Sorry about not posting yesterday. When I got home from my OT appointment, it was run, run, run, all day long.  After all, I had a party to go to last night!

I managed to wrap up the casserole carrier that I'd made for the gift exchange along with the potholder. Just before I taped the gift wrap, I remembered that I wanted to include my scalloped potatoes recipe, so that had to be typed and printed off.  Then the gift was wrapped.

I also had to give a final pressing to the last 13 of the coin purses, and tuck a candy cane in each of them, and then find a basket to carry them in to the guild meeting.  

 

I remembered to print off the agenda for the very short meeting as well so I wouldn't be fumbling around with that.  And then it was time to sit down at the sewing machine and attach the skirt to the bodice of the yellow polkadot doll dress. Sorry, I neglected to get a photo of it, but it turned out pretty cute with a touch of lacy white ruffles on the bodice and some yellow buttons to boot.  

Then I had to search for the fat quarter bundles that I'm selling to the guild. These were leftovers from the Quilt festival and Sandy, the membership person of the guild wanted to get them to use for the Birthday Club. She rolls them up and tucks them into a cupcake liner, adds a candle and they become a gift to the guild member on her birthday.  She's only been doing these for a few months and it's become quite a hit!  I was ready to give up on finding them, thinking I may have already given them to Sandy, when I went out to the porch where I've stored all the leftover Country Store items, and there they were!  Right where I would remember to take them to the meeting!  

So, then I had to load all the store items into the car so it would be ready to go on time.  We're putting everything out for guild members to shop through in case they didn't have a chance to do so already, and to take their things home with them at the end of the meeting so we won't have to store them for two years.  

By the time I got the car loaded with all the store items, and my salad, and my regular meeting items, there was barely room in there for me!  I dreaded unloading by myself--it is winter here, after all, and very windy last night--but when I arrived at the center, 3 members were already there and we made short work of unloading and setting up.  Thank you so much!

Well, the meeting went off without a hitch--it was very short and basically an update of the quilt festival, the upcoming Judy Niedermeyer class, and the 3rd clue in the mystery quilt. ( I guess I better get started before the 4th and last clue comes out next month!) At the end of the meeting, I read a few words that had occurred to me as I made up the agenda shortly after Thanksgiving.  I like them so well, I'll share with you here.  

     Let us all give thanks for the opportunity to be part of such a warm and welcoming group of quilters:

Women who never hesitate to share their knowledge, skills and talents with others.

Women who gladly give to others who need the joy and comfort of being wrapped in a quilt. 

Women who work hard on any task, and laugh easily while doing so. 

Women who share their creativity with the world. 

I am ever reminded that such people are difficult to find and are to be cherished and I am thankful for  having them in my life.

Everyone seemed to like this little "grace" and then we dug into the amazing buffet of pot luck dishes.  As always, there seemed to be just the right amount of salads, entrees, and deserts. There must be some kind of mathematical female gene that guarantees that the dishes at a put luck are just right.  

The members seemed to like the coin  purses and I think everyone was happy with their casserole carriers.  At the end of the evening, the donation jar was overflowing with cash from all the purchases the members made. I came home with only 3 doll outfits left out of about 30 originally.  And I'm so happy about that.  I decided this morning that I'll get an 18" doll from Target, make up another dress or two, wrap the doll and all the clothes and find a little girl who needs a gift this Christmas.  

There was very little left of the store items at the end of the party. Either they'd been sold or were taken home by their makers, so storage is not going to be a problem. All together, I estimate between $750 and $1000 will be donated to the domestic abuse agency that we fundraise for.  Everyone agreed, I think, that this was a successful endeavor on our part.

Today is already starting out as a laid back kind of day, with me sleeping in a little, and having not much on my schedule.  A few errands, a little cleaning, and then into the sewing room to begin making placemats for Jo's Secret Santa.