Blogger Landing! Lots Happening!

 

Embarrassed … That’s what I am! I have been putting off writing this blog because it’s been FOREVER since my last post. Life has simply whisked me away, including to the International Quilt Festival and the Texas Renaissance Festival, and to birthdays and Thanksgiving and Christmas fun! But I have landed once again and hope to be more consistent with future postings.

Here's what's been happening:

·         Another trip across the nation! This time 12 hours down the road to Houston at the beginning of November. You may think I went there for the International Quilt Festival, but you would be wrong. My husband I and went to celebrate our daughter Anna’s birthday!



Of course, a visit at the Festival was part of the agenda. Anna and I spend teh day with friend Elizabeth enjoying the quilts, doing a bit of shopping, and talking and talking!





Also on the agenda was a visit to the Texas Renaissance Festival, a special trip for my husband, a first-timer. My daughter debuted her new Renaissance costume that she has been creating and sewing for some time. I’m so proud of her skills as a seamstress! 


Once I got home from Houston, son Tucker and I made a special visit to my mom to celebrate her 81st birthday!

 

·          Thanksgiving for one and all! There’s a lot of preparation and cooking that went on at the Hawkins household for this very comfy holiday. The food was great, but the family visiting was even greater. Daughter Anna and her husband Tyler and son Tucker were all here (we drank moonshine while playing board games!), and my brother and his wife and his daughter and grandson and our mom were all here for the big meal. Afterward we played very rambunctious rounds of the card game 31 (my brother provided the quarters) and Uno. One a fun day! It left me exhausted on the day after!

·        Christmas takes hold! Once I got over the Friday hangover, it was on to Christmas decorating. Do I need to say it – I love getting out all the decorations for this wonderful holiday season. Retirement sure makes the prep easier! Now, the house is ready for the holidays and I’m ready to enjoy them! In between decorating, Boyd and I enjoyed two spectacular Alabama games! SEC Champions, baby! Now, that was an early Christmas gift, indeed!!

So where does quilting fit into all of this? Everywhere! 

·        I finished all the applique blocks for the borders of Message in a Bottle, most completed on the trip to and from Duluth back in late September. Since my last post, I’ve also sewn the last borders onto the quilt and have sandwiched it for quilting. Per tips of quilter friend Lois Kindley and Chris Schulte of Green Light Quilts (Nashville), I used two layers of batting – the bottom layer is cotton and the top layer is wool. This technique makes the applique pop, sort of like trapunto, and also makes the quilt hang better.


      
·    The Baskets quilt finally got quilted! November and early December were spent completing the big stitch quilting in the flowers and vines.  









·     December started Christmas parties. We had the Stitchers Christmas party on the first Saturday of the month, combining it with a Stitch In with lots of    sewing and quilting projects. The ornament exchange was again very fun, with the ornaments so very beautiful. I received a scissor and pins ornament from Jane and Pat surprised me with a Quilting Queen ornament. These ladies know what we quilters like!!  The second party was at Vintage Sew Day at Southern Charm, where we made thread catchers. The third    party was a choir party. It didn't involve sewing, but I got to visit my host Diane's two huge craft rooms. More sewing and quilting parties to come during this very wonderful season!


·         Speaking of Southern Charm, I am teaching a few classes at the store in 2024! I’m so excited about this opportunity. More on this later.

·       Finally, I’ve been working like crazy on the HQH quilt show, set for March 15 and 16. I’m the quilt show chair and Cheryl is my co-chair, and we have a fabulous committee! Several of us have also been displaying our Opportunity Quilt in hopes of selling tickets! 


Hugs and Hope!

Happy Quilting!

Kari


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