I didn't get to Post Office last week like I thought I would. Packages will go out tomorrow.

Hello, 4 more today!!!

Gaijin - 11/26
JennR8R - 11/26
barbarakibler23 - 11/26
Armylady2012 - 11/24
Have4boys - 11/24
Onaemtnest - 11/30
Janice McC - 11/30
Kele - 12/1
TravelingGramma - 12/1
Lottie Parker - 12/1
Faintly Artistic - 12/1
Texastam - 12/3
Lstew2212 - 12/3
Givio - 12/3
bjsmith57 - 12/3
Patricks Mom - 12/4
Sunrise450 - 12/4
CrazyConnie - 12/6
Jaba - 12/6
Pinkflowers - 12/6
Oldcatlady - 12/6
Juanitabean - 12/7
Lum - 12/8
SheriR - 12/8
PattyJo - 12/8
Anoka Quilter - 12/11
Jarenie - 12/11
Rosemary Attaway - 12/11
Trishb - 12/11

Sooo behind in Christmas sewing! I'm making my great niece a tuffet and haven't even started it yet. I hope it's not difficult! I did cough up the extra money to get one with the cushion and batting already attached. I just opened the package yesterday and realized I still needed things. I do wish if you're buying a kit that they would include what you need. Like, they included the cord to affix the button but not the cord to tie the top on at the bottom! Anyway, thank goodness for Amazon! I ordered the long upholstery needles, upholstery thread, staple gun and staples last night and they were shipped early this morning!

I do have a question if anyone has made one. I'm using batik jelly roll. I'm sewing it on a fabric foundation. Would you wash after it's all sewn and hope it doesn't shrink too much to get over the stool since it is a snug fit to begin with OR would you soak the strips first in a tub with water and a drop or two of Dawn?

Sorry for the long post, I'm not usually this talkative. And I really just got on to update my candies! LOL!

Received candies from
Rosemary Attaway
PattyJo

Thanks ladies :)

I mailed out December ‘s BD candy today. Hopefully you will have them soon.

Oldcatlady, sorry never made one. I hope it turns out okay for you.

HI ladies, I am leaving for vacation today and will be off the grid for a week. Just want to say Happy Birthday Old cat lady and MizMelly. Hope your day is great.

Marry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

I have come up from college finals this week. I am so happy they are over. I received A's in both classes! Yay me! I am 51 years old and went back to school this semester to become a sign language interpreter...a lifelong dream. You are never too old to go for your dreams.

Now, to get some last minute sewing done for Christmas gifts...wish me luck.

Hello everyone

Thank you for the kind words for Sophie. She is so missed and yes my house is very quiet. Seems like I hear and see her once in awhile and everything I do at home reminds me of her. She was my sewing buddy laying on the floor next to me while I stitched and unstitched. Every quilt I would finish I would lay on the floor to take a picture and she would give it her approval by laying on top of it. :o Thinking finally mom made me one of these things!

I have been very busy with my new job, working a lot..... pretty much spending a lot of time away from the house.


so very behind on Christmas at my house .:shock:

Barb

You are one step ahead of me Texastam. I am the faculty member who is now grading all of those student final exams, papers and so on. After Tuesday at noon, I will dust off my sewing machine and return to my sewing room. Two weeks without grading will be heavenly! I have another Birthday Swap Mystery quilt to put together!!:o

oldcatlady, The manufacturer instructions say not to wash the precuts, excepting fat quarters. I don't ever have problems with shrinkage of new fabric, but I generally just make bed sized quilts. They usually shrink because of the batting, not the fabric, as far as I can tell.

Thanks givio. :)

I do have to wash the fabric. It's just deciding when to do it. It's for my 5 year old great niece and I want to get the chemicals out. I'm going to try a few strips soaking in soapy water and see what happens!

Received candies from

LUM
Anoka Quilter
trish b

Thanks ladies. :)

Received candies from

happylab
Jarenie

Thank you ladies :)

Two more today!

Gaijin - 11/26
JennR8R - 11/26
barbarakibler23 - 11/26
Armylady2012 - 11/24
Have4boys - 11/24
Onaemtnest - 11/30
Janice McC - 11/30
Kele - 12/1
TravelingGramma - 12/1
Lottie Parker - 12/1
Faintly Artistic - 12/1
Texastam - 12/3
Lstew2212 - 12/3
Givio - 12/3
bjsmith57 - 12/3
Patricks Mom - 12/4
Sunrise450 - 12/4
CrazyConnie - 12/6
Jaba - 12/6
Pinkflowers - 12/6
Oldcatlady - 12/6
Juanitabean - 12/7
Lum - 12/8
SheriR - 12/8
PattyJo - 12/8
Anoka Quilter - 12/11
Jarenie - 12/11
Rosemary Attaway - 12/11
Trishb - 12/11
Aborning - 12/15
Happylab - 12/15

Hello ladies....wow December birthdays are really coming in that is great!

Oldcatlady......happy birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday!!! Hope you enjoy your day. I hope you spend your day doing all the things you want to do. I have you waiting on 5 packages..... is this true?


Barb

So one more bit of bad news. My husband lost his job yesterday. He worked for the same company for 38 years. :shock:
I am working my job but it is not full time and now we do not have insurance. He is 63 years old and it will be hard for him to get another job.

Barb

Oh Barb, I'm so sorry. I hate that no one can feel comfortable in their jobs anymore. You never know what is going to happen. And at this time of the year, too. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers.

I have received 31 candies. I know we started with 37 but lost one and minus myself so that would be 35 unless we lost more than one. I can't remember. So I think I'm waiting on 4. I'll check off names when I open them tomorrow to see whose missing.

Happy Birthday Oldcatlady!! Hope your having a Great Day

Happy Birthday Oldcatlady. Sorry if you have not received your package from me yet. I mailed yours and MizMelly's on the same day and she posted that she got hers on12/15 so hopefully yours will arrive tomorrow.

Happy Birthday to my fellow December Baby, OldCatLady! Hope it was memorable!

Happy Birthday Oldcatlady! Hope your day is filled with happiness!

One today, and it came opened with some of the candies missing!

Gaijin - 11/26
JennR8R - 11/26
barbarakibler23 - 11/26
Armylady2012 - 11/24
Have4boys - 11/24
Onaemtnest - 11/30
Janice McC - 11/30
Kele - 12/1
TravelingGramma - 12/1
Lottie Parker - 12/1
Faintly Artistic - 12/1
Texastam - 12/3
Lstew2212 - 12/3
Givio - 12/3
bjsmith57 - 12/3
Patricks Mom - 12/4
Sunrise450 - 12/4
CrazyConnie - 12/6
Jaba - 12/6
Pinkflowers - 12/6
Oldcatlady - 12/6
Juanitabean - 12/7
Lum - 12/8
SheriR - 12/8
PattyJo - 12/8
Anoka Quilter - 12/11
Jarenie - 12/11
Rosemary Attaway - 12/11
Trishb - 12/11
Aborning - 12/15
Happylab - 12/15
MiQuilt - 12/17 * partially eaten by postal carrier

Thanks for the birthday wishes. I had a great day. My candies are fantastic. You guys really out did yourselves this year! They are so pretty. Thank you so much!

I think I'm waiting on 5. I can't remember if we lost one or two swappers from the original list. None in the mail today. aborning, I'm sure yours is taking the scenic route looking at all the Christmas lights. I will be sending out feedback scores soon. :)

I have two more finishes using my 2.5 birthday treats to show off. They were done this fall but had been sitting around for......well, long enough to be considered UFOS :o. Now to start using this year's little beauties! [ATTACH=CONFIG]605538[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]605539[/ATTACH]

Very nice...thanks for sharing.

Oldcatlady and MizMelly- I sent your packages over a week ago. Can you check to see if you received them? I haven't seen my name on your lists. Thanks!

HI Crispy,
Nope, I haven't received yours yet. And I just got today's mail. Nada again. Yours is the 2nd one I've had questions about not getting when sent. Either the post office is very slow with the holiday mail this year, or they are getting waylaid.

Crispy_Frog, no, I haven't received yours yet. I'm sure it will get here soon.

Received candies today from
MIQuilt
WMUTeach

Thanks ladies. :)

I'll track them to see. Sorry for the delay!

Great job, WMUTeach! I especially like the top one. "Simple" design but just wonderful! Love how the white/cream goes diagonally through all the other colors. May steal this idea one day. Congratulations on two fine finishes.

Oldcatlady and MizMelly- according to USPS tracking, your packages are "on track to the next facility". That was dated 12/16/18. I will look at it again tomorrow and call. I am so sorry this is happening.

Crispy_Frog no worries, they'll get here.

Received candies from
aborning

Thank you :)

Steal the idea any time. It was such an easy way to "eat" up lots of treats. When I would get tired of a bigger or frustrating quilting project but wanted to quilt or if I was off to a one day quilting gathering, I would haul this out and just sew more four patches then add a 2.5 x 5 rectangle. Press and square any that looked too wonky. I then just started sewing them together in long rows. This was an on and off for about 9 months kind of quilt. It doesn't have a home but it will be perfect for someone in the future.

WMUTeach -- That sure is a cute Teddy. Did you make it?

Barb -- My husband lost his job some time ago. I feel your pain. Yes, it's very difficult for older workers to compete in the hiring market. Maybe he might as well accept being retired early. Or, there's McDonalds... that's what my older sister accepted. And the career she's had, the salary she's earned, and the work experience in her life! It's sad.

Did I miss the post with the January Birthdays? or hasn't that been posted yet?

Next question. Is this swap going to happen again for next year? I actually will have some time off work next week and want to start cutting for next year if there is going to be another swap. This past year was so busy for me that I felt behind all year and I don't want that to happen with the next swap.

I don’t think they have been sent yet aborning. I haven’t received the names yet. Pretty sure we’ll be swapping next year again but the new thread won’t be started until after the 1st of the year

Love the quilts. Merry Christmas everyone.

Only one today!

Gaijin - 11/26
JennR8R - 11/26
barbarakibler23 - 11/26
Armylady2012 - 11/24
Have4boys - 11/24
Onaemtnest - 11/30
Janice McC - 11/30
Kele - 12/1
TravelingGramma - 12/1
Lottie Parker - 12/1
Faintly Artistic - 12/1
Texastam - 12/3
Lstew2212 - 12/3
Givio - 12/3
bjsmith57 - 12/3
Patricks Mom - 12/4
Sunrise450 - 12/4
CrazyConnie - 12/6
Jaba - 12/6
Pinkflowers - 12/6
Oldcatlady - 12/6
Juanitabean - 12/7
Lum - 12/8
SheriR - 12/8
PattyJo - 12/8
Anoka Quilter - 12/11
Jarenie - 12/11
Rosemary Attaway - 12/11
Trishb - 12/11
Aborning - 12/15
Happylab - 12/15
MiQuilt - 12/17 * partially eaten by postal carrier
WMUTeach - 12/22

aborning, We still have February to do after the January birthdays too-- so a while more time to go on the present swap.

I haven’t received the January list either but I’ve been so busy I never missed it. We have two January birthdays but the first one isn’t until the 14th so there’s still lots of time. Barb will send it soon. Last I heard, Barb planned to run the swap again next year. In fact tonight I cut almost 8 full sets of candies. (I needed some quiet time and I used it wisely. :) ). If not, someone will put an exchange together eventually and I’ll be all set!

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate the holiday.