Design Wall Monday and a Finish

First, the finish.

The masterpiece is done! The backing is just tan fleece, and I just rolled it over to the front to bind it. I machine tied it (read: used the button stitch) in every block and in a few other strategic places (like the corners of the shirt). It's HEAVY, but it's done! Next up for this family is two queen-sized quilts made from the rest of the uniform materials, for her sons. Depending on what I have left from that, I may have an extra surprise up my sleeve...but no spoilers yet.

I also whipped up this top this weekend:

 It's going to be a Christmas present, so I'm not doing anything more with it for a bit. It was such a quick and easy project though, I just wanted something "bubble gum" to do for a few hours. I'll do something more exciting for the quilting part of it, promise. :-)

 I also got the focus pieces cut for the Civil War quilt. I'm still toying around with ideas on how to get them all into the same quilt without requiring applique, but I haven't quite come to an adequate solution yet. I'll keep you posted.

 Finally, I got out and took a few "good" pictures of the ARL donation quilt.

 How artsy am I, huh? Ha.

Pay no attention to that computer tower...or the fact that I had to strategically angle the shot to crop out the boxes full of junk on the porch. Next time I'll haul the chair out into the yard maybe.

Christmas Report and a Perplexing Puppy

Merry belated Christmas, everyone!  We had a great time...it was bittersweet for me, since I didn't get to see my blood family, but instead I got to spend it with my pull-in family...not exactly torture, but I definitely missed my side! 

We went up to VT to have a white Christmas (and boy did we ever!), but first we had a mini-Christmas at home, to avoid hauling a whole bunch of stuff up.  First, the critters got their gifts:

Kini took to hers immediately, and has been sleeping on it ever since.

Grisgris wasn't convinced at first.

Shelby tried, but wasn't too sure either.

Eventually, Grisgris found his spot though, and he hasn't stopped sleeping on it since.

Shelby too.

This was the aftermath of Christmas in NH.

What, no more presents?

Oh wait, those are for me, right?

What do you mean they're not for me??

Best Christmas present of the year!

She kept working on this all weekend!

Finally, we were on the road.  Kini was excited at first.

But eventually she got comfortable...

...and zonked right out.  Love that dog.

When we got there, we had a quick turnaround time and headed out to ice skate...first time since early college for me - yikes. Nick's definitely holding me up in this picture.

This is Courtney, who will be referred to as "MOTUATS" after this (master of the universe and then some). 

The whole group (Jen is in the green scarf).

Kini wanted to skate SO BADLY.

Norm's tree - very nice.  This picture doesn't really do the sheer size of it justice. 

Christmas morning, putting Aunt Margaret to work first thing! 

Breakfast was monkey bread, eggs, and bacon.  Yum!

The whole group (minus me) at breakfast!

Stockings, all lined up and waiting to be opened!  The blank one is Margaret's. 

Even I got one!

Courtney opening the present I couldn't mention...I made her plushie Angry Birds! 

She's addicted, so it was a big hit. 

Action shot!  Maybe the best picture from the whole morning. 

Skiing piggy bank!

We got a Kinect and some dancing games!  Good times had by all but the puppy, who thought we were playing with HER, then would get kicked on accident...then came back for more.  Sigh.

Christmas dinner...banished back to the kids' table somehow.

Sweet potatoes, ham, meat pie, salad, scalloped potatoes...yum!!

Last time we went to visit Nick's grandmother, she was sitting by the window a lot, and she just looked like she needed a lap quilt.  I made this one out of the Verna charm pack I'd won months ago during my first Friday Night Sew In.  The backing is flannel, and the quilting is more complex than I've done before or since.  She LOVED IT.  She tucked it around her legs and sat there grinning like a kid the whole night.  Her reaction made my whole Christmas. 

Too cute.

This is Phoebe.  She has thumbs and a lot of mass. 

Kini wasn't allowed upstairs.  She didn't get it at first, but eventually she caught on and sat down at the bottom whining.  She tried to sneak up a couple of times, but inevitably got caught.  She is not a people.

She also eventually figured out it was best to lie very still while we were playing Kinect. 

Very, very still. 

The roads on the way home were pretty bad.  Drivable, but not ones I'd've taken the wheel on.  And that reminds me.  I love Nick.  I am glad I married him every day.  Sometimes though, he does things that make me so proud of him and love him so much I come close to tears.  Like yesterday, when the truck in front of us fishtailed and hit the guardrail...Nick calmly slowed down, kept our SUV in control, kept tabs on who was behind us and what they were doing, and in the end kept us safely on the road, no problem.  He's so good at that.  Even when we're the ones spinning out (it happens, it's VT in the winter), he's very calm and very collected, and knows exactly what to do to minimize damage and injury.  I am never afraid with him at the wheel, and it took all my willpower not to cause another accident by hugging him yesterday when he kept us all safe.  I love that man.

And now, our puppy of questionable judgment.  We got out to let her pee, and she took a running leap into a snow bank, nearly pulling me with her. 

Then she just sat there.  Stupid dog. 

We finally got home last night to find that our angelic neighbors had snow blown (not plowed, snow blown) our driveway...all 12-15 inches of snow down the whole long thing, even up to our cars so we could get out no problem.  I've never been so grateful in my life as I was seeing that driveway empty last night. 

Stockings to Stuff

I cut out most of the pieces for our Christmas stockings last night, hooray!  I'm using a Simplicity (I think) pattern for it, and these were the SMALLEST of the options, at "only" 14 inches long.  The 19 inchers were a  little silly and the 25 inchers I could fit a small child in.  Not this Christmas, thanks.

I ran out of green.

I also ran out of kitty.  There should be two kitty stockings, but I guess it works having one as the flexible one...I know we'll always have at least one cat and one dog, but the third pet could change depending on how things go in the future.

I'm claiming dibs on the grey one, I think.  I think I'll make the blue/stars one Nick's, and the multiplaid one Grisgris'.  The other two are self-explanatory.  :-)