Decision Made and Executed

Above is my ready-to-be-quilted Christmas stitchery. I found the green outer border in a pile of large "scraps" one of my readers sent for my Seeds of Kindness quilt (remember that?). It was the perfect green. It wasn't close to the other greens in my pieced border, so I didn't "lose" any in the mix.

Below is a quilt Emily just pieced for a customer. It's called Bear Tracks. The entire thing is done in roses and greens. Not the best photo shoot. Just take my word for it...the piecing is perfect.

Off to record grocery receipts...fun, Fun, FUN!

~Joan

Framed Christmas Stitchery

Above is the stitchery with the first border. Miraculously, I was able to cut and sew those on tonight.

It is supposed to have another border outside of that. I can't find a stash print that will do. The one below is the best I can come up with right now. A nice brown plaid would be great, but I don't have one of those! I may have to go to Mary Jo's and see what I can see.

What do you think? Is the piece above sufficient without an outer border, or should I add something to finish it off?

Eagerly awaiting your suggestions.

~Joan

Christmas Stitchery Center Finished

Here is the center of the Christmas stitchery...finished! I am eager to add the borders and triangles now. Perhaps I can do part of it tonight.

~Joan, whose 3-day excruciating headache is gone!!

Progress on Christmas Stitchery

Just wanted to make a quick post showing the progress on the Christmas stitchery. This is working up so quickly. I'll have the embroidery finished in no time, I'm sure, then I can start on the piecing and quilting. What Christmas projects are YOU working on?

~Joan

Windowpane Quilt Top

This is a really big quilt top my DD, Emily, pieced for a customer. Connie (customer) likes to hand quilt, but does not piece. So we help her out ;) This pattern is called Windowpane. It was a kit I made that Connie won on eBay. I will be listing another identical kit if you're interested. There is an auction link on the sidebar of my blog (on the left).

Emily is holding up the right side. She is 5' 8" tall and has her hands above her head. The top is lying on the ground a bit, too, so that gives you an idea of how big it is. Emily also finished a Bear's Paw top yesterday. I'll post a pic of that after I take it.

~Joan

New Christmas Stitchery Project on the Horizon

I took the above picture from my new b-friend, Donna's, blog. Read her post about it here, with more pictures. I ordered the same kit, and it arrived today. Actually the "kit" is just the center. It includes the sandcastle fabric, the thread, and the star button. The words are printed on the cloth. Notice that the words form a Christmas tree shape. How clever is that? I hope to make mine just like hers with the inner border and HSTs.

Coupon alert...if you've purchased the latest "All You" magazine (which is a treasure trove of coupons), there is a $1 off Peter Pan peanut butter coupon in the center. The Food Lions here have it on sale this week for $3 for 2. With the coupon, that makes it 50 cents for an 18-ounce package. Sweet!!

~Joan

One Month Curves Report

I got a very good report today at Curves. It was scary to be re-measured. Before she started, I kept bracing myself for bad news. I don't know why. Guess it's because I was down in the dumps to begin with.

I lost 4 pounds and (drum roll, please)...7 inches!! Various measurements were taken a month ago when I started (arm, chest, waist, abdomen, hips, thigh, and calf), so the comparisons were to those original measurements. This might be too much information for some. I was so pleased with the progress thus far. I still have a l-o-n-g way to go, but was greatly encouraged with what has happened in just a month. When I weighed yesterday on the Curves scale, I had lost 7-1/2 pounds from my start weight. Weight fluctuates so much, even during the SAME day, so I did not let the small amount discourage me.

Today is also my 20th wedding anniversary.

Have a great night,

~Joan