It's cold outside, it must be winter

Nothing like having to wear a sweatshirt outside.  Well actually, I had on my leather coat yesterday.  The wind was blowing 25 - 30 mph and it was 50 degrees.  The wind chill was much lower. Anyway, thanks to the cold,  it's starting to feel like it's going to be Christmas soon.  I'm getting into the Christmas spirit.  I know, it's about time.
I did some sewing today.  No quilt making.  Although I'm doing Bonnie Hunters new mystery, Orca Bay. I had some of the pieces sewn together over the weekend.  We are on Clue 2 which is 72 - 3 1/2 " square blue string blocks.  I think I have around 25 made.  For Clue 1 it's 244 - 2 1/2" hourglass squares.  I'm making mine brown & white.  I have 10 completed and another 70 ready to sew.  I guess I'm just slow but I will get them done.

Blue String Blocks and Brown and White Hourglass Blocks

 The sewing I did today was for Christmas, I made 10 candy canes.

Candy Canes

Angie Padilla's Bits and Pieces   website is where I got the pattern to make these adorable candy canes. 

My other project today was to make a toilet lid cover.  Since it's for my cowboy 1/2 bath, it's in a southwestern fabric.

Toilet lid cover

Don't I sew the most 'exciting' things?  I did get a purse sent out today for my sister in law.  She saw the one that I made for my big sister and wanted one.  I asked her what color did she want.  The answer was jewel tone.  If you know me and the colors that I like, you know that I don't have any jewel tone fabrics.  This is my interpretation of jewel tone fabric:

Another purse done and gone!

 Yes, of course it has pink/burgundy in it.  All my fabric has the red family colors in it.  Thursday it's girlfriends together time. It will be good to see them.  We always have so much fun together, talking (I don't talk, I just listen), eating, laughing, shopping, and did I mention eating?

Feels like summer

Yesterday's temp was 84 and today it's suppose to be around 82.  Not bad for Nov. 14th.  As I tell Bill, it's one day closer to Spring!  I re-potted some of my plants that were looking sick.  The reason is because of the extreme heat this summer.  My little sad looking Christmas Cactus has a couple of buds on it.
Maybe this is a sign that it will be back to it's glorious beauty.

Christmas Cactus

I made my older sister a purse that goes over the chest.  When she was visiting me and we went to the casino she wanted one to use.  I didn't have the time to make her one before we went so she 'borrowed' mine.  My favorite color is red so the purse was trimmed in red.  Her favorite color is blue so the one that I made her is trimmed in blue.  I altered the pattern a bit but overall it's looks the same.  I also made her matching eyeglass case that she can clip onto the purse.  Well, that turned out a disaster but I'm making her take it anyway!  The strap is adjustable so you can make it to go on the shoulder.  The pocket in the front shows where to put your cell phone.  Now just to get to the PO to mail it out to her.

Wavy Top Purse

Showing the cell phone pocket with flap.

 I still haven't quilted my latest quilt top.  Maybe today.  I did buy some invisible thread to quilt it.  That will make it a new experience for me.  It can't be that bad....... here's hoping!

More company and more sewing this week

Bill's brother and his wife spent the weekend with us.  I haven't seen them in awhile and it was a good visit.  We went to Olive Garden for some great food.  I even brought some food home.

I have my Hunter's Star almost done.  I just need to quilt it now.  Maybe sometime this week it will get done.  I am sew proud of myself by getting 90% of the points to match.

Top of Hunter's Star - Not quilted yet

 
 

Star points that match!  Yeah for me

Corner pinwheel with points matching.  Hip, Hip, Hooray!!

 

 

 

 

It really is a simple pattern but if you could have heard my cussin' about sewing 12 block wrong and then having to rip them out you would have thought that I was doing the most complicated blocks instead of half square triangles.  But, it's now done just waiting for the right time to quilt it.

Tomorrow I'm headed out shopping with the girls.  I don't need any fabric so I'm not sure if I will buy anything.  That's okay because after I use up some of my stash, I'm going on a shopping spree.

Catch y'all later...........
Jean

My extended weekend guests

Bill and I had a fantastic long weekend with my sister and brother-in-law. 

Back:  Jean and Bill                      Front:  Gary and Janet

My sister doesn't normally have real short hair but she had just finished up her chemo and she is in remission from that terrible cancer.

Janet and Jean

 I know that you can't tell from this picture but when we were younger, people thought that we were twins.   Janet and I went shopping at the mall and some other stores along the way while Bill and Gary went shopping at their kind of stores.  We also went to the casino and had a really great time.  We spent the night at the casino hotel.  And then........... it was time to say good bye.  It was such a short visit and I wish it could have been longer.  They headed off to Arizona to visit with their son and his family.

I did do a little sewing.  I made some slippers for the young grandson.

Ethan's slipper 

  I know they look like the ones I made for him last year, but these are bigger and since he is walking, I put grippies for the soles.  I used the rest of that flannel so I won't be making more with that fabric.  When I see him, I'll try them on him to see if they fit.  If they do, I will make him a couple more pair.   I tried to sew some on the Hunter's Star quilt but I made so many mistakes that I just turned the sewing machine off and walked away!  Tomorrow I will undo my mistakes.  They aren't that bad, I just sewed the blocks together WRONG.  Warning:  Don't sew when you can't concentrate!

That's all from my little abode..........
Jean