Christmas Charm is Finished!!

Christmas Charm Quilt

I just finished the binding on the Christmas Charm Quilt!  Another quilt on my goal list is completed.  I didn't finish a lot of my quilts, mostly because Will's stocking took a tremendous amount of time.  Plus this new love of mine, Genealogy takes a lot of time also. 
So here is my quilt.  I like it.  I'll let it hang for a few days before putting it away for next Christmas. 

Updates on Man Cave & Quilting

Walls are almost done!

 Mr. B. had five days off for Christmas last week and on Wednesday, Thursday and part of Friday he worked on his "Man Cave".   He made good progress and all the four walls are covered, except for maybe a little area by the floor.  Here is the latest picture.  It is surprising how much time it takes to measure and cut those boards to fit. 



My Moon Santa


After I finished the Believe or Moon Santa for my blog give away on Christmas morning, I started on my copy.  I still have some embroidery to do finish and trim to add.  The machine applique is all completed.









Christmas Charm quilt waiting to be basted.

 While looking and updating some of my side bar boxes the other day I realized that the Christmas Charm quilt was one of my goals to finish for this years, so I took it off the design wall and added the two side borders and the bottom triangle.  It is now spread out on my cutting table and ready to base.  I am going to work on this as soon as I finish my blog posts. 

Christmas 2010

Yes it is a tree of skulls.

Our Christmas Celebration started on Wednesday evening with our daughter Kierra and her husband Will.  Will works nights and had to work both the Eve and Christmas Day.  So they came to our home on Wednesday and we went to dinner and ice cream.  After that we came back to the house and opened gifts.  I had fun picking out their fun Halloween stuff that they use all year round. 

Will was amazed that I had done every stitch on his stocking by hand.  Such a good young man, he knew the right things to say.  Kierra was a little disappointed this Will's stocking is a little smaller than everyone else's but loved all the red it had in it. 

Shortly after the boys arrived we had Breakfast Casseroles for Brunch.  Kierra was running late so we ate without her.  We were very hungry by 1100AM.  The one on the right is an Amish Breakfast, I found the recipe on line at AllRecipes.com.  It was a hit.  I also made the Baked Stuff French Toast Recipe, I made last year but I halved the recipe.  When we finished it Sunday morning my husband asked if there was more.  Maybe next year I'll half of the Amish Breakfast and make the full French toast.  I like having both but we don't need two full ones. 



Everyone working on the flat tire



I didn't take a lot of pictures this year.  I was just enjoying each moment and forgot about the camera.  We did have a little excitement.  Kierra's tire on her truck sprung a leak and her tire was all flat.  Here they are airing the tire up, so we can roll it down to the flat street.  We were glad it happened here and not while she was driving.  After the tire was fixed the kids went to see other family member and Richard and I just hung out!  I sewed of course.

We had a very nice Christmas and it was a lot of fun this year as a family. 

Blogiversary Give Away Update

About 9 AM this morning, Christmas, I put the final stitches in the binding.  Applied the label and took some pictures.  It will be in the mail tomorrow to the winner, Colleen.

Here is a close up of his face.

Here is the label!

I decided Moon Santa should reside over Christmas here at my home for the day.  Why should he send this great day in a mailing envelope. 

I have to go make brunch for the whole family that are coming shortly!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish all my blog friends

and readers a wonderful Christmas!

My graphics disappeared????

So I will a picture of our tree!!

Blogiversary Give Away: There is a winner!

Well tonight I finished the quilting and sewed on the binding by machine.  I still have to finish the binding by hand on the back.  I decided tonight was a good night to end the give-away.  So I went to my favorite random number generator and entered the numbers between 1 and 18.  The winning number was 4.


The winning number!


This number belonged to Colleen in NC of Lucky Duck Dreams Blog.  She has a very nice blog, go check it out.   Congratulations Colleen.  I sent her an email and will send her the wall hanging when the binding is finished.  I am sorry she won't have it for Christmas.   

I have decided for next year I have to start earlier, so I am not trying to do a give away and Christmas at the same time. 

Thanks to all you entered my give away and have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Blogiversary Give Away Update

I made more progress last night and to night.

Next step is to sandwich it

and quilt it tomorrow!

Blogiversary Give Away Update

Believe!

Just so you can see I am making progress!  Here is the hand embroidered Believe that goes under the Moon Santa!

Blogiversary Wall Hanging

Moon Santa all Appliqued

The applique has been added, I used 3 different metallic threads on the Moon Santa or Believe.  I like Moon Santa better it reminds me of a song, I can almost have the tune and words in my head, something abut a moon bean. 

Any way I have decided to extend the give away.  Until I finish the wall hanging.  I know those of you who have been waiting patiently for me to pick your name today will be disappointed but I just feel like running it longer.  And since it isn't finished yet, you have to wait for me to finish it before it is in your hot little hands. 

So if you haven't entered yet, you still have time. 

See the post here for the rules. 

Good Luck!

Give Away Wallhanging



Believe



I have started the Give Away Wall Hanging!

Here is the link to the give Away Rules.

Good Luck!!

Multiple Updates



Birds



I have been very busy with Thanksgiving and making scrapbook pages of my mother's life.  I'll save sharing those to another day and for my Genealogy Blog.  And having my blog give away.  Thanks to all those who have joined in the fun already.



Angel



For the last two weeks I have been working on a new Christmas wall hanging, and not the Moon Santa.  I might get to him today. 

 The pattern I am working on is called Christmas Charm by Mount Redoubt Designs.  I couldn't get their link to work this morning to add it to the post. 



Snowman

 There are 4 big blocks and two small blocks.  At first I was only going to fuse the pieces down and then I just had to machine applique them down.  The machine applique makes it looks more finished and give the blocks more dimension. 



Tree

 I have three blocks completely done and a fourth started.  I still need to make a Santa & Holly.  

Yes I am using some of my favorite type of fabric, Batiks.  Some of these are actually Christmas.

It will be charming when done. 

I have started decorating for Christmas, the curtains are up one quilt is up.  My youngest son is moving out today, so I can put the recliner in his room, so I can put the tree up. 

Things on the shelf

Mr. B. is making progress in the man cave and has moved all his small tools to the shelf.  He has more wood on the ceiling and the space really came in handy for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Blogiversary

It was two years ago today that I started my blog.  That year November 27th was Thanksgiving Day.  It has been a fun adventure.  I have made new friends, have had a lot of fun, learn a few things and have been a real ham showing off all my quilts and projects. 



Give away Wall hanging 2010



I have decided to repeat my quilt give away again this year.  It took me awhile to decide on what I was going to make.  Of course just like last year it is not made yet, it isn't even started.  But I feel ready good because  yesterday afternoon I finally decided what I would make.  I have been thinking of things and shooting them down as fast as I could think them up.  I had settled on one idea but it just didn't feel right. 

Yesterday I was looking at this pattern to make for myself and thought, this is what I should make for my blog give away.  The best part is I have enough of the special fabric for the moon and the night sky background to make two.  One for a lucky winner and one for me.  After all I did buy the pattern to make for me. Like I need another Christmas quilt like I need a hole in the head but I just love Christmas quilts.

Anyway, here are the rules:

Look at the list of give away activities below and decide how many activities you want to do. Then add up the points after you've done them, and then email me the information below to enter this give away. Your name is entered for leaving a comment and for each  point you earn I'll place your name in the drawing for the little quilt. That gives you up to four chances to win.

Copy & Paste this information in your email to enter this giveaway.

Then send your email to me at mebowden at cox dot net.


My Name is:

My Email is:

My Blog Address is:
I completed the following requirements:
I have _______ points.


Point Actives:


One point for leaving a comment on this post. So even if you don't have a blog you can do this, but you will need a Google account to leave a comment.
One point for creating a post on your blog and linking to my giveaway.
One point for being or becoming a follower on my blog or if you are one.
Giving you a total of 3 points, for each point earned you have a chance to win the wall hanging. 
So may the best person win.
The give away will END on Saturday, December 11th at Midnight.
I will then pick a WINNER on Sunday December 12th in the early afternoon.

Thanksgiving 2010

The Living Room crowd

We hard a marvelous day yesterday and sure we had plenty to eat.  We decided to do Thanksgiving here at my house instead of my Sister-in-Law, Judy's home.  Of the possible 40 guest I could have had I had 18.  Those that couldn't come because of other commitments and sickness where missed by the rest of us.

We pull out of the gargage two banquet tables to fit everyone at a table.  I only purchased one paper table cloth that my Mr. B. thought was less than ideal.  He thought they should be all cloth, funny guy!  I might have to find some fall fabric on sale and make another one. 


Dinning room group



My plan was to take photos as everyone came in, but their hands were all full of food, so I cancelled that idea. I don't like to stop visiting to take pictures but if you don't stop you don't have pictures.  So I stopped eating to take a few shots.  The first shot of the living room crowd they all hide their faces.  I didn't make them post nice, but I didn't want them hiding either.  I should have taken this one from a different angel so I could have Kierra our daughter in the photo.   



The Man Cave group



We even pressed the man cave into service and had a table there.   Isn't our great niece a little cutie, and holding her own with all those boys.  I think the paper cloth looks just fine.  We borrowed the folding chairs from church in case you are wondering do I really have that many chairs.  

Everyone had a nice time, but couldn't stay long to visit since they all had other dinners and families to visit.  That is why we eat at 1230. 

Click Here and Here to read about my memories from Thanksgiving past. 

Man Cave Update

One wall finished and a shelve added.

Mr. B. has been making some progress on the "Man Cave".  Last weekend he finished the insulation and today he finished one wall.  He was going to use dry wall and then decided it is only a shop after all so now he is using wood,  3/8" plywood. 






View from the door.

 Here is a view from the door, it is the South wall that has been completed.  Part of the ceiling just over his shelves is also covered. 







Yes it is level!



Here is the level that is on the lower shelve, that bubble is right in the middle!

Mr. B. has a five day weekend for Thanksgiving so he will be making more progress during that time. 

A week of Finishes!

Mystical Horses finished 11.14.2010

 I like it when I can say it is finished and I can hang it on the wall.  Here are the pictures for proof. 
After almost three years it is finished.  I designed it in 2007, maybe earlier in EQ6.  I started sewing it in Aug of 2007.  I had this beautiful Laurel Burch fabric and didn't want to cut the large prints so I came up with this design. 
Now it is on my wall hanging in the place of honor in my home.  I am doing the happy dance here!



All Done



Here is Be Thankful also done and on the wall for Thanksgiving.

Great Niece Holly

I do other things besides quilting, like take my great niece out to lunch for her birthday, she is now 12. She really enjoyed having her first Birthday lunch with Aunt Mary. I have taken her two older sisters out for a lot of years, now it is her turn. We came back to my house and she had fun taking the eggs out of our chicken coop.

Happy Birthday James

Later in the afternoon we went to Holly's nephew's first birthday party, here he is with his first cake.  He was a blue man by the time he finished. 

Be Thankful

Be Thankful

Well I have made good progress on my Be Thankful wall hanging.  All I have left to do is to sew on the binding.  I machine appliqued all the pieces down.  It was suppose to be with black for a folk art look, but I don't like that look and I matched all the colors.

I don't like how the pumpkin is laying, it isn't totally flat.  I didn't fuse the whole thing down, only parts because I didn't want it thick with fusing.  I don't think anyone will notice and if they do and they make a smart comment, that can't be true friends!