LaVieEnRosie

Pod people?

The theories abound.

She's been buried under a mountain of fabric in her sewing room. 

Sort of.  But not exactly.

She's finished her sewing/work room and she's so happy about it that she just sits there staring at its wonderfulness.

Uh... no.  NOT!  I wish. 

Nicole suggested that I'd been taken over by the folks at Williams-Sonoma like a pod person.

Kind of... but not completely.   

The truth is that I've been in hiding... I live in constant fear of being exposed.  Exploited for entertainment value!  Too many people have seen the evidence of my long-kept, deep, dark secrets and now I am being forced to live with drapes drawn, windows sealed and aliases considered.  But more on that in a moment...

Can I wish you a belated Merry Christmas? 

I hope that everyone had a safe, happy, joyous, memorable, wonderful, peaceful, restful, whatever-you-wanted-hoped-it-would-be Christmas.

 
Mine was all of the above. 

My brother was here for Christmas which made my Mom very happy.  No accidents, incidents or anything exciting to report.  Whew!  Nicole and her family had enough of those for everyone.  Just a lovely couple of days visiting, relaxing, laughing and letting my brother "fix" my computer.  (He's very tech-savvy and while nothing was actually "broken", things are working better.) 

I did work a crazy pre-Christmas schedule at Williams-Sonoma.  In the ten days or so before Christmas, I think I had one day off.  And seriously, I'm way too old to spend six straight hours on my feet, running to and fro, climbing stairs, lifting heavy bins off the belt from the storeroom.  Trying to be cheerful for six hours is the hardest part... really, I'm just a big old grump in disguise.  I spend most of my shift on "recovery".  I've teased my managers that this is just their way of keeping me away from the customers lest I tell them that I don't like Peppermint Bark or the Snickerdoodle Quick Bread mix.   

For those of you who questioned this from the last post, I will tell you that I wore this every day...

Most years, the recognition level runs about 50-50.  Meaning, about 50 percent of the people who see it know what it means.  This year, it was about 10-90... as in, only one in ten knew what it meant.  I am taking that to mean that we were all very tired this year.   

It always makes me laugh how many people will say "No L?  No L?  I don't get it.  What does the L stand for?  What do you have against L's?" 

Since Christmas, I have been trying to get my sewing/work room finished... or at least, ready.  I just want to get it where there is enough stuff put away and off the tables so that I can actually start working in there.  It's taken longer than I thought it would but then really... what nitwit thought doing a project like this in between Thanksgiving and Christmas was a good idea?

Probably the same nitwit who is now living in fear of being the focus of a special joint episode of "Intervention" and "Hoarders". 

For those of you who aren't familiar with the A & E television series... Intervention is a series in which people confront their darkest demons and seek a route to redemption... it profiles people whose compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis... And Hoarders is about people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of personal crisis.

I am not on the verge of a personal crisis.  I just have too much fabric. 

There.  I said it.  I have more fabric than I could sew if I lived to be 847 years old.  At least, I did.  I still have way too much but I've been clearing it out, finding good homes for the excess.  (And yes, there has been a lot of that.)  There are still pieces that I don't know if I'll ever sew but still can't bear to part with.  And kits.  And blocks of the month.  And fat quarter bundles.  Oy vey...

I promise to show some pictures when it's finished.  Or ready.  Or presentable.  The funny thing is, as soon as I actually start working in there ~ finished or not! ~ the room will be a huge mess again!  This is what I will tell you now ~ IKEA.  The Container Store.  Target.  Lots and lots of wire baskets ~ I have a compulsion about those.  (But shhhh... don't tell the Intervention folks.  It's an addiction I can live with.)

See you tomorrow ~ it's Tuffet Day!

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

I used to think I could sing. 

You know what I mean.  We can all sing.  That isn't the relevant issue.  Only a few of us sing well.  Or well enough that someone else might actually want to listen for a moment. 

When I was not-yet-a-teenager, I loved playing the soundtrack albums from The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Camelot and others, singing along loudly and proudly.  Especially the loudly part.  Until the day when my dreams of musical glory were crushed... my Mom suggested that I really should consider learning to play a musical instrument.  And here I thought Julie and I were in perfect harmony. 

Singing isn't the point here but when I started thinking about "my favorite things"... that got me thinking about the song... Julie Andrews... soundtracks... singing and so on.

Have you ever noticed that I'm a stream-of-consciousness kind of girl?

Of course you have...

But back to My Favorite Things... or some of them.  The recent ones. 

That's the subject du jour.

Random thoughts.

I do those well.

Perhaps too well sometimes...

While doing some Christmas shopping and getting ready for the holidays, I got to thinking about some of the things that have caught my fancy of late.  And I thought I would share...

'Tis the season... and that means I get to pull out this...

I bought my button in 1993.  With just two weeks left until Christmas, it's time to put it on my apron at work.  It's tradition!

While out and about earlier this week, I was in a local bookstore that always has cool, funky stuff that makes for great stocking stuffers... like stuff by these people ~ KnockKnock.

I wish I had the nerve to actually use this...

 
I didn't get one of these but I found several notepads by this company that will be in stockings or under the Christmas tree.  They just make me chuckle.

So does Laurie Simpson. 

Minick & Simpson.  Gorgeous fabrics... beautiful quilts... amazing hooked rugs ~ those girls. 

I love Laurie's sense of humor.  She's really funny.  Wickedly funny.  Slyly, quietly funny.  She and Polly write funny, sweet, lovely posts on their blog but Laurie does one thing that always makes me laugh. 

Have you ever noticed the tags she puts on posts?

In no particular order, here is a sampling of some of her recent tags...

• House-training and other fun stuff
• Techno-idiot
• Otto the Wonder Dog
• Geek Squad
• Chillin'
• Exhausted ~ after Market
• Shame and Degradation ~ when she wrote about her first quilt
• Pain and Suffering ~ about the Tigers
• Broken Heart ~ also about the Tigers
• Retirement Options
• Quilting Miracle
• Ridiculous Questions ~ e.g. "when did Laurie and Polly meet?"
• I Got Nothing
• No Ideas At All

Laurie's tags are like the cherry on top of a sundae.  Thank you, Laurie.  You Michigan-girls do cherries well.

And make sure you stop by and see the very cute new Simpson ~ Gibby! 

Speaking of sundaes... while in Spring Green for the retreat, several ladies walked over to Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream for a mid-afternoon treat.  When someone read the "nutritional information" on the cup, I made sure to get a cup for a souvenir.  Here's what the cup says...

Nutritional Information:  Don't even ask.  This is the best ice cream made in Wisconsin, and it tastes so good because it has gobs of rich Wisconsin cream, tons of real ingredients for boat-loads of luscious flavors.  That means it's not low-fat, low-calorie or low-anything, and that's why everyone loves it.  You want nutrition, eat carrots.

Yippee Skippee?  Peanut butter ice cream, salted caramel ripple with chunks of brownies and chocolate covered pretzels?  My favorite?  Banana ice cream with peanut butter ripple and liquid chocolate chips... it's called "Fat Elvis".  I love these people! 

Etsy. 

I really love Etsy.  What's not to love?

If you've been hanging around for awhile, you already know that I love the pintoppers from Pinks and Needles aka Gigi Minor. 

 
Shhhh... this is going to be in somebody's Christmas present. 

Did you know that Gigi is starting a Pintopper of the Month Club next year?  I think this means I won't have to go looking for trouble, it will find me... several times a year. 

While clicking around late one evening, I found Sunshine & Ravioli.  

I had to have some of these...

And a package of these...

Now I just have to figure out whom I like well enough to include this on their package... hmmm.

Signs.  Cosmic signs.  Metaphorical signs.  Actual signs.  I love signs!

Next time you find yourself at a McDonald's drive thru, check to see if they still have the sign that reads "We have braille menus."  That always makes me laugh... though it does beg the question "if you need a braille menu, why are you in the drive-thru lane?"

This is another one of my all-time favorites...

 
Hehehe... I do love Texas.

I really do like signs, they're especially nice for decorating.  I am thinking about getting this one from Castle & Cottage Vintage Signs.  The signs are handpainted by Paula Small.  Aren't they beautiful?

With a little more than ten days until Christmas, it's still anybody's guess whether we're going to get the rest of the decorations up... and whether my "sewing room" will still be occupying other parts of the house.  The room is still "a work in progress".  The floor is taking a little longer than expected, we think that's because the part that's next to the window is reacting differently with the sunlight.  And can you believe I completely forgot about lighting?  Duh!

It isn't that I forgot... it's just that I realized I had a good opportunity to do something better.  I had lighting before but it can best be described as "adequate".  I deserve more than that!  My aging eyes need more than that!  So the electrician is coming next week before I start moving things back in. 

I'm really looking forward to that "long winter's nap" that Clement Moore wrote about.

Until later...

Wisconsin... Part 2

You do know that I was teasing about filling up the whole car with my purchases, right?

I just filled up the trunk.

I'm kidding!

I did shop but I didn't buy enough to fill a car or a trunk... not even close.  It was a very big trunk. 

Again!  I'm kidding!  I did fill and send a medium-sized box from a FedEx place in Madison on Tuesday morning and then I shipped another medium-sized box from Spring Green on Saturday afternoon.  Oh... and there was the box that Lisa shipped from Menasha.  That was medium-sized too.  By shipping everything I bought my bag only weighed 48.5 lbs. at the airport!

But that's getting ahead of things...

I arrived back at Country Sampler on Tuesday afternoon.  After stopping by the shop to see what time we needed to return, I headed over to the Hill Street Bed & Breakfast to check in.

The turret in the upper left corner ~ that was my room.  Kelly ~ the proprietess ~ is a sweetheart and a wonderful hostess.  She made a delectable breakfast for us every morning and she tempted us with coffee, tea and sweets when we returned every evening.  It was ~ IS! ~ a lovely place to stay. 

When we gathered at the shop on Tuesday evening, Jeanne had snacks, drinks and sweets for everyone while she welcomed us to Boxwood & Berries and outlined the coming days' events. 

 
Do you see the gray-green building behind the store in the far left of the picture?  That's the new schoolroom.  This event was the maiden voyage for the schoolroom and we christened it well! 

A quick FYI ~ if you're going to be in Spring Green, call ahead and see if the 2nd Story is available for a retreat or a sleepover.  It's a lovely "apartment" above the shop ~ those four windows above the shop are the windows in the living room area of the 2nd Story.  There are three bedrooms and lots of space for sewing and stitching.

This is the schoolroom ~ this picture was taken Wednesday night... I sort of forgot to take it any earlier.  Oops.

 
The first class started Wednesday morning at 9:00 am ~ though the schoolroom opened at 8:00 am for a lovely Continental breakfast. 

Waiting at each seat was a primitive toolbox tied with greenery and a red ribbon, and filled with a linen apron and a couple of brown-paper packages tied with string.  :::hanging head:::  I was so excited about opening my goodies that I didn't think to take a picture of it until after... please forgive me, I'll try not to do it again.

This is what the box looked like though...

Our first project was a Book of Days from Maggie Bonanomi.  (Hi Maggie!  Cranberry jelly from a can is right and good!  The rings from the can are what make it so special!  You didn't do anything wrong, you raised those girls exactly right!)

 
The whole book is made by hand.  The front and back covers are wool applique and the pages are hand-bound using gauze, cardstock and all sorts of wonderful embellishments. 

This is my finished book. 

Okay, this is Maggie's finished book.  I've finished the wool applique on both covers but with the ceiling and all the renovations, can I get an extension on finishing my project?  It is going to be seriously wonderful when it's done though.

All of these ladies finished their books by lunch. 

 
(Not really but I told them that I would tell you they did.)

These are the lovely ladies who put up with me for four days ~ they're trying to figure out how to change tables without hurting my feelings.  That's Linda on the left with her hair in a knot, and that's Kathy facing the camera.  Edie is in the center of the picture in the beige sweater with her back to the camera and Becky is sitting next to her.  If you've ever heard horror stories about folks not being friendly to strangers in a class, then these four ladies weren't there.  They're all sweethearts ~ as is the lovely lady whose head you can see right behind Becky, she's in the stripe sweater.  That's Julie!  She's from Indiana and she's got Labs!  But I would have liked her anyway.  

Jeanne had a local tea shop come in for a tea-tasting on Wednesday afternoon and then we had a very fun-filled pizza dinner at a local restaurant.  The truth is, we were incredibly well-fed for the entire retreat.  Continental breakfast every morning, tasty sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch and then dinner on top of all that!   

Thursday morning brought Stacy Nash of Stacy Nash Primitives ~ she's an incredibly talented cross-stitcher and cross-stitch designer.  This is what awaited us...

 
More brown-paper packages tied up with string...

Yes, I cross-stitch!  Okay, it's been awhile but I have done it and I know how!  Of course, my eyes were better then.

Since it had been awhile, I decided to start small and start with an ornament... which I've finished, thank you very much! 

It loved seeing the dedicated cross-stitchers go to work.  They quickly got out their Olfa lights and magnifying glasses and went to work.  One incredibly skilled cross-stitcher finished her sampler by that evening and several others were finished by Saturday afternoon.  Their work is amazing ~ and incredibly inspiring.  I've got the itch again.

This is what the finished sewing box will look like with the sampler attached ~ and this is Stacy's...

 
I would show you a picture of Stacy but she managed to disappear every time I took out the camera.  I have been a fan of her work for several years and I think I was looking forward to her class the most.  Even though I haven't cross-stitched in a few years, I have several of Stacy's pinkeep patterns.  I love how she ages her stitchery and she has some of the most wonderful little "finishing" embellishments for her sewing rolls and pinkeeps, and I was dying to know how she stuffed her pincushions with sawdust. 

If this has piqued your curiosity too, Stacy is planning to do some tutorials in the coming months on her website and/or blog showing how she ages things with walnut dye and how she stuffs her pinkeeps.   

After a terrific Chicken Artichoke Casserole dinner on Thursday night, we made boxwood wreaths with fresh boxwood that Stacy brought with her from Illinois.  (Yes, it's the same recipe I posted some months back.  The recipe originally comes from Lynette Jensen of Thimbleberries and I was introduced to it by Jeanne a few years ago.  It is one of my favorites.)

I loved this project!  No matter how much boxwood you chose to use, the wreaths turned out beautifully.  

On Friday morning, it was Maggie's turn to babysit us again.  She brought sticks to make sure everyone behaved!

Instead we used them to make feather trees...

I loved this project too. 

And since I know you'll ask ~ the Acorn Penny Rug is one of Maggie's designs, I think it is exclusive to the Maggie Club for Country Sampler.  The wonderful little snowmen pillows are in one of Maggie's new patterns ~ Jeanne has them at the shop. 

My favorite part of making the trees was this...

The top of the tree needs a tapered end so Maggie was whittling everyone's stick.  She was laughing so much I was worried she was going to whittle something other than the tree but she's clearly had practice. 

Friday night ~ a fabulous dinner at a local fish restaurant and then back to the shop for a Maggie trunk show.  I would show pictures but all I got were pictures of other people taking pictures.  If you want to see all the wonderful things we saw, they're in Maggie's glorious new book, Nature's Offerings.  Jeanne has them in the shop...

Saturday... Barb and Alma of Blackbird Designs.  Or Alma and Barb.  They arrived on Friday night after driving all day from Kansas City. 

 
Alma... sitting next to my empty seat.  And that's my kit on the table.  Kathy is paying very rapt attention. 

 
And Barb.

Their project is a beautiful applique table runner made with Jeanne's fabric collection, Worn & Loved II.  Alma made this with her scraps...

 
This lovely pincushion really wanted to go home with me... it kept jumping into my bag all by itself.  Fortunately, Kathy/Becky/Linda/Edie kept seeing it there and returning it to Alma.  Grrrrr...

I wish I could show you all the wonderful things Alma and Barb brought with them but (1) I couldn't do it justice with the pictures and (2) this post would be ten times longer than it already is.  Let it suffice to say that they have lots of wonderful things "in the works" and they have more amazing ideas for things you can do with finished samplers and quilts than you would think possible.  They are amazing.  And inspiring.  And really, really nice. 

And funny! 

Seriously, they kept everybody laughing all day. 

And there you have it ~ my trip to Wisconsin. 

On the drive back to Madison on Saturday night, I had company.  Diane ~ from North Carolina ~ was one of my fellow Hill Street B&Bers and she also had an early morning flight so she rode back with me so that she wouldn't have to worry about making her flight either.  We talked about how much fun we'd had and when she asked me what I had enjoyed most, I told her that I loved getting to spend several days with so many other like-minded women.  No matter what our backgrounds or where we came from, everybody there loved to create... to "make stuff".  With fabric, thread, wool, whatever... every one of us shared the same love of handwork.  That was my favorite part.

And all the wonderful ladies I met.  And the friends I made.  I loved those parts too. 

If you're interested in going to the next Boxwood & Berries, here's what you need to know:

Dates:  October 5th through 9th, 2010

Teachers: Maggie Bonanomi, Stacy Nash and Blackbird Designs

Jeanne is already taking sign-ups for next year and it sounds like they are already half-full.  For more information ~ Country Sampler Coming Events

If you go... I want to hear all about it!  And take lots of pictures! 

Wisconsin... Part 1

I know... two posts in two days! 

But if I don't do this now... it will be January before I remember again.  Actually, I'm writing this Wednesday night so that it will post Thursday night while I'm at work. 

It's that time of year.  Ho ho ho!

Maybe that should be Ho ho huh?

Where was I? 

That's right... Wisconsin!  Madison.  Spring Green.  Sun Prairie.  Madison.  Menasha.  Waunakee.  Spring Green.  And then back to Madison.

I got around a little bit while I was there.

The reason for my trip was to go have some fun.  Seriously, it was that simple.  I went to have some fun, learn something new and spend some time with other ladies who like to make things.  When I got the newsletter announcing the dates and teachers for the 2009 Boxwood and Berries Retreat at Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin... I didn't have to think twice.

Sign me up!

The retreat itself started on Tuesday evening but being the clever girl that I am, I knew I would need a little bit of time to do some shopping and some visiting while in the area.  So I flew in on Sunday afternoon, rented a car and spent a couple of days in and around Madison, Wisconsin. 

On Monday morning, I drove to Country Sampler in Wisconsin.  I did this for two reasons... two really good reasons, both are a little self-serving... okay, one of them is VERY self-serving.

Reason #1.  Since I knew I would be driving back to Madison late on Saturday night, I wanted to be familiar with the trip so that I wouldn't get lost.  And it would be helpful to know about how long it would take to get back to Madison, the map estimates aren't always accurate.  I also wanted to make sure I knew how to find the Bed & Breakfast where I would be staying.  Good reason, right?  Practical.  Shows foresight.  Good planning. 

Reason #2.  I wanted to get to Country Sampler early so I could shop while it was still quiet.

I am so transparent.

If you have ever been to Country Sampler, you know how wonderful it is.  If you haven't had the opportunity to go, it is well worth the trip.  It is one of my favorite shops and it never disappoints.  Jeanne and her staff think of everything ~ and they are nice to boot!

One word of warning to those of you who have never been ~ beware of the kits!  Jeanne does amazing kits.  The quilts they make are fabulous ~ they look old and antique the moment you finish it.  The problem is that you find yourself thinking you really need to buy two kits ~ one to make and one to just keep on the shelf to admire because the packaging of Country Sampler kits is so wonderful!

And just so you know... the pictures don't do it justice.

 

 

  
After spending a couple of hours in the shop ~ and remembering to find the B&B ~ I headed back to Madison.  For another car.  With a bigger trunk.   

After lunch at Panera, I drove to Sun Prairie to pester Julie Hendricksen at JJ Stitches.  

Two fabulous quilt shops within an hour or so of each other. 

Life isn't fair.  Unless you live near Madison, Wisconsin.   

JJ Stitches has lots of fabric and almost all of it is either reproduction or has an old, antique sort of feel to it, including 30s style reproductions.  In addition to her own beautiful Windham collection, Gathered Over Time, Julie has fabric from Jo Morton, Renee Nanemann, Jeanne Horton's Worn & Loved, just about every Windham collection, Judie Rothermel, lots of Moda and on and on.  It's the kind of shop where you could easily pick a hundred fabrics for a scrap quilt and still feel like you'd left out a hundred more other wonderful fabrics. 

I'm so glad I was by myself and didn't have to worry about passengers.  All the space in the trunk and in the backseat was mine!  And I used it!

On Monday night, I had dinner with friends.  Monique, Sue and Joyce drove up from Rockford, Illinois and Katie came over from I-don't-remember-where-but-it-was-a-little-ways-away for dinner.  Katie knows Monique, Sue and Joyce really well... she just tolerates me.  We had a wonderful dinner and an even better evening just talking, laughing and visiting. 

Yes, Monique is "that" Monique of Open Gate Quilts... inventor of my favorite flying geese ruler, current cover girl for American Patchwork & Quilting ~ January/February 2010 issue ~ and soon to be fabric designer... but shhhh on that for now. 

On Tuesday morning, I drove to Menasha, its about 2 hours northeast of Madison.  I went through Oshkosh and no, I didn't get any overalls. 

What's in Menasha?

Primitive Gatherings ~ Lisa Bongean.

I've never been there before but I love Lisa's books and her style so I really wanted to make the trip to her shop.  It was worth it!

I have to tell you that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get a picture of the outside of the shop.  The parking lot was completely full when I arrived and it was only pure luck that I managed to catch it without a dozen cars parked in front.  It's a popular place!

 

This is what you see when you walk in the front door. 

This is the view towards the front of the shop ~ that's the front door on the far left.

The shop has lots of kits for stitcheries, needle punch, wool penny rugs, primitive-style quilts and reproduction-style quilts.  Lots and lots of gorgeous kits!  There is also a lot of fabric including Lisa's beautiful line of homespun plaids and stripes, Japanese fabrics and lots of reproductions ~ including Jo Morton, Windham, Judie Rothermel, etc.  And did I mention wool?

 If you live in California or are planning to go to Road to California in January, 2010, Lisa and Nick will be vending at the show this year. 

On the way  back to Spring Green ~ check-in time was late afternoon ~ I drove through Waunakee and stopped at Mill House Quilts.  Can you believe I didn't think to take pictures until I was half-way to Country Sampler?  I got so busy visiting with a couple of ladies in the shop that I forgot about everything else.  And I ran into Sharon from California who I had met at Primitive Gatherings, she was also on her way to Boxwood and Berries. 

That's it for now... tomorrow I'll tell you about Maggie Bonanomi, Stacy Nash and the Blackbird Designs girls. 

Wool.  A book of days.  Cross-stitching.  Boxwood wreaths.  Feather trees.  Applique.  Scarves.  Wine-tasting.  Tea-tasting.  Whittling.  Shopping. 

And maybe even a funny joke that I liked so much I copied it from the back of the bathroom door in the shop. 

Until tomorrow...

Best laid plans...

I really was going to post something this weekend.

And then there was "Black Friday" and there went all my grandiose ideas.

It isn't that I go shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving... been there, done that.  Once.  That was enough.  I ventured out in the wee hours with the hordes of other deranged masses happy shoppers for a bread machine ~ which probably shows you how many years ago it was. 

It's a very nice bread machine... I think I used it a dozen times.  But as much as I love bread, we just weren't eating enough of it fast enough not to be throwing away at least half a loaf every time I used it.  To date, there isn't any gadget I have needed/wanted enough to leave my warm bed early in the morning to wait in line with hundreds of other people.  If it came down to a choice... I would spend the money to stay in bed. 

It's all about priorities. 

So while I did get to sleep in a bit on Friday, I also had to work.  On Black Friday.

I know... I'm not being forced to do it.  And I really do like the people I work with.

After working Friday and Saturday, I got the day off on Sunday and guess what?  The contractor was coming on Monday to finish off the window, put up some sheetrock and start prepping for the painting so I couldn't put "it" off any longer.  I had to get "it" done.

Ta da...

 
But more on my "sewing room" in a moment...

I need to address a wonderful display of Picnic quilts!  It's Month 3 in the Year of Schnibbles!

Oh my gosh!  Have you seen them?  They're gorgeous... they're amazing... and they're all mine!  And guess what!?  Everyone is going to give their quilts to me this month! 

Okay, not really... but a girl can hope. 

Seriously... I love all of them!  To everyone who made one, it's a good thing I didn't have to pick a winner based on my favorite... there would be a really, really big tie.  So I did the smart thing and chose winners by picking a name from a bowl of names...

From Sinta's Pink Pincushion ~ Jo from Jo's Country Junction

From Sherri's A Quilting Life ... Simone of Simone de Klerk ...

 
Aren't they wonderful?  To see more, make sure you go check out the quilts, Sherri and Sinta have all the pictures!  And they have pictures of Tuffets... that's the Schnibbles project for December. 

Just in time for Christmas. 

And if I ever get any time off from W-S, there are a couple of little embellishments I will show you... a few little things I learned on my recent travels.

Jo and Simone ~ If you'll leave comments here, I'll e-mail you to get your mailing address! 

Oh... and I'm going to send each of you a Moda Layer Cake!  You can makes lots and lots and lots of Tuffets!

Now about my sewing room... I thought you might enjoy seeing my progress...

Don't you just love that popcorn ceiling that is now covering the floor? 

The carpet will be removed as soon as the painting is done... that should be Monday. 

This is the big table where my sewing machine sits.  It's in pieces.  And it's in the entry hall.

My sewing machine... it's sitting on a chair in the family room.

That's my project table and some Elfa storage... it's in the garage.  With a bin of Christmas decorations sitting on top.

Stuff stacked in the family room.

 
A stack of quilts that is now sitting on a chest in my bedroom.

The good news? 

I'm not sure what it is but there has to be some, right?  Right?  Please say YES! 

After finishing scraping the ceiling and taking a shower to wash off the 20lbs. of plaster dust stuck in my hair, I became a schlub on the couch for the rest of the evening.  In the words of Sgt. Murtaugh, I'm too old for this #(*$#.   My Mom asked me if I was happy to be finished with that job... happy to be one step closer to having the whole job complete.  I didn't quite know what to say... uh, yeah... I think.  Yes, I'm happy to be done with the ceiling.  Yes, I'm happy to be closer to the "finish line".  But the closer I get to having the work finished, the closer I get to having to put all that stuff away.

You know... maybe working on Black Friday isn't so bad after all.