Happy Monday morning! Is that even a thing? I have several things to “get off my shoe” this morning as we say in this household. I need to box up and return my Dish Network “hopper,”(it’d be so easy if I knew what it was) and dispute a medical bill I don’t think I owe. (wish me luck with that one.) Maybe a few minutes of quilt-y reflection with both delay and encourage me.

What’s not to love about a finish?

Mr. SFO helped me take this hasty, un-staged photo before this quilt was quickly folded and put on a shelf. I’m on the fence about adding another border, leaning towards– yes. I left a note for myself in April to close it out by July 4th. And then, without missing a beat, I moved on to my next finish.

All this finishing lately has me thinking I should re-brand myself as a finisher– don’t you think it would be self-fulfilling and move me towards yet even more finishes?

The HoHoHo quilt is back on the table– I did not leave myself any notes on where I was in this process, so time was wasted in figuring that out.

Lots of random pieces were in the box. I did put it away halfway through the sleigh block. I didn’t have enough of that dark red to make the whole sleigh, just a fat quarter– it’s all coming back to me now– 🤣.

I’m hoping to finish it up quickly and then add a snowflake border just as quickly! Everything needs a border lately. Anyway, it’s nice to be working on the correct season for a few minutes.

Then, Harlow’s Christmas stocking needs to be finished! It is making me very nervous to see it sitting in the corner and knowing it could still be there on December 26th if no action is taken. I’m making a simple patchwork backing– which do you prefer– the fun, modern fabrics on the left or the more traditional, gorgeous fabrics on the right?

I also scored this $3.99/yd. Christmas Village print last weekend at Marden’s– it looks great and I wouldn’t even have to piece!

Since we’re now in the “What Quilt Supplies I Shouldn’t Have Bought This Week” section of the blog, I did get my Jolly Box from Fat Quarter Shop. Sorry, but it’s a MEH for me. I do like the fabrics and the ornament, and there’s a huge tree skirt– but the pattern isn’t a great one, in my opinion. No cute animal, for one thing.

Obviously, I’m once again WRONG, because it sold out and they are getting snatched up on the Sew Sampler Swap Facebook group like no one’s business. So…

I also bought this cute and PINK quilt pattern from Erica Arndt at Confessions of a Homeschooler. This woman is an amazing person.

It took me longer than it should have to understand why pink is now more than tolerable to me– I have a granddaughter, DUH!

Harlow would love this quilt– Erica was selling kits of it, made of her own fabric designs, which sold out in about ten minutes and caused as much grief, sorrow, and bitterness as you’ve seen on the internet these days. Why doesn’t she make more?!!! Why not be a designer for Moda?!!! It’s easy for a small business person to explain– these Moda designers get cents on the dollar for their work– I’m sure Erica is pulling in a 50% cut for printing her fabrics privately. And why not make more? Because she doesn’t want to spend Thanksgiving assembling kits with her family on the dining room table! I for one, can easily find similar fabrics in my depths of my Lori Holt stash– I love this quilt, and it’s high on my list to get started! There’s matching cross stitch ornaments and even a quilty ornaments set, too.

For San Francisco Stitch Co., Number Ten of my third series of bowl fillers was finished this week! Hello– it’s November, and there are supposed to be 11?

I’m not sure how I missed a month– but I will be making a JOY themed set for December and then one more to complete the series. This set was a little less holiday driven, so there’s no worries. After that, I think bowl fillers will get a rest for a while– I’m sensing a bit of exhaustion. Too much cuteness.

And finally, it’s hand stitching time!

I got tired of backstitch, so I started the cherries. Then I got tired of cherries and started the tablecloth. Then I got tired of the tablecloth and started the basket. So goes the Summer Sampler!

The basket has five colors and they all have a really neat pattern to each of them– then the designer decided to drop a fork, knife, and spoon on top of it, then a detailed backstitch that completely surrounds single cross stitches in many places. And here I am with my hand raised, “YES!”

Beautiful things take time, people!

I’m proud to say I’ve pretty much unraveled this section without unraveling myself. My back looks like punch needle– OOPS! There’s a loose loop of blue that is STAYING at this point…

It’s time to say goodbye– thank you so much for reading about all of my dumb projects and participating in my silly polls. The idea of you being there has now given me courage to argue about medical bills– (eight months after the fact, for God’s sake!)– and to Google, “What is a cable TV HOPPER?”

Hope you feel the love– let’s get out there and CRUSH IT this week!

xox
Carol