Post Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone,

I'm back home from our trip to visit family for the holiday.  It was fun, but pretty busy.  We traveled from here to Indianapolis last Tuesday--right through that winter storm Boreas!  We had rain and snow, but luckily not freezing rain.  It is more than 12 hours to get there, and it seems to take forever.  We arrived in time to check in to the hotel and collapse.  The next day, Wednesday, we finally saw our daughter!!  It has been since last Christmas that we last saw her, so I was really excited.  Wednesday was also my Mom's 70th birthday, so we all met to celebrate with dinner out and then cake at my daughter's apartment after.  The next day was Thanksgiving, and we drove up to my sister's house for that.  Friday was her baby shower, which I was co-hosting.  Did I go out shopping at all on Black Friday?  I didn't get up early, but I did go to one store which had Carter's baby clothes "buy one get two free."  Saturday was a day to spend with our daughter.  We went out shopping, had dinner, and played some games.  All too quickly, it was over.  Sunday was another long travel day to get home.

I was a bit "put out" sitting in the car on Sunday.  I kept thinking about all the things I could be doing like getting out Christmas decorations, quilting, etc.  Instead, I was just sitting in the vehicle.  It felt like a big waste of time.  Luckily, the weather was great for the drive home.  The other drivers were the problem--there were some really reckless people on the road.

I had every intention of posting yesterday, but in the end, I think I needed a "mental health" day and managed to get only the necessities done (like the laundry.)  I think I have everything done and put away so maybe today I can get into my sewing room (after I go get groceries.)  I still have a few Christmas presents to make, and there are a few projects that I'm really excited to get started (and finished.)

I've been wanting to show these for a while:  I joined another postcard swap--this one had a Christmas theme.  I was partnered with Bobbie, over at From This to That.  This is the card that she made for me:

I love the trees!  The fabrics are great.  I love Christmas things made without using Christmas fabric.  It shows much more creativity!

Look what she did on the back!

More artwork!  I love this--it is the best postcard back I've ever received.

This is the card I made for her.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving or just a great weekend if you didn't celebrate.  Come back tomorrow as I have a really exciting announcement!!

Have a great day,
JoAnne

Postcards and Other Fun Stuff

Hi Everyone,

I am back from vacation and shall fill you in about it in a later post.  Our quilt show is this weekend!  The days are going to fly by until set-up Friday afternoon and I still have stuff to do!  Yikes.  I'm going to try to get most things done today.

Meanwhile, I got the mail that had been held while we were gone and in it I found 3 treasures!

Two of them were postcards.  I haven't done any fabric postcards in a while.  I think they are gorgeous little works of art, but I struggle so much with the creative process when I make them AND I keenly feel the responsibility when I participate in a swap, but lately a few things came together so I made some.  For our quilt show we will have demonstrations on different techniques.  Someone signed up to do a demo on postcards but is unable to attend, so I agreed to fill in and do it.  Then, a while back, Raewyn at Love to Stitch mentioned and shared some postcards she had swapped.  I commented that I used to do that and we agreed that we would swap with each other, but no rush, as we were both a little swamped with other projects.  A little later, I saw where she had signed up for a swap at Sheila's blog, Sheila's Quilt World so I stopped by and signed up, too.  The theme for that swap was a fall/autumn card. 

I started searching for inspiration and ideas and first began fooling around making Indian corn, but that got to be too tedious, so I searched for another idea and settled on a pile of leaves.  This is the card that I made:

When I make postcards, the idea is the difficult thing for me, so when I have one I make several of the same card.  I immediately figured I could send the same card to Raewyn.  When Sheila assigned our partners, I learned that I would be swapping with Rachel.  Raewyn lives in New Zealand and Rachel lives in Australian, so it was going to be fun!  Also both of them are currently having Spring, not Fall.  Anyway, I received Raewyn's card before I left for vacation.

She did a card with the Kawhai tree which blooms in the spring there.  I love it! 

The evening before we left on our trip, I got an email from her.  Her nephew was visiting and she showed him some of the postcards that she had received and he became intrigued with sewing and working on some.  She asked if I would swap with him, and I said I would.  I was surprised to find his card in my mail as well.  I feel terrible because I haven't sent his, but I will this morning!

Here it is.  I think it is wonderful for a young man's first sewing project.  I really love the kiwis, too as it is from NZ.  Do you see both kinds of kiwi?  You can read Raewyn's post about her nephew here.  It is really sweet.

I also found the card from my swap partner, Rachel!  She says that it is her first card and it is gorgeous!

It is a lovely design AND very well executed!  I'm seriously impressed. 

Finally, there was also a package in my mail.  It was from Peggy.  I have gotten to know her through Instagram the past couple weeks that I have been on it.  I already love it as much as reading blogs!  Anyway, one day she posted a picture of a darling red button that hangs on the wall.  It is about 9 inches in diameter.  I fell in love and inquired where she found it.  It was at Hobby Lobby, of course!  I don't have one and bemoaned the fact and she promptly offered to purchase one for me. 

Isn't it adorable?  And what a sweet gesture!  I think the blog world is so full of wonderful, generous people! 

As I mentioned, I made several versions of my autumn postcard. 

All along I wanted to share one with you all.  If you would like a chance to win it, please leave a comment.  I would love to know if you have a nice story about a quilter you met through blogging.  (And possibly have never met in person.)  I will send it to anyone anywhere, as that is half the fun of postcards (receiving them from all over the world!)  Since I'm buried in the quilt show, you can comment up until Sunday night.  I will draw early Monday morning and let you know who is the winner! Good luck!

Have a great day,
JoAnne

PS:  If you are interested in a postcard swap, Sheila is doing another one--with Christmas as the theme.  You can sign up here.