Christmas Inspiration

Even Mother Nature

is in the mood for Christmas.

She's already decorating.

This was last night looking out our back door.

And this morning out our front door.

It's all dressed in white at a whopping 9 degrees.

I usually don't start decorating until about the middle of December.

That's plenty of time to enjoy it.

The decorations aren't what it's all about.

If you want to feel really fortunate,

you might read 'Foxfire Christmas.'

(I borrowed it from the library.)

I won't ruin it for you,

but it is amazing how ungrateful we are for so much,

myself included.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Our Mountain Community

A few years back,

a member of our little mountain community

passed away

leaving an elderly widow ~L.

That fall, one of the neighbors

suggested we get her wood in for her.

(We asked her first.)

We did and have done so each year since.

Anything L. produces in the kitchen

is amazing, and she always

makes a supply of goodies...

so we won't run short on energy of course.

This year she had to be gone,

but we went and got it all done for her anyways.

There is another neighbor

who is 'slowing down' a little

and lives right across from L,

so we just walked on over and

started in splitting and stacking his pile too.

I think he had tears in his eyes~

(I'm sure it was just some sawdust.)

Afterwards, the majority of us

went to one of the neighbors house

where there was a big pot of chili

and pans of homemade cornbread waiting.

We don't bother each other regularly,

but we do watch out for each other.

We have a couple gatherings a year 

at which we all chip in.

It works out great - 

no one person is put on the spot.

If anybody needs something,

we can round up a crew with little effort.

There are so many places where 

the folks don't even know who lives

right next door.

I am so thankful for these

neighbors & friends.

PS: This was before the cold snap; had to get pictures from a neighbor:)

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Delectable Mountain Mini Quilt / Table Topper

They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one so here goes: "I can't get rid of scraps." Whew, that was tough.  So this little jewel is made from some of the scraps from my Cathedral Window quilt that is in process.  As I have been cutting the squares for it, this pile of scraps just grew up out of nowhere like a vicious weed.  This was the result.  I saw an antique quilt in a magazine.  I have always liked the Delectable Mountain pattern anyways so thought, "Great!"  I don't use patterns; I just sorta go with the flow.

This is a 4 1/2 inch square at this point.  Those small squares will be one inchers.  Then I put them in place on the wall.

I was hoping for it to be one more row long, but I ran out of these particular scraps.  Even my scrappy quilts have to 'work.'  I know, it's an illness I tell you.

Then started sewing the squares into sections.  I wasn't bright enough to think about starching in the beginning, knowing I would be working with bias cuts so I suffered the consequences.  All those itty-bitty points reminded me.

I lost a few of them and it definitely has its flaws, but over all, it turned out pretty well.  And so here we are right back at the beginning.  I will probably just put a little brown binding on it as I don't think I want a boarder - but then you never know.  I might change my mind.  I will hand quilt it, but I have to finish up the one I am hand quilting now.  It's so close to finished it's ridiculous.  I don't know what officially makes a mini quilt a mini, this might just be a small quilt.  If you know, I would love it if you could inform me:)  This one reminds me of autumn, which I love.  Even with it's imperfections, I do believe I will enjoy quilting it and seeing it on my table.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

PS - This didn't use up all the scraps:( I will have to come up with something else to do with the rest of them:)