It's the Holiday Season

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We certainly did. We have so much to be thankful for, it's a very long list!

And now....the Christmas season begins! As you can see, I could hardly wait to get my Christmas banner up! I love this time of year which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!

Let the festivities begin!

(the pictures are from last year...we don't have the tree up just yet!)

Tiny Shop Update

I managed to get a few pincushions up in my shop and one has already been snapped up! Woosh, I wasn't even done rearranging my sections and it was sold. That's a new experience for me, but I certainly enjoyed it!

December Trip

We've received a secret package....

Not really, but it is pretty cool to get a package from your Senator :)

We're gearing up for a trip to Washington DC. Neither of us has ever been there before, so we're pretty excited! We both love American History (Jimmy got me this book a couple of years ago for my birthday).

Anyway, I'm hoping to find a couple of bookstores that have Japanese craft books and magazines for sale. Does anyone have any recommendations? As well as any recommendations for crafty shopping such as fabric, yarn or thrift stores.

Decorating & Craft Ideas

I have several old issues of decorating & craft ideas from the 70's. I've always loved old magazines and books about decorating and crafting, even as a kid. I was always inspired by the images in them, including the ads. These are some from the early and mid 70's and I thought you might enjoy a peek in them. They have some really dated looking stuff, but they also have some stuff that's popular again these days. But they're always full of inspiration.

I remember using these roll-on paints in Home Ec!

I love how this model below is posing "so naturally." I know I always stand around with my purse on my arm like that!

This one is a great idea. I think I'm going to make the pear!



Wonder what happened to this magazine? Anyone know?

Crochet Today, Crochet Tomorrow

The Sweet Scallops shawl is growing, if a little slowly. I've got about 25 inches so far. You're supposed to make two sides, each 45 inches long, then join in the middle. So I'll be at it for a while now. I'm definitely not a speed crocheter!

But I am enjoying it. I'm managing to do a little on it at least 4 or 5 days a week. And with the granny squares (which are slowly growing as well) I seem to be crocheting a little bit every day, which is great.

Fabric Stacks

I spent last evening pulling fabrics for some patchwork projects. I enjoy rummaging around in my fabric, as I'm sure many do! I've got some ideas rattling around in my head, and I'm trying to not get distracted in making some samples.

One is to make some more pincushions for my etsy shop, like this one. I'd forgotten I even had extra blocks from this quilt:

This is County Fair. It was my first quilt pattern. I still love it :)

I'm also trying to get going on a new bed quilt for our bed. That's what on my design wall right now, along with other odds and ends that get stuck up there. I need some big scale prints in there, I think. It's a little blase' looking so far. I'm going for the blue, brown, orange-rusty, and khaki color scheme, if it's a little hard to tell.

New Pincushion

I made a new pincushion that coordinates with my sewing room.

This was a quick and easy project. I used a couple of leftover quilt blocks and made a box cushion with them. I weighted the bottom with a packet of lentils and stuffed it to the gills with fiberfil!

This little guy is the handle to a creamer and there's a sugar bowl to match. I think he is so cute! He's perched in the kitchen and he makes me smile whenever I pass by. I found him at a flea market in Branson, Missouri. I love putting stuff like this out for fall, it just makes the house seem that much cozier.

I think it is so funny how everything that was popular when I was a kid is popular again. It kinda makes me wonder if I'm gonna break out the macrame one of these days. Yes, I admit it, macrame was probably one of the first "crafty" things I tried when I was about 8 or 9. I can remember like it was yesterday, sitting in front of the front closet door, working on a macrame plant hanger for my mom. (You know, you hung the top over the door and worked your way down). We even had a macrame hanging table. Yep.

Handmade Holidays

I think this is going to be very good. I'm looking forward to a month of great ideas!

November One

Happy November to everyone! I love November...it's almost a perfect month. Halloween is over. Yes, sorry, I'm not a fan of the halloween craze. Thanksgiving is this month, a joy of a holiday if you ask me. All the yummy food and no pressure! It's prep time for Christmas, which I enjoy. You need a little "in the air is the feeling of Christmas" busyness. Not too much, though. And now Daylight Savings Time ends in November. Which to me equals cozy time.

So a bowl of fake fruit (but nice fake fruit) to celebrate this grand month.

And, a beautiful quilt that was on my calendar when I changed it this morning. I "heart" this quilt. Love the big stitches, love the colors, love the fabrics. Love.