I always feel as though I'm required to have photos before I can write a blog entry. I love reading other people's blogs where there are lots of pictures, and of course, lots of great text as well.  For me, including pictures is a major production.

I've never been much for taking pictures (and consequently, have only a few of the kids when they were young) and I simply don't spend much time thinking about doing so with my quilting projects. I also don't like to take pix of projects before they're completed although I enjoy seeing what others are working on.  Since it takes me time to finish a quilt in it's entirety, pictures of my quilts seem to be few and far between.

I still want to post entries in this blog so that's what we'll have today--a post without pix. Forgive me if you're so inclined.

I've been working like a trooper trying to get things finished.  After Thanksgiving, I sold almost everything out of my Etsy store, Jolly Ruby, so I was very pleased with that. Lesson learned:  Next year, have more Christmas items ready to go.  However, this means I'm free to work on other things, like Christmas tree skirts. I promised one  to my daughter, Tessa, about 3 years ago and I'm determined to have it ready for her this year. I appliqued pieced tree ornaments on a creamy colored background, and accented the ornaments with a bit of gold metallic thread. I have the skirt all marked to quilt a 1" grid pattern in the background, and yesterday I pinned the sandwich together. If I'm not too worn out after work tonight I'll begin the quilting. Since it's almost all straight stitching, it should go rather quickly.  I told Tessa she would have the finished skirt by the end of the weekend, but I forgot about other obligations I made for this weekend.

Saturday I have to take granddaughter Lily, shopping for new shoes and finish up buying things for daughter Johanna's Christmas box. I want that to be in the mail by the tenth so she'll get it in Bulgaria before Christmas. I also have to make some Christmas cookie/candie "balls" to include in the package so she can have some to share with her friends and her host Mom with whom she'll be spending Christmas.  On top of that, we have tickets to "The Nutcracker" in Duluth on Sunday so that's an entire day spent on that. 

Fortunately, I have Friday, Monday and Tuesday off work so I should be able to get all of this done. Wish me luck, okay?

Tuesday night was my quilt guild's annual holiday party. We had a potluck supper which was delicious (Have you ever noticed that quilters are great cooks as well?), and then a gift exchange. This year we were instructed to make a bag larger than 12".  I made one of very bright blue, yellow, orange and white fabrics that turned out very well, but then I began worrying. What if one of our quiet, retiring members got my bag?  It wouldn't suit her personality at all. Fortunately, it went to one of our most outgoing and vivacious members who said she loved the bright colors.  Whew!  I came home with a very large tote bag made of red and black fabrics--it's perfect for hauling around all sorts of things--at the beach, at the store, on a shop hop, etc.  I love the bag I got!

That's it for a pictureless post.  I'll work on taking a pix or two for the next time.