David Archuleta - Christmas Every Day (Official Video)

Table runners for Christmas

 

I am working on table runners for Christmas gifts.  Three all together. The time factor isn't slowing as I sew the final stitching. So it is going to be a race. 

                                      Sew and Tell

                                       NTT

                                      Midweek Makers

                                      Put Your Foot Down

                                     Finished or not Friday

                                      Design wall Monday

Busy as a Bee

 I have been trying to get all my projects completed before the big day. One that doesn't need to be finished by December 25th is this baby quilt. 

I just fell in love with this panel. The baby is due any day now, so it will be ready for delivery.

                                       Sew and Tell

                                       NTT

                                      Midweek Makers

                                      Put Your Foot Down

                                     Finished or not Friday

                                      Design wall Monday

What's your word

  

For the last several years I've seen bloggers post their one word for the coming year. It's been an interesting concept, one that takes the place of a New Year's resolution. I tried doing it a couple of times. The problem was, I'm not sure I followed through. What's really funny is I can't even remember what those words were.

So tell me, do you have a new word for 2025? Has your one word encouraged you to fulfill your goals in 2024? I'd like to hear how your one word for 2024 motivated you throughout the year. And then share with us your new one word for 2025.

One year my word was KINDNESS. And I would like to use that one again this year.

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of KINDNESS is on her tongue."

Proverbs 31:26

Okay, your turn! What's your one word?

Snowman Candy Bars

 Every year I love to post this project because it think it's SO cute and clever!

 I make these for the children of friends.  They are fun and easy.  There is a Hershey bar wrapped under the snowman.  I still think this is one of the cutest little gifties for someone whether they are young or old :-)

You can find a link for the template HERE.
(p.s. be sure to turn the template to the Landscape position before printing)

Happy Christmas Quilting!

                                       Sew and Tell

                                       NTT

                                      Midweek Makers

                                      Put Your Foot Down

                                     Finished or not Friday

                                      Design wall Monday

Happy Thanksgiving

                                   

So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart.
~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

Cozy up

I've made these little tissue cozies for several years. They make a nice quick gifty for an acquaintance or just a little extra in a Christmas gift basket.

woo-hoo Christmas fabric -

The pattern came from   Kim - she has a great tutorial on how to make these.

I have a friend whose daughter is a huge Gator fan. She is coming down from Atlanta to visit her Mom and then heading to Gainesville for the game. With two of these :-)

Happy Quilting!

                                       Sew and Tell

                                       NTT

                                      Midweek Makers

                                      Put Your Foot Dow

                                     Finished or not Friday

                                      Design wall Monday

Scrape busting patterns

If you would like to do some Scrap busting, check out these websites for some free patterns.

                         Scrap Happy: More Than 50 Fabric Scraps & Remnant Ideas

Fat Quarter Fun

Plus -

 Free Patterns

50 Reusable Grocery Bag patterns

 

Happy Quilting!

Apple Dip

Apples appear to be in abundance right now, so it's a perfect time to make Apple Dip.

1 8 oz package Cream Cheese (soften at room temp)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup 10x Powdered Sugar
2 T Vanilla
1/3 cup crushed Salted Peanuts

Blend first 4 ingredients together til smooth.  Add peanuts.

Simple recipe.

Simply delicious!

Create, Bake and Grow

Saturday Sparks

Fabric finds

In our travels we often stop in antique shops along the way. It is interesting that I find fabric in these shops. I found these on our last trip.

Nearly every shop we stopped in had some fabric. $4.50 to $5 a yard. There were also lots of quilting books. So don't be afraid to check out an antique shop. You might be surprised at the treasures a quilter can find. 

Happy quilting!

Sew and Tell

Birdhouse Quilts

 Birdhouse Quilts 

A great place to stop if you are traveling on Interstate 75. Located in Byron GA, just a stone throw off the interstate. 

Every time we travel that way, we make a point of stopping.  Such a lovely shop. And the nicest people. Large selection of fabric, patterns and panels. I was looking for a panel to make for a girl at church who is expecting a baby. I don't know her very well, so I thought I would make a simple gift.  The shop also has a large selection of sale fabric.

If you ever head south, you need to stop in and enjoy this wonderful quilt shop.

Happy Quilting.

Summerville is the place to be

 Someone suggested we go to the quilt shop in Summerville, but it was 30 minutes away from where we were staying in Charleston.  My hubby decided we should go, and I am so glad we did.

This very unassuming shop took me by surprise. I actually told me hubby to wait in the car. "I won't be long" I said.  Two minutes later I came back out and told him to park the car and come in. "I am going to be here a while."

This sweet shop had everything. 

It was a long narrow shop with lots of rooms filled with inspiration.

People, Places and Quits was as charming as it sounds. The owner was just a dear and was so fun to talk with. She has owned the shop for 36 years. The building was originally a hardware store. And through the years she has expanded the shop. You would be so delighted to find yourself there.

A Charleston quilt with Charleston fabric.

If you are ever near this area, you must make a trip and visit. 

Charleston Quilt shop

 Five Eighth Seams in Charleston SC sounded like a cool shop to visit.

They had plenty of fabric but many of the lines I was not familiar with.

They did have a large selection of mark down fabric. 20, 30, 40% off. The staff was very friendly which is always a good sign. 

Isn't it fun to find new quilt shops when you travel?

Quilters travels

 Over the last several weeks we have been traveling. It is always fun to find new quilt shops along the way.

The shop in Cary North Carolina was an absolute delight. Lots of fabric, samples to give inspiration and very friendly staff.

If you are ever in the area, I would definitely recommend stopping in the Cary Quilting Company. You will find lots of inspiration there.

The Perfect Rom-Com

 

The Perfect Rom Com written by Melissa Ferguson is a charming romance story about an aspiring author looking to publish her first novel. Jack, the agent who passes on Byrony's book, promises to publish her book if she ghostwrites for a best selling author.

It's a complicated strangers turned lovers story with the humor we have come to expect from Melissa Ferguson. The side characters added charm and interest. This is a fun quick clean read. 

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Time change

 

Cloaked in Beauty

 Cloaked in Beauty is the third retelling of fairy tales by Karen Witemeyer. 

Letty Hood is in hiding. For fifteen years. Her uncle has had a plan to do away with Letty so he can control the company Letty's father had built. But Letty grandmother took her away when she was five, to a safe place. Now as she is approaching her twenty first birthday, she will inherit her late fathers fortune and her uncle is getting desperate. 

Pinkerton agent Phillip Carmichael has been hired to find Letty and bring her home. She turns out to be different than he expected an heiress to be.

This is a lovely story, told as only Karen Witemeyer can.  Beautiful and unforgettable. A story about love, sacrifice, trust and forgiveness. A clean wholesome story that can be read as a stand alone. This is definitely a must read if you enjoy a good story. I love how Witemeyer weaves how God is working in their lives. All in all it's a beautiful well written story. What we have come to expect from Ms. Witemeyer.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Welcome November

 

Happy to be quiltng

 I've been quilting the lap quilts every night. Nothing fancy, just straight line quilting. 

I also thought that some should be guy type of quilts. So I am putting this one together.

I am thinking about tying them too. Someone suggested that some people in nursing homes may have dementia and they like to touch things. And I thought the ribbon ties might be good.

I hope you are having a wonderful week. We are still looking at lots of debris from the storms. It is pretty depressing but I know it will all be cleaned up in time.

Happy Quilting.

                                      Sew and Tell

                                       NTT

                                      Midweek Makers

                                      Put Your Foot Dow

                                     Finished or not Friday

                                      Design wall Monday

Best blueberry muffins

 Recently I bought blueberries that were very bitter to the taste. I did not want to just throw them away so I went in search of a muffin recipe. And boy did I find a winner.

This is all that was left from a dozen of Our Favorite Easy Blueberry Muffin recipe. My berries were very large, so they overflowed in the batter. But oh, my, were they ever good. And the recipe is really easy.

https://www.inspiredtaste.net/18982/our-favorite-easy-blueberry-muffin-recipe/

So give them a try. I think you will like these delicious muffins.

 

Create, Bake and Grow

Saturday Sparks

Quilting with a purpose

 Getting back into quilting and sewing has brought a little bit of distraction. 

I made five more pillowcases and delivered all of them yesterday to the quilt shop.

I have also started quilting the lap quilts for the nursing homes. 

Three done with just the binding left to do. Little by little I'm working on them.

We are still experiencing the ravages of Hurricane Milton. So much debris in the streets waiting to be picked up. I think most people are back to normal activities, unless there is still flooding in their area. The lakes are pretty high but seem to be receding. 

But for now I am looking on the bright side. It feels good to be back to quilting with a purpose. Thanks again for staying in touch.

                                      Sew and Tell

                                       NTT

                                      Midweek Makers

                                      Put Your Foot Dow

                                     Finished or not Friday

                                      Design wall Monday