The old and the new....

First I thought I would show you a quilt top for a baby quilt that I made sometime in the past year or so....I really can't remember just when I made it. It might have been closer to two years ago. I had totally forgot making it....it was made with no baby in mind. I did have a couple girls in mind that I thought might be starting a family sometime in the near future, though.

I have a hard time getting a good overall view, so I took a couple pics of it.

And here we have the small 4-patch quilt top I have been working on...over the past fall. I have worked on it here and there...till last week I got serious about finishing it. It is meant to be just a small quilt for the couch....or maybe a kid. Who knows. The 4-patches are 3 1/2 inches square when finished. And the top itself is 49 inches x 59 inches.

We won't tell about the fact that I tried a new pressure foot on my machine...and they were originally going to be 4 inches finished, but due to slight variation in size, I had to resize all the blocks I made. And we won't tell about the hours I spent ripping out seams the last evening or two. More ripping out than I normally do in a year...probably even in two or three years. Not that I don't make mistakes...I usually just catch them before I compound them.

I started making the 4-patches from scraps from other projects...then I got into cutting a few squares from older fabrics that I just want to use up. Still, most of them are from scraps...however the background squares are about half and half. I think I would have liked it better if I had used one main fabric as the background. And I will say that I think the pictures make it look prettier than the actual top is. But usually things grow on me when I quilt them.

I need to get another batting or two...I have a queen sized and I have queen sized tops, but I want to quilt some of these small tops, plus I also have one or two that are skimpy full sized tops.

After I got this last little top done, I have been working on cleaning up my sewing area, and even went so far as to organize some of my fabric by color. I think I could spend all day working on getting my fabric organized. I sure wish I had a place I could organize it all in one spot. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I even have a place to leave my sewing machines set up.

Roger's latest knife....

Roger finished this knife and sheath for my nephew a while before Christmas...but I didn't want to show it till he got to give it to him.
He used an airbrush to spray on the special finish...and then it is baked on. It is a finish used by the Navy Seal team....so it should stand up to a lot of wear. As you can see the blade is approximately 5 inches long.
Roger's name is etched in it but you can only see it at a certain angle.
The handle is wrapped with parachute cord...it does not slip out of the hand.
I think it is one of his best looking knives!
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I have been busy with other things...not sure if I am quite ready to get back to blogging, but thought I would give it a shot tonight. My oldest daughter just left today...kind of got the blues about that. Did not get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked...but that is life. I am blessed to have seen her at all.

Just a little charming barn ornament....

Lorelei's mom saw this ornament and got it for me because she knows how much I love barns...

I have been so preoccupied with other stuff....I have not looked at blogs, not sure if I will get a chance to before Christmas. I am hoping I have time tomorrow night. But in case I don't, I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas.
I also wanted to show a picture of the Christmas tree that I took without the flash...you can still see the Christmas tree skirt. That is how Bubbie keeps it. I straighten it and he manages to almost wad it up into a wad. I straighten it out, and he messes with it again. I have decided to let him have his way. I almost put out presents, but have been so glad I didn't.

I do not know what is going on with the cats...Bubbie wanted out Saturday sometime around dark. He was gone for around 24 hours....he is never gone. For sure not like that. He will go next door, and every now and then he crosses the street...but he is never gone for long. Not like his brother who was responsible for a lot of gray hairs. I really thought something has happened to him. He had a 'garage' smell when he came in...oh, not strong...I had to get down with my face in his fur to smell it....but feel sure he was locked in a neighbor's garage. Just don't know which one.

Before that he was picking on the other cats, almost tore the tree down. He was even playing with one of the cat toys by himself, and usually the only time he plays with one is when we have it tied on the end of a fishing line and swing it around for him.

Then the Puss Puss has just been into every single thing...and she cries...I honestly think she wants to be a mommy. I don't know if it is possible for her to have that longing since is spayed, but she will get stuff and carry it around and cry part of the time. And she has done that lately, but she has also just gotten into everything. No matter what I am doing, she is there sticking her head in to see if she is missing anything. I sure know where the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' came from.
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All this time away from blogging and I have not been doing much. I have spent hours and hours yesterday evening and this evening/night looking for a pattern. I feel like i am always looking for something.

And I was looking through a lot of my fabric....and I found a baby quilt top that I totally forgot about making. And it has not been that long ago at all that I made it. If I had not run across it I would never have remembered it. I will have to take a picture of it next week if I can remember.

Roger has made another knife...I will be showing it sometime in the near future. It is one of the best looking so far.

I need to get to bed...oldest daughter and I plan to make cookies tomorrow...just what I need. Something I can't resist. I think we are just making three or four kinds. Anyway, I need to get to bed till I can get some sleep...
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Lorelei is wanting everything pink for Christmas. We do not know where she came up with that....she wants a pink princess outfit, a pink Barbie, a pink car, and I don't remember what all else she wants. And they were out shopping the other day and Sarah found some pink wrapping paper with princess and she got it and Lorelei was so excited....Oh, mom, you are the greatest...I love you!