Christmas 2024: It's A Wrap!

The older we get - the more we long for things to slow down.

I think I've finally accepted the part where our generation passes the torch on down to the next generation and we start filling in as a supportive role, but watching with pride and wonder as our nearing-middle-age children make it all happen.

It's a wonderful place to be!

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Christmas Eve, 2024!

I am as ready as I'm going to be.

Except for grabbing some gently-used and saved gift bags from the upstairs guest room closet and "wrapping" some odd shaped things that are headed with us to son Jeff's tomorrow for Christmas brunch.

We are having some friends over for Christmas Eve steaks on the grill tonight - we'll indulge in making merry, eating well, watching a Christmas movie and work in a couple of games of Mexican Train dominoes.  It sounds perfect, right?

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Suprprise! Old Town Mystery, Part 6!

Yes, yes, yes  - I know it's only Monday!
But did I not warn you in Part Four that there might be some sneaky mystery posts happening in the near future?
In all honesty, my plan was to post this Christmas Eve morning as a gift to everyone - 
But then I decided that Christmas Eve (And Hanukkah Eve, if there is such a thing!) was maybe a bit much for releasing anything...so I decided that today would do the trick.
And perhaps folks could find time between Monday and Friday to at least get a few of these units made.

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Stitches Going In -

I told myself that I wanted to be stitching on this project in time for the holidays.

And look!  Here I am!

It's just as sweet as the red and white stripes on a candy cane!

Yes, I know that the holidays will be quickly past us and I'll still have several months of hand quilting to go - will I get tired of something that feels like it could be a Christmas quilt?

Nope!  What's the next big holiday that comes up after the first of the year? The one with certain colors attributed to it anyway?

St. Valentine's Day!

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Old Town Mystery, Part Five!

Part Five of Old Town and only 5 days until Day One of Hanukkah (Evening of Wed, Dec 25, 2024 – Thu, Jan 2, 2025) and 5 days until Christmas!
It has to be something good when good things align like this, don't you think?
I've been following along with what folks are posting in our Quiltville's Open Studio Group on Facebook and love what I am seeing.  The variety of color plans..woweeee!  Keep the photos coming!

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A Tale of Broken Glasses -

I knew they were on their last legs. But life has been TOO busy.

To busy for finding a new optometrist who specializes in folks with lower vision, who can't read letters shined onto a wall in a lit up rectangle.

People with macular things going on.

And truth be told, I just didn't want to deal with it because it is hard.  And I hate hard things.  I really do.

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Machine Basting Abbeygate!

This is one thing that has me smiling ear-to-ear with great anticipation!

I was able to get Abbeygate loaded into the long arm and do some very simple machine basting.

Why machine?

I guess just like the cheeky 10 year old I can say out loud "Because I Can!"

There are many reasons.  But mostly because it is easy.  It's secore.  There is no shifting.

And there is no aerosol glue or adhesive of any kind inside my quilt as I set in to hand quilting.

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And The Last Seam Goes In -

This happened yesterday.

Much quicker than I thought it would!

But something happens in a very fast way when you are working with extra large blocks - 

11 seams to join the blocks into a quilt top and it was done!

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Antique Mall Hopping!

It was an antique mall hop weekend!  Whooohooo!

It had been a while - a long while.

And it all started on Friday - remember that mammogram appointment that I had scheduled for Friday afternoon?

I got there just in time...only to find out that they had tried to reschedule me while I was in England.  Of course the call didn't go through because I only use wifi when available when I am abroad. So I show up to no appointment.

A new appointment was made at that time.  And I had some more time to kill in between what was supposed to be the mammogram and my next up appointment with the chiropractor.

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Some Of This Happened...

I found some sewing time!

It's been an impossibility since Thanksgiving, and here we are nearly half-way through December already.

I was finally able to sit at my machine, put something binge-able on the telly and just put the pieces through.

The rhythm and hum of the machine joining squares to triangles, making blocks come together.

I highly recommend it!

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Old Town Mystery, Part Four!

Good Friday Morning, Quiltvillians!

Yes, I'm back from my whirlwind trip to England.  What a magnificent time we had!

I absolutely love traveling with quilters (and yes, their ever-patient spouses!) and seeing this beautiful world of ours.

Part Two of this mystery released on Black Friday just before I left for the airport.  Part Three was posted in the morning hours while we were in Bath, and here I am home again for Part Four.

I purposely kept Part Three a bit easier so everyone would have a chance to catch up if they got a bit behind.

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Strings, A Request & London Photos!

Mail order is now caught up!  How wonderful is that?

After being gone for 11 days and coming home to a whole lot of "Gotta tackle this" I was finally able to breathe and slow down yesterday afternoon.

That is my main objective over the next 4 weeks before I leave for Australia.

Slow down.  Find peace.  Find joy in little things.

Do you feel that way as the year draws to a close?  The desire to just SLOW DOWN?

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All The Way To England!

If you want to turn on your Festive - if you can't seem to recapture the wonder and excitement you once had over Christmas and the holidays - just take a trip to London in December!

From our very arrival - gathering our luggage at baggage claim and finding our way to our fantastic bus driver, Sam - even though exhaustion of overnight travel had just about done us in - somehow the magic of Christmas was all around us.

Our first stop?  The Christmas Markets along the Queen's Walk along the Thames, not far from Tower Bridge.

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They Came, They Stayed, They Quilted!

Hi guys!  I'm home!

I got home last evening and the first thig on the agenda was to visit Quiltville Inn and check in on the December Quiltvillians who arrived last Wednesday - last evening was their LAST evening.  They all head home today, so I was eager to see them before they took off this morning.

Little did I know that while I was gone that a huge cold snap and wind storm would blow through Southwestern Virginia including a power outage moment -

But thanks to the Generac, the quilters kept quilting, they had full power at the house, and never skipped a beat.

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Old Town Mystery, Part Three!

Hello, Quiltvillians!

I have written this post ahead so it will post while I am in England.

Please note that I have limited access to wifi and internet connection may not be available for me as we travel place to place on our Craftours adventure.

I return home late on December 9th - so if there are any problems with the PDF or instructions, please know that I will take care of things as I get my feet back under me.

I saved a part with just fewer units for this week so if you need to sit this one out, it will be easy to catch up later.

Are you falling in love with Poland as much as I did on my first visit there? I am so excited that so many of Polish heritage are joining in on this mystery quilt - it means so much to see them here.

What a rich culture, and resilient history even in the face of so much adversity in the past.

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