Winner!

Sorry for announcing this late....the winner of 1 set of cookbooks is Tiny from Tiny's Hobbyhoekje!!

Congrats Tiny!!!

Hope everyone has had  very wonderful Christmas!!

Give Away!!! Give Away!!!

Hello all my blogging friends!!

I am very excited to share with you this wonderful giveaway!! Michele over at the Quilting Gallery is sponsoring this giveaway! Thank you so much Michele!!!

So here is what you can win...not one, but two lucky winners will be drawn for this!!!  Up for grabs are the amazing Quilters Cookbooks!!! Two lucky winners will win both editions of these wonderful cookbooks.  Wow, Volume 1 has 119 recipes, and Volume 2 has 135 recipes, that is a total of 254 tasty recipes to try.  Both of the cookbooks are downloadable PDF files so delivery is quick :)

Also, in these wonderful cookbooks are beautiful quilts and stories behind them!!

So lets get on to the details about how to enter!!

Drawing for the prizes will be made Thursday December 23rd in the evening.  For entries to be valid I will need an email address or a way to contact you. You can be entered in 4 times for the draw.  Please leave a comment for each entry

1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas food item (Mine has to be Grandma's Christmas Pudding...yummy)

2.  Hop over to the Quilting Gallery, take a look around, and tell me what you like ( I personally like to see all the quilts for the weekly challenges...such talent and inspiration!)

3. Leave a comment letting me know if you already follow my blog or are a new follower.

4. Blog about this wonderful giveaway on your blog, come back, let me know and leave me a link :)

Hope everyone has fun, and thank you for stopping by!!

Also, a big Thank You to Michele at the Quilting Gallery for sponsoring this give away :)

Night all :)

Its almost Christmas time!! And go to the Quilting Gallery for these!!

Wow, 6 more sleeps and Santa comes!!!

I have not been posting as of late as I have been super busy sewing and getting things ready for Christmas!! The wee ones are getting really really excited for Christmas. They have sent in letters to Santa, and have received one back, and waiting for the other one. They also received an email video letter from Santa...this was amazing and their wee faces were magical. You can look here if you are interested in a video letter.

So, as I was saying I have been busy sewing, this is what I have managed to get done so far....7 candle mats, my youngest daughters first quilt (just need the binding), my husbands wall hanging (the one that I have been working on for over a year....just need some embellishments and binding), a bag, some nighties, PJ pants, hair clip holders, hair clips, and some sock monkey's....phew I  think that is it...going to get these finished up and then enjoy the holidays with the family!

I would like to do some holiday baking and make some keepsake ornaments with the kids that they can give to grandparents and great grandparents.  I still have to take pictures of all of these so I can post, but the pictures I would like to do all at once!

Now here is some exciting news!! Michele over at the Quilting Gallery  has the Quilters Cookbooks ready. There are 2 editions you can purchase:
the 2009 edition:

 "The theme for the first edition (2009) is "Quick and easy recipes, so we can get back to quilting!".

It contains 119 recipes, 76 photos of gorgeous quilts and the real life stories behind them. View the List of Recipes [PDF] and one of the recipes from the Cookbook, my Nana's Chocolate Balls [PDF]." 

and the 2010 edition:

The theme for the second edition (2010) is "Holiday Traditions".
It contains 135 recipes, most with heart-warming family stories, 72 photos of gorgeous quilts and the real life stories behind them. View the List of Recipes [PDF] and one of the recipes from the Cookbook, my family's famous Cheese Ball [PDF].

The cookbooks are downloadable PDF files, so no waiting for the mail person to deliver the book!!!

And while you are ordering your book form Michele at the Quilting Gallery, go and take a look at the Party Michele is having celebrating the 3rd anniversary of the Quilting Gallery! There are amazing prizes...all of them are amazing!! Congrats Michele on 3 years!!!!

quick little update!

Well after a wee break and a chance to refocus, I figured out how I was going to fix things to the candle mats would work. I did try "stretching" the fabric to make it fit and then starching it rather well. It did work, however, I still knew that it was not the best I could have done. So I added another strip. Cut it 1", so once it was sewn in with the 1/4 seams, it would fill that 1/2" I was out.

Well this worked perfectly!!! I managed to get all 7 mats completed (tops anyway) and this weekend I will quilt them. I am still deciding if I am going to bind them or just pillowcase turn them.  I do really like the looks of binding, but I also have a quilt for my daughter to make, and finish my husbands wall hanging (which will have a good deal of hand stitching), and a few bags to make. And yes I need all of this for Christmas.

On the bright side all the projects are easy....now if my 3 sweet wee ones would be oh so nice to let me get things done, things would go much faster!!  But I can not pass up all those sweet cuddles and smiles and hugs!!

I will get the camera out tomorrow I hope to get some pictures taken!!

Night all!

oh no...1/2 inch opps!!!!

This year I chose to make some more of those wonderful candle mats for some family members.  They were perfect, quick, easy, elegant, useful...just what I was really looking for. So I picked up all the supplies I needed to make a few of them. Then I began the assembly line of steps to make them. I am almost at the end, and WHAM...the borders are all 1/2 inch off....on all of them!!!

I am so frustrated with myself...guess that is what happens when you mainly work late at night with only a wee bit of sleep and days full of 3 active children....sigh.

I am not sure if it was my cutting that was off, or my seams but I do know that sadly this project is taking me much longer than anticipated....sigh....that darn 1/2 inch :(

The Christmas Tree!

Last week we set up the Christmas Tree and then it was a couple of days later that we decorated the Christmas Tree. The tree is decorated with all hand colored ornaments that the kids made. I just love it! They also decorated the tree from top to bottom (with some help from me). And over all I must say they did a fantastic job!! I did have to move a few ornaments around but overall not to many at all!

The kids were full of smiles and they really did have a really great time. I had to go out and get a star for the top of the tree though. In previous years, we have used an Angel. BUT this year the kids have been watching Dora's Christmas Carol, and in it Swiper swipes the Christmas star from the tree. So the kids informed me that we needed a Christmas star! So, I ensured that they got their wish!!

We have 3 children, and so we put the Star on 3 times...lol. We had the wee on "help" as it is her first Christmas...and that is what we had planned all along, that she would do that star as the other 2 were decorating the tree. Well, there were tears from the other 2, so we decided to let everyone help!

The wee miss adding an ornament. First Christmas for her!!

K getting an ornament ready to hang on the tree

Little mister hanging an ornament higher in the tree with help

K showing one of the ornaments. We wrote on the back of all the ornaments, who colored it and the date :)

K hanging an ornament higher up in the tree

Wee little miss helping put the star on the tree with daddy's help

K putting the star on the Tree with daddy's help

Little mister putting the star on the tree with daddy's help

The finished Tree, and the 3 wee ones!! Oh how I love this pic!

Ahhhh was great memories that have already been created this year!! Looking forward to making many more!!

I am back!!

For the last little while I have seemed to have lost my motivation. Things were taking me much longer to do, I was tired.  It just seemed like the to do list was growing and growing, yet nothing was getting done. Well, that is over :) I have been on a roll lately....and it feels GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

I have managed to rearrange the living room, which also resulted in a good thorough cleaning, I have set up the Christmas Tree (will be decorating it Thursday evening with the kids), getting some baking done AND have gotten some prep work done for sewing projects....WOOOOooooHOoooooo!!!!!!!  I have more prep work that needs to be done for some more projects but I managed to get fabric cut or 7 items to be made....and what a relief that is!  Hopefully this weekend I will be able to go to my moms (without all the kids) and get full day of sewing in....ohhhh how wonderful that would be :)

The other day I received a wonderful package in the mail,  it was the candle mat from my secret partner.  Oh is it  ever FABULOUS!! The colors, the quilting, just everything about it!!! And also in the package was a pillow pincushion...absolutely AMAZING!  I had the package opened for maybe 2 minutes and my daughter grabbed the candle mat and tried to claim it as a blanket for herself, and my son took the pillow. They LOVE them too :) Sadly, I have not taken pictures of these gorgeous items yet, but I will tomorrow and post a picture for you all to see :)

Well I am off to rest a wee bit before bed, but just wanted to say 32 more sleeps till Christmas....Yippee!!!!!! I am so so excited!!!

In the mail!

I while back I signed up to participate in a candle mat swap, hosted by Michele at the Quilting Gallery and Sandi Andersen. Well, Monday it went into the mail. This little beauty is going across the sea to the Netherlands. I sure hope my partner likes it!!

front view of the Candle Mat

Closer view of the border

border and corners

This was the fabric that I used for the back of the mat!

I found this mat to go together very quickly and the finished size is 15"x15".  I showed it to my family, and there were a few subtle requests made of how that would look amazing in their homes :) Think there will be a few more of these made!!

ahhhh that time of year :(

Well, I believe the flu bug has decided to take residence on our home :( My youngest has had a fever and been sick, and the twins have been off and rather irritable as well.  Needless to say I really did not get anything done today. However, I did get lots and lots of cuddles from all 3 little ones (and those are the best).

My son found his sock monkey on his chair at the table for breakfast this morning. I was lying in bed (hubby got up with the kids) and all I heard was..."MY SOCK MONKEY!!!!!!!!! Mommy finished my sock monkey!!" The sound of pure excitement and happiness was truly wonderful! I am so happy that my children really enjoy homemade items!! Oh how I love them to bits!

Well, here is to hoping that this mommy is able to get some sleep tonight and all 3 little ones wake up feeling much much better!!!

Well I started something....

Yesterday I posted a picture of a sock monkey that my daughter and I made. I think it turned out rather well for a very first trial run. Well, she was over the moon happy with this monkey. It has gone everywhere with her since it was completed!

Well, my son  wanted one so we went and picked out a pair of socks that he liked and then the continual question began..."can we make my monkey mom" which with him became "mom can you make my monkey?" We agreed that we would work on it today. Well he remembered and wanted to start on his monkey before he even had his breakfast.  We finally came to an agreement and started working on his monkey. Sadly, we did not finish it before we had to go out. We got home late so the kids went right to bed, but I however, pulled out the thread and needle and finished up this little monkey. He is now sitting on the chair waiting for my son to see him in the morning! I am so excited to see his reaction!! Oh how I love the young age of surprise and happiness :)

Now that 2 of the kids have a monkey, I do think that a 3rd one will need to be made in the very near future...and I have the perfect socks already waiting to come to life :)

Tomorrow, I am debating packing up my sewing machines, fabric and all pertinent gear/supplies and fabric and heading to my moms. I am thinking of having a full day of uninterrupted sewing! Oh how fun will that be...and it is such a treat to get so much accomplished in such a short amount of time!! Guess I will have to wait and see what the morning brings!

Christine!

Some more pics...and a new project!

So as promised here are some more pictures!

Here are the kids during Halloween!

My little Ninja....Hi-Yaa!!

My little ladybug...her first Halloween

My little Tinkerbell blowing a kiss :)

Little Ladybug standing

So every year for Christmas I try to make a bunch of Christmas gifts for the family. I like to make them, to me it keeps the true meaning going, and I truly enjoy it! Up to this point every Christmas, the items I have made have been well received so it brings me such enjoyment seeing the reactions of people enjoying home made items!

One item I had thought of making, my daughter and I did a trial run today...we made a sock monkey!! Kaylee helped every step of the way and had a great time doing it! However, the sample has already been claimed. Kaylee has already adopted it (this little monkey was adopted before we were even 1/2 done...lol)

For a first attempt, the monkey turned out rather well. I learned some tricks, and have come up with better ways to finish it off.  My son has already picked out socks for his monkey...which is now on the to do list for tomorrow :)

Here is the first one!!

To begin with we just had large sequins for the eyes, and then we glued little googly eyes on top.  I think I am going to try embroidery eyes next time and see how that turns out :)

Well, now time to go and make a candle mat. I have about a week to get it done before I need to send it off to my partner :)  And then, I think a few more of them will be made for some Christmas gifts!!

Have a good night all!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Amy over at Amy's Creative Side is hosting a Bloggers Quilt Festival!

I thought I would enter this quilt.

First Quilt I ever made

I made this quilt about 2 years ago and it was my very first quilt. I made it for my daughter.  My daughter has this on her bed and uses it every night. Once she outgrows the toddler size bed, she will need a bigger quilt as this is a perfect size for her bed right now!

Thank you Amy for hosting this event!