Vintage Christmas Card Basket

Vintage Christmas Crafts

Originally uploaded by doublewinky

I just love these crocheted baskets. I just had to start another Gallery on Flickr of the photos I have seen of baskets so far. There is even a picture of directions for making these baskets/bowls out of greeting cards from a vintage Workbasket magazine.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27565576@N02/galleries/72157622977301187/

I have one bowl with a cover that my Grandma Lena made. My Daddy’s Mommy!!! I just love it!

I do like the clasp quite a bit. It shows a little more creativity by the maker!

Found my card basket on a Pinterest site 3/11/13

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The moon from our back door tonight!

The moon from our back door tonight!

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I really did rush home as fast as I could! I wanted to go sledding while the sun was still out. We did it!

The camera I use holds a charge for about 60 seconds. I quickly took some shots before it was too late!

I know his heart was beating faster already by this time….just the thought of going down that hill!

He’s already looking down the hill calculating how to hit the biggest bump with his mom on the board!

“Mom, it’s not a board it’s a bodyglove!” My children and their technicalities!

I think he’ll be a lawyer just like his big brother!

We went sledding until the moon was overhead and my toes were very cold!

I do love how great I feel after exercise and fresh air.

The question is how will I feel tomorrow???

Christmas Cardinal Quilt

Christmas Quilt I made for my Mommy! I made it at least 6 years ago.

This is one of the few quilts I have ever finished.

I even made the cross-stitched pillow at the head of the bed.

The quilt stays on her bed throughout the year.

I took a class in order to get the quilt done in time for Christmas.

I hope to some day do a little more in depth machine quilting on this.

It really is only stitched in the ditch in order to hold everything together.

My Mom doesn’t seem to mind at all.

Every time I look at it I fall in love with the fabric all over again. It really is lovely fabric!

My Friend

My Friend

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

This is my friend Carol. I was thinking today “I don’t have a picture of Carol and I together”, so I took my camera to the wake today. Her husband died from pneumonia a few days ago and tonight was the wake. She was determined to make Christmas and these days a celebration of her husband’s life. She refuses to wear black…so I made a point of not wearing black too. I went later in hopes that we would have some time together afterward.

They did a really cool thing where they had his hats and t-shirts from his life.

The t-shirt top right says “Property Of – My Wife”

A fur hat purchased in Russia, one from Austria and two others were among his collection of hats.

Carol thought it would be ice-breakers for family and friends to start conversations with each other.

These items were from all the different facets of his life. He worked after his retirement at Cub, he was from North Dakota, Worlds Best Dad, etc…

The red t-shirt was his painting shirt. They had just painted the church walls and wore this shirt. The chapel is being used for the first time for this funeral. There is this feeling that “things happen for a reason”.

Isn’t this just the best photo ever. I told Carol. It has so much love in it.

There were two albums full of photos.

And two daughters full of love.

 

A Christmas Tree in Purple!

Cross

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

These decorations came out of a box that has been tucked away for at least 6 years if not more. I couldn’t find my multi colored tree lights this season and as the days grew closer to Christmas I had to make a decision…..no lights or pull out the purple.

This is Vikings territory! That isn’t the reason 20 years ago I started collecting purple decorations. It wasn’t as popular back then and as I saw the purple decorations here and there they called out to me.

When we first moved into this house in March of 1996 these are the decorations that were on our first tree. I had them on the tree for a few years and then tucked them away……way back in the furnace room. Of course when it came to decorate this year these were the only decorations I could find!

You have to understand I decorated the tree after having the flu…. a flu that started with our youngest and moved violently from one person to the next. It’s been two weeks and my stomach still feels a little quezy after I eat.

As I was putting the ship on the tree I thought how fitting. We have watched “Pirates of the Carribean” so many times in the past few years!

I’ll have to photograph the motorcycle Santa again. I know it is blurry. It would have been nice to get a new camera this holiday season but the kids came first!

This is a memorial ornament. My New Years resolution for the past few years has been to get my motorcycle out of storage and tuned up and running. It will take a little money. It has been in storage since my brother died in 1984. We were out riding together when he was struck by a car …. without a helmet… Santa doesn’t have a helmet in this ornament. I wish he did.

He’s got the cutest face ever. My Santa is big and bulky and kind of takes over whatever section of the tree he is on. I do like him so much. I like all the ornaments so much it would be hard to pick a favorite. He is up there though.

When I look at this photo I wish the beads were a little closer to the surface on the top half of the tree….but does it really matter. Look at the excitement, joy, surprise, magic in my little guy!

I was hoping and praying for this… he has been questioning whether Santa is “REAL”.

I have to say the “Magic of Christmas” is REAL. The “Spirit of Christmas” is REAL too.

Merry Christmas to All. Even when it’s PURPLE!

Auntie Julie loves purple. It is her favorite color. She only had lights on her tree this year. No decorations. I was thinking next season we could take these two boxes of ornaments and decorations over to Auntie Julies and do up her tree in purple…. I think she would like that!

Christmas Stars….today’s project!

Today’s Project!

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I hope to work on this today!

I have these cardboard design boards hanging from the ceiling in my quilt room.

Each one has a different project on it.

This one I began on October 11, 2003. I finished one miniature quilt and gave it as a gift to one of the Quiltin’ Babes!

I didn’t get a photo of it. I still can some day….I hope.

I think it comes from the book, “Wear Warm Clothes”. It is one of the first quilt books I ever purchased way back when the Quiltin’ Babes was in it’s infancy.

I have the directions for one square hand written on the sheet of paper with the pinned pieces to it and the date. My attempt to be organized in my disorganized state!

After being on Flickr early this morning…trying to be quiet while everyone else slept….I started to sew on a few ongoing projects. This one has been on my “I hope to work on this season” list.

It can be strip pieces by cutting strips on 1 inch width of red and green and then sewing them together. You then subcut the strips tp 1 inch and then sew the strips together until you have a 36 patch.

The question today is do I sew or do I take the blue painters tape off the walls in the kitchen so we can get the kitchen back together! We started painting and then everyone in the entire house came down with the flu…..a nasty, horrible, disgusting, I’m so glad it’s over, case of the flu!

Hopefully we’ll get both done!

We had our own Christmas miracle yesterday. Grandpa and his friend invited us over for Christmas dinner. The first time since they started living together about 6 years ago. It was a big step for this complicated family of ours. She’s younger than we are ….but older in many ways. She has 5 children, one still at home came for Thanksgiving this year….another first. We met 3 of the 4 remaining adult children yesterday…and many of the grandchildren. I brought apuzzle along and the kids helped off and on but especially once we got down to the last 50 pieces of a 300 piece puzzle. The meal was fantastic and we all left feeling closer and more hopeful for the future.

Grandma died of cancer in 1995. About a year before she died she and Grandpa moved into an apartment and we moved into the house. Our older son was only 5 years old at the time. Being back in the house brought back a lot of memories. We miss Grandma so much.  It is her sister, Aunt Carolyn, that just died last month. They are now finally together in heaven. I have never seen two sisters closer in my entire life. It is a pleasant thought to think they are together again.

Hope for the future. My only wish would have been that Julie and the girls could have been there. They are in Colorado visiting Julie’s niece and her new baby. Usually we are at Julie’s the day after Christmas.

Life works in mysterious ways.

I finished two blocks! I have a few more ready to sew together… but this is good for one day. My son and I played Othello for the first time.  He won the first game and I won the second.

Jan’s Quilt – Merry Christmas 2009

Jan’s Quilts 118

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I’d like to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
It’s been a good day.

Here is a link to my Flickr set that contains over 30 different quilts that my friend Jan made before her death this past year.

Waiting…

Waiting…

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I was sitting at the computer tonight after cub scouts and a run to the library. My friend Carol called. I haven’t talked to her since she and her husband came over the night of our first Neighbor Nite In in November. Two seconds into the conversation she tells me Bill went to spend Christmas with our Lord today. What? Her 66 year old husband developed pneumonia and died today. What? How does that happen? What??? She was so calm. What??????
How can she be so calm??????????????

The softest ties ever

The softest ties ever

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

“On both of these squares Grandma pieced the fabric together in order for the block to be the right size. Not uncommon in the 60s.”

As I sit and type this I am listening to Christmas music from this site and wrapped in Grandma’s quilt.

http://music.aol.com/radioguide/christmas-music

It is very nice to have soft music to listen to while typing and reading. The rest of the household is still sleeping. I am finally feeling better. It’s been 8 days since this flu began. I was able to eat yesterday and I feel my strength returning.  We wrapped presents last night. Pajamas….for everyone. It’s a funny thought because I just finished typing on the group I started this year Tied Quilts about this quilt above and was saying many of these fabrics were worn pajamas.

Please take  a moment to look at the quilts in the Tied Quilt pool if you haven’t been there before.

We have been using my Grandmother’s tied quilt this winter season over our beds, cuddling on the couch, and wrapped around us while sitting on the computer reading our favorite blogs, football stats and playing Star Wars and various online games. The quilt has a flannel back and such soft yarn ties and many of the fabrics are worn flannel pajamas. Perfect in every way.
50 members and 286 beautiful Tied Quilts. Every few days I search for more tied quilts to add to this group. I love looking at quilts on Flickr and am very excited when I come across a new quilt using ties made from yarn and embroidery floss.

I was born in 1960. This coming year I turn 50 years old. That is most likely the age of the quilt I am wrapped up in. 50 years. My goodness. I notice the quilt has this softness and warmth to it that many of my other newer quilts do not have. I am hoping that is a description of me too. I know my body is softer. When I think of it I wonder if the Dear Lord made bodies softer when we get older to cuddle with children. I see my 7 nieces and nephews and my two children and my Greatniece and nephew cuddling with Mom and it looks so perfect to me. She adores holding them and rocking the little ones and each of the children give her the biggest and warmest hug ever each time they see her. It’s the long, warm, “I love you Grandma” embracing, back rubbing kind of hugs. The kind I wish for each of you this holiday season and throughout the new year.

My Grandmother Lena was a church quilter. She had a big walk out basement and that’s where the quilt frame would be set up. The ladies would sit around the frame and stitch on the quilts. Grandma had boxes and boxes of 4 1/2 in squares in her guestbedroom closet. I used to sneak into that room to see what was stacked up overflowing from these boxes when I was young. We lived across the road from each other. Our road was 1/4 of a mile long and Grandma Magdalena and Grandpa Joseph lived just across the street. My Dad’s Brother lived in the house next to them. Next to our house was my Mom’s Mom, Grandma Lulu (I’m crying right now quiet tears are falling.  I don’t really know why. Emotional due to the season, having been sick, the holidays, the two emotional movies I watched on the Hallmark channel last night! or the song I am hearing “…a new King born today and man will live forever more because of Christmas day”).

I think we were lucky to be so close to family. If we needed an egg for cooking or a teaspoon of vanilla we just ran over to one of the Grandma’s.  They both would have their aprons on and their hands into the preparation of some meal just about every time I saw them.  I wish for you a relative or friendly neighbor that you can run over to for that egg or ingredient. Today we will celebrate Christmas with my Mr’s  sister-in-law and her two daughters. The girl’s are in their teens now and they will all be traveling to Colorado for a week 21-28th so we will celebrate with them now. I hear the Tv coming on and cartoons. Time to be Mom!

Have a wonderful 4th Sunday of Advent everyone.  Here is a wonderful Gallery I put together on the 1st Sunday of Advent.

Coin Quilt

Coin Quilt

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

This is my current project. I have been working on it off and on for a couple months now. I am fascinated by the coin quilts I see on Flickr. This one is all itsy bitsy scraps left over from cutting the 1 1/2 inch squares for my Triple Irish Chain.

Instead of listing when I finish quilts I should just list when I start them! It seems I start a new one every month.  We have been horribly sick with the H1N1 virus. This is our second time around. The first time it was only our son. This time it his all 3 of us at home. Our older son did come home on Saturday for 20 minutes to pick up one of the cars and I am hoping that wasn’t long enough to pick up the virus. At that time only our younger son had it. By Monday morning my Mr and by Monday evening I was violently ill. Ill like I have never been in my entire life. The only things worse are childbirth and I have to say streph is more painful. This one is just embarrassingly grotesquely sickeningly horrible! I am drained of energy. I had to go to work today to keep my job. They don’t allow you out sick 3 days without hospitalization or filing for FMLA. I ate an apple at 11a  and thought the pains going through my stomach were going to do me in.  At 2p I tried to drink half a glass of water only to get bubbles running all over my stomach. Tonight I was able to eat a pancake.  I’m going to bed. Exhausted. Nice reading ….. maybe at least I can read this a year from now and be healthy and grateful. I am grateful it isn’t Christmas eve or morning. That would be worse!

My son and I did get a project done for school tonight while cooking dinner. It is a snowman that we decorated with even itsier bitsier bits of fabric….smaller than the ones used in the quilt above. I’ll photo it and add when I feel a bit better. It has button eyes too and 3 red buttons on the front. It turned out really cute and will go on the wall at school.

P.S. I spoke to the Assist Principal today at school and the Principal is out with H1N1 today……. it sounds like the exact same symptoms as ours. GROSS!