Small projects

The Friends of the Library's annual Light Up the Library display/raffle gets underway today with donors delivering items all week.  I enjoy meeting the donors and helping them set up, but of course it means hanging around the library all day.  I look forward to Thursday and Friday this week when the library is closed so I can get a few things done at home.

Last week I finished off the last of 21 mug rugs and started making some ornaments to give as gifts.

The ornaments are very similar to the coasters I made a few years ago - folded pieces crisscross in the middle.  This time, I used squares folded into triangles and then turned the edges Cathedral Windows-style.  The pattern came from Beth Ann Williams and can be enlarged to serve as mug rugs or potholders.  I have quite a bit of blue wintry fabric so decided to use that for these which will go to various friends and relatives.  I have four more waiting for quilting.

The last mug rug is for Paul's sister Pat.  A few years ago, she gave me a huge bag of her late husband's ties.  I made her an apron out of some of the best, and, while I was cutting them up, I removed all the tags.  I set some aside and then came across the tags the other day.  I know she'll enjoy that I've appliqued them to a Christmas mug rug.  Sewing them down, I was reminded of Jay and how dapper and fun he always was.

Yesterday I wrapped presents and put together some packages of Christmas gifts.  I'll mail the one to the Netherlands when I get a chance this week.  I noticed the USPS wants more specificity about contents on its customs forms but still gives a tiny amount of room for writing.    Once that's on the way, I'll get the others in the mail, too.  I realized that I have slowly but surely finished Christmas shopping.  Thank goodness!  Now I'll be able to spend most of my time between holidays sewing.

Working on holiday items

It is so satisfying to work on smaller projects!  I tend to "work large," as my friend Susie says.  Bed- or throw-sized quilts seem to dominate my productivity.  After I finished the recent sampler, I resolved to work on a few things that got finished sooner.   Hence, I made Blue Ocean and then got out my Christmas fabrics.

I started with a draw string bag for a guild challenge.  Each person brought a fat quarter and then drew a different one from a bag.  We have a month to make something using most, if not all, of that piece of fabric with only one additional fabric as an accent.  (Sorry this photo makes it look a bit droopy - I'll stuff it with some tissue paper before I take it to guild)  I received this gray leaf fabric which I like but not as the sole fabric in anything.  I decided to make a reversible gift bag with a Christmas lining that could be used as the outside.  I needed it big enough to hold a book and sweater that I'm giving my Colorado sister for Christmas.  She loves using cloth bags instead of wrapping paper.

Next, I made a very cute pillowcase for my Dutch great nephew Daley who is now two.   I used the "burrito" method to make this with French fold seams.  It was easy, so I might make a few more to give as gifts.  I'm not sure if Daley is using a "big boy" bed yet, but, if not, this can be for next Christmas.   He is growing like a weed, and I enjoy the little video clips my sister sends me from the Netherlands.  I hope to get a package ready to send her in the next couple of weeks.  I am sending smaller gifts this year as the price of international mail has gone through the roof.

I finished off some mug rugs, leaving me 13 to give members of the Friends of the Library for all their help over the years.  I hope that's enough but may make a few more before our November meeting just in case.

And finally, I'm working on a French braid table runner using a pattern I got from Beth Ann Williams.  Hers used fall batiks, but mine uses 2.5" strips of various Christmas fabrics.  I have lots that were given to me by someone who isn't sewing anymore.  Beth Ann divides her into piles of dark, medium, and light, but I went with red, green, and light.  That method helps mix them up so that no color dominates.  Making one of the three strips takes about half an hour of easy sewing.  

Loose ends and future plans

Our summer guest will be moving into her new condo early next week, we hope.  The financial stuff related to the purchase is coming along well, and her sons are planning to come to help with the move next Monday.  Having just finished two big projects, I decided not to start anything new this week.  Yesterday I finished a rug I started for my brother out of a quilt I made him years ago.  I cut some non-slip stuff to fit and used my walking foot to attach it.  Today I'll pack it up to mail to him.

While I was in the basement, I started a couple of mug rugs with left over Christmas fabrics.   I have a stack of them to give to library staff and need a few more.  I'll continue making them today and will quilt them when I get back up to the Elna which I have missed very much.  

On tap when I get back to my sewing room will be finishing some UFOs - the guild block of the month, a Kristin Laura block of the month, and Optimism blocks of the month by Aby Dolinger.   Now that the guild year has begun again, I will plan on making something out of a fat quarter swap this month to show at the November meeting.  There's a little scrappy red quilt hanging in the closet for quilting, too.  And speaking of guild, I hope not to be tempted to make the block of the month each month this year because that just adds to my backlog.  If I can finish up the UFOs I have before plunging ahead, I will be happy.

Having taken a class in curved piecing with Beth Ann Williams a few weeks ago, I hope to use my overflowing tub of blue fabric for a Blue Onion quilt or table runner.  The directions were a bit confusing when I first got the pattern, but Beth Ann helped make some sense of them.  It involves layering, cutting, shuffling, flipping, etc. piles of six fabrics.  This was the third class I've taken with Beth Ann this year.  Her instructions are incredibly clear.  

I have a pile of holiday fabric upstairs set aside to work on a Jen Kingwell Wensleydale quilt next year.  I have the papers from the Fat Quarter Shop all ready to go and have viewed a You Tube video from Quilted Chicken about how to put fabric together so that blocks end up scrappy.  I will probably watch it again as my memory isn't what it used to be.  Each block ends up as a rectangle about 6" x 9".

Winter holiday fun

With the library festivities over, Chex Mix made, the Christmas village up, and packages wrapped, I turned my attention yesterday to holiday greetings in the form of cards and letters.   It snowed lightly most of the day, which offered perfect weather for staying in and watching the flakes drift down.  I mail a lot of cards to family in the Netherlands and also to old friends who we haven't seen in a long time (some since college!).  In the course of looking up addresses, I found that one dear old friend had passed away.  That always puts a pall on the holiday, but we know that it's going to happen more and more as we age.

In the afternoon, we walked over to spend a few hours with dear friends and neighbors Mary and Manny who plied us with drinks and goodies.  We all opened presents and were pleased with our jigsaw puzzles.  Paul and I haven't done one in years, so this will be a fun thing to work on during another snowy day.

Because we rarely see our next-door neighbors now that it's winter, Gale and Alan will be coming over to our house this afternoon for more snacks and drinks.  I think that will be it for Christmas gatherings except for Christmas Day brunch with Chris.  On New Year's Day we're planning another First Footing, an old English custom which promises luck to the first person to enter one's house.  We're inviting neighbors and old friends for a relaxing afternoon without football.  

In between all this merriment, I'm hoping to get some sewing in and read a few books.  Right now I'm enjoying The Answer is No, a novella by Frederick Backman who wrote A Man Named Ove.   It's quite funny, especially for anyone who belongs to a Home Owner's Association and has to deal with the board.  I have a Christmas short story by Jenny Colgan to follow, so you can see I'm taking a break from mysteries and meaty reading for a while.

A bonanza of sweet treats!

I got a message a few days ago from UPS saying that a package would be coming yesterday, Dec. 19.  We watched and waited, but by 7:30 pm, hadn't seen or heard a thing.  Then at around 7:35, we got a message that a package had been delivered.  It was from Peter's Gourmet Market, a Dutch store in Michigan that Mom and I shop at regularly.  I hadn't ordered anything recently, but obviously Mom had - and it is wonderful!  Three layers of yummy Dutch goodness!

Paul hasn't had many of the goodies in the box, but of course, I have and am delighted.  

I was going to bake cookies today, but that isn't necessary.  I think we have enough for a while!  I'll put some into a tin for Chris and then serve the rest when/if company comes or we get a hankering for sweets.  

This leaves me with a little more time to work on Christmas cards and make Chex Mix today.  Maybe I'll even get back to sewing on the Bigfoot quilt.  Some additional fabric arrived yesterday, too, so I am ready to add a few more rounds.  This afternoon, we're getting together with some neighbors and tomorrow afternoon with other neighbors.   These are folks we see almost every day when it's not winter, but in winter we all hibernate somewhat.  It's good to get together during these dark months.

Bigfoot in the sewing room

 

I started working on a quilt for my son who loves Sasquatch - Bigfoot as some call it.  Some people believe the creature hangs around Whitehall, NY, a town we go through on most trips south.  I've never seen him driving through, but the area seems to have captured the attention of locals.  There are even stores with souvenirs devoted to Bigfoot.

Elizabeth Hartman's pattern Legendary had a 10" x 18" pattern for the creature surrounded by tall pines.  I made one big tree and Bigfoot for the center of the quilt, and I've made a bunch of smaller trees to go around the center medallion, as it's turning out to be.  

Last summer I bought a panel of smaller pictures of other creatures called "Legends of the National Parks."  I'm cutting those out and sprinkling them around the outer borders, along with some big footprints.  This was supposed to be a Christmas gift, but maybe I'll have the top done in time for Chris' birthday in January.  I plan to have it longarmed.  

Other than Bigfoot, I've been running back and forth to the public library most days, checking on the Light Up the Library display, attending programs, and helping with refreshments.  There was a musician playing Celtic holiday tunes on the guitar and autoharp (beautiful), a musical group rockin' the house with carols, an author signing his latest book, and a classical pianist who explained the origins of popular holiday songs.  These have all been great ways to get into the holiday spirit!  

Things will settle down next week, and I have a stack of gifts to wrap.  I plan to make some Chex Mix to give Chris and his friend Marad before Christmas.  I've ordered a tourtiere and apple pie for Christmas Eve.  We plan a New Year's open house so I will make some goodies for that after Christmas.

Winter is definitely here

As is typical for December, we've had a little snow every night and we wake up to the sound of the snowplows on the roads.  Living on a corner makes it more apparent that there's lots of activity in the early morning hours.  This was our view a few mornings ago.

We've had more since then, but none of it has clipped our wings much.  We have still gotten out and, yesterday, even took a walk.  Today, though, I plan to stay home, do laundry, read, and sew.  

My brother and his wife have been visiting over the weekend and are leaving this morning before the predicted freezing rain starts.  I hope they don't encounter any on the way home to NJ.  We did have a nice weekend - lots of good conversation and food.  We went to see the Wicked movie which I loved and also to A Christmas Carol adaptation played by local folks.  Our little town may seem like "Maybury" once in a while, but that's when we love it the most.  The holiday lights downtown, sprinkled with snowflakes now and then, make it very cozy after dark.  Hope you're enjoying the season as much as we are.

Stymied

It's been pretty busy here, even if we had no real commitments this weekend.  I have been working on the list of donors and items for the Friends of the Library's  Light Up the Library project.  Set ups begin tomorrow and continue all week.  The display committee (which includes me) meets donors or picks up items to be set up somewhere in the library.  

We generally let people with floor trees pick their spots, which makes them happy.  We did a walk through last week to figure out where floor and tabletop trees might go.  We have twice as many floor trees this year than last, partly due to donations of used trees by community members downsizing.   At left:  last year's "Inclusion Tree."

I have a huge pile of donations in the living room, but one good thing is that the tubs of donated fabric in the dining room have diminished greatly.  Yesterday, a lady picked up the fake fur, which took almost a whole tub.  That leaves partial tubs in the garage and the dining room, and I plan to consolidate them today.  Phew!  And maybe the person who gave me the four of fabric tubs will come and get the tubs soon, too.   She is cleaning her mother's house out and needs them for storage.

Today we did some grocery shopping, and I have a batch of sourdough bread in the machine now.  I finished the new Louise Penny book last night (it ends in a cliffhanger), so I plan to start something a little lighter today.  It's a take-it-easy kind of day, gloomy and good for napping.  I will try to get some packages ready to mail, too, which will be a load off my mind.   They are heading to Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, and California.  The one for the Netherlands went out last week, and my Dutch sister said she mailed hers to us on the same day.  We always say we live parallel lives.

So... why am I stymied?  My credit card and ATM card were compromised on Thursday, and I'm waiting for new ones to come in the mail.  That means no online shopping!  I had been waiting to do Paul and Chris' shopping until the packages got mailed.  Now I will have to wade through the throngs in the stores or be nervously waiting for deliveries.   

Pre-holiday projects

 In the last few days, I've finished four table runners, three 12" table mats, and 3 potholders, most of which were made with "Snowflake Bentley" fabric.     The two table runners that had other fabric in a disappearing nine patch pattern will be going down to the florist's shop for sale.   I just need to update my written list that I always take along with the items.  I'm wondering, too, if I should take the fall items home or leave them there for a few more weeks.

I'm planning to give the Snowflake Bentley items to various family and friends for the holidays.  My next door neighbors are a blend of religions, so the winter theme might be particularly good for them.  After I finished those gifts, I started making tissue cases, mostly out of holiday fabric.  Each little case takes just a 6" square and an 8" square, so they are great for using scraps.  Here are the first 12 I made - in just an afternoon!

These are going to be given to the library staff at the Friends of the Library's annual staff appreciation lunch.  I'm a little worried that there are three men on the staff, but then I figure they can hide them in their desks or give them away.   It's been several years since I made gifts for the staff, and I always enjoy doing it.  I have run through my repertoire, though, and am already wondering what I can make next year.

Because these were so easy and quick to make, I made 12 more, even though I am out of little packets of Kleenex.  Those are on order and should arrive next week.  While I was online ordering the tissues, I came across several books that family members might like to receive for Christmas.  Almost all of them like to read and also depend on my suggestions sometimes.   The titles are now in my Amazon "shopping list," and I'll review them in a week or two and then pace an order.  I like to get my package to relatives in the Netherlands out by Thanksgiving and, for those stateside, a little after that. 

This morning I did a little sewing with "strings" and this afternoon seems like a good time to curl up with a good book.    Several pre-ordered ones have arrived on my Kindle.  I'll probably be reading them tonight while the World Series gets underway.

Guild round robin reveal

Tuesday's monthly local guild meeting featured a reveal of the round robin six of us have been passing around since October.  I didn't know all of the women involved, but everyone did a fabulous job.  I now have two Christmas quilts to finish (for whom is the question!).

This started with the Dresden Plate in the center and was surrounded by borders.  Quilters could add fabric if they wished, and, while I don't really care for brown or gold, they do work in this quilt.  I really like the cathedral windows border.

Tammy, one of the other quilters, offered to long arm each person's quilt for free, but I think I'll quilt mine myself.  Medallion quilts are fairly easy for me to quilt with my walking foot, and this isn't a gigantic quilt anyway.  I don't think I'll add to it, except for the binding, of course.  For now, it's waiting for me to create a back and think about how I'll quilt it.  

Yesterday's project was to finish the hanging sleeve for Hankie Quilt #2 which is going to the Billings Farm and Museum, and today's is to finish a back for the other Christmas quilt, Ribbon Star.  Luckily, it's not as hot/humid as it was earlier this week.  My sewing room needs its air conditioning installed, but is fine today.

Hope you had a fun holiday

 Well, it's back to "life" here in Vermont with another very foggy morning leading to another gray day.  No snow on the ground to reflect a little light back.  We have put the compost bucket out for pick up and in a minute I'll go down to get laundry out of the dryer from yesterday.  Exciting, isn't it?!?

We had a very nice Christmas day.  Low key as always.  Chris came for brunch, and I made his favorite - bacon - to go along with fruit and waffles made from cinnamon buns in a can.  They were incredibly easy and quick.  I had bought two cans but only used one, so I'll make them again soon.  We didn't have the frosting on top but, in typical Vermont fashion, used maple syrup instead.  Delish!  I have to admit that I prefer whole grain waffles, but these are nice for a change.

We spent much of the day talking on the phone to family, including a little texting back and forth with Paul's sister Pat in Florida.  The rest of the day, I cleaned up, read and knitted.  I'm working on a Wave Scarf made with short rows.  This is something new for me and ends up in a really interesting pattern.  

I'm using three different colors of alpaca yarn - dark purple, lighter purple, and brown - so I'll have to switch somewhere in the process.  It is working up fairly quickly on #7 needles, but I do have to refer back to the pattern as I go, with a lot of counting.  I'll share a photo somewhere along the way.  It will be a nice change from the baby hats and mittens I've been working on.

Back to sewing

Today I'll be working on some Drunkard's Path blocks for my Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt, a Jen Kingwell pattern.  It's slow going but will eventually get done.   I bought several yards of a beige-ish print for the background and am using scraps for the pieced blocks and some wool for the applique.  

I don't know if I'll make the same appliqued border.  We'll have to wait and see.   Amy Stewart, an author I enjoy, says she's a very "imprecise" person who likes to paint outside the lines and do her own thing.  When I read that, I realized I am a pretty imprecise quilter, too.  I start a pattern but then diverge somewhere along the line.

This week I also made the guild block of the month (one for the lottery and one for myself), a few gift bags, three tote bags, and some disappearing four patch blocks for a demo I'm doing in January.   After  last week, when I was lighting up the library, I am happy to be back dabbling in my sewing room and in the kitchen.  

This morning I tried a new recipe for easy Christmas treats - M&M Pretzel Kisses. 

Yum!  You can't eat just one and they go pretty fast, so I'm going to have to make another batch.  This will require another bag of Hershey's kisses, but that's OK.  I know some guys who will love them.  I used red and green M&Ms today, of course.  Over the weekend I hope to make some shortbread, too, and put it in the freezer.  It's fun to be getting into the holiday baking routine.

Happy holidays!

 30-some years ago, I could sit at my desk at the Dept. of Libraries and watch the State House lawn in all seasons.  It is amazing to me now how much time has passed since I shared an office with Priscilla and worked downtown.  The last 16 years of my 31, I worked in Berlin, just a few miles away but without this majestic view.  And I've been retired for 15 years.  I still think our State House is lovely, especially at this time of year.

Waiting for the snow

The weather people are all excited about a Nor'easter coming our way.  I'm hoping it lands in southern New England and doesn't creep up here and deliver the 14" of snow predicted.  Bob and Pauline were planning to visit us today, and I'd hate for them to drive home in snow falling 1" or more per hour.  We were going to see the Light Up the Library display and then have lunch, maybe at the new Brazilian restaurant.  If we have to cancel, we'll be sure to get together again soon.

I have been feeling sorry that I haven't made any gifts for the library staff this year.  Instead, I have spent these weeks on the Light Up the Library project.  Above is just a peek at some of the 50 items on display.  But now maybe I have time to make up some things for them.  Yesterday I whipped up five mug rugs, and I can get 10 more done over the next few days if I get stuck home with the snow.  

I'll give two of the mug rugs to Chris' friends Ted and Marad for whom I am also planning to make and freeze a lasagna and some rolls.   They tend to give us very expensive gifts at Christmas which makes me uncomfortable.  So I make them foods throughout the year as an ongoing thank you.  

Sewing through the holidays

Is it that I like Christmas or just that I like red and green fabric together?  At any rate, I really dive into sewing with Christmas fabrics right around the holidays.   I make stuff too late to give to anyone who isn't local.  All of my neighbors already have one from other years.  A few days ago, though, I started on another mug rug making binge, starting with one for my Friends of the Library co-president, Pam.  I will set any extras aside for gifts next year. 

I always make my mug rugs 6 x 9" so I can incorporate smaller blocks like these 3" Ohio Stars when I feel like making them.  I have quite a bit of holiday fabric in my stash, so maybe I will make a set of pineapple blocks to go into the pineapple quilt I've been making as part of the RSC the last couple of years.  

I love the background star fabric, part of the "Grinch" line.  And yes, I can be very Grinchy at Christmastime sometimes.  There's just too much hustle bustle, and I miss my mom and other family.  Phone calls and even Zoom aren't enough.  I do talk to Mom more at this time of year because she calls a lot to ask if so-and-so would like this or that as a gift.

Today I'll work on a few more mug rugs, and, if the sun comes out, I'll try to finish the binding on the Green Mountain Sunrise quilt and the hanging sleeve of the as yet unnamed applique quilt.  First we need to go out for groceries and then I'll start some blueberry bread which I'll put into the freezer until it's time to gift it to some lucky neighbor or friend.

The "tree" is up, and some gifts are already under it since I don't like an empty area under the tree.  That's left over from when I had cats who liked to climb unless there were packages barricading the tree.  Then they just slept under it, guarding the packages.

More trees

 

Yesterday when I arrived at the library, it was already teeming with Garden Club members adding to the holiday decor.  They had garlands, wreaths, and all sorts of decorations to add to the Light Up the Library festivities.

The night before, the "Barre Values" Facebook group was working on this tree which has little ornaments with words and phrases like "be kind," "love is love," etc.  The rainbow arrangement was inspired, I thought, and the lights change color, too.  

We put up all of the other items that had been contributed by businesses, clubs, and individuals, and then we numbered everything and added canisters for the raffle.  All told, there are 50 items in the raffle!  

When the display and raffle are over on the 17th and people pick up their winnings, the library will still look festive.  The Garden Club will take their decorations down after New Year's.  I really appreciate their participation, especially because they vacuumed all of the little bits of glitter and styrofoam we had all left here and there.

I'll have more pictures to share in future blogs.  Here is the car racing tree in the children's room, donated by Thunder Road, "the nation's site of excitement," with some of the 30 mint-in-box Matchbox cars that were donated.  I'm not a car racing fan, but I have to admit it's awfully cute.

A little of this n that

I finished knitting my brother's hat the other day and have all of my packages ready to mail as soon as we receive another shipment of Paul's new book to include.  This hat turned out much better than the striped one, but I put both in the package with a note that he can give away either one or both.  

I started knitting another hat using scrap balls of yarn in off-white and several blues.  This is a fairly easy pattern that I knit on straight needles and then quickly sew up.  So it's good for TV watching and not as endless as a scarf, although I do like knitting those, too.

Yesterday was the Friends of the Library's first day of setting up for Light Up the Library, a holiday display of trees, wreaths, decorations, and other items contributed by local businesses, groups, and families.  I met several donors while picking things up around town and also when they stopped by the library with things.  

One family brought and decorated the most gorgeous tree yesterday with many woodland-related handmade ornaments.  The picture is small, but there are a couple of stuffed owls, and then some other creatures peeking out from the branches.  If I didn't already have my Christmas village "tree," I'd definitely enter the raffle for this one.

Today I'll be back at the library to meet a few people setting up their contributions, including the Rotary Club and the "Barre Values" group that encourages kindness. inclusion, and understanding.  Can't wait to see what they have come up with.  My main chore today will be finding enough extension cords to light all these items up with.  After quite a bit of planning, it's fun to see all of this come together.

"The most wonderful time of the year"

I spent much of the weekend baking, and now we have a mountain of cookies waiting to be enjoyed and/or given away.

Karen's ginger cookies are a must in our household each year, and I also tried new recipes for shortbread and congo squares.  I have had Mary's congo squares quite a bit and love them.  The ones I made are a little softer than hers (perhaps because I used butter?), but still delish.  

The shortbread... not so much.  While they taste fine, they all flattened out as I baked them.  My friend Diane stopped by with some cookies for us, and she said the same thing happened to one of her batches.  It's nice to get a little sympathy!

Saturday it started snowing around 2 pm, and by the time we woke up Sunday, we'd had 6" of fluffy stuff.   True to Vermont form, the roads were cleaned up by lunchtime, enough so we could walk over to Mary and Manny's for a visit in the afternoon.   Their Christmas tree is very pretty, and I noticed a star ornament I made them a year or so ago.  

This morning, the temperature was 1.6 degrees.  I doubt if we'll walk anywhere today.  The roads need a little warmth and sun to dry out.  That's OK - I still have one section of the sampler quilt to add as well as borders.  

Steadily working

 

Wish I could say I have finished something in the last few days, but nope!  Not happening!   It's been a busy week.  Tuesday, I made two batches of Chex Mix which I divided for gifts (kept just a little for me and Paul).   I did a bit of reading in between stirring every 15 minutes while it all baked.  I'll bake some cookies over the weekend and will put some in the freezer for after the holidays.

Wednesday, I helped set up and clean up a luncheon for the library staff.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it, including the bowl cozies and soup mix in a jar I'd made them.  One person reminded me that one year I gave everyone Christmas socks - she had just worn hers the previous day.  I am glad the Friends of the Library can do something like this each year for the staff who have been working super hard to keep service going.

In between holiday stuff, I've been putting the quilted blocks of the "big block sampler" (for lack of a decent name) together.  After I quilted each of the four strips, I have been putting them together, one at a time, hand sewing the back seams and then machine quilting the sashing between the sections.  Fitting the sections together is a bit tricky but looks good in the end.  Cornerstones are essential to keeping it all square.

Above is my favorite block in the quilt because it used so many 2.5" squares and some of my stash of half-square triangles, too.   I enjoyed quilting each block separately, even the appliqued one.  Each block finishes at 16".  It feels good to end the year with a very scrappy quilt.  After I get the sections together and cream borders on, I'll decide about a final border - scrappy, strings, plain?  I'll wait and let the quilt "talk" to me about what it wants.

Unity quilt along

Joanne and I are running a quilt along in 2022 using Bonnie Hunter's "Unity" medallion quilt pattern for our local guild.   We both missed making it last winter and were re-inspired when we saw another guild member's finished quilt this fall.  I love scrappy medallion quilts.  I have been gathering fabric for this quilt this month.  The original colors are red, blue, and aqua, but I'm using bright yellow, dark blue, and light blue since I have a lot of blues in my stash and want to use more yellow in my quilts.   I have a full project box of neutrals collected, too.  

I can't wait to begin work on those dreaded chevrons in the center, so I probably will get a head start in a week or so, after I finish quilting the big block quilt (which needs a name!) and binding Harriet's Journey.  For 2022, I plan to continue making four 6" pineapple blocks each month, making some 12" blocks in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and making the guild blocks of the month.  I hope to finish a little quilt with elephant blocks on a black background, too.   

Meanwhile, this week has been a busy one and the coming week promises more of the same.  This week we've had two sets of guests visit for lunch, and today there will a third.  The extra leaf is out on the dining room table.  Wednesday I'll be helping set up and take down a luncheon for the library staff put on by the Friends of the Library.  Due to COVID, we won't be having our traditional holiday gathering, but we don't want the year to go by without recognizing all they are doing.