fancying up the place . . .

For as long as we've lived up at the Camp (which was three years on November 9 -- this year is our fourth Christmas here), I've always, always wanted to do this:

The first year, though, we didn't have an electric powered iron gate -- we had cattle gates (and you had to get out of the car and unlock the chains, drive through, then get out again and lock 'em back up).  And Todd said he wasn't sure he really wanted to advertise that people were living up here.

The next year, I wasn't walking very well -- and I didn't do a whole lot of shopping.

In 2011, I wasn't walking *anywhere*!  I'd had the second surgery and was non-weight bearing.

But this year??!  This was MY year!  LOL!

I love how it looks -- so festive and pretty!  Isn't it amazing how a simple wreath and red bow can gussy up a place?!?  I mean really;  what's the point of having a pretty iron gate, if you're not going to hang a wreath on it at Christmas time?!

Don't forget -- the pillow fun continues on!  Be sure to check out today's hop participants:

Quilt n Queen

Keep your fork There's pie

Quilts My Way

Grandma's Stories

Quiltscapes

Espritpatch

Quilt on the Edge

Farm Road Ramblings

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm

Peach Patch Quilts

Cherry's Prairie Primitives

Mary Jo - that other blog

Make it a great day!

:)

hippity-hop down holiday lane . . .

When I first saw the call out for participants in the Holiday Lane Pillow hop, I *knew* I wanted in! 

The pillow, created by Jill of Jillily Studio, was *absolutely* darling and I couldn't wait to make one for myself!  

I already had fabrics in mind *and* on hand . . . 

I love this line of Mary Engelbreit's from Moda . . . I knew it would be perfect!

There was only one problem.  It's a pretty long pillow.  And I have exactly one couch in the RV.  

And it's a love seat.   I don't really have the need for a 30" pillow!  But ... it was SO cute!

So then, to paraphrase the narrator from The Grinch, I got an idea. An awful awesome idea. I got a wonderful, *awful* *awesome* idea! 

I cut out my houses, stitched them together, and embellished them.  Then I cut a 108" X 2.5" strip of white fabric, and stitched it around the entire perimeter of my Holiday Lane houses.  Next, with a little help from some trusty tools and a nice sized sheet of poly foam . . .

I cut out my little houses from foam and form-filled my pillow!  

And while I didn't really need a 30" pillow on my love seat, how cute is this little row of houses sitting up in the window?!? (Especially in the dark, with the flash showing up like a moon in the night's sky!) And, as an added bonus, my nifty, pretty pillow will help keep the draft of the window from hitting the back of my neck!

I decorated all my little trees . . . 

They kind of look like the trees in Whoville, huh?  And my snowman?  He's wrapped up warmly in his jaunty red scarf!

I particularly enjoyed my candle-lit windows!

So that's my out-of-the-pillow experience!  

Thanks for dropping by and checking out my fun little project -- and it *was* fun!! Jill has graciously provided the pattern for free!!  Which means you can try it out, too!!  Just check out her shop . . . right HERE!  Thanks, Jill!!

And a HUGE thank you and lots of hugs to Pauline, of Quilt--n--Queen, who was a *fabulous* cheerleader and organizer, and of course, to Mdm Samm, who comes up with all these marvelous ideas and is so generous to share her time and talent with us all!

Be sure to check out the rest of today's participants, too!

Cindy's Crafty Creations

Woolie Mammoth

Lily Patch Quilts

Insanity Defense

Ginger Snaps Quilts

quiltingbydawn

Scrapbook-Chickadoodle

Mama Spark's World

Marla's Crafts

Annie Oak Designs

Count it *all* JOY!! (you are here!)

Stitching by the Lake

A Stitch in Time

Have a lovely Tuesday . . . I know I sure will!

:)

stitchin' and stashin' (report #47) . . .

Since I didn't do *any* fabric/craft shopping this past week, I really didn't expect to have *anything* to report . . . but I had a happy little surprise from Barbara, at Cat Patches.  I won her Fun Fact Freebie Friday giveaway last week and this pretty little fat quarter found its way to my PO Box this week:

Isn't it perfect??  Christmas PLUS metallic PLUS purple!!!  ♥Love!♥ 

Used/donated this week: 1.5 yards

Used/donated year-to-date: 47.0 yards

Purchased/added this week: .25 yards

Purchased/added year-to-date: 172.75 yards

Net used/donated for 2012: -125.75 yards

Be sure to head over to Patchwork Times and check out what stash *enhancements* happened this past week!

I had a very productive, if quiet, day yesterday!  I got my sewing bunk room back in ship-shape order and I finished up my Snowman Wreath:

Isn't he darling?!  Although he rather blends into the white door, doesn't he?!  

I also worked a bit on my Holiday Lane Pillow for the blog hop.  My day is Tuesday!  Wanna a little peek?

I took the construction of my little pillow . . . outside the box, you might say.  I can't wait to share it with you!

I'll probably work on this little piece this afternoon for a bit . . . 

Poor thing.  It's been so long since I started this series, the trace marks are barely visible any more!  I may have to go over them again before I start my Slow Stitching Sunday afternoon!

Have a GREAT day!

:)

forget black friday . . .

I've always understood that the "black" in Black Friday referred to the idea of retailers getting their accounting books "back in the black", or making a profit . . . but I've never liked the sound of it.  It sounds gloomy and with a single exception (three years ago, when I packed a hand stitching project and then chauffeured Joc and Kim around from store to store, so they could be dropped off right at the door and didn't have to worry about parking), it's not a tradition I participate in.  So today will be no different!  Christmas movies nonstop through the day, turkey soup on the stove, some minimal cleanup and play in the sewing bunk room, and lots and lots of leftovers!!

Yesterday was a beautiful day for an outdoor dinner ... with the fire in the fire place, of course!

The table setting was simple ... a pine cone and ribbon turkey and a tray of nature's offerings.  And a fun paper tablecloth begging for a two-and-a-half year old and crayons!

I knew right from the beginning that I wanted to be able to put a turkey drum stick on Sawyer's plate -- I was *thrilled* when he pointed to it on the buffet table and told his mama he wanted that one!

So for me, this is the money shot!

And this one ... this is a pumpkin pie and whipped cream happy face!

Of course, June was darlingly dressed for the day (if I do say so myself) . . .

I had a little time Wednesday and patterned a little "first Thanksgiving" dress for her.

Isn't it cute?!  Such fun!  I had my picture taken with Ellie ... but Jason's got those pics.  I'll share when I get them!

This fellow also called to me on Wednesday (because I didn't have enough I needed to be doing):

He was *such* fun!  And very easy and fast.  And the top hat was a definite improvement over the sample model I saw in the store (shown here).  He's not finished ... everything needs to be glued down, but the hard parts are done.  He'll be hanging on my door very soon!

The Holiday Lane Pillow blog hop is in FULL swing!!  Have you checked out the offerings so far? They're *so* darling!!  Here's today's lineup:

Sunshine Reflections

Free Motion by the River

Sew Mollie Sue, Quilt Much?

I Like to Quilt Blog

Briarside Lane

Ariane's Quilts

Meadowbrook

Buzzing and Bumbling

Mice in the Mix

Kwilty Pleasures

Cherry Blossoms

And for today's Feline Friday, instead of an actual cat, how about a stitchery cat?  Have you ever visited Hudson's Holidays - Shirley Hudson?  She is very talented and shares her stitchery patterns on a very regular basis.  She has some of the most darling cat stitcheries I've seen and she offers quite a few of them freely.  This one, for example . . .

Isn't it oh-what-fun!?  You can find him (?!) on her blog, HERE!  Doing a quick search on her blog will net you a score of cat stitcheries ... and while she offers lots more than cats, cats are what Fridays are about!  Be sure to check out Sarah Did It! to see what other felines are making the blogs today!

I'm outta here ... time to pop a Christmas DVD in the player ... which one will it be?!

:)

drab design wall . . .

I got nothing for you this morning.  Nothing I can show.  My mini-hexies quilt is still being quilted . . . I've got gifts I'm working on (no peeking!) . . . a hop pillow I'm working on (Holiday Lane Pillow blog hop begins Wednesday!) . . .

a couple of swap quilts I'm working on . . . and June's baby quilt.  I guess I could show a picture of that . . .

I *did* convert the bear paw block to a 3.5" block in EQ ... so it's ready for mini-quilt construction (some day)!  

I think this is the setting I've settled on.  This was inspired by Judy's design wall last week.  It probably still needs some tweaking, but I decided I really like the darker sashing, especially with the lighter strips offsetting the bear's paws in the blocks themselves.

I've got another wreath I want to make.  I've got all the materials, so perhaps soon.  This one, that I saw in the craft shop in Maryland . . .

Only with a hat.  He's calling me pretty loudly (I think you can probably see why).

The sewing bunk room is still a mess and that tends to crush my will to be creative.  I need to do something about that (other than take pictures that I'm too embarrassed to post).  

But being on my feet for too, too long has been something I've resisted over the last two weeks.  The stitches are coming out of my foot this morning, though, so perhaps this week will be the week!  (Yeah, because tidying the sewing bunk room rates right up there with my Ellie day, taking Sawyer to the fire station for dinner with Paw-paw, and getting ready for Thanksgiving.) 

Maybe next week?

Maybe I need *more* inspiration . . . so I'm heading over to Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times to look at other design walls.  If her internet has been up and working.  If not, maybe it's all a SIGN!  

Happy Monday!

:)