My Quilty World: December 2021 Monthly Quilt Update

As we come to December and the last month of another year, our theme is reaching it's end as well. In that regard, I am attempting to pull together all of the last 11 months and just recognize that I AM many things -- not all are angelic, but not all are devilish either. I AM who I AM. It's okay. I work to improve and that's is all part of who I AM as well. Enjoy the you!

If you are new to the blog, you may be asking, "just what is a monthly update?" I decided long ago that I just can't keep up with blogging daily. I just can't. Sooooo, what happens is I document a day in my life within one post and if something special happens, a separate post takes place. See, you can stay caught up with a once a month check and then, if you're interested, see the other posts too. It's a great system for me.

In years past, I have set goals for each month and I will continue to do that simply to keep myself on track. I AM still in an ongoing UFO mode around here and trying oh so hard to use or clean out the stash. It will be an continuing project this year. If I want something to come in -- something has to go out. That is one goal. The balances change each month (hopefully) and will always show up at the bottom of the update if you read that far - and they are joined by links to the previous monthly updates for the year.

Now, grab a cuppa and sit back for a fun read and perhaps a new idea or two. (P.S. I format on a computer, so if you are reading on a phone, well sometimes the pictures will be before or after the story. It is what it is.)

So --- here's December and all the wonderful joy I found. Please remember that any links in here will open in a separate window so that you can keep your place on this page at the same time and there are no ads or popups EVER.

1st - We have company!! My niece and her family are visiting from Montana. You can follow along in our crazy long and active adventure in this Days 1 & 2 LINK .

Train magic ---

2nd - The second clue for Rhododendron Trail is released today, but there is not a chance of me doing more than looking at it. Our day is packed and time with family is being treasured. First stop is the zoo and some up-close fun happens as I share my love of Birds Landing. So much more happens, but ya gotta click on the link above to see it all.

3rd - Our fun with family continues and it's a jam-packed day Here is the Day 3 LINK which started out with this amazingly beautiful and delicious breakfast.

And the day ended with magnificent color at Vitruvian Lights.

Oh, as I'm ready for bed, I get a minute to check out my Facebook feed and read Bonnie's blog post for today. I'm in it. How cool is that?

4th - Go, go, go. That's our tour-guide mantra right now. There's so much and so little time but we can see a ton and have super willing visitors. Here is the Days 4-5 LINK. We start out with a visit to France --- well as close as we can get right now.

Some fun at the aquarium -

Some out of town fun --- gotta read the link as we hit several fun spots.

Oh --- while in McKinney, I spotted this shop.

It wasn't open but a peek through the windows makes me want to plan a visit in the near future. New to me quilt shops are always fun and this one is close by.

Mister found a cute little nativity while in McKinney to add to our fun at home. Love it.

5th - Unfortunately, all good things come to an end at some point and today we have to take Jill and Brock to the airport and say good-bye. However, first we decided to have a little neighborhood fun.

I've gifted them two quilts - Christmas Lights and Smith Mountain Morning - and a fat quarter bag to carry them in. Luckily, they didn't have their quota of carry-on luggage so I piled some more on. Seems right.

After a nice lunch together, good-byes were said and the drop off made. We then decided to go have a drink at OHB and spent some time talking with Brad, the owner.

A peek at the temp - goodness. When my niece arrives home, she'll have about a 70 degree difference. Seems unfair.

A second stop get me a pretzel that I am craving and then our night is done.

6th - Not really doing much but watching television today. It's a Recovery Day.

7th - My sweet Mister is at jury duty today and I have the house all to myself. I think the last time I've had this scenario for more than a shopping trip to the hardware store was when he first went to work for Caremark and traveled to Chicago for training. Yep --- long time. I also have a long list of things to do so I get busy quick. First up is to take all the pictures of the house while decorated. Here is the Christmas Decor LINK to share in our home and the feeling in it right now. I'm just sharing the ones that have quilts/homemade items in them here.

The sample ornament for my upcoming party gets finished and all the recipes are typed and ready to print. The printer needs ink so I'll tackle this one tomorrow. If you want to follow along on ALL the party prep and fun, here is the LINK. I don't add the details here as it's not really a quilty thing.

To top it all off, we end the day with a beautiful sunset. Well, it's the best I can do from my front door. When Mister gets home, I mention the ink and he says that we are out. That confuses me but I order some more anyway. It'll be here Friday -- just two days before the party. Goodness.

8th - Taking a wee bit of time today, I work on the blog from our Montana trip. My mother has been waiting quite awhile for these pictures. Where has the time gone? It's also a dry day so peanut brittle happens. A little creativity has to take place as I put the ingredients in a very deep pan and my thermometer won't reach the candy when I clamp it on the side. So . . . I hung it from the microwave handle above. That old saying, "Invention is the . . . "

And the finished product.

9th - Back to blogging and I have finished the Montana trip but am still so far behind. What happened to that goal of keeping the blog current? I booked a flight to SLC in January and can't wait to snuggle with little again. At this point, I remember the pan of peanut brittle out in the dining room. ARGH. I forgot about it last night and now it is tacky. Mister to the rescue and it works beautifully. OMG - a new trick has happened once again.

The 3rd clue in RT is out today and with a party looming, I still don't have a chance to even do more than ready it.

However --- a yummy lunch does take place. So, so, good.

After lunch, the major project for the day gets underway. Baking cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. Seventeen dozen to be precise.

10th - A couple errands to run and I stop by an estate sale for just a peek. Thought I'd share a few items that I saw. First - oh so many hurricane lamps. They were everywhere throughout the house -- hundreds of them. An old Victrola and a vintage radio.

I love this secretary desk

One very old treadle that they were asking waaaaay too much for. It actually made me laugh.

All right --- back to the salt mines Lady. I settle in and ELEVEN hours later, have all the cookies decorated. Goodness.

11th - One day away and I'm still frantically working on the party, First up is to box all the cookies and then print all the recipes, cut them, and get into the binders.

The rest of the house gets cleaned, dining room finished, all those last minute items happen and then I'm rewarded with a sunset.

Shortly after that, Jen, Jon, and Kelly arrive and we are able to go out for dinner together.

12th - It's party day. I gave you the link above and you can share in all of our fun through that. Late last night, I made a pavlova and cinnamon rolls. The finishing touches go on and I'm ready to play.

Thank you, ladies, for a great day and for being a part of my life. Love y'all so very much.

13th - I slept in!!! It's rare and must have been needed. After the party yesterday, I started cleaning up the house and had most of it done before calling it a day. A quick finish this morning along with laundry, ordering Christmas gifts (seems time), started working on flight reservations to Amanda, but plans were changed and I FINALLT managed to get caught up on all November blog stuff and can begin December. Other than this daily blurb, some things get left behind occasionally. No pictures today - my camera took a day off.

14th - I'm working on December pictures and blog posts and even made the annual trip to Walmart (yep once a year for cookie tins) and found the garbage can that Mister wants to match the one he bought awhile back. Grabbed stuff for Chex Mix while at it and stopped to pick up Mister's new light from Lowe's. Merry Christmas to him. Once back home, four gallons of Chex Mix went together so that I can add it to the kids packages. Yes, this is an annual request. Jen's went home with her after the party so four more need to make the trip through the mail system.

15th - Believe it or not, I'm still working on December pictures (remember, I had company) but in between, I have mailed the packages and finished all the cards except one. It took me several box hunts to accomplish the mailing, but I did it. A very long line at the post office and then home to enjoy the rest of the day. I've earned it. At some point, I'll sew again. I mean, seriously, we're halfway through the month and I haven't touched a thing.

16th - Okay, I have half of a month left and a super long list of things to do. To get things started, I've decided to cut all remaining items and make the dining room mess only once. It makes sense. In order to do that, I need to find all of the fabric and patterns necessary. January needs a "low-volume" table runner --- these will do. Cutting commences and before I know it -- I have managed to cut out parts for 2 table runner and 6 placemats. Somewhere along the way I decided that one set will be a gift for next year.

While I'm at it, I'll cut for the February project too. Pattern and fabrics located.

I'm also crazy behind with Rhododendron Trail so ALL released clues are being cut as well. I get parts 2 and 3 cut and another clue will release tomorrow. Since both are being cut at the same time, both links are given here: RT Clue 2 LINK RT Clue 3 LINK.

Another of Mister's "Merry Christmas to Me" gifts arrived today. YAY! I am so happy this one is here.

17th - I am still cutting today. First up is to finish the parts for the "low-volume" project. Backings are cut and I'm trying so hard to get them all out of one piece of yardage. It will require a couple of seams, but for the most part, it works. The batting pieces are also cut and ready to go. This project is almost totally prepped, just need a few seams in backing pieces.

The February table topper is next --- all cut and ready to sew, including backing and batting.

Now, Quiltmaker Magazine has a year long mystery running that uses all Bonnie Hunter blocks from her Addicted to Scraps column. It is called Ruby Jubilee (for the 40th anniversary, but mine will be purple as I decided that when I first heard it was a 2-color pattern) and I want to play. All parts for the first clue are cut and ready to go. Isn't it crazy how the same fabrics in different light look so totally unique? The one on the right is truer, I think.

RT clue 4 released today so I'm cutting that one as well. A click on this Clue 4 LINK will let you follow along. I'm able to pull a few neutral strips to help out and my burgundy is constant, so easy peasy -- just lots of units.

The rest of the day is blog posts and preparation for January in the group. I have the new BINGO card done and posts are getting ready. There are 2 new quilt-a-longs starting, Farm Girl is finishing, and the Color Projects are beginning as well. SOOOOO many ducks to get in a row.

It's almost a full moon tonight and the longest full moon in quite some time. This is the best I can do with my camera and today is in the done column. There is a comfy chair and show calling me -- I'm gonna answer.

18th - I let Mister sleep in late and then we stayed around the house until I managed to get all of the posts from my niece's visit finished. Whew!!!

With Color Your World beginning in a couple of weeks, I saw a book on Pat Sloan's site that was perfect for my theme. Hunting it down was a bit challenging, but I did find one at Barnes and Noble and it's ready for pick-up. We are off on our quick errand and then stop for some lunch/dinner as I have no idea where the day went, but I'm starving. I have NEVER ordered 2 burgers for myself -- EVER -- but there was not anything left when we finished and Mister didn't help me. I think we forgot to eat today. Then it's back home and a chance to just relax together. I have to tell you that my tree just sparkles and I wish the pictures showed that.

19th - Time with family around the holidays is always a must. It warms the heart and keeps the bonds tight. Here is the Family LINK to share in our fun at the Arboretum and time together.

After we all parted, Mister and I went to explore at the lake. Come along for the fun we had in this Pelican LINK.

Once home, I drug out the Clue 1 blocks from RT and did the dog-ear thing. This clue is finally finished.

20th - With laundry going, I have made the decision that some sewing will actually take place. The first thing I do is sew those backing pieces that were all over my living room floor so that they could be picked up. Once that is done, out come the Farm Girl blocks and decisions made as to what goes in which big block. At this point, I'm in my own layout world and need to try everything out before moving forward.

Then I pick them all up and stack for webbing with the sashings and cornerstones that I cut at the November retreat.

One of the new quilt-a-longs starting in January needs to be cut as well. I'm using the leftover Farm Girl fabrics and get started. We have six blocks for the first month.

While cutting, I find that I need to order some fabric and first have to play the matching game. After a bit I determine that it came from Marshall Dry Goods and order more. Then, all the block frames for the whole quilt get cut out of what I DO have. So . . . in reality, very little sewing took place today.

21st - To the machine I go!!! First up are the Summer Moon blocks and I don't leave until they are finished. It really helped to have all parts cut first. One thing off my list and ready for the January 1st post. Woot-wwot.

I get one block done for Farm Girl --- I like it.

One leader/ender happened for the BAD blocks.

And a cake was made --- laundry done. All in all, a pretty good day.

22nd - The push is really on now. I get all of the Big blocks made for Farm Girl.

Adding in the barn blocks, I have this layout. It doesn't take much to figure out that there needs to be SOMETHING between the blocks.

That sends me back to the cutting table and I really don't have much of my backing fabric left. Lots of math ensues and I figure out that I can use 2" sashings and 2 3/4" outer borders and that'll leave me less than an inch of my backing. CLOSE!! You can see in the picture what is leftover. Wow.

I can't do anymore on FG today. Just can't. So I move onto mindless chaining. RT Parts 2, 3, and 4 all get their first sides attached into one VERY long chain. Goodness.

We've got cookies to get delivered and tonight it stop 1. Intrinsic for dinner and delivery.

Check out this house we saw on the way home.

23rd - Today is it! Farm Girl is going down. I will finish it . Once I settle in at the machine, I decide that the blocks are too large to web and settle for doing a block row and a sashing row together. This works good and the top is a TA-DA.

My leader/enders for today are the purple pinwheels for Ruby Jubilee. Making progress any way that I can.

Cookie drop off number two tonight. OHB and BINGO. Seems like a great combination.

We get soooo close on blackout, but, yet so far away. Drat.

Back home again and I've set up a nice little space to iron, iron, iron, that huge stack of parts and pieces.

Since clue 4 is on the top of the stack, it goes first.

Lots and lots of half-hourglass units.

Next up are the Clue 3 additions to Clue 1.

And they are pressed as well.

By now it's getting very late and I'm going to let the last stack wait until tomorrow. Night all.

24th - Waking this morning, the first thing I see is the remaining units waiting for pressing. They are just going to have to wait a bit.

We are off to deliver cookies to a couple more places - (please don't think it is crazy early, by the time we leave it's after 9)

White Rock Coffee receives their bundle first and it's all smiles the minute we walk in the door. They were hoping for the annual treats and that makes us feel great. Next up --- a stop at REI and some new boots for Mister are ordered. Merry Christmas to him!!! The lunch stop is at Guitars and Growlers and the chance to visit with all makes for a nice Christmas Eve beginning.

Home again and Mister has a Harbor Freight coupon burning a hole in his pocket, so he is off to shop. I have a package from Marshall Dry Goods on the porch and happily open it. It's my additional fabric for Summer Moon. Unfortunately, it is not the right tone. Back online and another order placed. Fingers crossed again.

Since I'm still alone, I take advantage of the time and press out the last of the clue 2 geese.

Sewing follows along with more pressing and then they are done. Dog ears removed and all. Dinner is a lovely cheese board, a nice glass of wine, and a Christmas movie to watch. It's been a wonderful Christmas Eve. Are you ready for tomorrow? For us, it will be calm and quiet --- not too shabby after the last month.

25th - Merry Christmas!!!! I know I sound on top of the world, but this is a difficult time for me and there are many dark days during this season. My sweetheart is used to them, but I know it is hard on him. I struggle being so far away from family, but his job makes it impossible to be away at this time of year --- even with a remote office set up in Montana. Just wait until we are retired -- Christmas will be on the road, I hope. At any rate, have a joyous day and find time to love one another as Jesus asked. We have a LINK for you to share in our day. No complaints coming from me as my sweetheart made sure it was perfect.

We did receive a couple of puzzles as gifts that seem fitting to share on this page. I'm thinking I'll glue them when finished and frame. They'll be fun for the studio.

A little bit of personal time allows me to work on clue 3 for RT. (The link is given above for all these steps.) By the time we are ready to watch a movie, I'm done as well.

26th - Dallas Diner for breakfast and then driving around the lake. Home to work on blog and a little bit of sewing also happens. All of those little hourglass units for Clue 4 come together. (The link above shows all the steps along the way). By the time I'm done, I have another pretty batch and am ready for Clue 5 to release tomorrow.

Our evening fun includes a Figgy Pudding --- true English style, which was gifted to us. It is just soooo yummy, we may have to try and make one on our own. All we had to do here was steam it for quite awhile. Add a little port and it becomes a perfect dessert and way to end our holiday weekend. Back to work tomorrow.

27th - Early this morning, some more January online prep happens and then it's off to the salt mines for me. I'm running out of days for this low-volume project as it posts on the 31st. Goodness. Out comes the parts.

Within a short time, I have blocks made and move on. I make it to the borders and am ready to quilt by the time I call it a day. All of these pictures will be in the January - Color Your World White post which will release on the 31st and I DO have a link below for you.

While making lunch, I have a bit of time so pull out pink fabrics and a cutting mat. By the time my butternut squash has baked, I have everything cut for RT Clue 5. Here is that wonderful LINK to get you to the fun with this week's task. While sewing above, I also managed to get one more block for the Quiltmaker mystery completed as a leader/ender. As I post this, I notice that one purple block needs to be turned so that the pattern matches the others. Drat. It's a total fluke that the other 4 match, but now they all need to. I'll fix it tomorrow.

28th - Some early morning January prep and blogging and then I'm off to make breakfast and start quilting on my project. But ----- I get sidetracked by desperately wanting to get the first seams on RT 5 done. So, I settle in and start stitching away - then it's off to the ironing board for some pressing. I will remove the dog-ears and cut off the corners for the next piece this evening. (All the pictures are in yesterday's link)

Once I finished pressing, I set about creating a nice space to quilt my project, which has been sandwiched and is ready to go. There's only one problem. When I cleaned up for company, I put all projects away and I KNOW that both of my walking feet are in with my QAYG project. Do you think I can find it? It takes me over an hour before I discover it under my desk in the office. Really? Whose brain was running the show that day? By the time I find them --- I'm not in the mood to quilt anymore.

So, I go back to the other machine and work on the Ruby Jubilee blocks. All of the remainders get sewn by 3 in the afternoon. This day is zooming by.

All blocks together now --- I'm loving this purple and white.

Mister is not quite off work yet, so I grab a bucket of strings and get to work. I have so many irons in the fire right now, I'm not sure where to turn, forward progress must be made.

I also finished another BAD block while completing the RJ units. Within an hour, I have a nice stack of string blocks ready for their next adventure. I'm only about a sixth of the way through what I need but they are looking so fun. If I can tackle a few a day, perhaps I'll make the time constraint I have in front of me. A trip in 10 days and oh so much to have finished first.

My final bit for the night is to remove dog-ears and cut the corners for sewing on the RT 5. Close to a finish for this clue now.

29th - My sweetheart has a vacation day allowing me to let him sleep in a bit. With quiet time in the office, blogging and reading of The Secret Lives of Color takes place and I do so enjoy the solitude now and then. When he wakes, we decide to try out a new coffee shop and before leaving, I notice that our Japanese Maple has achieved it's fullest color and the leaves are starting to drop ---- creating a beautiful red/green carpet below. It is just so vibrant.

The stop he's found is down on Lower Greenville and called Company Cafe so it's not quite a coffee shop, but a unique restaurant. We take seats at the bar as the place is packed and the bar is empty and when the barista says our waitress will be right with us, I ask if we can get coffee from him while we wait. Soon --- two coffees appear. Well, that wasn't quite what I had in mind as a latte was my preference, but, it'll do. Overall, it was a decent breakfast, but I likely wouldn't return.

A stop at Jimmy's for some pasta and Italian supply enhancers is next and as we leave there, we notice a sign for a new nearby. Pickletopia is way cool. All of these barrels have different items in various stages of pickling. They offer samples and you can purchase in the quantity you wish. So, so good. We came out with olives, sauerkraut and some amazing pickles.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig. Groceries are put away and I settle in at the machine to finish out my RT clue 5. It is done and one more item is checked off my list for this month.

One look at the tray of lovely items makes me smile. At some point the aqua is going to come into play, and lots more neutrals, I think. Time will tell. The rest of my day is spent with Mister and just basking in the calm of the season. The week between Christmas and New Years is always just a downtime and much needed. It gives us time to plan and prepare for the upcoming year. It's been a hard day with a friend in the hospital and flight changes needing to be made but, all is handled and we're holding tight to the path.

30th - Since a change in plan has happened, I think I'll be on the road Friday so I HAVE to complete the table runner today. The minute I've finished with breakfast, my machine receives a cleaning and feeding so that we can be best friends today. Quilting, quilting, quilting.

I started quilting at around 9 this morning and other than about 1/2 hour for lunch, it takes me until 4 to have my TA-DONE. Quilted and bound. Woot, woot. The placemats and second runner will happen in January, but at least I have my sample for the January post.

31st - It's New Year's Eve. My sweet Mister is off work and we have a day trip ahead. Come along with us through this LINK as we share time with a treasured friend and explore a bit of our own area.

I gifted Paula with a quilt --- SOMETHING to wrap my love around her AND brighten a rather dreary room. Something that said --- "We've got you." Hugs, my friend. You mean a ton to me.

When we arrived back home, my second package from Marshall Dry Goods was on the porch. Did I order the right one this time? YES!! Pure relief that the search is over and the project can go as I've planned it.

With that, it's time to say good-bye to 2021. My yearly posts of Non-Quilt Finishes and Quilt Finishes are up and ready to share. It wasn't quite the productive year I had hoped for, but some progress was made.

Do you think the I AM theme had any impact on your own life? I know it did in mine. I was able to put several months to the test in major ways and come out better for it. As a result, the year ends with this and it includes so many colors to take me into the new theme for 2022.

Our new theme begins tomorrow. If you didn't get a chance to check out that post --- here is the LINK to the initial post and another January LINK as well. I'm super excited about where this will take me. I know we all have colors that may not bring on the warm fuzzies, but this will be a chance to really challenge ourselves and we may find that our tastes can change.

Happy New Year to all ---- Color YOUR world in 2022.

Thank you for reading this far. If you made it here, kudos to you. Hope you have a great month and find a way to bring joy into your life. Stay creative y'all.

UFO's to quilt:

BOM #1 - quilted and bound -
BOM #2 - quilted and bound
BOM #3 - quilted and bound
Winter Wonderland - quilted and bound

Witch's Night Out - quilted and bound

Quarantine Challenge - quilted and bound

Dawn's Early Light - quilted and bound - on the frame to quilt

Xing - quilted and bound

Straits of Mackinac - quilted and bound

Ruby Slippers (a.k.a Emerald City) - quilted and bound

Pfeffernusse - quilted and bound

Current Projects:

Farm Girl Blocks completed - YES and flimsy ready

Rhododendron Trail - Clues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 complete

Square Scramble Projects - One table runner completed