Fresh Sewing Day!!!!

1. pillows, 2. pillows, 3. pillows, 4. My new sewing shelves, 5. A wee pouch, 6. Scrappy Christmas ornament, 7. Some pillows, 8. Modern Scrappy Bits Swap 2, 9. Proverbial QAL

Happy December.  I made a lot of pillows this month.  Some pouches and an ornament.  I was so busy at work and so busy preparing for the craft sale that my quilts took a back seat.  I did, however, finish my Proverbial Sunshine quilt top.  I did take care of some swap obligations but the what I most excited about is the completion of the shelves my husband made for my sewing space.  He says I have to stop talking about it but they make me so happy.  Last time.  I promise.  Happy Fresh Sewing Day!  Linking up with Lynne at Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day .

Some Friday Finishes...

Christmas is a time where your work in progress list goes out the window and a bunch of new things get made instead.  A mad rush of Christmas makes.  I made a couple of pillows on the weekend.  Pillows go together quickly and I am quite pleased with the outcome.  I have this thing where I like the back of a pillow to be quite firm so I tend to look for home decor weight fabric or something like that for the pillow backs.  It doesn't always work that way but I prefer it for some reason.  I found something fun in my pile of non-quilting fabric and it was just the perfect back for these pillows.  It is a black and white tweed suit or coat weight fabric.  Envelope back.  Done like dinner.  I was going to do buttonholes but I interfaced the part of the pillow back that overlaps and the double thickness of the fabric made it quite thick and I was having to fiddle too much on the test buttonhole so I just went without.  They look just great without too and the envelope back closes nicely.  Phew!  I think that if I was in the mood, a bound buttonhole would have done the trick but I don't think I have done those since sewing class in high school!

Linking up with Amanda Jean for finish it up Friday!

I do know how to bake

I had the card ladies over for Whist the other night.  Husband made the meal but I made the dessert.  I have had to defend my ability to create things in the kitchen lately.  I don't get a lot of baking time but I do know how to do a few things.  I made an apple crisp to take to a friend's a week or so ago.  Everyone was enjoying it.  It was quite yummy.  Someone made the comment that my husband sure knows how to make an apple crisp.  I said, "Hey!  I made that."  He is a fabulous cook.  But I digress.  This is a Pear and Almond Tart.  I made it.

Enter the Smitten Kitchen.  If you do not know about the Smitten Kitchen, you need to check out her blog.  She has also just released her first book.  I found this recipe on her blog and I made it.  It had a lot of steps but I just had a feeling that it would be worth it.  The ladies were over.  We had dinner.  We played a few rounds of cards before dessert.  I took a serving of the tart down to Husband who was banished to the family room.  He took a bite and had a certain look in his eye.  I knew that look.  It meant, "Wow!  This is wonderful."  You know.  That look.  I ran back upstairs and served the tart to my card ladies.  One of my buddies took the first bite and groaned while rolling her eyes.  You know.  That sound, those eyes.

You have to try this.  It is worth it.  So good.  Pear and Almond Tart.  The Smitten Kitchen.  Heaven on a plate.

Linking up with Cindy at a Colorful Life for Random Thursday.

Work In Progress Wednesday....

Eeek!  This is the best work in progress!  My new wall of shelves in the sewing room are done and filled up! The only thing missing is the drawer handles which just arrived today.  That is why the drawers are all slightly open.  Oh, this just makes me so happy!  I have dedicated thread drawers and another drawer just for everything related to packaging, labelling and stuff.  Oh, bliss!  You will notice some fabric here but my stash is around the corner in its own space and away from direct sunlight.  Did you notice all my scrap boxes?

Okay, back to quilting.
1)  I have made no progress on my Another Star quilt and no progress on
2)  my Proverbial Sunshine quilt.  EEEK!  I have to get busy.
3)  I did make some pillows for Christmas gifts
4) And I made a little zippy pouch and a big one for a swap so I was sewing but on random fun stuff.

One more picture of my sewing space from the stairs... I have a lot of space.  Next up is a giant design wall. Husband has made design wall junior for me already which replaces the thumb tacked flannelette on the wall.  Design Wall senior will be a grand 96" by 96".  Squeal!  No more design bed or floor!!!!!

Linking up with Work in Progress Wednesday and the Needle and Thread Network!

Will you look at this?

I am putting myself through zipper boot camp.  The time has come for me to cowboy up and deal with some zippers.  How cute is the pouch?  It is tiny as you can see from the scale addition of the loonies and Mr. Stitch Ripper.  Check out the tiny cross hatch quilting too.  Just for fun.  A wee change purse I think.  

And the fabulous tutorial is here.    Erin Erickson is the lady behind the blog Dog Under My Desk.  She has some great tutorials and she is all about zippers, let me tell you.  

Here's the back.  Snazzy!

Sara at Sew Sweetness has lots to say about zippers too.  Check it out!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story!

Scrappy Swap Package Arrived!!!

Oh my goodness!!!!!  How pretty is this????  Eeek!  What a lovely pouch!  But wait... you have to see the inside!  It is pretty too.  And scrappy!

and the back is all texty goodness.  I am most happy!  Deanna aka.  Principiessa (in the flickr world) has been hard at work on this beauty.

Then came the scraps.  Mmm, yummy!  Do you see the lovely treasure sitting happily in the pile of scraps?  Deanna sent me this lovely Christmas ornament... hand painted in the Netherlands because she grew up in a very Dutch community.  Isn't it sweet?  My mother will be most jealous.  She loves Delft and blue and white!  Love it!  Thank you so much, Deanna!  Nothing like quilty mail to make your day!

You know what is really funny?  Deanna was my winner of the Anna Marie Horner bundle from the Canadian Blogathon.  Too funny!  We were destined to be scrappy partners!

Design Wall on a Sunday

I started making some pillow.  I cut a bunch of wee squares and made half square triangles.  I actually took the time to trim all the HSTs.  Seriously makes a huge difference.  These guys finished at 2.5" square after tirmming.  Then I threw the up on the wall until I had something that looked nice.  Sewed them together.  Not quite big enough so then I added another row all around a a bit of a border.  Sandwiched and ready for quilting.

I took the leftover squares and put together a plus pillow.   I added a wee border to it to bring it to the right size.  Sandwiched and ready for quilting.

These are destined for a Christmas gift so stop reading "you know who."  I don't think I am very good at keeping secrets.

And don't forget the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day is on December 3!!!!!!!!  I will have a giveaway for sure!!!!!

Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday.