 Christmas patterns

I gathered from free on-line sources.

I made a small pincushion and thread catcher for each attendee
using my Christmas Scraps stash.
And the gift tags...cause I dabble in paper crafts too!

I lined up several demos showing holiday gifts.

Like this folded fabric ornament by Michelle Cours

A coffee mug cozy by guest quilter,  Kate Schwartz

A key chain using a snap press demo by Leigh Morgan
And we took those key chains home!

A  group in making needle minders led by Katy.
Valerie Rake Jeannie Foreman, Katy Jones, 
Angilee Beery and Ellen Carter

 A origami fabric folded tissue holder by Valerie Rake

Many participated in a quilt book/pattern swap
 for the holiday gift exchange.

There was an UGLY SWEATER contest 
with lots of very CUTE participants.
The library patrons enjoyed our fun event as much as us!

and there were a few Grinches who just enjoyed the show
and placed their votes!

The winners were...

Maggie Mandmann won the cutest sweater
...Llama Love right here!

Catina King, from Indiana, won the "most original"  sweater!

Leigh Morgan claimed the UGLIEST sweater award.

She stopped customers as she picked up our
 catered lunches from Panera!

It all wrapped up with wonderful friends old and new
and a lot of smiles!

Angilee Beery from Indiana

Cynthia Hayes, Columbus Modern

Maggie Marconi, Columbus Modern
Ellen Carter, Columbus Modern

Katy Jones, Columbus Modern

 Janet Robinson and Colleen Rains, Plaza Quilters

Barb Schofield, Columbus Modern

Valerie Rake, Columbus Modern

Ginny Lightfoot and Barb Ballard, Columbus Modern

Jeanne Foreman, Plaza Quilters

Bonnie Bizzaro and Leslie Woods, Plaza Quilters

And the best gift of the day...to me...WINE!

Thank you Leigh!

And with that, I went home, drank that wine and collapsed!

It was a LOT of work but its SEW worth it when

no one expects a non-typical sew-in!

That's just what Mrs. Claus likes!

Merry Christmas!

THANKFUL

On Thanksgiving we give thanks for our blessings.

In September a new blessing came into our family.

A great-grandson, Elijah Carter Chatman

This was their first meeting...

priceless...

Elijah, his daddy, Nique and great-grandpa Phil

I sent the quilt I made for Elijah.

I had a bug that day and declined to visit.

Wishing everyone...a

Happy Thanksgiving!

SWEET TOOTH DIVA

My Christmas Cookies have been baked and frozen for weeks.

I have to bake LOTS for family and friends.
It's the gift I give for Christmas!

The holidays are here and I am relaxed.

Here are two recipes I recently added to the 

Sweet Celebrations tab here on my blog.  

Try them out. Let me know what you think.

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This pumpkin bread has a BISQUICK base.

Add any chip you think would be good with pumpkin.

Maybe chocolate chips, what about butterscotch?

 I like the cinnamon chips.  Add nuts if you like!

The original recipe was made in bundt cake pan.

You can do that...just add about 10 minutes to baking time.

I like loaf pan...you can use any size just adjust baking time.

Use the wooden toothpick inserted in the middle...

if it comes out clean...the bread is DONE!

You can also drizzle with a glaze...

I like to serve with a soft/whipped cream cheese.

These cookies will melt in your mouth.

They have a peanut butter base...

I love JIFF peanut butter for baking.

I might be a Cookie Queen...just sayin!

A BIG AND GHASTLIE HALLOWEEN

Today is Halloween!
There's a Nightmare on Widows Peak!
A GHASTLIE creation that nearly drove me INSANE!

I am not an inexperienced quilter! 
I can follow directions!

I even joined an Instagram Group SAL
to get this DAMN quilt finished.

The Make Modern Building Blocks by Moda
was NOT a fun journey.

I kept giving up on making blocks and putting it
back on the shelf because...

The directions SUCKED!  

Pieces didn't fit together correctly!

Strips had to be added to make sections FIT!

I spent the good part of 5 years hating this quilt!
Then one day, it dawned on me...

I don't HAVE to USE the DAMN pattern.

I gave myself permission to make it "my way"
I made blocks I liked...with bigger pieces.

I fussy cut Ghastlies to the sizes needed.
This GHASTLIE NIGHTMARE 
was finally finished in 2018!

Cassandra Beaver, quilted his HUGE quilt 
with a gray Auriful thread and the

E2E design is called Malachite!

Sew take a look at some of the blocks/sections 

and the excellent quilting.

This was the monster when it was returned

 after Cassandra quilted it.

Deciding on binding fabric.

And the dots won!

Folded up and outside for a breather.

It turned out 7

Here is the back.
I had 5 yards of the original gray
 "The Ghastlies" Line from 2009.
It wasn't enough...
so I added Pink Ghastlies Forest

Finished size is 84" x 96"
374" of binding...stitched down by hand.
It is deliciously dark and a MONSTER!

I couldn't get enough pictures.
I couldn't believe it was done!

and yet...it was!

There may be a reason Alexander Henry follows my work.
There may be a reason The Ghastlies designer, Phillip De Leon 
had me send some of my work to their booth at Quilt market.
There may be a reason I am know on Instagram as
"The Ghastlies Queen"
There may be a reason I am quite Ghastlie!

CHRISTMAS SEWING

I didn't get all my Christmas in July projects completed...

but I put a great dent in them.

I make Christmas things...not because I need them,

but because I love Christmas and sewing them!

I got the Economy Blocks for this top done.

And in July I did finish the top.
I need to make the back...maybe a flannel sheet.
It will be for my hubby!

Next up was a Vintage Truck/Christmas Tree project.
I had lots of  fabric to choose from and
the modern take on this pattern had to happen.

I decided I didn't like the trees in 

the back of the truck or the trees..

Sew I drew my own tree design and round wheels.

They will be appliqued down with stitching.

A wall hanging size and it will be perfect

for my dining room which has this truck theme

at Christmas time.

Backing is made...its ready to quilt.

I had hoarded a lot of Cotton and Steel Christmas prints.
Garland and Tinsel lines.  I got this book last year and the pattern on the front 
called Snowball Games seemed perfect. 

First I made a table topper and a table runner.
Cause I was gonna use them in my guest bedroom.

Table Topper


Table Runner


Well..I changed my mind.
 I decided a friend of mine would like this
as a quilt and it will be her Christmas gift.
Sew I took things apart and made this top.

Backing is done and its ready to be quilted.
Binding will be the fun pink/purple/blue fabric
 in the backing.

I started these Modern Christmas tree blocks last year.

I did get a lot of blocks done and have some

white GRUNGE on standby for the top design.

Here are my blocks on the design wall.

Not sure I want to go this way with it.

The layout will come...when I have time to 

figure it all out.

I never got to this beauty.
WHITE CHRISTMAS fabrics by Zen Chic

Mainly because I can't decide which Zen Chic pattern 
to use.  Perhaps I will combine both and make my own version.

Well that's a project for next year.

All in all...I am way ahead of the Christmas Sewing.
I am organizing a Holiday Sew In on Nov 2
for  the Columbus Modern Quilters.
Maybe a few of these will be ready to bind!

Have you started on your Holiday Sewing?