Repairs

I am not a fan of doing repairs but some times, they have to get done.

This is a small wall hanging I made in 2010 as a napkin challenge that a blogger had. I liked it a lot but gave it to my middle daughter Maili.

She gave it back to me just after Christmas because little Teemu decided to play with the little beads that held the snowflakes on. The snowflakes were in a baggie and it didn't take long to re-attach them with some extra beads I had.

I did other repairs but they weren't as pretty as this. I still have to hem three skirts but I think I will put a quilt together first. It's a lap size kit that was given to me and I plan on donating it to those that have lost everything in Australia due to the fires.

Merry Christmas - again

We are celebrating our family Christmas today. That means breakfast of porridge, pancakes (the Finnish kind and maybe potato pancakes too), pulla (Finnish coffee braid) and coffee/tea before the presents get opened. 

This takes a bit of time.

The littlest ones need a nap and so some go home for a break and others stay and nap at our house. Then, later, it's turkey with dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, lanttulaatikko (rutabega casserole) and some vegetarian dishes Dessert is apple pie and whatever someone else decides to bring or homemade cookies.

Merry Christmas

I hope you get to spend today with family and/or friends.

Have a very Merry Christmas!!

My own Frosty

I'm not all that obsessive about collecting things for Christmas - like Santas. I do have some but I'm not a collector.

This snowman was given to us one year along with a gift basket. He extends so that he stands taller but we usually just keep him short.

Not snowmen but these polar bears are so cute. My daughter and I saw them in Zellers (a now defunct department store) and we were both going to buy one. She talked me out of it and then, ended up giving me hers. They are not always sitting properly. Sometimes they topple so I try to put them somewhere the little ones can't play with them.

Decorating for the little ones

We have two of these long, wire garlands. One is wrapped around the railing going upstairs and usually has the stockings hung on them.

The other one is wound around the railing going down to the basement. This year, I thought it would be nice for the school-aged grandchildren to decorate them. They hung a few but for some reason, they weren't that interested so I finished it off. I like to have something low so that the littlest ones can see them and enjoy them. These are all non-breakable. Some are made of wood and others are just soft, fabric ornaments.

A Whole Lot of Baking

I'm finished for now.

I made two batches of Chinese Almond cookies.

Two batches of Oatmeal cookies. 

Two batches of Swedish Butterballs made with finely chopped pecans and

one batch of a new cookie - Cardamom Ginger.

They were drop cookies and since not every one likes candied ginger, one batch was enough.

I bought three of these containers for my three Toronto families who all live close by. Hopefully, they last all year long so I can get them back to refill them next year. I got tired of using cookie tins. They started to show their age and were getting rusty.

What I didn't give away to my family went into these cookie jars. There are some almond cookies and cardamom ginger cookies and oatmeal cookies but only nine Swedish butterballs left. The favourites are the oatmeal. They are soft and melt in your mouth. 

My gift

I'm not all that keen on poinsettias but I do feel it isn't Christmas unless I have one. I saw this in a local grocery store and it was a small one in a four inch pot. Just right for me.

Both the Bromeliad and the Amaryllis were purchased at another grocery store. I really should plant the Amaryllis. I bought these as a gift to me. 

Decorating and collections

Lots of red and white.

 Ziggy Santa and a Garfield angel.

Coca Cola drinking polar bear.

Three Santas all together.

Snowmen, a penguin and a couple of trees.

Santa with his list, my birdie Santa and a trio of polar bears.

The Christmas Star is up in the hallway. I wonder how many people will notice?

I'll just show you a few ornaments. This one was made by my eldest daughter Laila.

I wish she would make more but she's busy with two little boys who take up a lot of her time.

 Many, many years ago, a member of our guild taught us how to make these folded ribbon Christmas pine cones.

I don't remember how to make them anymore (I'm sure there are you tube videos out there) but I do remember that they take a lot of little sequin pins.

Before grandchildren came along, I would get my children and their significant others an ornament each year.

Both of these obviously belong to Eric. One day he can take them and put them on his own tree.

I have several cross stitch ornaments I should be making. 

Maybe I'll start making one for each of the grandchildren...

I leave you with this collection. I honestly didn't know I had this many stuffies that could hang (I know that the first one isn't but the rest are non-breakable.) I thought that the little ones would get a kick out of these. If they get pulled off, that's fine.

Cookies are made. They were so easy and if I run out, I can always make another batch.

Today is cleaning day.

Something for a little boy and something for me

I have this pattern. I like it because it can take the place of a stocking.

I made this for my grandson Luc.

Years ago I made the two stockings on the right. I used upholstery samples that my friend gave me and I tea dyed some fun fur for the cuffs.

 This is the snowman fabric I am using to make a Christmas mitt for ...

 Luc's brother Patric.

Before I left this little guy to come home, he stood up on his own for the very first time. I was the first one to witness it. I had been reading a story to Patric and Luc, sitting on the floor, leaning against Patric's crib. Patric was just sitting beside me and as I turned my head, this little guy had used the crib rails to pull himself up to a standing position. Apparently, he does it quite regularly now.

 This little fellow is a chocolate moose. Not just any chocolate moose but...

he's a chocolate marshmallow Peep. Not as good, in my opinion, as regular vanilla marshmallow, but I love moose so I had to get these. 

I also bought more of the gingerbread man Peeps too. Tucked away, just for me.

This week I'm linking up with The Needle and Thread Network and with Esther's blog.
Go and be inspired.

Christmas Quilt Along - October

First off, my apologies for the lateness of this post. We are switching internet carriers and it is taking a couple of hours today to change over. I was totally without the internet for awhile there.

Anyway, this will be a quick post because of that and the fact that it is our Thanksgiving weekend and since the family dinner is tomorrow, I am trying to prepare as much as I can today - along with last minute shopping for items we forgot to get last night.

  This is the beginning of a sock, knitted flat. It’s not a useable sock, it’s for decoration purposes. I saw this pattern on Red Heart yarns newsletter and it sparked an idea. My eldest daughter wants a quilted advent calendar – the one with 25 small, three inch, paper pieced squares. I know it will take me a long time to make those but in the meantime, I thought I could knit 25 socks and little Luc could have fun hanging them up (I bought mini clothespins) on a crocheted clothesline in December. A sock advent calendar.

 Here’s how many I have so far. They are my evening work sitting in front of the TV. 

I have two separate sets of needles on the go so that I could switch it up. They don’t take all that long to make but I am hoping to get all 25 done in a different worsted weight colour. I don’t know if I have that many different coloured yarns. I keep looking in the bags in the closet. I do have a Value Village down the street from me so I guess I could check to see what they have to offer once I see how far I’ve gotten.

And now I'm off to get those errands done and then I shall have to work my Christmas Quilt Along project. If I have time, I shall write another post so you can see my progress, but if not, you'll know why I am busy. Family time.

I'm linking up with Joanna who is this month's  Christmas QAL hostess. Pop on over to see what the others are up to.

Christmas Quilt Along - September

Well, it's here, the second full weekend of the month and it's time for the Christmas QAL. This month is being hosted by Hazel over at Hazel's Quilts. Go on over for a visit to see what everyone is up to this month on their Christmas projects.

 I have been diligently cutting and sewing some fabric for my Christmas Present table runner. For those of you who haven't been here before, it's a free pattern over here at Connecting Threads. I'm just making my runner a bit shorter since the challenge had a stipulation whereby the whole project couldn't be more than 96" in perimeter.

 And here's where I'm at right now. I have a bit of a ways to go but I still have a couple months left to finish it.

 In case you haven't visited in a while, I have completed this Christmas star. It was a UFO for several years and I finally decided that it was time to get it finished and it is now totally complete with label and a hanging sleeve.

So, now I will link up with Hazel for the Christmas QAL.

W.I.P.Wednesday

Once again I am taking part in the works in progress Wednesday at Needle and Thread Network. Click on the link and visit the other needleworkers who are taking part.

 This is now off the frame and I have to get the binding done - along with the label and a hanging sleeve.

My eldest daughter Laila put it together and started quilting the tree in gold thread (sorry for the poor quality photo.) The gold thread is not an easy thing to quilt with because it keeps shredding. She gave up the quilting because she didn't really have the time to devote to it and handed it to me to finish. I put it on the frame either at the end of October or beginning of November. 

The pattern is from The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. It was one of their Mystery Mailouts several years ago. I took this photo to show the quilting of the empty spaces - I put holly leaves in there. Quilts on the frame aren't usually basted first but since this was Laila's quilt, she started quilting it in a hoop. I suppose she has seen me make enough quilts to remember what to do. I think she did a wonderful job with both the piecing and the embroidery. She even changed the border - adding a black with metallic instead of the original which was to be a red and off-white plaid. I have the exact same quilt but it is still in pieces. This one has given me the desire to finish mine.

Gifts

For ME from dear friends.

I forgot to show you what my quilting buddy Judy got me. We exchange birthday and Christmas gifts. Her birthday is in September and mine is in October. Judy lives an hour and a half away and there have been times when we haven't been able to get together so we exchange both Christmas and birthday gifts at the same time.

This is a wall hanging kit. It's so cute. We both have cats. At one time Judy had five but now she just has one - along with a gecko/gekko (it's spelled both ways.) I can't remember what all I got for Judy but one of the things was a paper-pieced kit that made two mini leaf quilts.

Thursday night was the last meeting of the Champagne quilters since Ann will be leaving for Florida to spend Christmas with her son, daughter-in-law and only grandchild this coming week. So, we had our little Christmas party and exchanged gifts.

 This is what I got. The chocolates and BodyWorks trio came from Marg (as did the napkin that they want me to use as inspiration.) The four fat quarters and box of shortbread came from Ann. Ann always makes shortbread at Christmas and we always get some. I usually have to hide them or else there aren't any left when Christmas comes - and it isn't me who eats them. Aren't those fat quarters cute? Marg got a set of green ones since it is her favourite colour. She said she has to think of something to make now.

And here's a close-up of the fabrics. Kiddy prints - so I can make something for the little one that's due in April... I gotta find a great pattern to showcase these. Got any suggestions?