Black Friday Shopping.........NOT! But Sewing Instead...........

While others are planning their shopping strategy today, I'm enjoying a nice

cozy day in my studio working on Christmas projects--oh yes!

it's time to sew!

This quilt is named "Simpler Times", featuring twenty-five 8" blocks; will

finish at 70" square.  A block pattern will be posted once a day, 

beginning December 1st @ AQSblog.com--today I'll be gathering

my fabrics.  You can also join their facebook group--AQS Christmas

Countdown--lots of clever ideas. 

And of course--the first clue for this mystery was released today!

how exciting to be sewing something so colorful.

This is from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville

Thermoweb is hosted a Joy Sew Along with patterns

that are quick to assemble--the grouping will make a small

wall hanging 50" x 58"--Here are a view of some of the

patterns:

Gobble, Heck Yeah--

WHY?  Yes, why is Thanksgiving so late this year?

 there's a reason the holiday is arriving a little on the tardier side—and it's downright historic. In fact, the story dates all the way back to 1939 when Franklin Roosevelt decided to shake up the tradition a bit in the name of capitalism.

Thanksgiving had been celebrated on the last Thursday of the month since the time of Abraham Lincoln. But, according to TIME, during 1939, the calendar had been unusual, as the month started on a Wednesday, so there were five Thursdays as opposed to four.

To restore some order, Roosevelt moved the national holiday to the second-to-last Thursday of the month (a change that many were unhappy with). Instead of focusing on the negative, Roosevelt attempted to justify his decision with a pro-shopping response: merchants would now have a holiday further from Christmas to allow for more shopping time. In a way, this birthed the consumer craze known as Black Friday nearly 80 years ago.

Oh Well, here comes the turkey and all the trimmings tomorrow--  what does your dining room table hold on this festive day?

We're gathering at our daughter's ranch--she's cooking!  which means I'm left to do the clean-up--ugh!  

                                                  

Put On This Hat!

In our lives we put on many different hats--

here is one hat that will feel really special!

A hat for hosting!  Or make one to give

as a gift for your party hostess!

Designed by Susan Rainey

It is a very quick knit and the perfect project to learn how to do beaded knitting!
you can find it on Ravelry.com

Hat is knit from the brim up, in the round. Beads are added to create the bold snowflake motif. Bead motif is charted only.

Instructions are also included for the tassel and the Peppermint Stick Twisted Cord.

Sizes
Small S (18”), Medium M (19”), Large L (20”), Extra Large XL (21”)
Slouchy Hat: Overall length is approx. 9-9 ½ inches

Materials
Two colors needed: red and cream or white
Sample shown in Cascade 220 MC (main color) Ruby 9404 (50 gms, about 110 yards) and CC (contrast color) Natural 8010 (25 gms, about 55 yards)

Beads
Size 3 silver lined seed beads (61 total, approx. 17 grams), one source Fusion Beads; two tubes will be needed.

Slow Stitching!

Stitch Along with "Words of LIfe" is necessary for this time of year--come stitch with everyone as we mark these beautiful sayings on cloth.  It's a six week project and it's free from Elfantz!

Add this stitch along to your December calendar, beginning

December 2--The Merry Little Christmas Stitch-Along continues every other day through the month of December, wrapping up on the 22nd.  There's no sign up required for the stitch-along—as we progress, there will be each pattern or set of instructions available on the blog and on the stitch-along page.  The patterns will remain on the blog/website throughout the month of December and in January I'll make a complete pattern available in her Etsy shop.   This from Jen Daly

Design Delight!

Texas Furniture Makers Show on display through December 13, 2019 at Kerr Arts and Cultural Center is the show to see!  Every year we are thrilled to see the designs by woodcrafters--how can they do that with hunks of wood?  It's amazing to say the least!

From small tables 

to large center attractions

somehow, the woodcrafter finds the perfect piece of wood

to create master pieces!

Elegant lines

to small pieces on a board

a carrying case for the pieces

and their small display for their business cards

Two exhibit spaces filled with delightful warm wood designs!

We look forward to this exhibit every fall and it never fails

to give us several moments of  marvels--all in the depth of

a hunk of wood. 

Can't See The Trees Due to the Forest......................

I'm into two clues to the Fort Worth Christmas Mystery quilt--

"Fir Good Measure"

both are TREES!  After awhile, you just can't see anything else,

but trees in my sewing room!  It took lots of green and to make them

look like a forest, I used as many different greens I could find in my stash.

Finished the first two clues

Here is the last clue--you can find video tutorials for the first two clues.  Next week will be the big
reveal or layout of the blocks we have made.

Singles into Doubles

There have been a few days of cold weather when you don't 

want to leave your house or do any outside chores--

sooooo, I've turned to my spinning wheel to ply all

those single yarns I had on the bobbin.

I'm happy to have some natural brown cotton, yellow dyed cotton.

wools to ply--

can't you imagine how long these fibers have been resting

in singles--a looooong time!

A nice feel for this two ply yarn--

Two more bobbins waiting to be plied--

I like doing it from same ball--inside and outside yarn

that way I end up with all the fiber into plies.

A Few Things on My Mind

I hate doing laundry!  There!  I got it out!  What I hate worse-- folding the clothes!  Did you ever notice when you put something in the washer that is turned right side out, the washer somehow, turns it 'wrong' side out!  But, if you put the item in the washer wrong side out, it doesn't turn it
to the right side!! Why is that?  I'm befuddled on that point!  And why oh why--do socks go missing?!! Never to be seen again!!  It's best to pin those socks together to keep them as pairs or buy nothing but one color and size, so you can have a bin of missing socks without mates!

Why is it when I have a project to work on, and it's been sometime since I picked it up--you can't find the project!  Now, why is that?  I have just a couple of embroidery pieces left to do--I left it alone for several weeks--okay, I confess, several months--then I can't find the project.  I thought I put it in a project bag along with all the threads, needles and hoop--ALAS--I can't find it!!  I look and look--all over the house; in the cabinet in the sewing room, in the craft baskets, in the drawers upstairs and downstairs--just looking and looking--it's driving me crazy!! Where is that project?

FINALLY--I find the project, but can't find the hoop!  The project was in the bottom of a bin that contained other projects. (Now, if I can remember what other projects are in that bin when I'm searching for them)
 For me, It's hard to do hand embroidery without a hoop-- again, we begin the search all over the house--you'd think it would be all together--which idiot (ME) didn't keep it together.  Giving up I order another set--

Yay!  I can now begin to work on those pieces!

But, guess what?  As soon as I receive these in the mail---

the other one turns up--right in the basket by my comfy chair!!

WHAT!!  Can you believe?!!  Who put it there!!??

I'm working on Snowman Alphabet series--now, if I can just find the rest of the embroidered

snowmen--I'll be all set to put them together!  Wish me luck!

Our Melty Friends

Aren't these the cutest snowpeople you have ever seen?

I've been working on these folks for several weeks during the month of  October/November--

you can find the patterns through FatCat Patterns--they are called "Flakey Friends"

They have been so much fun to assemble and dress--

I'm sorry I didn't begin this QAL sooner--such adorable snowmen with their individually 

designed hats.

Scrappy Hats will finish at 57"x 67"--a real stash buster

and skill builder--

This snowman top is free from Patchwork Posse

It finishes at 50" x 50"--this will be quick and simple

to sew; based on 5" squares and half square triangles.

Jacquelynne Steves has gathered 24 fun snowmen patterns for us

to try--

Salute to our Vets!

Veterans Day, originally celebrated as Armistice Day, was first issued on November 11, 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson a year after the end of World War I. The purpose of Armistice day was to honor the fallen soldiers of The Great War for their sacrifice and bravery. 7 years later in 1926, Congress adopted a resolution requesting President Coolidge issue annual proclamations on November 11, making Armistice Day a legal holiday.

 

In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans rather than just the ones who died in World War I. He led a delegation to General Dwight Eisenhower, who was all for the idea. Weeks then conducted the first Veterans Day celebration in 1945 in Alabama and every year until his death in 1985. In 1982, he was honored by President Reagan with the Presidential Citizenship Medal. Weeks was also named the “Father of Veterans Day” by Elizabeth Dole.

 

Ed Rees, the U.S. Representative from Emporia, Kansas, presented a bill establishing the holiday through to congress. Eisenhower, who was now President and also from Kansas, signed the bill into law on May 26, 1954, 8 and a half years after Raymond Weeks held the first Veteran’s Day. A few weeks later, June 1, Congress amended the bill replacing “Armistice” with “Veterans.” The National Veterans Award was also created in 1954, first received by Congressman Rees for his support in making Veterans Day a federal holiday. Though the holiday is currently and was originally celebrated on November 11, the day was moved to the fourth Monday of October in 1971 due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. However, only 7 years later in 1978, it was moved back to November 11.