Still partying!

Today was the Bama Belles turn to party!  We had decided to forego the potluck lunch deal and just go out to eat somewhere.  This is such a busy time of year and people not only have family events but have other groups to party with---other quilt groups, events their husbands are involved with, Sunday school class events, you name it.   Add dietary concerns and we decided to go the buffet route at Western Sizzlin' so you could pick and chose (or avoid).

Ten of us were able to be there today---pretty much our regular group really.  I was so busy running some errands before I was to pick up Marilyn that I completely forgot to bring my camera to take pictures of "show and tell".  Bev and Lois were taking pics with their cell phones so I at least have these that Bev took to share!  I would forget my own head sometimes if it were NOT attached to my body, I swear!  

A few of us had our Tons of Black Challenge pieces------others have started but are not done, anothers have not seen a pattern that tripped their trigger yet.  One said she could not find her yardage, another said she could have hers, LOL.  Whatever, they show up eventually.  I still have part of my Romance challenge piece left from two years ago??   You may remember seeing these in previous posts, the now archived material.   Regardless, I'll share them again if you are new to my blog.

First up, Lois' Night and Day using an Eleanor Burns pattern

Mine,  Mock Trip Around the World

Beverly's String quilt in a sunshine and shadows I want to call it set

Bev used Lorelei fabric to make her quilt but I think the "Tons of Black"was mainly in the pieced backing.  See it the 2nd picture.  Bev is the one who found all this fabric at a yard sale and donated it.  Lois washed it all up to take care of the stiffness so we could use it.  Up to us to find a home for it.

Then we had a couple other items to share.  I guess I did not get a picture of the bag with sunflower that Betsy had been busily working on as a Christmas gift.  Pattern was from Fons and Porter---very cute.  One of the others may have it though and just haven't emailed it back to me.

Here was a cute holiday bag that Bev found at a yard sale for a dollar!  The handles were hold together with a faux fur band.

Lois Twister Wreath

Lois Strings-----there is also a picture of the back so you can see how she quilted it.  

can you see the hands?

This is Lois' Quilt as well.  I want to say it is Daisy Chain maybe?  Or something similar to Double Irish Chain.  The embroidered bits are so pretty and were done as part of the quilting.  See the backing picture as well.

I got home about 2:30 or so??  About the usual time for a meeting day actually.  A good day spent with friends and no pinning!!

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I had talked to DJ this weekend about whether he wanted to put up the tree this year.  Skyler was not horrid about bothering it or the ornaments but he wasn't exactly an angel either.  Still, he did not feel like the hassle of digging the box out of the shed rafters necessarily and I did not insist.  Instead when I got home from the party today, I told him I thought I would put the ceramic Christmas tree my mom had made for us years ago on the empty plant stand (he was definitely HORRID about messing with the plant that used to live there!!)  While Skyler often jumps up in the empty stand to look out the small window flanking the fire place, I thought he would leave it alone if I drug in a stuffed item that he adored last year.

My friend Joy who was my secret pal on Christmas made this stuff mouse for me years ago and I set it up under the tree along with another small stuffed reindeer.   Skyler spent a good bit of his time last December dragging this by its tail all over the house.  Miss Mousie would turn up in the kitchen, half way up the hall way but I would never catch him actually dragging it.  Today he latched onto it like it was an old long lost friend.   It was up and down the hall several times but it drags more easily on the laminate floor in the kitchen.  Silly, silly boy!   Of course, he is completely sacked out now.

I hope that you have had a good day----I sure did!