The stockings were hung by the chimmney with care.....

Yeah...between me and Kara we managed to get each person in our family a new stocking for this year. Kara made hers and Jacobs and I made the rest of them. Kara actually made two sets, one for her house and one for here. I should have cleaned out the fireplace....lol....didn't even notice that until now.

In case I don't make it back here before the big day...Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! ranette

It's been so long that I'm having to relearn blogging!

Seriously!!! Everything is different. I usually email my photos to myself at blogger and that won't work, HELP Chookyblue!!!

Okay, I'm going to give it my best shot, so bare with me :o) It's been busy as usual around here. Working in retail really gets the juices pumping this time of year, but at least it shows that the economy seems to be doing better.

Thank you for all of the very kind and sweet comments on Ranette's Peppermint Twist. I tried to reply to everyone, but I may have lost a few emails between my phone and computer and some of you out there are set to "no reply" and that means I can't reply directly to you, but I really do appreciate all of my blogging buddies.

I have done very little actual sewing. I did make a stocking for Allie and I'm working on two more for Emily and Joe. Kara is working on a couple for her and Jacob to hang at our house and I'll get a picture of them when they are all hung on the mantel together. They are very cute and fun to make. Other than that though I've not sewn a thing! Not even hand work...by the time I get home from work I'm pretty beat and I've got cooking, cleaning and laundry waiting for me here. I will have a bit of a break soon and hope to get re-acquainted with my sewing room.

One exciting thing is that I received my SSCS package the other day! WooHoo!!!

It came all the way from Leanne in South Australia.

Here's my present and card and cute ornament. Leanne took the wonderful photo that is on the card. She's an amazing photographer as well as a very talented stitcher! A better shot of my ornament.

And look I've got my package all safe and tucked under the tree with a Kitty guarding it.

A BIG Thank you to Leanne for being my secret santa! I'm excited to open my present and I'll get pictures and post as soon as I do. Well I'm off to get ready for work. Have a very Blessed day! ranette

Introducing.......

Ranette's Peppermint Twist....formerly known as my Nearly Insane...

I can't believe it...finally. I think it took me about 18 months to piece it, on and off. And I really don't know how many thousands of pieces are in it, but I LOVE it. I really do think that it's my very favorite quilt that I've ever made. Even more than my Dear Jane. Here are some close-ups of the quilting.

Sorry about the inconsistent lighting...it was dark outside and I know the photos are terrible, but if I put it off any longer it wouldn't get done.
As usual my quilter, Linda Farrall, did an amazing job and got the quilting spot on for what I wanted. Loads of ditching, because when you've got a quilt this busy you don't really needs tons of quilting on the blocks. Each block is quilted differently and the sashing is done 1/4" in on each side. The quilt is heavy and it fits my bed perfectly...not that I'd be comfortable sleeping under it with the cat piled on top...lol I slept under my Dear Jane quilt one night and it was awful. I kept thinking I might drool on it or have a bloody nose, not that I've had one for 20 years, and ruin the entire quilt. For now I'll just display it.
Uh oh...time to get the move on and get ready for work! Have a great weekend everyone...ranette

This is getting ridiculious!

I used to be able to post several times a week and now I can only manage a couple of times a month?! What's up with that?!?!?! I've seriously considered closing my blog, but I would miss you guys. I've even lost a follower...lol...how lame is that!
I am going to try to be a better blogger, but it may be after the first of the year. I don't even read a lot of blogs anymore and I miss it! Okay...enough whining! LOL

Some things I have been working on are for SSCS 10 so I can't show you any pictures yet. I think I'm finished with that though...just have to get things wrapped and winging their way across the world...very exciting!

Kara and I took a class at Oklahoma Quiltworks in Oklahoma City last Saturday from Emily Siemers and we had a great time. We made Christmas stockings and here's a picture of mine and Jay's.

Aren't they cute?! We did the embroidery before the class on my friend Kathy's big embroidery machine. I've never thought that I wanted to do machine embroidery, but now I think I need the embroidery module for my Bernina...lol You can make some really cute stuff with it!!
Emily, our teacher, did a wonderful job with the class and pushing me out of my comfort zone. The only pattern we had was the stocking shape and we had to patch our own fabric and then quilt it. Very fun and fairly quick and easy too! Thanks Emily!

I almost have my Nearly Insane quilt or from here forward known as "Ranette's Peppermint Twist Quilt" finished binding. It's so pretty and I really do think this is my favorite quilt....even more so than my Dear Jane. I just love it and it makes me happy! I'll hopefully post pictures of it by Thursday.

Since I don't have anymore quilt pictures to show, I'll show you a picture of our Kitty...that's her name...she's a mess.

Kitty only wants to lay on MY side of the bed and she sits on the back of MY chair, but when she wants to be petted, she jumps on Jay's lap...hmmmm...she's kind of like me! :o)

Time to go get ready for work. Maybe the sun will shine today...yesterday was rainy and cold all day. I like rain and cold, but only if I'm at home all snug and warm.
I'll be back soon! ranette

Not much time to sew this week,

but I do try to surround myself with pretties that keep me inspired. Here's a jar of fabric yoyo's and it makes me feel good just to look at it. It also reminds me that I have another unfinished project...lol

After one particularly stressful day last week I just had to sew something and so I whipped up this little cutie.

Which one is the the pincushion???

The stress melted right away and all was right with the world for a little while. The pumpkin pincushion pattern is from Fig Tree and it was very quick and easy...just my kind of project this week.
Finally, finally the weather seems to be cooling down here in Oklahoma. I love a nice, cool Fall day and we've had mainly summer for the last month. After this weekend, which will be 80 degrees for the high, both days, uggg, the weather should get it's chill on! That means fires in the fireplace at night and snuggling...my favorite!
Enjoy your weekend friends! ranette

Two posts in one week....WHAT?!!!!

Yes I'm back....I wanted to show you what I've been working on, which really isn't much, but oh well it helps keep me motivated if I can show them to you! Here are a few more Tachi Machi blocks from Pinwheels.

I enjoy working with these fabrics so much. Someday I'll get around to quilting each one and putting them together, I hope.
I also started Allie's 18th birthday quilt, which is a batik sampler (I made one for my sister-in-law a few years ago) and my girls loved it. Kara has made her own which is going off to the quilter next week and I believe Emily even started one. Allie picked it for me to make, so I figure if I make a few blocks each week, it should be done by August 2011.

I've also made a couple of these simple, but effective table runners from Moda Bake Shop. My plan is to quilt them myself and give them for gifts.

I'm still working on my Scandinavian Christmas blocks. All of the applique is done on two of them and I have started the embroidery. My LIB blocks have not seen the light of day in a couple of weeks and I miss them, but they'll come out again soon.
Jay and I also had such a good time with my sister and her family who live just outside of Nashville. We stayed with my niece Caylee, her hubby Steven and their 3 funny cats in their pretty townhouse and they were such wonderful hosts. My Kaffe Fassett fabric stash grew considerably as Pamela shared with me!

Cool huh?! And look at this sweet little cabinet.

That's my Christmas gift from my sister. I love it!!! Thank you again Pam!!! I wish I had taken pictures of her new sewing room....very cute!
And lastly...would you look at what came in the mail last week???? Great book, as always.

Time to get myself ready for a big 3 days...it's Homecoming in Cowboy country and that means busy times at work. ranette

Never fear....I'm still here!!!

What a quick two weeks! I can't believe that it's been so long since I last updated my blog. I've been to Paducah, Kentucy and Nashville, Tennessee and I've even spent a little bit of time in my sewing room.

Many of my fellow bloggers have been to Paducah, but I took some pictures for those of you that haven't. Here is a picture of the river that runs next to downtown...actually it's two rivers that meet up there, I think.

The flood wall is covered with murals and I thought this one was very interesting because it showed how it used to be.

You can't tell from the pictures, but the day started out warm and sunny and then a cold front came through and the temperature dropped and it became much more Fall like....I LOVED it!
Here's a couple of pictures of the inside of Hancocks-Paducah.

It's not very fancy, is it??? It is huge and they have lots and lots of fabric! My husband said he looked at every bolt, at least once....lol!

A signed copy of that book came home with me :) The man that checked me out told me that every time they put a bolt of Kaffe fabric on sale that all of you Australians buy it all up before the Americans can even get a chance at it....LOL This lovely fabric came home with me too, at my wonderful husband's insistence...isn't he sweet?!!!!

We also went to the National Quilt Museum
which doesn't allow photos. It's not a big museum, but it is a wonderful place. I was almost brought to tears when we walked in. I'm not sure what I will do when I get to see the Jane Stickle quilt in person. Also here's a link to the Dear Jane site. Anyway I'll probably have a small breakdown...lol...seriously!
Okay long enough for today. I'll be back shortly to show what I've been working on...some of it is secret though and I can't show you that (SSCS 10).
Oh and guess what?!!! My Nearly Insane went to the long arm quilter's today....I am soooo excited! ranette