After Thanksgiving Shopping Mania ......

I'm trying to simplify our Christmas. Slow down the husle & bustle & concentrate on the reason for the season...

Me, too.

Darius--good to hear your voice. Twinlakeschef told me you were under the weather. I hope you are feeling better.

I thought about you all on the firday after thanksgiving, all day long, I kept wondering how the sales were....I usually never went, but had friends that did and they would tell me about it. I did watch some news items on CNN International, and it was great seeing familiar signs, Target, Walmart...and I swear all the people shopping looked familiar...(LOL)
I asked my daughter what she wanted for Christmas this year and she said nothing, It's just not the same here, what's the point, besides she still has to go to school (even though christmas falls on a saturday, she has classes both on sat and sun to catch up on what she learns in school - the language thing) she was just so bummed, then she said, well, it's just not going to be any fun at all this year because Alex wont be coming.....well....big surprise for my daughter and husband, I am flying alex in for Christmas....that will be our big Christmas present...

Sugarweed, your line: "He/She who dies with the most fabric wins. I'm 1,000+ yards and counting"
had me laughing.....When I was back home, I had three closets full of fabric, plus boxes and boxes full in various parts of the house. I would go shopping for fabric, and bring it in the house when my DH wasnt around so he never saw how much I had...well, let me tell you how heart breaking it was to have to get rid of it all when I moved across the world....I gave it all away.
I did bring some with me. I brought my sewing machine and serger, but havent had them out much cause I have to use a transforer, but I just started a quilt project that I am sewing by "hand" I would rather be using the machine.....

Ms.Jen, hope you are doing well.

Happy shopping everyone!

Pebble,
I'm doing well today!! Then again, its only 9:03 am, lol

Pebble, what wonderful news about being able to fly your son in for Christmas afterall! I bet you can hardly wait to see him. :-D

ohhhh half the fun is the surprise, my husband was in tears last night about missing our boy...I had to bite my tongue....I am chompin at the bit.
MsJen, glad you are feeling better, is your DH coming home for the holidays?

he'll be here on the 20th for 2 weeks ; )

Pebble, that's a quilter's heartbreak to give up fabric. When you need batting or anything let me know. Do you have access to these things?
I still have my great-grand mother's treadle singer. It would be great for your situation.
Many a wonderful quilt has been stitched by hand. You will cherish it.

MsJen, that is exciting for you to have him back for 2 whole weeks. Enjoy your time together.
Sugar, girl you know it broke my heart into a illion pieces, i did manage to bring back 3 or 4 boxes, but you know when you mentally know your inventory, and you think of a project, and you think, I have the perfect fabric for that, well I still do that, and then after I have gone through my piddly 4 boxes, i realise that that wasnt one of the fabrics i brought....
I dont have access to batting, I am going to wait till i can make it home to bring some back.
quilting is not done here....
do you sill use your great grandmothers treadle singer? I think my mother in law has one also.
ok, I've never quilted till just recently, and it is an english gal who is kind of walking me through this project, this is what she has done,we have a template cut out from heavy cardboard, then we cut out the templates from newspaper, then sew the fabric onto the newspaper (basting), then we sew these pieces together, with the newspaper still in them, then when all sides of the piece is connected on all sides, we take the newspaper out....
I thought it was funny, but since i hadnt done this before, im going along with it, but cant imagine us doing this in the states.....
I am making my pieces farily large, cause I cant see myself cutting out these itty bitty pieces like she is and putting them together, we are both doing hexagonal piecies, hers are maybe the size of a tangerine and mine are the size of..let's see, a cantaloupe....and then we have one in the middle, and then nine ...egads, I'm just going to post a picture, I cant describe this.

well, my camera is out of juice, so I have to charge it. I have to find the transformer first and hook it up and hope it doesnt blow.
i'll post it later,

I'm going to the post the photos in the crafts forum...