I'm excited about the coming year and the quilting projects I have planned.  I have recently become interested in Zentangling.  I haven't learned much about it, but I already love it.  You can read more at http://www.zentangle.com/  Here is my tribute to the year 2012.  Can you see 2012 in there?  It's being celebrated all over the world.

And here are some of my first effotts. My favorite is the last one.

 

I'm busy today finishing some quilting and working on a crazy quilt patch.                                                     

Be happy and keep quilting.                                                                                                                        

Quilting inspiration

Happy New Year!  Christmas was great here.  Hope everyone had lots of fun, family, good food, etc.  Now its time to get back into the swing of things.  I have lots of projects planned for the year ahead.  First, I signed up for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project challenge at cqjp.org. I'm not cheating, but I already have some blocks started that I can use.  I'll share pictures later. 

These potholders and oven mit were a Christmas gift from my sister.  She is amazing.  She told me that she made about 26 sets for gifts for family and friends.  This original design is called Four Seasons Moon.  Now I will tell you that last summer on her vacation from teaching school, Carol Ann fell and broke both of her arms.  She has had a very long recovery and when her insurance would no longer pay for physical therapy, she took on this project to help herself get back the use of her arms and hands.  A lot of her work during this time was hand sewing and she is now hand quilting a wall hanging for her physical therapist.  I am counting my blessings and being inspired by her. 

Be happy and keep quilting.

Christmas really is coming.  I have things to finish, shopping to do, parties to go to.  Its a busy life, so I have nothing to show this time but my little tree.  Its not fancy, but it holds a lot of memories of people and places, so it is precious to me.  Hope you are having a great holiday time.

Keep quilting and keep happy.

I have a start on Christmas gifts for friends and neighbors.  These potholders are fast.  I'm sure I can get many more done. 

Last night was the first guild party of the season.  Good friends, food, entertainment and gifts made for a very fun night.  This is a creative guild, not just for quilters.  This is also a small glimpse of the quilt store where I work. 

This knitted dishcloth was the gift I got.  We exchanged gifts we had made.  Jess is such a good knitter.  She makes beautiful scarves too.

 This is the gift I gave, along with a promise for needle tatting lessons. 

A lot of members were talking about the new Bernina machines we got to try out this week.  Some of us went to an event where we got to try three new machines, including embroidery.  They were all on sale at really great prices, but I still couldn't have one right now.  Oh well, I keep sewing and creating with what I have.  I just had fun seeing something new and I have a $20 gift card I can spend on fabric. 

Its so cold.  I think I will bind a quilt or work on a rug that will keep me warm while I work.  Have a great weekend and keep quilting.

Vote and Give Away

Please go to http://quiltinggallery.com/ starting tomorrow and vote for my Oh My Stars Quilt in the Weekly Contest section.    Also I am including a give-away in their Quilting Blog Hop Party.  It goes from Dec. 9 thru 17th.  I'm giving away five "Christmas Melody" fat quaraters. You can register for a chance to win by leaving a comment with your email address here.  Become a follower of Mamabill Quilts for a second chance to win.

 I'm getting excited for Christmas.  How about you?

Stay tuned for more later about parties, guilds, etc.

Here it is--my Itty Bitty Primitive Pinwheels quilt.  It was so fun!  I want to make more.  You can get the pattern and tool at http://www.primitivegatherings.us/.  It really isn't hard to make.

I got my Grandmother's Nine Patch quilted with a cute allover floral pattern.  Jennifer, my zospecial.wordpress.com daughter, helped me tweak the pattern so it slowed better. 

I'm progressing on my medallion and BOM quilts for two guilds, which both met in the last week.  Isn't is always enjoyable to quilt with friends? 

The turkey is thawing and the groceries are bought.  Tomorrow will be a wonderful day of cooking and eating and enjoying family, for which I am so thankful.  Hope you have a warm and Happy Thanksgiving.

Remember that mess from several weeks ago?  I finished a rug with that basketfull of strips.  Its a bit smaller than some I have made, but I ran out of the rust colored fabric. From here--

to here--

took some work.  I have already started the next one.

I'm working on a miniature quilt made with the itty bitty twister template and I will show it to you as soon as it gets quilted.  The finished squares are 1".  I might make a bunch of these.  It was fun.

I have started on hot pads for Christmas gifts.  I learned a new way to make half square triangles at missouristarquilting.com.

You sew a 1/4" seam all around two charm squares that are right sides together.

Then you cut from corner to corner both ways and you have four perfect half square triangles.  I hope to get a lot of these done to give at guilds, clubs, etc.

Have fun sewing this week and plan some great Christmas projects.