Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since.
~Dave Beard
How many of your are making one or more New Year's resolutions? I have done like the quote above, and you know, it is the one and only resolution that I have never broken! I found that trying to make promises to eat better, to lose weight, or any number of other things was something that just wasn't meant to be. It was much easier if I just incorporated the things I would like to do into my life without announcing them to the world. And, of course, then I didn't have to admit defeat to anyone but myself - and most of the time I forgave myself too.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Brinegar Cabin and Loom
A few years ago we took a trip through part of North Carolina and traveled along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. There is so much history and interesting little stops along the way. We came upon these two old cabins which are part of the National Parks System. I try to imagine what life would have been like over 100 years ago for the people that lived there. The sign outside of the bigger cabin read "The art of weaving on a four-poster hand loom, long lost to all but the mountain people, was carried on from 1885 to 1935 by a busy farmer's wife, Caroline Brinegar. Her mother's century old loom is still in use". I would love to see even one of the hand made articles created on that loom.
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Yesterday I was able to get some sewing done and cutting for tomorrow's project completed. I made two blocks. One for a swap and the other is for the Layer Cake Quilt Along. Here is that block....
This is block 5 created by Cara Quilts Designs. I stayed with the same line of fabric from Connecting Threads that I have used for the previous 4 blocks. The darker green is really more of a deep turquoise than the picture shows. I could tell that my cold was affecting me when I was trying to put this block together and I had cut a group of rectangles 1/8th of an inch too big. I had to rip out four seams and recut. Oh well, had to let my seam ripper know that I missed it over my Christmas break - lol!
The second block I made is for my swap partner in the Christmas Quilting Block Swap for January.
Since I don't know if Sue reads my blog or not, I'm only going to give you a sneak peek until she receives the block in her hot little hands.
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Yesterday I also forgot to share a picture of my grandson, Nate, with his 'favorite blankey'.
I made Nate a blanket before he was born. This is the reason for the pastels as I didn't know if I was knitting a blanket for a boy or a girl.
After four years of loving hugs, washings, and being taken EVERY place with him - this is what is left. My DD calls it his "Ramon" blanket and it has to be washed in a mesh bag. Nothing much left but a whole bunch of strands of yarn. Hopefully it will last just long enough until he is ready to give it up.
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A few weeks back I won a giveaway from Fabric ala Carte. Kris was giving way 4 fat quarters of the winners choice from her Etsy shop. Here are the four I selected......
I really like all of the fabrics. I do wish that there had been a ruler next to the samples of fabrics shown so that I could have had some idea how large the print was. I was hoping to be able to use them for my hexie flowers, but as you can see, the prints are too large for that - well, I will be able to use one of them that way. This line of fabrics is June Song for The Alexander Henry Collection 2010. Thank you, Kris!!
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GIVEAWAYS
I couldn't find a single new giveaway yesterday to share with you today. But, if you come back tomorrow, I will have a brand new giveaway of my very own for you to enter. I will tell you it involves 26 different colors of fabric. Are you intrigued?
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FINAL THOUGHT
Winter is once again arriving in the Central Valley of California. It rained most of the night and now is quite blustery outside. They say our high tomorrow should be in the mid 40's - quite a change from the 70 degree high on Christmas day. We are even supposed to get below freezing for the next two nights and then followed once again by a rainy weekend. I love this time of year. I always say you can add layers for warmth but you can only get so undressed when it is hot in the summer - well, unless you would like to risk an indecent exposure rap. One of the things on my Christmas list was Toastie Toes - and I use them almost every day. As long as my feet are warm, so is the rest of me. What's the weather like where you are?
Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat.
~Author Unknown
I'm off to create - have a terrific Thursday!!
