Christmas Time

Getting ready for Christmas this year has been quite somber. Life changes quickly when you loose your ability to give the way you always have and live the way you always have. But I can still find a tiny glimpse of joy knowing the kids understand we can no longer afford to provide them with exactly what they want. Time has fown by this year and we were not able to make Gingerbread cookies like we usualy do.

We decided to get a real tree and decorate it with blue lights and blue ornaments and even found some blue candy canes. The kids loved it and wondered why we even keep all of the old christmas decorations. Hmmm, mabye I'll ask them again in another couple of years.

My Angel daughter came home this afternoon from Boston. I was eager to hear about her adventure and the places she went. When I got home from work we went over to a friends house to share a Christmas get together with their family. We went to dinner and then had the ceremony of opening gifts. Everyone seemed pleased with their gifts and I recived a beautiful bracelet with enameled eggs and a ladybug. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the time we spent there.

I discovered a website that is hosting a sewalong for 2012. Scrappy houses. You can check them out here http://buildinghousesfromscraps.blogspot.com/

I will be trying to make a house a day for a year. I've decided I might cheat a little and not only get started early but mabye make 4 a day and that way if I miss a day or Two I would not be too far behind.

I still need to get back to the Civil War quilt from Barbara Brackman's blog. Along with my Trick or Treat baskets and the Got Dots. This is the year of the take along project.

I was inspired to cut circle templates for Got Dots. I went to the craft store and purchased a circle punch for about $4:50. This allowed me to punch circles out of cardstock for the templates of the Got Dots quilt pattern. I even basted several of the circles. After talking to Marion Woods today I was able to understand the concept of basting the circle.

1. cut a paper circle

2. cut the fabric you woulf like to use as the circle

3. draw a line around the circle using your favorite marking tool.

4. cut the fabric piece out 3/8" bigger than the circle template

5 baste just outside of the circle line.

6. trim away excess fabric from the basted line

7. gather and tie off basting stitches.
8. press using a spray sizing and let the circle dry completely before taking out the template.

I try to keep my spirits up while Hubby is still looking for work after getting laid off from the Space Program. He keeps getting disappointed with the results. I keep praying for him to get a job and to help me be supportive.