It's been awhile...actually it's been a real long while

Hardly even know where to start but a trip out to Ontario might be good for starters. My sister Wendy & I planned a surprise visit out to Mom's for her 76th birthday. First time she had all four of her children with her on that day since 1975. In my opinion...Way way to long.

She had many birthdays with her children just not all four together.

She just kept looking at us, smiling, shaking her head, and saying I just can't believe that you are really here! Now that is why I love surprises!

Visits with Aunts and cousins added pleasure to our trip as well. As much as we love our family, Sis and I could not spend every waking moment doing family things and besides Mom had gotten her Passport in the fall of last year and had yet to even try it out! We figured it was high time, so over the bridge we went into Soo Michigan. Yup! You guessed it! Second stop(first stop was for MOM) at Joanne's and then to the Quilted Moose. I must confess when it came time to pack my suitcase it was almost 20 pounds more than when I came and the only thing that wasn't material was a small bag that was purchased at the Bath & Body

My plans for next week is to get a wee bit of sewing and organizing done, but nothing but pleasure for me this week-end! Off to see our newest additon to the family.

Our Son and his wife had a baby girl on Tuesday evening.

Lacey Brielle .... what a beautiful name to go with a perfectly beautiful baby Girl!

A free stichery give-a-way

and is so darn cute, I just had to share with my fellow quilters

http://busyascanbe.blogspot.com/

click on this link to see the cutest little tea towel and a chance to win this free give-a-way!

You won't be sorry!

Block of the Month

Saturday was a very quilty day....This year our guild decided we would do a block of the month and learn some new techniques and use our blocks in the end to make comfort quilts.

And we are being taught by some of the finest in our guild! Coming home with only one block done left me feeling a little guilty and behind. Well Family day I had no family home so I decided to finish up my 3 other blocks to complete this. So far we have tackled railway fence, flying geese, logcabin, steeple chase(curves), applique, lotsa triangles & now paper piecing. When I catch up (who knows when that will be) I will post the rest of the blocks. Oh ya I forgot to say that I challenged myself to do a christmas block of each of these that I would make into a table cloth...so far I think I have one of those done.....Keep watching!

I've got some Show & Tell

and is nothing I've quilted.......

It's just my TAN..... I know, I'm a brat , eh!

But I do hope to be getting together with fello quilters on Saturday, so maybe by the end of the week-end I might actually have something to show that might interest you! LOL

Till then........

More Show & Tell

A few other ladies from our guild had some wonderful accomplishments and I just needed to share them with you too! I can't only be showing my Show & Tell....now that would hardly be fair would it???

Julie with her cute little bags that are now off of her UFO List....

and I can just read her mind...."honestly Barb , do you always have to take pictures"!

Kathleen with the very first completed Tin Can Challenge....way to go Kathleen!

Donna with her Quilt of Valour...not sure how many our guild made but many and they are being blessed in church at the end of the month and then being sent to our soldiers...what a small part we can do for them as they show courage and strength for all of us.


Deb as she bravely shows her first quilt of what she called "not her choice of colours" she was very brave and went outside the box! Way to go Deb!

Kathleen with her Christmas Moda collection

all done up! We were all so amazed at how much show and tell she had and she replied "this is what happens if nobody comes home over the holidays"! LOL Well done !

SHOW & TELL

Friday afternoon and Saturday was a much enjoyed day....visiting with my quilting friends and finishing my Redwork Winter Wonerland quilt I must say was my highlight of the week-end. When I got home and went to download my pictures from the day I noticed that someone must have taken my camera and taken a picture of me at Show & Tell.

I was able to bring a friend from Australia to our guild which we all enjoyed so much. And she even showed us all up ! She was the first to complete her Steeple Chase block...Way to go Jane!

A New Year and New Promises

yes I guess you can call it New Years resolutions if you like, but I prefer to call it promises and yes I have made a few!

One being that I promise to keep my body in better shape....somehow over the past year and a half I have neglected to keep my body fit and I'm thinking i really don't like how I look and feel. So yes it is a promise to exercise in some way 5 days a week.

I also made a UFO List to send to our guild and I have made a promise to tackle one of those projects weekly. Check out my side bar....I will put them up there

Our guild president challenged us all to send a list into her by the end of January and each month meeting at show & tell if we have something that we have stroked off our UFO list our name goes into a draw for a $250.00 gift certificate at one one our local quilt shops. Now is that encouragement or what??? I have 21 items on my list.....hmmmm, I wonder how many times my name will be entered in for the draw? I will keep you posted...

a few more things stroked off...

but none are from my sewing room list. But I guess I should not complain as I finally have all my christmas baking done. Bacon Buns are now rising and ready to soon pop in the oven. It's a new recipe that I'm excited to try.

ALL DONE

I KNOW IT'S ONLY ONE THING OFF MY LIST BUT IT IS DONE...NOW TOMORROW FOR MY BUTTERTARTS AND SHORTBREAD. WELL OFF TO ENJOY A CUP OF TEA AND MAYBE A BISCOCHITOS OR TWO

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

We had a great time in Alberta this past 10 days, the only problem is that my entire list of things to do still awaits me. I did purchase some yarn though and made a few pairs of socks for the kids for Christmas. That little scarf and Ponytail Hat is now complete as well. Thought I would give you a little peek and then it's off to work this gal must go. My little Biscochitos's (mexican christmas cookie) are a definate must today as well as I'm hoping my butter tarts and of course I must wrap a few more presents and get them in the mail today.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...inside and out!

Put the tree and all the trimmings up today.....oh how I love christmas and everything it brings.

Off to Medicine Hat to our son's to babysit tomorrow so I figured if I didn't get it done now I might by the 13th of December think it would be too late to haul everything all out.

To all my fellow bloggers out there.....enjoy the preparation time till Christmas

God Bless

Truly I am blessed

Look at these little creations that have filled my home with laughter, giggles, tears and sometimes even little pouts now and then. This past week was just like having christmas with everybody home for my niece's wedding. It's pretty quiet now, though. Back to just R & Me. What ever will I do to fill my day???

A little of the life and times at the Gibney home

Wow!!! From hosting the quilt show to Family arriving I must say I'm

surprised I have even found time to sleep! But I did and even found time to make these cute little mug rugs that I know I will use so much at my desk and the snowman family pannel went together rather quickly and if you look closely at the stars you will notice that many of them are embellished with crystal's....and the Paper Dolls from Blueberry Hill are for my darling little granddaughter. Now tell me what Grandmother could ever resist purchasing this material and doing something with it!

But oh so much fun and I just needed to share with you a few of my latest little creations and then I will show you our little creations from the Lord....my oh my , we have been so blessed!

I had a blast

Our fall quilt retreat was this past week-end and yes! I had a blast. I just love it when I can eat, sleep and quilt and steadily repeat that over the week-end. Wake up at 5:00 a.m. and head to the sewing machine and a hot cup of Java. No lunches to make, no beds to make, no meals to make, no phones to answer and I could go on and on.

well I did actually get a block of the month block completed and 27 of the 28 blocks I need to complete my Winter Wonderland Quilt....I'm so excited, but I'm home now and yes Life in general has taken over and I have not even finished the one block I have left to do. Will someone please lock my doors and shut my phone off! LOL Only one thing happening on my list tomorrow and that is a much needed haircut and other than that I hope to quilt the day away!! So stay tuned......pictures of the new me and maybe even a quilt top to show you!

Oh ya...I won a door prize this week-end....two charm square packs by Moda..."Spirit". I love them, now to decide what to make from them.

And I forgot I made a Hot Cakes pot holder to match my table runner. Hope to maybe get a few more made before Christmas

It's Done

the top for my Be Attitudes Quilt. Our quilt show is now 17 days away..... can I actually get it finished so it can be displayed???? That will be the question, and if I were the placing bets on me I would have to say no! But you just never know, do you? And then again if there were a few friends putting the pressure on me I might even get at it a bit quicker. Yes I would have to say I probably do better under pressure!

And then of course I have the center done of my Winter Wonderland and just had to share the next phase of the quilt with you. My sister and I have been working on this project together and she has her top completed with some spare polka dot border print that I could just not find anywhere here in Saskatchewan, eccept the mail box of course....thanks, Sis! I love how it is just the right shade of red too! I cannot wait to finish my star blocks and just for the record that would be 24 more of those to go..... and so the count down begins