Think Hearts 💕

 I always hate putting away Christmas decorations!  The house looks bare and I feel sad; alas, Valentine and Mardi Gras items take place throughout the house. 

There are pillows

Cute Knick knacks appear

Colorful Mardi Gras wreath graces the front door

And garden flag flips in the breeze

All this gives an uplift to winter weather.

It's beginning to look alot like Valentine's Day!  Oh yes!  Lots of hearts filling out stores; our interest in decorating and creating in red, white and pink!

The above banner is presented by Fat Quarter Shop

There is also cross stitch pattern available.  Wish I could do cross stitch again!

If you like to crochet, then this is for you--

A nice garland to crochett!

How about knitting a pair of socks to wear on VD?

Perfect!  Hearts x 3 and a lesson on cables!

Still looking for those special treats to celebrate the season!

Projects?

Starting the new year off right??

Listening on Everand app to Agatha Christie January book—4:50 From Paddington—as I’m listening, I realize—I know the ending because, I’ve read this book before!

It’s all good, just move onto the next one;

 through #ReadChristie2024, we’ll read The Mysterious Affair at Styles—Agatha’s very first detective novel—each quarter a different decade will be discussed—Agatha never fails! 

We are walking our mile+ every day!  Pat ourselves on the back—yay!!  Some days, the weather doesn’t cooperate meaning our walk is at the local mall or Wally World or large grocery store—the later isn’t the best—buy too many not necessary items!  If we walk the mall, the stores aren’t open!

Hubby is listening with me to audiobook on Spotify—did you know that was available?  You get 15 hours each month.  Also, Kindle unlimited has audiobooks as well!!  Catching upon my list to read. 

We are accepting the alphabet challenge for our cooking sessions—every other Wednesday, the group will post a recipe beginning with letter—let’s start with A = Almond chicken— yummy! Play along—always need good recipes!  Recipe was easy and delicious!  Only need to fill in for 13 days till 3rd Wednesday. 

Here are projects, if you need something to occupy your time! 

Hen Party Free BOM begins March 2024 

Quilt of Valor for you to create from Alycia Quilts--this quilt will measure 64x80 and it's a mystery.

Round up those red, white and blue fabrics!

Nancy Zieman'Production is hosting "the easiest" BOM ever!  new quilt block tutorial starting on January 20! And on the third Saturday of each month in 2024.

Join me and others as we knit

#monstermusselburghkal2024 —mine is coming along nicely plus I’m using up stash yarns!

Jenny of Elefantz has two stitch alongs--"Joy in the Ordinary" blocks and her 

annual January Tea Towel post 

Her stitchery patterns are lovely and a joy to work!

No reason to be bored during these “dark days” of January!  

 

 

MishMash

No planning involved!  Time to stay home for this round robin….you are in charge of what goes next.  No need to hand your lovely medallion to some unknown person to add something ugly to the border. Just stay home and relax!  This is also a way to use up those orphan blocks.

Quilting Gail is hosting another round robin where you stay home==You and your centre block and the borders all stay home. You have to make the decisions as to what to add when given directions. How big, how many … it’s up to you.  Several bloggers are working along with you so there may be short tutorials on some of their blogs.

No need to sign up!

• January 15: Quilting Gail will host the first linky party … for you to show your centre block … but you’ll have to visit each of the SAHRR co-host bloggers to see their centre blocks
• January 22: 1st Round:   Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
• January 29: 2nd Round:   Anja @ Anja Quilts
• February 5: 3rd Round:  Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
• February 12: 4th Round:  Brenda @ Songbird Designs
• February 19: 5th Round: ME!!! @ Quilting Gail 
• February 26: 6th Round:  Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
• March 18: Parade: showing all of your finished SAHRRs!

Find that perfect center block and begin--this is a opportunity to use orphan blocks like I did in 2022 Round Robin

Here is my stay at home RR 2022

This is the center block, surrounded by signature blocks

Here’s a way to use your fabric scraps!! Love these scrappy blocks—of course, my favorite border will always to star points (flying geese)  Check out Fat Quarter Shoppe for this scrappy sew along.

Also at Fat Quarter Shoppe, you can find the 2024 charity quilt Moonbeams pattern

Stash yarn?  Yelp—always!  Here begins Musselburgh hat pattern ( you can find the pattern on several sites).  Just knit, knit, knit…..once you have mastered casting on 8 stitches to 4 double pointed needles!

All thumbs at first!

Well, it’s there; don’t know why there is one long stitch in the middle—it’s all good, will take care of it later

As you increase, knitting becomes easier!  Hat will grow. 

After fiddling with the start of this, many days later, I stumbled upon tutorial of how to do pinhole cast one from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pEe94PCSLE&t=0s

Definitely, a game changer!!

Still haven’t finished the advent scarf—it’s become another UFO to finish in 2024–

BUT, I did cast on  pair of socks, using very aged yarn!  Yes!! Hope to finish these socks to wear, sometime soon…

2024!

 Yay!  We have made it to another year—January dawns bright and new. As we do.  Resolutions? Not me!  But, it’s always a great time to refresh our thoughts and ideas—diet?  Yes, of course! We are ready to change our eating habits.  We had so many guilty pleasures in last few months. Time to re-route, make new plans, take a different path. What path will you take?  Here are some suggestions…..

• Perform a daily act of kindness
• Begin a journal—list your gratitudes
• Practice saying “ NO”
• Learn something new
• Take a social media break 
• Make goals, not resolutions
• Read along with several as they venture through Agatha Christie—#officialagathachristie
• 
  
  
• Take walks—join a challenge, like this one
• 
• Meditate
• Volunteer
• Pay it forward
• Cook a new recipe
• Try a new hobby 
• Make your bed every day!!

For me—I’d like to do all these things!  We’ll begin January one with good intentions and by end of January, the road will turn a curve!

my weaving and spinning has been at a stand still—that will be revamped!!  

Of course, there is always UFOS to be complete.

A New Year! A New Beginning! Refresh! Rejoice in the newness! 

Happy 2024!!

Warm Wishes and Greetings!

 All is quiet-----All is calm----resting peaceful in the house.  

Our Christmas Eve Eve began when the brown headed daughter arrived and she and her sister spent the day doing 'sisterly stuff"--don't have any idea what that means, but they have a giggly good time.

Christmas Eve is Texan Fajita night at blond headed daughter's ranch--son is grilling the meat (chicken and beef) as the other family members are bringing along sides---Oma is making her prize winning Tres Leche Cake with the aid of grandson, Waylon, who pokes holes in the cake before the magic milk ingredients are poured over.

Christmas Day--Celebration of all time--birthday party for Jesus!

Of course, a feast to rein on the table and thanks is given for our blessed year.  Little man, JD, is home from hospital--8 months of his 10 months life span is long enough!  

May your family receive many blessings for this holiday season

and

May your 2024 be blessed even more!

See you next year!

Here It Comes!

 There is fumbling going on!  So on track for days, then, the ball got dropped (like that football slang?!)  it just takes little distraction to take you off course—two, no, now three days behind on the advent scarf….this will not be worn Christmas morning; unless I take the piece and fling it around my neck along with needles and yarn attached!! Or stay up late a couple of nights playing catch up—NOT!  Sleep is a requirement! 

 Also, behind on the latest Bonnie Hunter mystery.  I decided to do only half of each step and that didn’t help…oh well, maybe, it will come together sometime in the future.  Think there is an older mystery in a file box, just ‘aging’!

There is pleasure in thumbing thru Instagram, finding solutions to my UFOS!  Just more to add to the pile to complete……..and now, here it comes…… new projects beginning in 2024!  Hi Ho, it’s off we go to leave UFOS in the dust and start a new UFO!

Here is #1 

Vintage Sunburst Quilt Along Pattern
Free PDF Fat Quarter Shop Exclusive

Civil War Quilt 2024 pieced blocks

From Riley Blake

Free! Block of the month begins January

AQuilting Life.com will also have another block of the month

Join Kim Diehl on Instagram to sew this beautiful top beginning February

Patterns by Jen

Okay, that's all I've got for now--which one or two or three or four of these projects will join your UFOS??

Wham--ed!!

WhamageddonWhamageddon Whamageddon

Have you heard about this crazy trend?  Not hearing Wham's Last Christmas is the object of the 'game"

What are the rules?  

1. go as long as possible without hearing and recognizing the song "Last Christmas by WHAM!
2. if you hear the song by another artist that's fine--just hearing the original song takes you out of the game.  Cover versions are okay.
3. It begins December 1 and runs till December 24 at Midnight
4. Losers must post on social media with hashtag #Whamageddon
5. Play fair, don't send the song to your friends

Don't worry--The above song is not the original--it's a cover!  So, if you are playing, you are safe. I'm OUT!  When we were walking through Wally World, THAT song came over the speaker and of course, my ears perked up--"it's that SONG and it was original by Wham!  So, here I am posting on social media --##whamageddon!!  Of course, my hubby, who was in a different department said he didn't hear it!  he is hard of hearing everything!!

Good Luck to you!