Sunday, December 23, 2012

Christmas Eve-Eve

So it is Christmas Eve- Eve as we say in our house-- anything to make it sound like Christmas is closer!  
Today I finally got to make some cookies.  The act of baking for Christmas is a key to holiday spirit for me.
These are Peanut Butter Blossoms:
We make them every year but, these below are thumbprint cookies filled with Coconut Curd and drizzled with Nutella. Recipe courtesy of my friend Mary. It was the first time I made them and while they were not as good as Mary's they were yummy.
Having tamed my kitchen goddess inclinations.... I turned back to the sewing room and made this:
 This is a Sweetwater pattern called "Mama's Spools".  I used 
V & Company's fabric line "Simply Color" put out by Moda to make it and I love it!  It is a small wallhanging- about 35" square made using fusible machine applique cut from charm squares.
 It was quick and fun.
 Last summer I made the above lap quilt from the free pattern on Moda's website using Bella Solids. Today I am flipping through the books below for quilting ideas.
I think I am going to do some freestyle doodle quilting on it based on a combination of ideas from these books. I can't wait to start it. I have wanted to play with some modern quilting ideas for a while.

Monday, December 3, 2012

What a weekend!

So I was in New Orleans all weekend with this child, participating in the Southern Regional Oireachtas of Irish Dance....
 Three out of four of her figure teams placed even earning a 1st place in a four hand and recalling in her solo competitions for the very first time, placing 40th out of over 100 of the best dancers in our region!
All the while wishing I could clone myself so I could be in two places at once because.....
THIS child was back in Texas,
 having the best swim meet he has ever had! 
Tommy earned three "A" times in one meet (raising him to "elite" level), dropped time in all his events and earned High Point for the team! Thankfully I have the best husband ever who videotaped nearly every race for me AND sent me hourly reports on how he was doing. 
My cup is overflowing, I just don't know what to say...
I was looking at the pictures that I  took over the weekend,
 and this one:
Felt like it covered my whole weekend. I took it on Decatur Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was on the sidewalk- marked "water" but there was green glitter all over it probably from a recent parade. 
Water for my swimmer and glitter for my Irish dancer.....