Amie Soto Blossom

Mr Linky-Thingy  is here , please do add your name so we can all visit each other. There is also a message for Sunbonnet Sue underneath the link.

Amie Soto Blossom

Presents this recipe

For us to make

A yummy cake

To eat for Christmas tea.

Amie Soto Blossom

Can’t type too well with paw.

So she asks Midge,

(Her 2-legg’d pet)

 To help her with this chore.

Amie Soto Blossom

Hopes you like her recipe.

But if you don’t,

You’ve time to make

Something else for tea.

Since Midge, her 2-legg'd pet can,t be with us today, Amie thought she'd like to join in the Christmas Quiltalong fun.  Her recipe is on Midge’s blog, here.

Progress so far ....

Mr Linky-thingy is here by the way.

... this ....

... and this ....

... plus this ....

...equals this.

I thought you might enjoy this .....

... with your morning coffee/afternoon tea.

Do you have ....

... any special Christmas memories you'd like to share with the rest of us?  

I have two specially great ones, so I thought I'd share this one with you.  When I was a kid, I was very ill one year and had to spend Christmas in hospital.  I can remember oh so well, that at midnight (well, it was probably about 9pm, but I was just a kid) everything was very quiet in the ward, and it was dark too.  My bed was positioned so I could see down the corridor, and gradually I started to hear the sound of Silent Night being sung.  I could see candlelight too.  It was the nurses, who were going from ward to ward singing Christmas carols.  They always had navy capes as part of their uniform with red linings, and they had turned the capes round too.  It was absolutely magical.  

Oh, and don't feel too sorry for me - it was a great Christmas.  All the parents were told to bring in a pillowcase beforehand, and every nurse on the ward put a little present in each child's "stocking", the doctors came and did things like conjuring and magic, the nurses all dressed up, and we even had a visit from Father Christmas with more presents.  My parents and my sister were there too and Father Christmas had a present for her too.  It really was a great Christmas, and a lovely memory to have of what could have been a miserable time.

Happy Christmas everyone ....

Ho, Ho, Ho.  It's time - at least it will be after I've had my shower.

Just as before, I've added this Linky-Thingy.  If you're taking part in the festivities put your name and blog address in there, then  clever Mr Linky-Thingy produces a list of the names for us that we can click on to go visit each other.  How clever is that?

By the way, you don't have to leave a comment if you don't want to, even though Mr Bossy Boots Linky-Thingy tells you too. 

Oh yes, and here's a message for Sunbonnet Sue.  You're set to no-reply on your comment, but we'd love you to join in.  I hope you see this, or the comment I left on your blog.

A message also to Lynn Wilder, you're also a no-reply blogger, but I'm glad you're going to join us this month.

If there's anyone else out there in blogland who would like to join in, just grab your Christmas project, and sewalong with us whilst singing Christmas carols out loud.

La la lala, la la lala,

lalalalalaaa

la lala la

I'm ready .....

... for tomorrow's Quilt-along.  Are you?

Decision made ....

... thanks to everyone who came up with suggestions.  I allocated a number to each one and got Mr Fixit to choose a number.  That didn't work.  He chose the wrong number!  Then I decided to go with my friend Bilbo's suggestion of deciding to think about whether I'd feel happier next week if I got some tops quilted or if I made something else.  That was easy.  I'd definitely feel better if I got a couple of those tops done, so .... tomorrow I'm going to make another quilt top!  There, that was amazingly logical wasn't it?  What are you all going to be working on?

Oh dear .....

... what shall I work on on Christmas Quiltalong day?  I have 4 quilt tops, two of which are Christmas quilts, and several other things all waiting to be quilted.  I have a bag pattern I want to try.  I have a table runner I want to make.  I have a layer cake of Christmas fabrics and a Schnibbles pattern I want to use.  Oh dear, oh dear, how do I decide what to do?

4 days until ...

... the next Christmas Quilt-along.  Who's going to come and play this time?

 Bilbo and Sewali worked it out yesterday and Reenie got it tonight so I thought I'd own up now.  Had you all wondering though didn't I?

4

..yes, four

Four

FOUR


Or should I say quatre, čtyři, quattuor, quatro ..........


Have you worked it out yet?

5 ....

.......Five,

FIVE,

FIVE!

or to put it another way, cinq, cinco, cinque .....

Edited specially for Siv, to include "fem", which is Norwegian

Is it only me .....

.... who can use a satnav and still get lost?  Yesterday I needed to go somewhere the other side of the big scary city where I live.  I have been to this place before, but not often, so I took the satnav with me.  Near to my destination there have been roadworks and alterations going on for years, but that was OK.  Except, yesterday I found "they" have finished the roadworks, and closed off the road I wanted to go down.  "They" made me turn left. I could see where I wanted to be, but couldn't get there.  I turned left onto a new dual carriageway.  Tom, the little guy who sits in my satnav and reads the maps for me, was not happy.  His map didn't have this new bit of road on.  He told me to do a u-turn immediately.  Not possible Tom, it's a dual carriageway with a barrier between me and the other side of the road.  Then he told me to turn right.  Not possible Tom, there were no openings in the barrier.  Then he told me to take the next left.  Not possible Tom, due to the idiot sitting on my rear bumper on the left hand side.  So I just drove for a while without a clue as to where I was.  Tom sulked.  I drove.  Eventually, after a couple of miles Tom stopped sulking and decided to help.  Pheww, he finally got me there, but what should have been an 8 mile journey ended up being over 15 miles.

Whoops ...

... I am very sorry, but I have just noticed an error in my Chocolate for Christmas pattern.  Step 3 should tell you to cut 46 segments, each measuring 2 ½” x 4 ½” and not 2 ½” x 3½".  I have corrected it on the pattern page, and I do hope this hasn't caused any problems?  If it has, let me know and I will come up with a workaround solution for you.

At last I can tell you my big secret ..........

..... Remember how busy I have been this year?  

Remember how I couldn't tell you what I was doing?

Remember how I couldn't even show you what I was making?

 

Well, ta da, drumroll, fanfare, waving fat quarters in the air, at last I can share my secret.  

 

This is what I have been working on like a thing possessed since the beginning of the year:

 

12 quilts, 12 brand-new designs, together with this:

 

 I can now tell you that my first book is making its steady way through the production process with those wonderful folks at Martingale Publications. 

 

It doesn't yet have a definite title or publication date, and I haven't seen the front cover design yet, but the manuscript has been checked and proofed by the Copy editor and the Technical people, the illustrator is nearly finished with her bit and the photographer will shortly be working his/her magic.

 

Excited?  Oh yes, you have no idea how excited I have been or how difficult it has been not to let anything slip before now. 

 

As soon Martingale tell me more then you'll be the first to know

 

(and before anyone asks, I already have more than enough designs for the second book .......)

The winner is ....

... actually, before I tell you that, I owe you all an apology.  I bet you have all been sitting by your computers all day, just waiting for me to tell you who the lucky person is, haven't you?  Well, I am very sorry, but I completely forgot until a short while ago that I had to draw this today.  Luckily, I did remember eventually, and what's more I've worked out now how to show you all the results of the draw.  I knew I'd be able to work out sooner or later how to do this, so, without further ado, here it is:

Now, I guess you'd all like me to confirm who that is?  Well, I could make you go to the Giveaway post comments, and count down, but cos I'm feeling kind, I've done it for you, so here it is, the winner is

Congratulations Cheryll, I'm sure you're going to love this book. Cheryll actually says on her blog profile that she loves to make Christmas items.   Please would you email me your address so I can get this fabulous book in the post to you?

Thanks everyone who entered this giveaway, I wish I could have given a copy to each one of you, but on thinking about it, it's as well I can't - just think what my postage bill would be!

Anyway, keep visiting, there's going to be another giveaway soon, and this one is also a great Christmas-themed item.

I'm perfecting the art ....

... of prevaricating.  I now have four quilt tops all ready for Bertha to come out and play with.

They are Paulette's quilt from our barter, Christmas Stars, Chocolate for Christmas and the yellow and gold one (well OK, that one still needs a border, but it could be ready by now if I had put my mind to it.)  So why isn't Bertha out and working her magic on them?  Cos I'm trying to decide how to quilt them.  Usually I have an idea, check it out with my quilting software, and get on with it.  This time?  Well, after the week I've had, do I have to explain?

If you're looking for the giveaway, it's here.

I'm not safe ....

... to be left on my own at the moment!  After my idiocy the day before yesterday, I remade those blocks yesterday and they're fine.  But ....

I then went back to another project I had started and got it wrong again yesterday.  This project involved printing some hexagons from the internet with 2" sides, cutting some cardboard at 2" x 4" , sewing hexies together, covering the card pieces and inserting them into the hexie "tube" I had made.  All went well until that last bit.  There was no way the card pieces would fit.  No matter what I did.  I went to bed.  Got up this morning, measured the card pieces, yep definitely 2" x 4".  Puzzled over it a bit, then thought I'd just check the hexies.  You're all there already aren't you?  You're right, those 2" sides had shrunk to 1 1/2" while I wasn't looking!

Final proof that I'm loosing my marbles came a couple of hours ago when I pressed the wrong button on my coffee machine and used hot water to make an iced cappuccino.  Aaaaggghhh.

If you're looking for the giveaway, it's here.

Spot the Difference ....

The block on the right is 1/2" smaller than the one on the right.  That's what happens when I sew when not feeling well!  5 blocks, all wrong.  I only discovered it when I tried to sew them alternately with the other, correct, blocks.  Eeekkkk.  What had I done?  Well, see those pinwheels in the centre?  They're the problem.  I made them, pressed them and before I trimmed them I checked on the computer exactly what size they should be.  It said 6", finished, so what did I do?  Cut them to 6 " UN-finished.  Today was spent making more blocks to the right size.

If you're looking for the giveaway, it's just below this post.

Giveaway spotted right here ............

We all know winter's coming, (unless you live in the southern hemisphere of course, in which case summer's on the way) so I'm giving away this book which could help you decorate your home for the cold times ahead.

 

There are some great projects here from lap quilts to table runners, wall quilts to cushions.  

Just take a look at this quilt, which is my favourite,

or this fun cushion being beautifully modeled by Mary's cute little dog Rufus.

Need a present in a hurry?  How about this table runner?

What child wouldn't love to have this wall quilt hanging in their room on Christmas Eve?

Love working with wool?  Then this is just the project for you.

This book has been given to me by Martingale & Company, to give away to one of you.  So, here's the deal:

1) leave a comment on this post for one entry

2) become a follower and tell me that you have done that (or tell me if you already are) for a second entry

3) post about this giveaway on your blog and then come back and tell me you have done that, for a third entry

I will keep this open for seven days, and will close it at midnight BST on Saturday 25 September, and announce the winner on Sunday.

I've got ..........

.... shopping envy I think.  Yesterday my father got the new Kindle he had been waiting for.  I played with it last night and now I want one.  My daughter has just bought a pair of Ugg boots, and guess what, now I've seen a picture of them, I want some!  My son is in the process of buying a new car, but this time I don't want one. Pheww.

On another topic, 2 people, Ms Shell Creations and Ms Zany Quilter,  have given my blog a Sunshine Award, which is really lovely of them.  I should pass it on, but I can never decide who to give it to, so I am posting the award on my sidebar, and want to give it to  all of you who come and visit me.  My blog wouldn't be the same without you, as I'd feel stupid talking to myself, so thank you all.