Quilty Finish, Noel Stitching, YouTube Videos

Well, how are you and are you feeling festive finally? 

 Thank you so much for the comments and emails on my posts. Several of you asked about Tony's lack of appetite. It has been slowly waning. But that does not bother him like I think it should as he always enjoyed being thin. However, it is his lack of strength and feeling tired after only minutes of doing some chore or other that really bothers him. We just had yet another appointment with the doctor who reviewed his recent tests. No, nothing has been discovered; everything is status quo as it were.  He's still on a bunch of meds, of course, and our pharmacist has also done a review to see if anything is amiss. I notice no one is mentioning his age during these consults; perhaps it would be considered agism to do so. But all that aside, Tony has, on the surface at least, been doing well. He rode, on his Spyder, with the guys once a week all summer, meets up with them for coffee once a week in a neighbouring town and also keeps lunch dates with other old pals. He has more of a social life than I do.

 I've done a big sort out of the sheets in the green storage unit I use to house our bedding. This house is short on closets so this one from Ikea does the trick. Beside it is also an Ikea item to store shoes which is also handy.

The cotton sets are organized and stowed away and the flannel sheets are now pressed into service. Nothing can beat flannel for coziness which we appreciate as our bedroom is at the end of one of the halls. I should explain...the main area of the house is a kitchen, dining, living all in one, and there are two halls on opposite sides leading to the bedrooms. We are far from the fire, but of course, our furnace kicks in at some point towards morning so we are not getting up to a cold house. 

We are both still using the castor oil. Tony likes how it makes his skin less dry and itchy. I have no idea if it is helping for wrinkles or any of that. I do think it keeps the skin from drying out which is a positive thing. And it is cheap. Here, a typical Ontario winter has begun with below freezing temps so we can use whatever we can get. It was -20C on my walk the other morning. Cleats on my boots as everything out there was frozen hard, a skating rink in places. My fear of falling is real but it won't make me stay in...I feel like fresh air is vital to my well being somehow. 

I bought a large bag of cranberries on special and made a batch of jam. It was a delicious treat on sourdough toast. I debated which kind of sugar to use but in the end, used regular old sugar. It is tiring to scrutinize every single thing we eat all the time.

My Scrappy quilt is finished; it is 48 in. x 45 in. - just right for a lap quilt. I laid many more lines of hand quilting to make sure everything will stay put. Always a challenge to keep those stitches nice and even. 

I had enough fabric to bring the blue backing to the front for a border on two sides and used black jelly roll fabric for the other two. I put it through the washer and it has a soft squishy feel.

And in very slow stitching, I've added a little more to Redwork Noel, such a sweet design. I usually use tiny applique pins to help with my counting and even then these higher count fabrics present a challenge for these eyes of mine. 

 I enjoy Karen Brown's Just Get It Done quilting videos very much. Besides enjoying her presenting style, I like how she is real about it all. Do you know what I mean?  Recently she posted three videos having to do with quilting/stitching items to be found at the Dollar stores. I made note of some things I could use and and not just in the sewing room- perhaps there is something here you could put to use around the house. 

 Tony remembers The Dick Van Dyke Show and I know it from reruns too. When this popped up on my YouTube Feed I showed it to him and we both thought it very sweet and enjoyed it. The more I see of Chris Martin, I can't help but think he is a nice guy. This was made to celebrate Dick turning 99!

The big day is upon us. I've been grocery shopping and wrapping gifts besides continuing the big tidy up I began last month. Boy, does that ever feel good! We will be hosting the turkey dinner on Christmas Day and preparations are mostly done. Just the big meal to cook on the day itself. I hope you are enjoying these days whether celebrating the holidays this year or not. Take Care!