Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve and things that occupied my time these past few months are all done. While most of my projects were completed there were a few left undone, but no fear as there is always tomorrow.  The world didn't end, so I have some extra time to work on those projects and start new one.

 

 

I found this lovely pair of carolers at a yard sale, I had to have them as they took me back to my childhood.  My Nanny lived with us and one of my favorite memories with her was to take her wax figures and attach them to a foam board. Each year the carolers, Santa's sleigh and reindeer were carefully unpacked and set up on their base, they were then lifted to the mantle where they welcomed holiday visitors.  Nan also had a wonderful Santa face that was made of a paper mache product, it was the most beautiful Santa face I have seen and it was hung above the mantle as well.. but over the years he has been lost.. and to date I have not found anything close to that wonderful decoration.

 

But back to Holiday finishes at the Coleman House

 

Our niece welcomed a little girl in November and this is the quilt I made for Miss Maddy,  Ariel chose the colors and bunny designs... so cute, and so is Miss Maddy.

 

in December

 

Peanut Brittle DONE and delivered

A family favorite

 

Getting ready to stuff the mugs

 Holiday Mugs filled, wrapped and delivered.  Mel comes in to help make the mugs, she also delivers some to her co workers at the nursing home

Gingerbread houses decorated and delivered

Mel and Kyle helped me with some of the houses. This is one I decorated for Jen and her crew.. you can tell by the Coke gummies on the roof, they are Jen's favorite. 

 

A train and station for hubby

 

 

a wedding bouquet for a friend of Mel who got married this month, I made all the flowers, cake topper and with Mel's help her cake, Mel also made cupcakes

She had a small wedding at Century Care Center, where the couple met.  Mel made sure they at least had some of the things a bride dreams about. Great Job Mel 

 

Quilts I finished for Century Care Center

Have a Heart quilt

Roses, Live, Love, Laugh quilt

Celtic Knots quilt

Holidays quilt

JBW Designs French Country Fashion

Family Quilt

Bird House #1

Bird House #2

Cupcake  theme

 

The following Redwork quilts were a rework.  One of the WOCS members made a quilt top for her grand daughter who had outgrown the design, Nancy donated the unfinished top and I took it apart and re worked it into 4 small lap quilts for the children charities we serve

a baby quilt from the same member which I finished

and a blue work quilt top that I finished.

this was the stack of mid year quilts that went out in the Holiday delivery with the December finishes.  Mel does the deliveries and she was having many medical problems so I decided that because it was so late in the year that we would wait and send these in December

 the van, loaded with all the quilts, tote bags, pillows and other items made by The World of Charity Stitching Group

Arriving at Century Care Center

Mel with her cart loaded, ready to deliver to the residents to make their holiday a little brighter.

 



 

The three boys waiting to go to their forever homes

 

 

 That all for this year, see you all in 2013

Don't forget to start the new year with a new project..

I think for my CCS project I will start another Dolly Mama while I am watching the Rose Parade

 

Happy New Year

 

 

Christmas Stockings

Quilting Lines is hosting a Christmas Stockings Hangout where bloggers are showing off their Christmas Laundry...  Stop over at Quilting Lines blog to see all the beautiful stocking that have been beautifully stitched, sewn or quilted. I will be getting inspiration for the stockings I will make next year for the grand kids.  Here are some of my past stockings that were made and stuffed..  One year I did Embroidery on quilted fabric, the below photos show mostly the felt stocking, there are a lot and YES I sewed or stitched each and every one of them.

 

http://www.quiltinglines.com/2012/12/christmas-stocking-hang-out.html

 

Quilter's Christmas Party Blog

Today is the BIG Day

 

 

Welcome to my Quilter's Christmas Party Blog

 

There are two BIG parties going on today 

 

some of my favorite Holiday Wall Hangings

 

 

Physical Party in San Diego - 

Representatives of Operation Homefront and others affiliated with this program will also be at this party to share insights on their programs. They'll be door prizes just for coming to the party too!

  Oh how I wish I could join SewCalGal at the San Diego party. Since I can not be there to share in their fun, I will do the second best and join the virtual Christmas Party.

 

Virtual Christmas Party -

We are suppose to share what we are working on this holiday season, This is one of my busy times for my Charity Group, The World of Charity Stitching Group.  I am one of the quilters for this wonderful group. 

Below are just some of the quilts that will be taken to nursing homes, Ronald McDonald House and a abused women and children's shelter in the next few weeks.  Along with these beautiful quilts will be Holiday Cards with stitched designs, tote bags filled with toys for the children or personal care items for the elderly. There is also a Santa's size bag filled to the brim with beautiful pillows, these are used to bring comfort to a senior while in therapy or to hold a child's arm as they receive treatment. Making and delivering these lovely quilts are one of my favorite Christmas Traditions.   

 

Operation Homefront

You will also notice on SewCalGal's blog there is a link to Operation Operation Homefront.

Like many Holiday Parties, both the Virtual Christmas Party and the Physical Party in San Diego will have a charity drive that will benefit various Operation Operation Homefront related projects:

1) Collecting items to go into Baby Gift Baskets that are given to women that deliver babies while their husbands are off fighting in a war,

2) Toys for a special Christmas Party for children of soldiers off fighting, and

3) Cash Donations to help with housing needs for Wounded Soldiers and other programs that help Military Families with special needs.

 

I have supported our military by making quilts for our veterans. You will notice in the photos a patriotic quilts that will go to a veteran at the nursing home.  We live in a military area with numerous bases. My husband is retired Air Force, he retired to this area where he could still work as a civilian Avionic Technician on the training planes 

 

If you want to help support our military and their families you can follow the Operation Homefront link, any donation would be appreciated.

 

So on with my works in progress, all are quilted and just waiting to have the binding tacked down and they can be delivered in time for Christmas. 

 

Hope you like the quilts

These are just some of the lovely quilts that will be delivered this year.

Thanks for stopping by

 

http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2012/11/ooodles-of-great-prizes-for-quilters.html

Quilter's Christmas Party at SewCalGal's

Christmas Party

Quilter's Christmas Party and donation drive to benefit Operation Homefront is one week away.. mark your calender for December 9 and head on over to SewCalGal's site to participate. Lots of tips, tutorials and sharing and you can win prizes too.  SewCalGal has been burning the midnight oil getting things ready for this big event... She has Lots of wonderful prizes donated by companies that quilter's know.  Plus if you donate $1.00 to Operation Homefront you will be enter into the raffle drawing, If you donate $10.00 or more you have a Golden Ticket and a chance to win one of two fantastic baskets filled with all kinds of quilting goodies... So ladies go ahead and get your entries in and tell you husbands, boyfriends,Children,Parents or your friends to enter and if they are the lucky winner think what a great gift for you they would have for you stocking...

OK  HUBBY and Family did you get my hint???? 
to make it easy here is the link to make your donation and when you do, put SewCalGal in the comment sections so they can let SewCalGal know to put a ticket in for the raffle...

operation homefront

2012 Christmas Show

2012 Christmas Show

hosted by

 

 Michele at Quilting Tutorials

 

I have a few quilts and quilted items entered in this years show

 

 

a adorable Snowman panel wall hanging

 

last years Wall Hanging from a panel, this is my favorite

 

another wall hanging from last year, made with Accuquilt Feather & Star Dies, banner is cut free hand and embroidered with Season's Greeting.

 

 

 

 

a Christmas table runner

Something special for my holiday table

 

 

Holiday Snow globes quilts

cross stitch designs by Vee and Company and stitched by members of The World of Charity Stitching Group, Quilt designed and quilted by Me. Both quilts will be donated along with 22 other quilts to a nursing home along with Tote bags and other stitched gifts.  Members also made items for a abused women and children's shelter and Ronald McDonald House.

 

Stop by

Michele at Quilting Tutorials.

to see all the Winter Theme and Christmas theme quilts

 

Black Friday

Black Friday

The Turkey was cooked and leftovers fill the fridge, today is called black Friday and so many shoppers take to the highways in the wee hours to find those special deals.  As for Me, I was up before the sun, but not to take to the roads. The Dogs decided that they wanted to partake of the black Friday madness and start their day early. They never wake my husband that early, no they just nudge me, whine and whimper when they want out. I think he pays them to leave him alone at that early hour.  But that was my Black Friday excitement, letting the dogs outside, I then curled up in hubby's recliner and dozed back off to sleep.  I could care less about waiting in long lines for that one thing that is a must have item, there is NOTHING that I want that badly to be part of the craziness that is Black Friday.  I mean really they might advertise a great sale on a big screen TV, the store has 10 in stock, and there are 100 people trying to snatch the prize, they push and shove and there is nothing that rings in the good tidings to man on this day, so I will stay home and maybe surf the web for the bargains.  I will be nice and warm, no pushing or shoving, no nasty people just me and my computer a click of the mouse and the item is mine, PLUS they will deliver to my house.. So have fun all you holiday shoppers, hope the treasures you find today is worth the effort. I also hope that this year no shopper gets hurt or killed as they shop.  OH yes it is a fact that in the past shoppers have been run over by the crowds, not to mention the road rage as they try to go from one store to another in their quest. So many accidents because people lose focus on what is really a treasure and that is the life of a human being.  So be safe this weekend as you shop till you drop.

Basket donated by Thiry One

consultant

mythirtyone.com/lizsimmons

 Christmas Craft Show
Last weekend we spent Saturday with hubby's daughter and grandchildren. We were on our Saturday quest of bargain shopping at yard sales and there were some craft shows we wanted to stop at. One Craft Show was held at the Santa Rosa Kids House which is a child advocacy center for abused and neglected children.  They had many local crafters selling their items and the Kids House also had a couple of booths to raise money for the house.  One booth we stopped had information on their gift basket party plan called Thirty One, she had samples of the beautiful cloth baskets and ideas on what she put in them.  She also had a door prize that you could enter for free, and she had a basket raffle.  Being that the raffle proceeds went to Children's House, I bought a chance for me and one for Mel. Only one ticket each as that was all the money I had in my pocket.   My luck held out and I won the raffle... it is a beautiful basket filled with Christmas kitchen items, there is a apron, towel, plate, cookbook, list pad, pen, cooking utensils and ornament, tied with a holiday bow

basket I won.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2012

This year for Thanksgiving I was thankful for family, friends and my husband who this year had many medical issues.  While it has been a year with many issues I am grateful that my husband's health is improving, it has been a long hard battle for him and he has many more battles ahead but we are happy that there is some improvement.  He has been in and out of the hospital numerous times this year, has so many doctors it gets confusing at times.  He was on disability since March, and his work laid him off in October because of his disability, he has since retired. We have managed but it gets a little rough at times, We have a roof over our head,there is food in the fridge, We ask no one for any help  so we  doing OK. We just have to watch our spending more.  

 

 As for our Christmas, things won't be the same... No lights on the house as hubby isn't able and he doesn't want me climbing the ladder to hang them. Besides all the decorations are stored in the workshop loft and you need a ladder and two strong people to get the items down, so while there won't be a tree or lights or yard decorations. We have each other and that is the best Christmas Gift for us.  

 

I am still working on the holiday quilts for my charity group, they should be done in the next week or two. Some will be going to Ronald McDonald  House, some will go to a abused women and children's shelter and since my main collection is for the nursing home there are lots of items that will be heading in that direction. There are tote bags filled with goodies, quilts, pillows and cards made be WOCS members.. Each year WOCS grows a little larger with many new members joining monthly, many themes to stitch, many quilts and sewn items to make, our members work to bring joy to others.  We also have sent quilts to more special requests this year.  The WOCS website is also growing, with many giveaways of stitching and sewing items donated by our many web sponsors.

http://www.worldofcharitystitching.blogspot.com/

 

 

Our Halloween

Update:  Our second Mama went into labor last night *11/6  and sadly she lost both puppies.

Halloween day our little pom decided that she would give us a treat.  She went into labor on the at 11pm on the 30th and at 3:30 she delivered her first puppy, two hours later she delivered two more little boys.  So needless to say I spent most of Halloween day trying to catch up on the sleep I missed the night before.  Mom and babies are all doing just fine..  Now we wait for Roxy to deliver her crew should be any day now.

Mist and Roxy waiting for the arrival of their pups. Taken Oct. 30th, Mist (the smaller pom with the white tail) went into labor shortly after this photo was taken. Roxy is due around the 7th of Nov.

Halloween puppies

3 adorable little boys

One is dressed like a ghost,

one has a black mask

 and the other one looks like someone painted his face.