Merry Christmas--After

Hi all!

I meant to post on Christmas, but I guess I just posted on Facebook! Whoops!

Christmas at our house was splintered into a few pieces. My husband's shift at the firehouse should have been working both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but his department decided to split it with C shift. My husband worked the 23rd, drove home on Christmas Eve morning and we did family gifts. My husband's family came for the afternoon and dinner with gifts. My boys love their uncles and grandma.

Then I went to work for a few hours in the evening. When I got home, my husband was ready for bed, so I played Santa and put out gifts, sorted stockings, and put out cookies and drank milk. Ha ha ha. Hubby left for work in a snowstorm Christmas morning, and the boys were so excited for "Santa".

Christmas was fun, though.

He loves Nick Jr's Paw Patrol!

The older boys love Star Wars and Marvel Avengers.

Santa got me a special gift: a new Bernina Bernette, Chicago 7. It's got very similar features to my Bernina 1090, it's a little smaller, but it has embroidery module, and lots more decorative stitches. Hubby/Santa even bought me the embroidery computer software to go with it! The maximum embroidery area is only a 5x7 hoop, but that's a great start. My favorite Bernina dealer is so wonderful, Dave's Bernina in Provo, Utah. It was an amazing deal from corporate Bernina, which included a free Bernina suitcase!

During the past few days, I've been making some space for my new machine, unpacking it, trying it out.

I think her name is Katrina, to honor my Scandinavian roots. Ha-ha, it's close anyway, since Bernina is Swiss !

I've also been working on the baby's star sampler quilting. I've finished up all the ditch-stitching/outlining, and started some free-motion work.

Then we had Seamus's birthday. I can't believe he's 9 years old already!

We had a great time with family again on Sunday for gifts, dinner, and cake. Then Monday, we took the boys bowling and yummy lunch at Cracker Barrell ! (That's our new favorite, family-friendly, yummy-comfort-food restaurant to eat at.) My brothers-in-law came again to play and eat, and my dad came as well. I'm so happy that my Dad was able to get a new job in Utah and move back "home". Seattle is just too far away, and we're enjoying having Grandpa near us!

It was the baby's first time bowling, and I was thrilled to get the look of pure joy on his face as he watched his bowling ball hit some pins!

Blowing out some candles! I let my firefighter hubby light candles.

Holiday sandwich

Hi

So I just came up with that--holiday sandwich. Those few days between Christmas, my son's birthday, and New Years!

Christmas was good to us. We had lots for what we needed and wanted. And enough to budget for S.'s and the baby's birthdays, too.

My sewing swag:

Plus, a new pair of machine quilting gloves, and materials to make a design wall! And some random fabric.

Christmas Eve baking cookies with my little guy! Yum!

Gifts from Uncle T.

And now some birthday fun!

S. adores Angry Birds!

Oops, grandma's face didn't make it in the shot!

Uncle T and Uncle J. They love their nephews, and they love their uncles. 

Not much but Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve!

I'm not getting much sewing done, but my hubby's on shift and I'm spending time with the kids.

Yesterday, my middle boy helped me make gingerbread men and snowmen, and daddy's favorite butter cookies. After baby woke up, we bundled up, walked to the mailbox, and delivered a few plates of cookies and fudge to neighbors.

We read Polar Express by Chris Van Allsberg this morning. My boys love that story and the movie. I think we'll be watching it, snuggling in quilts together, tonight before bed.

I'm very excited for some of the boys' gifts and to see their faces. I'm all done with Christmas wrapping. I'm also excited for some of the things for quilting that I was able to get for myself!

And I'm working on piecing blocks for the baby's star sampler, and writing a class review for Craftsy.

We can't wait till my hubby gets home from shift in the morning, to celebrate! (Then it will be my turn to work in the evening at the ER.)

I finally found a pine tree block that I like, and can't wait to find time to try it!

I've also been a member of Bonnie Hunter's " Quiltville's Open Studio" Facebook page, and today I was able to join Pat Sloan's "Quilt Along with Pat" Facebook page. It's so fun to share in two huge groups, with thousands of quilters from around the world. So many pictures of Christmas and holiday quilts and trees from all over the world!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in September

I just participated in Quilters Newsletter Magazine's Best Christmas Quilts Blog Hop. There's some really beautiful quilts in the issue, and lots of fun table runners, stockings, ornaments and other such Christmas fun. Lots of beautiful new Christmas fabrics were featured. Snowflakes, snowmen, lots of metallics, holly, plaids, wishes.

One if my favorite quilts was Golden Gifts, featuring a gorgeous printed panel from Stonehenge Christmas Traditions! Oh heavenly beautiful.

And Ta-Da! I won a beautiful Windham Fabric fat quarter bundle, and a copy of the magazine!!! Yay! Thanks, Rana Heredia! Her cute quilt is Deck the Halls and looks like chevrons decorations with holly hanging.
The box was sitting on my porch this morning, and even my little guy was excited for a "present" and gave the bundle a hug!