Farewell 2011 ....

2011 - It was a good year .... but Farewell.

Welcome 2012!

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy New Year.

Sharon

I can show these now ...

Now that Christmas is over, I can show you a couple quilts I made as gifts.
Donna has always wanted a Christmas quilt ... so she got one in her stocking this year.  It doesn't have any Santas or Christmas trees on it.  It is more a "Winter" quilt, so she can keep it out longer.

 I also made my brother Bruce 2 lap quilts for watching TV.   Years ago, Donna thought she might take up quilting and bought all this homespun fabric.   She cut it up into squares, but didn't go any further.   So I got all the fabric this summer, and put it together. 

I think he was happy :-)

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Wishing you and your families a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year!!

Allison's Wreath

My Niece, Allison, is becoming a DIYer.   She absolutely LOVES Christmas ... and made a beautiful wreath of blue and white balls for her bedroom door.

Yeah Allison .... Beautiful!!!

Dining Room Table Topper

I missed my fall, pumpkin table topper, and the table seemed to call for a Christmas one.  Sew ... here it is:

Simple Christmas Mantel

I'm going sparse with the Christmas decorations this year.   Very minimal.

For my mantel, I kept the blue and white jar of twigs from the fall, changed the colour of the candles, and added a cute little bird.

They're back ....

from the upholsterer's.   New springs, new foam, new upholstery.  Perfect!!