Happy New Year, All!

Wow! What a year! What a month! What we week!

Glad they're over.

Spending every waking hour working or with an ailing family member. 

Finally able to work on my Some Kind of Wonderful blocks. I've been practicing appliqué for 2 months, and just finished stitching the main section of my actual block! Looks great!

I may no longer refer to appliqué as "the A word"!

Here's to wishing you and yours a safe and healthy New Year!

Cheers!

Elisa

Not Forgotten

Haven't forgotten all my blog friends. We had one family member pass away and another rushed to the Emergency room during the holidays.  It's been an exhausting few days, waiting. 

No show-n-tell on the horizon. Luckily, like most of us, I did have a small kit to grab out the door and help pass the hours.

Only wish I had prepped my Some Kind of Wonderful blocks to work on. First blocks due by Saturday, and I'm going to miss that deadline.

Take care & have a safe, healthy New Year ❤

Elisa

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Late Edition

A little late.... Internet is down again <sigh>

But, to cheer myself up, thought I'd share my promised pics from the Wayne County Holiday Light Display!

They look small but each is minimum 10 feet tall.  Click to enlarge.

Thank you, WikidKriket & Rockin' Robyn, for laughter, cocoa, and tunes!

Cheers!

Elisa

Christmas Finish - Joyeux Noel!

Finished my little wallhanging! Can't wait to gift it tomorrow!

Can't go into details - though I don't think the recipient reads my blog.  She really appreciates quilting and has a French background. Wish the photo was truer (lot brighter, in life), but it's dark when I leave in the morning and when I get home. 

I didn't skimp on the back, either- appliquéd label and quilt sleeve. Now onto my snowmen!

Cheers,

Elisa

Basting Done!

It's times like this I value my blogging buddies!  Basting on TWO projects completed using Allie Oops technique!  Basting all these years was such a labor and yet I could never get the back smooth -voila!  I have the advantage of having a full-size table to use - it's the open pins that make all the difference.  Thanks, Allie!

Now, off to do a little quilting..... a little wrapping....

Hope to share some finished projects shortly!

Stop by on Wednesday - will share some pics from the Wayne Holiday Lights display.

Cheers!
Elisa

Santa's Elves

If you could ask Santa's elves to take care of one dreaded quilting chore, what would it be? It's been a week and my snowmen STILL aren't basted. <sigh>

Basting bites.

Ok, off I go. My goal is to show you my snowmen this week.

Good cheer!

Elisa

Blue Christmas

I must admit.... I'm a little sad this Christmas.

My best friend is having a quiet Christmas in Maine.  Another confidant is facing life's issues in Pennsylvania.  A third is all the way in Boston. And my work cohort & quilt critic has moved to Utah.  So far away.


I do take comfort in my quilts, though.  My house is too small for a real tree so it's decorated with Christmas quilts & wallhangings.  Many of them in the gallery below came from my friend, Lisa, over the years.  Seeing them.... I can feel her spirit nearby.

These are only a few of my holiday quilts. Every year I have to pick and choose what goes up.  About another dozen in the cedar chest and one more in the works.


Happy Stitching!
Elisa

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Waymarking Edition

Have you been to The Henry Ford lately?  Went with the family to enjoy Holiday Nights!

Then I had a visit with the Big Guy...

And am enjoying the Michigan winter wonderland....

How're you relieving stress this season?

Cheers!

Elisa

Busy! Busy!

December is the month of birthdays in our house - 6 in a very short window.  Spending so much time with the family and ignoring these poor fellows.....

Hoping for some free time tonight!

Cheers!
Elisa

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Waymarking Edition

Friday was my annual "Sister Shopping Day" day with WikidKriket.  This year we poked around Ann Arbor, and one of our stops was at Peaceable Kingdom. 

Notice anything unusual about this picture?

Peaceable Kingdom is one of nine establishments in Ann Arbor that has a "Fairy Door" installed!

And let's not forget the local artist who had to add his two cents on the front sidewalk!

You just never know what you will see if you keep your eyes open!

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Elisa

Catalicious Embroidery!

I’m in heaven!  In case you aren’t aware, the two sweetest things in my life are Oscar and Ginger.  LOVE my pretty kitties!  Imagine my thrill when I came across the free “Catalicious” embroidery patterns on Bronwyn Hayes’ Red Brolly blog!

Meet Brutus!  There are 10 free Brutus patterns (and Bronwyn promises more in the new year) as well as some other pretty amazing patterns under her Free Patterns section.

Also, Bronwyn very generously shared 3 Christmas samplers for 2011:

• Christmas Sampler 1 - Christmas
• Christmas Sampler 2 – Santa
• Christmas Sampler 3 – House

I am a believer!

Happy Stitching!
Elisa

New Gail Pan Christmas Design!

I have to admit that Gail Pan is one of the reasons I became interested in the quilt blogging world. Last year I searched on the Internet for a free embroidered Christmas tree design, and I came across her free holiday designs from years past.

Gail is an Australian quilt designer that specializes in some really amazing redwork patterns. I've been lucky enough to purchase several this summer. Just wonderful! 

It was through her designs that I started searching out other Australian designers and, eventually, joined my International Stitch-Along group.

Today she posted her 2011 free pattern - only available on her blog through this month. Here is her photo from her post:

Make sure you save this one while you have the chance!

Happy Stitching!

Elisa

Cough - Cough - Sneeze.... Sniffle...

Boy, I've been a bad blogging friend lately!  I've lost my internet 3 times this week and have been down with a cold/cough.  Also, don't know about you, but here in Michigan it has gotten so dark and so gray so early.... very hard to get motivated.


I have started to decorate for Christmas.  I don't go overboard because I live in a very small house (my nephew calls it the "doll house"), but I have put up some of my recent projects. Thought I'd share several of them from last Christmas.  Love these little hangers by Ackfeld - Ginger has already knocked them over once!

Holiday Bells

Snow Much Fun

And, I know you've probably seen this a million times on this blog, but, once again, Snowman and Friends is up too.

Snowman and Friends

Snowman and Friends is sitting next to my Tis The Season Stitch-along quilt.  Hopefully I'll have more to show you soon - still plugging away at my new applique project.  


Happy Stitching!
Elisa