Home from Atlanta, but still holiday busy!  Here I am running two full days behind on WOW.  I thought I would share a pic of our Christmas tree this week, since I have spent absolutely NO time on sewing.  On the right hand side, toward to back of the pic, you can see the entrance to my sewing room.  Across the back of that room, I have a triple sliding door.  Lots of wonderful light in there!  Someday, when I clean up the sewing room, I will share more pics of it.  I am really spoiled!

I am thinking about some New Years resolutions..... the usual " I want to lose 10 pounds" of course, but then I am resolving that I simply must finish a bunch of UFOs.  I have at least 3 large quilt tops that are screaming to be basted and quilted.  Actually, I am afraid to check the closet to count them, because there are probably  more than 3!

So, I resolve to start only ONE project until I have caught up with these orphan quilts, and that project will be Esther's new mystery BOM, which is scheduled to start on February 15.  I know it is applique, and I love hand applique, so it should slow me down enough to get my act together!  I will still do the samples for our quilt shop too.  I am about half quilted on the one I am currently working on and will post a picture of it in a couple of days.  I do have today and tomorrow to spend on that project so I hope to accomplish a lot.  We leave on the 8th for a 7 day cruise, and I really hope to be able to finish it, bind it, and deliver it to the shop by the 7th.

Off to work on that project.  I wish everyone a very Happy and healthy New Year!

Here is the quilt that I designed for a Christmas challenge using EQ7.  I learned a lot about the software, including how to convert it to a jpeg file so that I could share it here.  I do intend to make this quilt! 

I am having trouble getting this blog to cooperate with me today.  The top picture is a wallhanging that I made about 5 years ago, my first and last attempt at watercolor quilts.  I do like it though, it is one of several Christmas quilts, including an embroidered lap quilt.  The table runner under the wreath quilt is cutwork and embroidery that I did last year.  I didn't think to take a picture of it by itself, but I hope you can see a bit of it in this one.

I have spent most of this week working on a large quilt for our local quilt shop.  I make samples for the shop, although this is the first really large one that I have done.  It is 82 by 82.  I dont have a picture to share this week, but I will try to get one for next weeks WOW.

We are off to Atlanta first thing in the morning for a visit with my daughter and her family.  She has my youngest grandchild who is 6.  I can't think of anything more fun than Christmas with a 6 year old! Off now to pack the gifts.  I wish everyone a wonderful holiday! 

Hearts Desire

Here it is, the final picture of my completed Hearts Desire.  Not sure what I plan to do with it, so I will store it for now.  I plan to take it to my next guild meeting in mid-January for show and tell. 

I am up to date with my progress on Peaceful Pathways, waiting for the next installment.  I just purchased some quilting designs for my EQ7 software and I am planning to use it for quilting on it. 

I am still obsessed with learning EQ7.  Sometimes I get so frustrated that I need to walk away from it for a while, but I sure am learning a lot about it. 

Todays project is working on preparing some applique pieces for a hand applique that I have started.  This isn't my favorite thing to do, but it is a necessary part of the hand applique that I love to do. 

I still need to spend a couple of days doing some Christmas shopping....maybe tomorrow. 

Part 4 is completed

Here is my Peaceful Pathways with the 20 Lovers Knot blocks finally attached.  I am so happy with it. 

Now the next WIP is my Hearts Desire binding.  I can't believe that it has had the binding on it for at least 3 weeks and I haven't found the time to stitch it down.  The binding and thread are black, which makes it hard for my aging eyes to work on it in the evening.  So now with PP up to date, I will set aside some daylight hours to get it finished up.  I absolutely must get some of these projects under control before starting anything else.

We have had a couple of very busy weeks here,so not much sewing progress has been made.  Here are some pics of my Peaceful Pathways, I have 16 of my lovers knot blocks completed. 

I will be on my own for the next couple of weeks, John has to be in Tacoma.  So I am hoping that I will have lots of sewing time while he is gone.  It shouldn't take too much time to complete my last 4 blocks.  They are cut out and just waiting for me to get to them. 

I have been spending a lot of time on the computer.  I have joined a Yahoo group for EQ7 users and I am determined to learn the software.  I just received an order for quilting designs for EQ7.  I need to practice my free motion quilting skills.  I love quilts that are heavily quilted, but I always have a hard time deciding on the quilt designs to use.  With these two packs of add-ons for EQ7 I have over 1000 new quilt designs.  Will that help?  Or confuse me even more?  Time will tell!

Hearts Desire is finished..... well, mostly finished.  It has a couple of things in it that I need to pull out and redo, and it doesn't have the binding on it yet.  I plan to make the binding today, and maybe get it onto the quilt, but the hand finishing will need to wait a couple of weeks.  Company coming this weekend, and then Thanksgiving, so I will not have time to do the handwork.  But I am very happy with this quilt.  I loved making it and doing so much hand applique.  Thank you Esther!  Your designs are beautiful!

Wednesday again

As a quilter, I am used to getting a piece of fabric and cutting it into little pieces to sew back together again.  I bought this fabric to make placemats and napkins for my dil for Christmas.  I was so taken by this beautiful fabric that I was quite unable to cut it up.  So I made up some yards of a mini piping in a lavendar color to match her dining room walls, and then fussy cut a coordinating stripe for each side and for the napkins.  I am very happy with the results and I know that she will love them.  It took a couple of days to make up 8 sets, but the work was worth it.  One Christmas gift done! 

All other projects are currently on hold.  I am up to date with Peaceful Pathways, waiting for installment #4.  I have most of Hearts Desire quilted, just have to decide how to quilt the borders.  With a bit of cooler weather, we have been doing some long needed gardening, but I will get back to the sewing machine in a few days.