Running Out of Time

Christmas cheer all around! At this time of year I love wishing everybody a Merry Christmas. I'm getting more excited as each day goes by. But it also means that the deadline is getting closer.

Here lies one of my very first FMQ projects, back when I decided that I was not learning anything by dreading the dropping of my feed dogs.

I made two half-log-cabin tree skirts that year using a free pattern I found online. The purple version went to my mom's ongoing collection of me-made quilty things. It's traditional for me to gift her with pieces of an ongoing set each year. This year, though, she won't get her quilty thing until Valentine's Day....I've been too busy making children's quilts.

I did not meet my goals of finishing the Boy's target quilt by Monday evening because I have been dealing with a couple of sick kids. We lean more towards homeopathic remedies than medication when anyone is ill: My last few days have been seemingly endless rounds of making pots of tea, washing sheets, feeding honey on spoons (for coughs), and monitoring fever heights. The Pixie's fever spiked at just over 103F but both girls' fevers broke during the night and they are feeling almost giddy with energy today. However, they still have Sniffilis....

And I did get some quilting started.

I can't wait to reveal the finished project. I still amaze myself with my machine quilting ability. Years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of quilting a spiral on anything - I had no idea how to keep the layers from shifting, how to avoid accidental pleats, how to keep everything straight.

But I've been doing just that and I'm tooting my own horn! I can learn! She can be taught!