A Quick Bit of Christmas

If you're looking for the giveaway it's on this post.


Yesterday I walked into my kitchen and it was....blah.  I'm not putting up as many Christmas decorations this year as I usually do but I did put a few things the kitchen.  Something was just missing.  And then I thought of this:

I've seen a dish drying mat on several blogs - and in fact it was probably one of "my" blogs (the ones I follow) where I saw a Christmas one but I'm having a senior moment and can't remember which one.  Forgive me?  So I grabbed up an old hand towel and used it as the "batting" between two pieces of Christmas fabric and in about 15 minutes, well maybe a little longer to do the quilting, I have a cute piece of Christmas there on my counter.  I do have a dishwasher but there are several things I like to hand wash...this is great for that.  I'm thinking of making more...I need snowflakes, then Valentines, then shamrocks or leprechauns and....how fun is that!
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Guest Blogging and Giveaway

I'm posting over at Stash Manicure again today ya'll - a really cute, fun and fast! table topper.  You'll love making this one for gifts because it works up in a flash.  Go over there and check it out!  Then come back here and post a comment to win these prizes:

There's a great book from Fig Tree Quilts - love her stuff - a pattern for a small wallet from Lazy Girl Designs and one from Jean Boyd called Redwork Cottage (applique and redwork), a cute little hand towel I couldn't resist, and a Schnibbles pincushion made by.....me!  You don't have to do anything fancy - just comment to let me know you were here and if you're a follower be sure you tell me that so you'll get an extra chance.  If you aren't a follower yet, don't you want to be? What? Oh, that's me that wants you to be!   :) I'll close the drawing Friday at 6:00 P.M.      blessings, marlene

Block Exchange

There are three friends who ride with me every month to our quilt guild meetings.  It's about a 40 minute drive so we laugh and talk and laugh some more.  Last year we decided we'd do a 12 1/2" Christmas quilt block exchange as our gift to each other.  This is my block for 1010.  :)  Cute, cute, cute...don't you think?  I used a pattern from one of my Art To Heart books.  It's hard to see here but I did a machine blanket stitch in black around each letter.  Of course, now that they're done I'm second guessing myself.  Do you think it needs anything else?  Is it too plain?  Christmasy enough?  Sigh.  We are our own worst critics don't you think?

Are any of you out there doing block exchanges for Christmas?  I've got about 20 now that I've collected from silent auctions at my guild and from these friends.  I think after this Christmas I may have enough to make a top  - my most treasured quilt is one where the blocks were made by friends so  I know a Christmas one will be doubly special.

One Thousand Blessings - Day 18

591.  High school football games attended with friends
592.  Perfect fall days
593.  Swarovski crystals
594.  Christmas fabrics
595.  The scents of Christmas - cinnamon, cloves, fresh cut trees
596.  Panera Bread lunches with my sister
597.  Fresh turnip greens
598.  Dinners cooked by my husband
599.  Birds on my window
600.  Chipmunks scampering across my deck
601.  A cold glass of milk
602.  Seeing a traffic jam in time to go around it
603.  Friends who text me when they're sad so I can comfort them
604.  My Mother's clock hanging next to my desk
605.  Planning trips with my husband
606.  Light boxes
607.  Red polish on my toenails
608.  Warm gloves
609.  Sleeping babies
610.  Homemade jelly on hot biscuits
611.  Christmas movies
612.  Old photographs
613.  Hand lotion that smells like my grandmother
614.  The remote starter on my car
615.  My Daddy's hat hanging on my dresser mirror

Swagbucks

Ya'll I just have to tell you about something I've been doing this year.  Maybe all of you know about it but I didn't and since I discovered it I've been pretty impressed.  Over on my sideboard you'll see a button that says Swagbucks - Earn Free Prizes.  Swagbucks is a search engine just like Google or Yahoo - that's my non-computer geeky explanation.  :)  When I'm looking for something on the internet I go to Swagbucks and search from there instead of going to google and searching from there.  I don't do a whole lot of searching like some people do but in the little bit I've done this year I earned enough points to get five $5 gift cards to Amazon!  Since I totally love Amazon that $25 went on a quilty thing or two as quick as I got them.  I know $25 isn't much but if you do a lot of searching you could earn a lot more!  They have lots of other prizes/gift cards so if you don't want Amazon you can get something else.  So if you're at all interested please, please go over and click on the button and register.  Of course, I'm saying please because I get credit for everyone I refer.  :)  It's the easiest $25 I've ever earned.  All I did was ... nothing, really.  I just went to swagbucks.com and searched for cookie recipes, Moda Maison de Garance fat quarters, Janome needles, Bible verses, medical information, all the stuff I search for normally.  I even noticed on another blog today someone else out there using Swagbucks.  We quilters, we're a smart bunch....we can find a way to earn money to buy quilty things in everything we do!  Remember, click on the button and follow the directions - you'll be glad you did!

Love This Book!

I love all the Art To Heart books but this is my current favorite.  I've said it before but it bears repeating...picking a favorite quilt book or fabric is kind of like picking a favorite child or grandchild...can't be done!  But just for today - I want to make every single thing in here.  :)