Whimsicals Threads

:: giving thanks ::

It's 5 am, Thanksgiving morning.

As I sit here, listening to the quiet rain, I am reminded of how many blessings God showers me with. 

The house is quiet.  Dark.  Peaceful.

A stark contrast to what it was like yesterday.  I'm sure anyone with high school and/or college age boys can relate....

One was sitting in the family room, happily drawing in iscribble, with his music blaring from his laptop.

The other one was in the basement with several friends; laughing, playing video games, with completely different music humming through the speakers and up the stairs. 

I was in my sewing room, thinking I needed to get some work done (but not succeeding) while trying to drown out all the other noises by listening to my own music..... through my headphones. 

My poor husband took the day off too and was trying to get some Whimsicals work done.  Moving from his usual spot in the family room to the kitchen, he finally retreated to the bedroom to find a little peace and quiet.

Ahhhhhh...... another day in the life.

But this morning, all is quiet.   Except for the rain.  And I woke up with a song running through my head.  One from Holiday Inn, which is by the way, one of my favorite Christmas movies.  In my head I keep hearing Bing Crosby singing....

And I do have plenty to be thankful for.

We have a comfortable house to live in.  We have our health.  We have family and friends around to share in our lives with us.  We have jobs.  We have food on our table (or at least it will be after I make it all!)  And today, just maybe, we will all sit in the same room and listen to the same music, together....  a Thanksgiving day tradition we started several years ago, listening to Arlo Guthrie singing Alice's Restaurant.

Yep.  I am showered with blessings every day.  Sometimes I just need a little reminder.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

:: catching up ::

I've been back from Quilt Market for almost two weeks, and still feel like I'm playing catch-up.  All those things I said that I was going to do when I got home..... well, many of them are still waiting to be done. 

First on my list is to share with you some information about QuiltAid USA 2010.  

There are 12 blocks, each designed by a different designer, and 6 different shops that have each designed a finished quilt with the blocks.  You need to visit each of the shops to purchase the pattern for the blocks, and then choose your favorite finishing to purchase. 

Funds raised from QuiltaidUSA 2010 will be donated to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia through the Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid fund Australia AND The Fistula Foundation USA.  You can read all about the charity here. 

And to see all about QuiltAid USA, the participating shops, and the designers, go to their website.  I feel very honored to be among such well known and talanted people!

So, here is the block that I made.

You can get the instructions for making it through Homestead Hearth.  And while you're at it, check out their gorgeous finishing kit that you can also purchase.

Make sure you check out all of the finishing kits, because each one of the participating shops did a different one, and they are all great.  Now, I just need to decide which one I want to try making......

Posting pictures from Quilt Market is another thing that I said I would do when I got back.  Again, I'm late as usual, but here you go......

This shows the entire booth, funky couch and all.  I have to confess that I found the little couch at one of my local antique malls, brought it home, and promptly started covering over the lovely 1970's gold fabric with some neutral home dec fabric I bought for $3 a yard.  I looks much better now and although I had visions of leaving it behind in Houston, we finally decided to bring it back home and put it in storage with all the other treasures that I use for props.  'Cause you never know....  I might need another little couch for a booth someday!

The day before we left, I found these big letters that spell out "believe" and loved how they looked on the mantle.  Just the right splash of color and what a statement....

So, these next two can be attributed to my "quirkiness" as my husband calls it. 

Can you tell what I used for tinsel on my Christmas tree?! 

Right before Market, I cut a ton of fat quarters for my booth.  To do this, I just cut off the folded edge of the fabric and toss it on the floor into a big pile until I'm finished.  As I picked these little strips up off the floor, I looked at them in my hands, then looked at the tree standing there, and had a lightbulb moment.....

I threw them on the tree and voila!  Fabric tinsel! 

I think it worked great and it was fun to see the surprise on peoples' faces when they realized what it was.  I wonder how many shops are going to have fabric tinsel on their trees this year?!

I also had to scramble around to find some way to display the aprons.  I searched all over for some kind of mannequin, continually kicking myself for all the times I saw old ones in the antique stores and didn't buy them.  But I happened upon this one in SteinMart right before I left and was so glad because I think that the apron looked great on it.

One last picture....  Because I don't like carrying my camera around with me at Market, I seldom get any pictures of friends I meet or see there.  But, this time, I ran into Lynette Anderson and actually had my camera with me, so her husband took this picture for me.  She used some of my fabrics in one of the quilts in her booth, and I'm wishing that I had gotten a picture of it now, because it was a gorgeous quilt, but I didn't. 

Hmmmmm..... note to self...... upgrade to a smartphone before going to Market in the spring, so I can get more pictures!

And with that I'm going to sign off.  I can't believe that Thanksgiving is a little over a week away, and then November will be gone.  YIKES!  So much left to do, and so little time!  Gotta get to that sewing machine!