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I wrapped my first Christmas gift for this year.  I had high hopes that most of my shopping would be done (and wrapped) by the end of November but I don't see that happening. 

I did buy the wrap about a month and a half ago.  Talk about being prepared.  I will say that I am not overly fond of working with the red glitter paper.  Every year I swear there will be no glitter involved in any aspect of my Christmas wrapping and every year it manages to sneak its way in.

I approach wrapping presents the same way I do quilting.  I love buying the supplies and planning the look but the actual WORK – forget it.  I don't care for that part. 

My favorite resources for wrapping paper are The Container Store and Paper Source.  I also love to use floral foil as wrapping paper but I don't have access to a wholesale source anymore.  You have to get the kind that deoesn't have a plastic coating on oneside.  Well you can use that but I find that it tends to be wrinkled (during the manufacturing process).  The foil is a dream to work with and comes in a bajillion colors. 

 

Kelly found a stash of yo-yo's at a garage sale. Just stuff in a bag.  Some lovely woman's life work. 

What was especially fun about this find is that her templates were also in the bag.  Cut out from a vintage childrens book or game and labeled with her name – Betty. 

 

I think I might have enough to make a decent sized quilt.  I prefer the look of having the yo-yo's mounted on a backing or thin quilt – kind of like this.  I love the red binding on that quilt.

What's nice is that these yoyo's are the same size and the ones I have made. 

 

I just can't imagine all the hours that went into making each little yoyo and for them to just end up being sold at a garage sale. 

Also included were scraps of old fabric – can anyone place the age or general era of these fabrics?

 

 

It has been gorgeous here in No. California this week.  Cold in the morning but warming up in the afternoon.  I love when the liquid ambers start turning colors.  I didn't monkey with the colors in these photos.  The leaves are really that pinky red. 

I took these pictures just as the sun was stating to go down.  I was actually trying to capture what I saw when I came home from my Dad's on Monday night.

Christmas lights on the house!  If you click on the picture you can see them peaking through the leaves.  Rick put them up as a surprise for me while I was down at my Dad's house.  He actually started a few weeks ago, putting little cuphooks all along the roofline.  Good thing I am not the least bit observant otherwise it might have ruined his surprise.

Today is my youngest son's 24th birthday!  Where did the years go?  I'm still trying to lose the baby weight.  Happy Birthday Sweetie!  May all your birthday wishes come true!

 

 
 

Yesterday I attended an embroidery class.  Class isn't exactly the right word – it was more like a group of women getting together to work on their individual projects under the guidance of a more experienced embroideress. 

It was held at the Prairie Queens quilt shop which is closed on Sundays with the exception of the class.  I've never been so it was fun to be able to browse the store, even though it was closed.  We were allowed to make purchases and even received 10% since we were attending a class. 

 

I bought an adorable Japanese book on embroidery.  Of course I can't read a single thing but embroidery instructions are mostly illustrative anyway.  So I can follow along that way. 

I also bought a pocket guide for Crazy Quilt Stitches.  I have a project I started a year or so ago that I want to get back into. 

I pretty much have all the embroidery supplies I need but I was intrigued by a style of embroidery hoop that a number of the women in the class were using.  Who knew that the simple design of an embroidery hoop could be improved on but it has.

You just squeeze the two metal handle looking bits together to remove it from the outer ring.  Then you lay your fabric on top of the outer ring, position the inner, metal ring over it and then stop squeezing and there you have it. 

Since I wasn't totally prepared for the class I didn't bring much to work on.  I wanted to improve on my satin stitch so I brought a simple monogram to work on.  I still suck at it.  I don't like the outer running stitch at all but that is what the instructor suggested I do.  I should have done the running stich as a guide and then stitched over it – kind of like a padded satin stitch.  

My satin stitch looks more like a keloid scar than an elegant stitch.  Oh well – live and learn.  This was just a practice piece anyway.  And why oh why do I like to do tone on tone embroidery?  Talk about not being able to see what you are doing…