It's Christmas!

Well, not really, but it is the 25th, so here's the update:

Nic's quilt top is now done as well as Danielle's, so the tops for Christmas are complete. The clothesline that I mainly use just to photograph quilts broke last time I tried to hand something on it, so the deck rail and some wood clamps have been pressed into service. Darn breeze flipped a corner, but you get the idea. This is a super simple, super fast pattern. Not too girly, and a great way to use scraps. I'd consider doing it again, super scrappy, but not anytime soon.

The scrap quilt for Ellie is not a Christmas quilt, per se, but I'd like to have it done and perhaps displayable in time for the Afterschool Enrichment Program's craft fair on December 4th. The blocks are all done, and all but the final round assembled, so all that remains, really, is the quilting. I'll stick with my plan to tackle all three at once on the mid-arm in Middlebury if I can.

No other Christmas sewing. I "officially" committed to the craft show again this year - Lisa said please and I said sure. As I said, December 4th. I'd add "lots of time!" but really, I know better. Time flies.

I've started the shopping I intend to do - Amazon Gold Box deals and Michael's 40% coupons have a limited shelf life and one needs to act when the opportunity presents itself, even if that means Christmas shopping in flip flops and shorts. Mom is not getting a cross stitch this year, instead I'm assembling her a box of "proper" crafting supplies. She makes beautiful embroidered greeting cards, and occasionally adds some extra dimension with decoupage or coloured shading. She uses old greeting cards for the cut-outs, and they're lovely, but for the colouring, I just "know" she's still got the 40+ year old shoebox full of broken crayons and coloured pencils. I think she'd enjoy chalks and brush pens, she'd like a new selection of stickers, and I know she'd get a kick out of some swap-out-able clear stamps. Those coupons are getting put to good use.