Happy first finishes - 2021

One plus to being cooped up at home is - more time for sewing!  On the first of the year, which is also my birthday, I cleaned up and cleared out my sewing studio!  I organized everything (which involved a quick trip to the dollar store for more clear plastic boxes), and took stock of all my UFO's (unfinished objects, or projects).  I made a list of all of my UFOs, and also listed projects not yet started but planned for this year.  I won't mention how many projects are on those lists!!!

First completed quilt for 2021 - Siddhi Quilt, started in an online class with Sujata Shah a few months ago.  Sujata is an excellent quilter and teacher, and just a beautiful person, too.  Scott and I were honored to meet her about 5 years ago.  
This is a small quilt, hand stitched with perle cotton.  You start at the OUTSIDE edges, and work your way around, adding pieces as you go.  The stitching goes through all three layers - backing, thin batting, and top pieces.  You just cut your pieces with a scissors, folding under the edges with your fingers.  No iron or rotary cutter needed.  I really love how it turned out, and have another one started already. 

This is a doll quilt called Happy Little Star for my grandson, Henry's, first birthday, which is coming up in April.  This is a small version of his baby quilt.  A truly unusual feature for me is the fact that this quilt is done way before the event!  I am usually finishing projects at the last possible minute!

This quilt, Happy Little Hearts, is a doll quilt for my granddaughter's Kate first birthday, coming up in May.  Yet another quilt done ahead of schedule!  This is a smaller version of her baby quilt.  I had fun with the free-motion quilting in the borders.  

 

'Tis the Season for New Christmas Stockings!

We were not able to have a house full of family this Christmas, but we still decorated - including a stocking for each family member!  This meant that I needed to sew some NEW stockings!

These two new stockings are for our daughter, Genevieve (GVG for short, an it fits nicely on a stocking!), and her darling daughter, our granddaughter, Lily, who turned 3 on Christmas Day.  I did have other stockings for them, but I decided I needed to make them nice, new ones, to better blend with our Christmas color scheme. 

These stockings are for our two NEW family members, born in 2020!  Two new grandchildren (total is now 4, we are blessed!), Henry - first born child to Hannah and Danny and Kate - second child to Emily and Matthew and sister to Ella.  We can't wait for NEXT Christmas, when (hopefully) all of the family will be here for Christmas morning!  We will be crowded, and it will be chaotic - and I cannot wait!

These are the stockings at Emily and Matt's house.  The one on the right is Emily's (she attended Indiana University), and the one on the left is for Ella.  I made Ella's this year.

The one on the left is Matthew's (he attended Notre Dame), and the one on the right is for Kate.  I made Kate's this year. 

Good tidings of comfort and joy, from our house to yours!

 

Happy New Year 2021!

Happy new year, 2021! I wish all of you a year filled with love, good health, and happiness!

We took a drive yesterday so I could visit a couple quilt shops! I had depleted much of my Christmas fabrics, especially reds, while sewing several new Christmas stockings for new family members.  I had fun doing some stash building! 
I also had this panel that I purchased a couple of years ago, that I plan to incorporate into a Christmas quilt.  Plan for that quilt is tbd.

New year's eve dinner was surf and turf!  Scott made the entrees, I made the sides, and we both enjoyed!  My birthday is January 1st, so this was also my birthday dinner.  

I got this puzzle for Christmas from my Secret Santa, my nephew, Austin.  It was lots of fun!  So much fun, that we just broke it up, and started it again!