Mug Rugs and E-reader Pockets

I'm so excited. I just got a commission to create 12 new mug rugs to be used as hostess gifts for a friend's trip. This is a result of giving them as Christmas gifts to the book club. Below is a photo of the book club mug rugs before wrapping.

This will let me practice so I can submit the perfect mug rug photo for Mme. Samm's mug rug contest. Check out her blog to find out more information.

So tomorrow, I get to go pick out fabric (jelly roll, backing and thread). How fun is that? She leaves on her trip on January 20th. My plan is to get them finished and to her well in advance. I don't want to cause either of us any stress.

I finished another e-reader pocket today. I love the simplicity and the fit of these e-reader pockets. Photo coming tomorrow, it's too dark to take photos now.

I love this little mini-quilt. It would be perfect hanging in a nursery. I actually made this in 2009 but came across it this afternoon and remembered how much I like it. I like the combination of quilting with the machine embroidery.

Thanks for stopping by - your visits mean a lot to me.

Hugs - Marie

Day Four After Christmas

My Christmas cactus came through once again. I counted 10 open blooms and at least 20 little tight buds.

I love this little reindeer ornament and fat quarter from Carrie. It reminds me of Carrie, so talented and non-pretensious but absolutely charming. Check out her blog to see the high quality of this very talented lady. Thank you - I love it and I can always use a good neutral fat quarter.

D#1 was just here to collect the Dude for a day of cleaning his room. He is supposed to be back tonight. She cut some strips to put a pieced border on a table runner while she was here. After she finishes the top, she'll be back for help with the batting and backing. She does well, she just needs the confidence that she can do it - comes with practice (lots of practice).

I made an envelop pocket for my new e-reader. I read that there were millions of these e-readers sold for Christmas, that sounds like a booming market for these enverlop pockets. Hmmmm! This is the envelop pocket I made for the Dude's e- reader. He has a Kobo and I have a Kindle but they are basically the same size.

Big T is back at the PC. He is bound and determined to beat my high score on Bejeweled. He plays strategically, lining everything up for the most points. I play fast and take all the little ones I can get and they add up. It's the same way we play Chess (or anything else) - he thinks it all out and develops a good long-term strategy and I play lightening fast for one move at a time. Blows his mind at Chess because he is trying to think through why I made the last move. (What he doesn't understand is that I usually don't know either.)

Hugs - Marie

The Big Clean!

Disclaimer: There were no 'before' photos for comparison. (I was too embarassed.)

This is the sewing table after 95% clean-up.

This is my cozy 'new' corner for handwork (and escape).

This part of the visible stash organized once again (hope it lasts this time).

What's on the design wall at the current time.

A close up of the design wall projects

This table runner just needs a binding. The background is a heavy blue denim.

This wall hanging is waiting for trimming and a self-turned binding.

This one is taking on a life of its own. This is a wait and see what it wants to be. I know it needs more color (brighter) but I want the birds to be drab with gold trim.

So that's a peak into my studio at this minute in time.

I think I will hang this sign on my door.

And now it's usable once more.

Hugs - Marie

The Week After Christmas

Unlike most people, my favorite week of the year is the 'week after Christmas'. It is a time of peace and relaxation. Nothing to cook, nothing to wrap, no shopping to do, no cards to write, projects to finish up - no stress and no pressure. It has always been that way and this year is no different.

Yesterday was a day of sitting and watching the snow fall and Big T and The Dude playing in it. They built a massive 6 foot tall 'snow bear' and then wrapped him in 4 strands of Christmas lights. We had about 6" of snow, but my front yard has a large circle (diameter 12') with no snow where they used everything to build the bear.

The Dude got an awesome PC game called 'Bejeweled 3'. Don't buy it - it is truly addicting. It is one of those 'just one more game'. LOL there is no such thing as one more game on it. I see this a.m. it has been installed on Big T's computer as well - at least I'll know where to find him.

Today is earmarked (loosely) as the day to clean the sewing studio. It looks like a disaster and has now for over a month. I don't even want to go in there - it's that bad. I have a choice - clean it or keep the door closed; but if I want to sew, I'll have to clean it. Then I'll reward myself by curling up in front of the fireplace and reading the instructions on how to use my new 'e-reader'.

So, my friends, that is where you'll find me for the rest of the day (or maybe the week if I stop to play 'one more game'). I hope all your holidays were as good as mine and that you got to be with all your loved ones during that time.

Hugs - Marie

The New Look Is Here

Here's the new look. (There was nothing wrong with the 'before' - just time for a change. I find as I get older, I need changes more often. Wonder why?)

This is the 'aerial' view from the stair landing. Everything is new from this view.






Great photo of 'my chair'. Tucked into this delightful corner and reserved for hand stitching, knitting and reading. My Ott light fits perfectly on the table next to it for fine work and then can be folded and put into the drawer on the table. (The floor lamp behind the chair and the little 'tiffany style' lamp are hold-overs also.)

This is all we kept of the 'before'. I like this little chest and lamp right there just as you go into the kitchen.

Hugs - Marie

Was it worth it?

Before

Interim

And now you have to wait until tomorrow to see the 'after'. All I'll say is 'I'm loving it.'

I posted a few things this afternoon on my Etsy store - just thought I would share them with you.

Hugs - Marie

Out with the old -

My new living room furniture is being delivered tomorrow - so today is out with the old so we can bring in the new. As a result, I have not done anything related to decorating for the holidays. Everything in the living room is being replaced with a totally different look and there is no reason to decorate twice. I'm so excited. We have been talking about doing this for at least a year and then we just did it. Walked in the store and said 'that's what we want.'

It is icy cold here this week. Our snow of Saturday melted overnight, but now it is even colder.

My book club gifts are all complete (except for hand stitching the binding on the final three). Now just to wrap and they are ready for the luncheon on Wednesday. I need to write a poem to go with my 'mug rugs'. I'm thinking they remind me of 'magic carpets' - that kind of goes along with reading.

I also need to put the prairie points and binding on my kitchen table runner. I pinned the prairie points in place and realized some were cut from 4" squares and some from 3 1/2" squares. I had to go back and trim all my squares to 3 1/2".

I also finished the shawl from the purple self-striping yarn. It made up very nicely. I had exactly 29" of yarn left over when I finished it. I was just a tad worried the last few rows. I am ready to start a long cowl scarf from the green/blue of the same yarn.

The question of the day is - how many napkins do I make? Big T has decided he does not want to use paper napkins anymore. Fine, but at one napkin per person per meal - realistically, how many napkins do I need to make. Say we have an average of three people for each meal and I do laundry once a week - that's 63 napkins. Hmmmmmm! I am thinking about picking a color and then lots of coordinating prints in a 12" by 12" square. I've decided, it's easier to make a quilt than this project.

(No pictures today - forgot to charge the battery on the camera).

Hugs - Marie