GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS

I've been a bad blogger. But I have visited your blogs when time permitted. It's been busy. Thanksgiving Day it appears this was the only picture taken with my camera. As you can see Laura found lipstick. She was so proud of how pretty she looked. That was until she saw a picture her mother took of her and she got upset and said she looked like a monster! This picture her lipstick is toned down from what it was in the picture her mother took. Here are three of the seven grandchildren on my porch swing after we had all stuffed ourselves.

Tradition has it that we go buy our Christmas Tree Friday of Thanksgiving Weekend. I put the lights on it this year as I did few years as DH isn't able to do that any longer. This year the three

.and two year old granddaughters did the decorating.


The two year old has just hung an ornament her mother made in preschool or kindergarten which has her mother's picture on it.
The three year old up on the step-stool hanging ornaments.


Sampson their dog supervising their work as the three year old comes down off the step-stool.





The finished tree just as they did it. I did put a few on at the very top. Each day they move a few around but I haven't touched it. You may say there are clusters and bare spots but Nana says it is beautiful just as they did it!!

I did do a tad bit of sewing. I needed something else for MIL. She had bought a couple tablecloth panels this summer and hemmed them. But wanted and couldn't find a blue and white one. This one I bought last February at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival from French Connection. I had not gotten around to hemming it. So decided I'd roll hem this one and give it to her. I'll get me another one there this year or order one on-line from them. I did a yellow and blue one for myself a few years ago and they wash and dry so wonderful. Do not fade. This panel could be done either rectangular or round.
And I've done some baking. The two year old
and three year old granddaughters have been helping
Now I must get back to my wrapping and put on a double batch of fudge...

THANKSGIVING

Have started getting ready for Thanksgiving. This morning a friend of DH's gave him a mess of collards early this morning. By six a.m. I was washing them. I pull them from the big center stem, bunching the leaf up tearing it and dropping it into five gallon stainless steel pot my family shipped oysters in back in the 50's & 60's. In the pot is a ham hock. Not just any ham hock but one from Darden's Country Store over Smithfield way. It's the old Virginia style of curing hams that the Smithfield area is famous world wide. I add a few seasonings and let them simmer and simmer and simmer. . .

We used to always get the Old Genuine Smithfield Hams and I'd soak and cook those babies. But, ten or fifteen years ago or so another friend who worked with DH told him of their cousin who cures hams and his wife cooks them, slices, and packages them for a reasonable fee. These hams are cured using their family recipe. So, we decided to try one and since then I have not cooked another ham but get them from the Darden's.

Now, my family would disown me if I did not have turkey and ham both for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also get hams from them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, special events such as christenings and baptisms, showers for a new baby, etc. Sometimes in the summer we get a hankering and get one for the Fourth or Labor Day.

Today, we packed the SUV with four of the seven grandkids the oldest is almost 16 then the youngest three of the seven and went to get our Thanksgiving ham. On the trip back home we sample the ham, have a Moon Pie, cold Coke from a glass bottle, some chips of some sort, peanut candy, etc. Another must have from there are chunks of cheese they cut from a big round of cheese. Here is a picture I borrowed from DARDEN'S COUNTRY STORE website of their hams curing. . .

Click on DARDEN'S COUNTRY STORE and go visit them and this wonderful tradition we Virginians love.

Tomorrow I'll be cooking the turkey breasts. . . there will be four of them. . .our family likes white meat so I stopped doing the whole turkey as I was only one who ate dark meat after my grandparents and mother died. There will be green beans seasoned with ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pudding with marshmallows, corn pudding, stuffing, homemade yeast rolls, gravy, cranberries, etc. . .

CHRISTMAS APRON

Isn't this apron a MUST HAVE for Christmas? Go visit Phyllis Dobbs for her free pattern to make this Christmas Apron. Of course you could change the colors, fabric theme, etc., and make it for another holiday or everyday use in your favorite color combination. I hope Phyllis doesn't' mind me 'borrowing' her picture from her website but I just love this apron and feel most of my blog friends will too! And I thought the picture just sells it. At the above site where you click on her name above you can also sign up for her newsletter.

And Phyllis has a BLOG too! Be sure to check it out!!! I'm heading there now to look around.

THE NEW BABY

This pic of her twin is borrowed from the Bernina Website. I haven't set her up yet.

CHRISTENING GOWN

The gown is finished and delivered. Not the best picture of it. The smocking isn't showing up. I did a closeup of the smocking but didn't turn out.

MY NEW BABY ! ! !

I brought my new baby home today.  I adopted her earlier this week. Today I went to meet her, see what she could do.  She's in the back of my car right now. Guess I will wait for son-in-law to come over to bring her inside for me. Not sure where I'll put her. Guess I'll put her in a bedroom and leave her in the box for a few days as a LOT going on around there next three days...

GIVEAWAY ALERT

Go over to Canton Village (click on Canton Village)and sign up for her giveaways! There are five of them. Your read correctly FIVE!!!

First is a layer cane and jelly roll of Hunky Dory by Moda. (Telling my age I remember HunkyDory being a slang phrase used all the time). Love the fabrics in that line....colors and prints I just LOVE...correct name for it...as it is HUNKY DORY!!!

Second is a Moda Sampler Box...didn't know such existed...but it sure is NICE...i.e. I want one!!!

Third is Kay Capps Cross's newest book Black and White and Pieced All Over. Been collecting black and white prints for a few years to do a B&W quilt. That would be nice to win too.

Fourth is a charm pack of 40 different color solids by Kona...now who couldn't use one of those...Know I could.

Fifth is a charm pack and fat quarter of Northcott's new line called Leading Ladies...the top one which shows in the picture she has posted is gorgeous!

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe: It's a Happy Halloween Giveaway!

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe: It's a Happy Halloween Giveaway!

Go by and visit Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe for the wonderful giveaway which is shown in the above picture I borrowed from her site to show you the great fabrics. Just click on the underlined phrases and it will take you straight to the post about it on her site.

GIVEAWAY OVER ON BLUE WATERS

Be sure to go over to BLUE WATERS and visit my Blog Friend Laurie! She's having a great giveaway to celebrate her blogging anniversary. Here's a picture, I borrowed from her blog, of the wonderful goodies she is giving away.

There is a beautiful Victorian crazy quilt Christmas boot stocking which she made. A picture frame for your favorite puppy's picture which she made. A handmade heart ornament. A darling tea-towel. And last but not least a potpourri burner with cranberry tarts.

VICTORIA IS 13 ! ! !

We gathered the other Sunday for Victoria's 13th birthday celebration. I had surgery the following two days and have been slow getting back to blogging...though I have been checking on on those I follow... Victoria didn't want a regular birthday cake but a cookie cake...
Victoria opening box from me with a couple of hoodie jackets in it. Aunt Becky looking on...
Mother, Great-granddaddy, and Cousin looking on...

Great-granddaddy always gives these two girls something Mother won't let them have. Victoria got a bottle of Pepsi. They also get a regular birthday gift from him and Great-grandma. Elizabeth usually gets chocolate kisses.
The birthday girl...Great-grandmonther cut in half on the side of this pic...
Cousin Jake cutting tape on yet another box inside a box...Great-granddaddy and Daddy look on as Victoria disposes of one of the previous boxes this box was in...this was how the Pepsi was wrapped. But I couldn't get the pictures to move in the proper order...
Sister Elizabeth enjoying bubble wrap...her birthday will be in December.
Reversible blanket Aunt Robyn and family gave her. They weren't there as they were at Trent Family Reunion at Peaks of Otter. In this pic you can see Great-grandmother and younger sister on either side of birthday girl...
She got a check, cash, jewelry, clothes and gift certificate...oh and the private bottle of Pepsi to stash away...

PIECEMAKERS GUILD QUILTS

Each year our city has a Fall Festival at the City Park. Our town has several city parks but this one is the largest. In fact, it is the largest city park east of the Mississippi River. I assume it still holds that status.

There is a large area of food vendors. A large area of Heritage Crafts. Three or four stage areas of shows from music, puppet shows, Indian dance, square dancing, clogging, etc. An area for children to do crafts. A juried craft area-these crafters also sell their items, a market place craft area, petting zoo, and so forth.

Various guilds also set up displays of works from their members. One such booth is the Piecemakers Quilt Guild. I am not a member but a huge fan of their work. They also do Quilts of Valor and each year have squares made where you can write a message and sign it if you desire which will go into one of these quilts. It's always the first thing I head for when I arrive and again when I leave. I should have taken a picture of some of them they had there but didn't realize I hadn't until I got home and downloaded my pictures.

Here are some of the quilts the members had displayed there to show some of their work which were not among the Quilts of Valor.

Click or is it double click on the picture to see a larger version to see the details.

Loved this patriotic one.


I have a thing for bee hives. I collect honey containers which look like beehives. This quilt has bees flying about and they are flying away with a quilt.
This picture does not do justice to the dragonflies. Their wings were so realistic.
Love the pumpkin in the middle.
This quilt was amazing appeared 3-D.
I've been wanting to do an under the water ocean or bay quilt. This one is beautiful.
These snowmen were so cute! It was warm and these help cool me down.
I've been wanting to do this pattern. This one was so pretty the colors are perfect for both Fall and Christmas.

This is the border of the quilt in the picture below.I just love these colors
And finally but not last this pumpkin...each piece was a different fabric.

To those of you who made these beauties I apologize that I don't have your names to give you credit and to those whose quilts were displayed there if not shown here I apologize as I took pictures of all but some did not turn or or someone stepped into the way.

JUSTIN IS THIRTEEN ! ! ! and PUMPKIN PATCH

Today we celebrated Justin's 13th birthday. He always reads his cards.Money and I-Tunes gift cards were big hits.

Justin blew out all his candles.

This week was also Becky's birthday and she opened a reversible blanket Robyn made for her.


Before the party we went to the Pumpkin Patch
We met the youngest daughter and her family there. Here are the oldest two cutting pumpkin vines.
The middle one loved this little one.
And the oldest one loved this little one...
But the youngest one loved this one
When we got home I added them to some I already had bought previously.

Along the steps...
In the wheelbarrow
And the other wheelbarrow...I did make this wreath on my front door.
Other side of the porch.