You Call Yourself a Blogger?

I have been meaning to get around to posting my quilty stuff for a few weeks! Still learning the ropes with this new computer, so here it is:
     I have joined a new quilt group (The Rotary Club!). We meet once a month for lunch at a member's home. We did the Christmas Tree block exchange, and now we have decided to do a 6" block exchange each month for a few months in "brights". The first month was free choice:

Mine is the lower right hand corner.  For February, we are doing paper-piecing - and yay, mine are already done!

I am working on learning my EQ7 software, as you've probably guessed I am not too computer savvy, so I am quite proud of myself that I designed and made a quilt with it this month:

It turned out a little wild, but I think my niece likes it, she is having a baby girl next month and we are all so happy for her!
     I am currently  working on a twin sized quilt for sweet little Brian and will post pictures when I get it finished.  In my regular quilt bee (Knotts, -we meet each week) our president challenged us to complete TEN projects this year, so I've made my list and we shall see. Luckily 3 are just quilting and finishing already assembled tops, although that could be a challenge too as my quilting machine is still giving me grief!
     I volunteered to teach a simple freezer paper appliqué class this summer, for the Guild, then I realized I probably should have an appliqué quilt to show!!! So making an appliqué quilt got onto my list too. I will be doing a bit of traveling later this month with trips planned well into Spring, so I'd better get hopping!
     Oh, and here is a wonderful Christmas gift I received from my clever DIL:

Something I am needing as our family keeps growing!! Happy Quilting all!

The New Year (Again)

     Well, all of our wonderful Christmas Company has gone home and it is quiet once more around these parts.  I had a wonderful surprise for Christmas from Mr. Handsome, he arranged for Brooke and Ben and their kids to come all the way from Missouri for the holidays! I was super surprised (and I realized what a bunch of liars I associate with!)!! They did a fabulous job, keeping the secret, I couldn't believe my eyes, when they all started trouping up the stairs, from where they were hiding in the basement. I was sooooo happy!

With Jeff and Vanessa here from California, our entire family was here for Christmas - what a wonderful blessing!  Here we all are on Christmas morning, as you can tell from our general lack of make up and my sweet new Christmas jammies! Shaun was mid-sneeze, but we are all in the picture. (You can also see our "real" tree behind us, very scrawny, but loved. The tree above is my MIL's)

Here is Izzy in her new Christmas jammies, and Shane & Brian in their new Christmas sweaters:

Here is Sweet Natalie in her much beloved Christmas rainbow wig, which unfortunately was lost while flying Grandpa's new remote control helicopter at the church. (It was good while it lasted!)

Everyone has gotten home safely, but unfortunately after everyone left, I got a cold AND a kidney stone! Blerk! Cold is getting better and the kidney stone is bearable for the most part - life goes on!  Working on a fun quilt for my niece, MC's much prayed for new baby coming next month. 

I don't do New Year's Resolutions, but one of my favorite things about the new year is a pretty blank calendar and plenty of time for QUILTING! (Especially since I'm not putting in longer hours at work with 1099's and tax-type stuff - yay for me!)