Christmas china...

Every year I really hate to put up my Christmas china...

and this year I have two sets that I have really enjoyed using and looking at

as I pass through the kitchen and dinning room!!

When we got married I registered Holiday by Lennox for our fine china

and have never regretted it.

All of the dinner plates, salads, b&b, cups & saucers and serving dishes too.

My special childhood friend, Donna and her husband gave us the sugar dish and also the sugar shell in our sterling, Strasburg!!

What a really nice gift!!!

And they also gave us a place setting too...how generous... and I do not think they have ever been able to eat with us and use it.

I always use it in the dinning room and decorate with red, green, and gold to accent the china colors...

made the Christmas tree napkin rings in ceramics to match.

Still want to monogram some pretty white linen napkins in red to match...

one year!!!

At a friend's yard sale this summer, I came across this pretty

Christmas Tree by Spode pattern 

and thought I would give it to my sister for her collection

but she did not need any more.

SO WHAT TO DO????

keep it for me and use in the kitchen...

Perfect

and  that is exactly what I did.

Got 5 dinner plates, 7 salads and one canister for

$9.00...yes , I said 9 dollars....

bargain, huh.

So the kitchen is decorated with red & white check and Santa napkins

and I really loved it!! 

Have used the red & white checks for about 30 years now.

It is just too hard to put it all away with all of these memories

so, I think I will just leave it out til Valentine's Day

for one last meal...

Blessings all,

KATHY

Christmas gifts...

I really enjoy making gifts at Christmas

and at other times of the year too!!

My family has started "drawing names" so we do not give as many as we 

used to give...

But, I do enjoy making the great nephews something

and this year I actually drew my sister's name.

So what did I make???

I actually found a similar idea on a blog

(not sure whose...so sorry for not giving credit!!)

These are pajama pillows for boys!!!

And here is  my sister with her cosmetic bag

and matching glass case in her favorite color

aqua!!

Also made some soup in a jar for friends

and still have to mail a few

for the new year...

think I will include some cracker mix

with theirs...

What did you make for your loved ones???

Please let me know.

blessings,

KD

Christmas...busy time for homemakers!!!

This is just my time of year...what can I say...3 weeks since I posted!!!

So, what have I been doing????

decorating

cooking

parties

dinners

sewing

enjoying  ...most of all!!!

Here are our two quilted star stockings that I finally completed

and put up today.

I found this wonky star idea from a fellow blogger.

http://thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com/2009/02/wonky-star-tutorial.html

and it is so easy to make...no pattern needed!!

See how the triangles are all different???

I knitted these for us about 25 years ago
and they have been well used.








In fact, it is time for a bath on ole
santa!!!

You can see whose got the most
detail!!!!


And Cliff said today when I put up the new stockings, "why didn't you put Mrs. Santa on yours"    .........after all these years, he still does not get it...but we understand, don't we girls!!!

Remember:
wise men still seek Him!!!


Blessings,
my fellow bloggers
at this most special time of our year!!

Kathy

Thanksgiving and meal planning...

Giving thanks today

We are going to eat Thanksgiving with my friends on "the day" but 

on Wednesday I

still want to cook a turkey just for me and hubby 

to have left overs.

So today I got out a basting bag and bought the turkey.

I can just taste it now.

Green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, dressing with oysters,

 crescent rolls and pecan pie.

Now doesn't that sound perfect???

Maybe it will be cool enough to have a fire and eat

while watching games.

And thankful I am

for...

living in a country where God is honoured

wonderful family & friends

health

nice little house

my favorite car ever

my sewing machine

my talents

my Bible study group

my church

my hubby

my health

having had wonderful jobs

neighbors

Jesus

Well I could go on because the Lord and blessed me and my family

in so many ways for many generations.

Tell me what you are thankful for....

Blessings,

Kathy

Pretty little doll baby bed...

A teacher friend , who follows my blog, asked me to make a doll quilt and pillow for her new/only grand daughter. She also has four boys and this is her first girl in the family!!

Her mother sewed and quilted and she had two of her blocks that we thought would be

so cute made into matching items.

The blocks were made from fabric of her maternity clothes that her mother made for her....

how special is this!!!

Here it it...

The little pink sheets

are one flat sheet and one

fitted sheet.

I found this adorable pink ticking with the little rose buds

on an Etsy site.  It is a reproduction of a fabric that I have on

my own childhood baby doll pillows!!

You can see where I tufted the little mattress

using pearl cotton.

It was really a lot of fun to make

and never measured one single thing!!!

I just cut and sewed...

My friend was pleased and I really wanted to take 

a picture of her with the bed, but she had been working in 

her yard after the storm, Irene, damage and did

not want me to take her "in a mess" !! She, unlike me, always dresses

up very nicely...

I hope her new little grand daughter

really enjoys it for years to come.

Kathy

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matt 19:11

Beach fun and new fabric...

We were offered a friend's condo at the beach 

and could only go for three days

but we had fun....

The water was still warm enough to walk in and to gather shells.

Nice fall vacation.

Of course I got in a little thrift store and fabric shopping too!!

Two sweaters, a brown Ralph Lauren, a navy Deans of Scotland from the 80's and a black quilted jacket with with pink lining 

and all for $12.00.

Now that is my kind of shopping...

My latest fabric purchases from Mary Ellen's

The Thistlebee Quilt Shoppe

www.thistlebeequltshoppe.com

G basicgrey for moda  # 30150 yellow  & green                            

I took the pics outside so you can see the way the colors of white and pink are added.

These lovely pieces are for a new wall hanging to go in our den. I am planning on appliqueing

with felt and wool some fruits of the seasons...

When I returned, I subbed for two days and then taught a basic sewing class on Saturday.

This cute little half apron is (with permission) from

Angie Asplund's blog 

www.angieasplund.blogspot.com

and her detailed instructions are great to follow.

My two students also used the "Flurry" fabrics...

Here are my samples

which are going to my niece on Monday...hope she enjoys them.

She is a lot younger and will like this popular half style...

a full (cover-up) apron for me!!!!

My week was way to busy for a retired girl

so this week I plan to take it easy...

Blessings all !

Kathy

Hosea 4:6

Fabric Pumpkin...

Have you every made a fabric pumpkin?

Our Neuse Quilters Guild

went to a neighboring guild for lunch & sharing

on Wednesday and we learned to make this cutie!!

Let me share the instructions that were shared with me...

Select a Fall seasonal/Halloween fat quarter (18"x22")

A brown, green fat eighth ( 9"x22")

Batting appr. (17"x40")

and

a roll of toilet paper!!!

Place the fat quarter on a table w/ wrong side up.

Double the batting and place it on the fabric.

Put the toilet paper in the center.

Bring the fabric up on all sides

gathering as you go along

and push the edges into the hole in the toilet paper.

Fold & Roll the fat eight and push it into the center

for the stem.

Voila`

Isn't this just too cute...

and if you want to make a few more

then use a double roll and a  triple roll.

Take a close look at the picture and you will see a spider on the wall...

I promise I did not see that until I enlarged the picture to preview.

hehehehehehehe

Happy Fall,

Kathy

New book and my Genie...

I won the nicest prize....

Monica at the
 thehomespunheart.blogspot.com 


had a give away and I entered and WON!!!
IF YOU ARE READY FOR A CHALLENGE,
then read this book.  It is wonderful and talks about the mature Christian life that women should be living. 
Each chapter is briefly written so you may read as you have time and not get too overloaded with info.


Thanks Monica!!!

My Bernina messed up while embroidering two jackets for my friends daddy's birthday.  Thankfully, I was on the last line of the second jacket when it started to jumble the threads all up on the bobbin. After trying to fix it myself, I gave up and took it to the dealer!!

Well something good came from it...

I get to use my Genie!!

...Michelle at 
lifewithlou.blogspot.com
can tell you all bout this machine...
Her October 2, 2011 post tells about her Genie that she found, cleaned all up and is read for use.

My Genie was a high school graduation present and only cost $99 !!
I have lugged it all around to college and back each year, to every apartment I rented to the beach, to my aunts houses...you name it and I took it with me nestled in the back of the car to sew...window treatments, dust ruffles, pillows, shams, garments (before my quilting days  ..hehehe), bathing suits, prom dresses...oh my...
it has had a lot of use and has ONLY BEEN CLEANED 2 TIMES !!!!!!
What a great machine it has been.
Well, I am making an adorable bedding set for my friends new
granddaughters high poster bed and my old faithful Genie
is just sewing along !!!
What fun.

Here is my little prayer pal...

The view from my sewing machine. 
And can you believe that as of October 22 my impatients looks better than it did this summer when it was so hot.

I have the privilege of sewing on the stand that my great grandmother and grandmother used with their sewing machine...the machine was kept in an outside shed for too many years and only the metal was still in tact. So  my daddy had it refinished and a new top put on for me to sew on!!

Blessings all on this gorgeous 

Sunday morning.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.     Neh 8:10
and I hope yours too

Kathy

Progress on my sunflower quilt...

Today at guild, Barbara and I pin basted my sunflower quilt.

My goal is to have it all quilted for our quilt exhibit to be held in early Spring 2012.

Kinston, NC is celebrating the 250th anniversary of our town's beginning and as you might imagine it is going to be an exciting event that will take place over several months.

I   really have not had much time to work on many quilts except small projects since I have been guild president last year and this year.

So I would really like to complete this quilt and have it all ready for the show.

My plan is to machine grid quilt the sashing  area and to hand quilt the sunflowers using cross hatch and outline quilt around the sunflowers.Not too sure about the borders yet but would like to free motion some designs including some butterflies !!

We will see......

You may refer to my post 

May 10, 2011

for pictures of inspiration from my garden

and the basting, appliqueing, methods that I used.

http://quiltrestoration.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Other things of interest...

new yarn for crocheting...aren't these pretty colors!!

and our lovely little favors from our 

Day of Sharing at the 

Twin Rivers Guild in New Bern, NC

from Saturday.

I selected the four little 9 patch coasters and are already using them.

Have a joyful and blessed week all!!
Kathy