HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here's hoping all you quilters, knitters, stitchery persons are sharpening up your needles for the New Year's activities! If you haven't started your Amazing Flower Quilt, it is not too late. The beginning directions for it are on this blog. I shall be posting directions for the beautiful Rhododendron this next week. It is a pretty block, and very simple to make once you learn how to do the ruching. The ruching directions are on the web by searching "How to Ruch." Several websites have pictorial directions. This Quilt or wall hanging will be a work of art when you have finished. Start it on New Year's Day. You know the old saying, "What you do on New Year's Day, you'll be doing all year long." Oh, to be so lucky! Love hearing from you. B.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

What a wonderful time of the year! Hope you are having family and friends in to help you celebrate Christmas! Don't you just love the smell of cooking all of those sinful things like cookies, cakes, pies, etc. I'm having a terrible time staying out of the cookie jar myself!

Let me just say I hope that all of you are healthy and happy, the two most important things in our lives. Count your blessings over and over as they say in the songs, and even though some of us are not having a White Christmas, let us remember the true meaning of Christmas: Peace, Good Will toward our fellowman.

My husband George and I wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

Pattern for Knitting Helmet Liners for Troops

Anyone wishing to make the troops' helmet liners, as seen in the picture below, may do so and send them to me. Email me at Quiltlady14@aol.com and I shall tell you where to send them. Put "liners" in the subject. A retired Army General will take the liners to Ft. Stewart, GA where the troops are deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is bitter cold over there now and the liners are needed! To get a copy of the pattern, go to http://www.atlantaknittingguild.org/ and click on Community Service. The pattern is there. We have made a small change in the pattern to have the beginning segment 7" instead of 4" to fit down inside the shirt. Be sure to use 100% wool yarn as acrylic yarn is too flamable!

HELMET LINERS BEING USED!

Found this picture that was just sent from "over there" and they all have on the helmet liners. Some of them pull them down under their chins, and there's one with it across his mouth. Thought you knitters needed to know that your efforts are being appreciated by these troops as it is so very very cold over there right now and for the next months to come. KEEP KNITTING!

The Sense of Sight

After two eye surgeries, I can see far and near without glasses. How wonderful is that! Cataracs had clouded my vision in both eyes, and to thread a needle could take as long as 15 min. and sometimes I was not successful at that task at all. So PRAISE THE LORD! The eye surgeon must be an absolute genius! I can thread my sewing machine. I can thread a tiny #10 quilting needle, so WATCH OUT!!!!!! I am going to be "cuttin' loose," as we say in Texas!
Hand quilting is my passion. I know that I shall never be astute at machine quilting, because I just don't enjoy sitting at the machine for long periods at a time. I admire anyone who does, however, and I appreciate ones who can do so so effortlessly, it seems.
I have seen quilters quilting without a hoop, and I just don't know how they can do that on a large project. My stitches would be gigantic and I would have wrinkles all over the back of my quilt. I use a 14" hoop and a #10 quilting needle. With these eyes, I believe that I shall be quilting at least another 20 years, and perhaps, Lord willing, a lot longer!

Don't forget Knitting Guild meeting tomorrow!

Kelly put our Knitting Guild meeting announcement in the Crossroads Chronicle and I bet Melody did the same in the Highlander! They're really super folks at the newspaper offices.
Tomorrow's the day! So thrilled that so many of you are going and helping to get this new organization off the ground! We need everyone who knits or stitches anything to join us. It can be a real wonderful support group for anyone just learning to knit!
DON'T FORGET! 10:00 - 11:30 at Buck's Cafe at the Crossroads in Cashiers Wed. Dec. 9th. Have a great time! Wish I could be there, but I'll join you in the spring for sure!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! WOW, hope you've made your wish list for Santa. I got the new Quilters' Calculator and it is really fantastic. It comes with a DVD that shows exactly how to use it. Simple even for me! Another great item is the new Gingher rotary cutter. Cuts like cutting through butter! Amazing! The Dec. 16th article of the Chronicle and Highlander has a great "wish list" for you to leave conspicuously out on a table or counter for someone to peruse while you're not looking. Don't miss that!

Hope you are working on your Amazing Flower Quilt in your spare time. I find it so relaxing to sit and applique or bead a little in the evening. I try to do a little something on it every day. That is the only way I get anything finished!

Above is a picture of the actual Rose of Sharon for Block 4. The block is made with different sizes of yoyo's. That's another great thing to work on when you have a little "down time." The beginning of this block was in the Dec. 2nd issues of the papers.

Hang in there. You'll get everything done for Christmas, I'm sure. Hope the knitting girls meet Wednesday morning 10:00 - 11:30 at Buck's Cafe in Cashiers. I would so love to be there with you for the first meeting, but unfortunately, I can't. Can't wait to hear all about it!

Happy Days!