'The Hoard'

Is there anyone quite like JRR Tolkien?  Oh, I wish I had his diction! The Wellington premiere of the Hobbit happened last night, pretty cool stuff.  I can't imagine anyone doing it better than Peter Jackson, though he does have a free hand with the screenplay, I am afraid.  But I am enough of a realist to realize that what works in a book wouldn't work on the big screen.  Not in a direct translation anyway.  Still, the books are such gold, it would be hard for the films to live up to the potential.  I think PJ did pretty darn well in LOTR, and figure he will do even better in Hobbit.  After all, he is older, wiser, and has had some practice!   My wonderful husband has already purchased the tickets...he says he will go with me even if I wear funny clothes.... 

What ARE You Doing?

This is the look I get when I interrupt the serious grooming of the border cat to move something from under his nose.  He is rather annoyed with me, though I didn't actually touch him or shift him or otherwise truly disturb him.  But I drew his attention, and that took it away from a far more important task!  It isn't actually a stinkeye, but pretty darn close.

My son has requested wall art for Christmas, and I am planning several things.  I am so happy that he has asked me for some art!  I think Meg could use some too, though I don't know if she wants any.  Her apartment is as bare as his... barer in fact.  My little brain is working overtime planning out stuff for a wildlife managers walls.... I have too many ideas, actually.  I have to narrow it down.  Fish, birds, dall sheep, bison, wolves, all have possibilities.  Hmmmm......

By the way, go over to Lily's Quilts for a great giveaway... I love this collection of Kaufman's.  

Beginning the Countdown

 

I have never dressed up in costume for a movie before.... But I am considering it for this one! I have started playing the music from Lord of the Rings to get me in the mood. In between Christmas songs, of course. Advent has two meanings this year... Is that a bad thing?

 

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Quilt

I wasn't at all sure about this collection of fabrics when it came in... it is Berenstein Bears, mostly, and in colors I don't often work with.  I am also not a traditional quilter, so this isn't my style, either.  None the less, I am pretty darn happy with how it looks, and hope the recipient will be too.  One of my friends had her first grandbaby, a boy, last December.  I wanted to do a quilt, but I am the queen of procrastination, and very unsure of my quilting skills, and didn't at all like the first quilt I began.  So, time passed.  I was determined not to let Nick turn one year old without the quilt being presented.  Tada!  Finished!  I even learned how to do a double binding with an easy join as a bonus.... all in all, a good project. 

 Oh, and Thanksgiving was a complete success, though a bit on the quiet side.  This is the first time Gil and I have had Thanksgiving alone since 1982, when 14" of snow fell in Kitsap County Washington, literally bringing that whole section of the state to an abrupt halt.  No power for 4 days, including Thanksgiving, but we soldiered on.  We had a woodstove insert with just enough room on top to cook the side dishes, and a tiny weber grill that I used to grill the turkey and taters.  We ate by candlelight, and watched the stars shine on the blue tinged snow, and listened to the foxes bark.  Yes, I know foxes are not native to western Washington, but a few escaped the zoo years before, and bred a little colony.  I hope they are still there.  Late that night, the hooting of an owl put me to sleep, and I have loved owls ever since.  Stars, and foxes, and owls.  A magical combination. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank you, God, for all your blessings.  Help me remember them when it is darkest. 

Craft Show

I ended up with two tables at the craft show, since the crafter next to me didn't show up.  I had enough room, therefore, and it was a decent show.  More traffic than last year, though not a lot of money spent, overall.  About a third of the crafters who were there last year and before didn't come out.  I guess the economy is just really bad, and people don't think it is going to get much better.  Some of the things I thought would fly out didn't move at all, and things I was hesitant to bring did well.  Mostly it was not the expensive stuff, and the people all around me were confirming the same thing.  The inexpensive goods moved much better than the pricey stuff, in pretty much all categories.  Gonna be a tough next four years financially, I suspect. 

The Night Before the Big Craft Show!

And with this, Gentle Reader, I leave you. 

Ack! How Did It Get To Be Wednesay?

I am madly getting ready for the craft show.... except I somehow just took yesterday off..... well, I must have needed it.  But I have the paperwork (yuck) and organization left to do, and then it is time to load up and move out to St Tim's Church and School for their 32nd Annual Craft Show.... I really do enjoy this, I start early each year, and still end up scrambling at the end.  Hmmmm, how can that be?  Oh well, NEXT year I will finish in September, really I will. 

This year I will be adding a few baby quilts and quilted table toppers for a change, though the main things will be stuffies, as usual.  I am still working on their names.  Names are important, almost as important as their faces.  Once their faces go on, they really develop a personality.  This gentleman is an executive at Apple, a bit corporate, but a little Bohemian too.  I think he made the collar himself, but I didn't ask how he got the feathers.... I don't think I want to know.  Knotches on a belt?  Surely not.....

Second and Third of Three

These are the last two table toppers for G Street's Quilt Club. In all three (see earlier post, First of Three) I used the Scrap Therapy grid panel by QuiltSmart. So easy to use and makes your seam junctions perfect!

This is a close up of the second photo. It is a machine embroidered snowflake (done on the Bernina 830) with Swarovski crystals attached. I love the blue and white theme, and the sparklies!

There is so much you can do with this product, or with the Bosul and Pellon brand grid too.

 

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A Russian Feast

While my garb isn't quite so spiffy, I will be going down to Norfolk next week for the Marinus Investiture, and seeing lots of friends I don't get to see nearly often enough.  I have finished my kirtle and undergown, and am working on a chiton type apron for court.  I have a plain linen apron for when I help in the kitchen.  I have my coat all ready too, and the collar is very snuggly and furry.  I would like a whole fox pelt though.  The winter seems to be angling towards cold this year!  The feast will be VERY yummy... though, maybe I will let the others eat most of the borscht.  And at the end, CHEESECAKE!  Of course, since the Cheesecake Baroness is the head cook.  Yum.  Now, where is my knife again?