My Twelve Days of Christmas

Twelve days of Christmas break, that is.  And it's actually only 11.5 days and they are coming to an end much faster than I would like!  It's been a busy week, but I have been able to squeeze in some sewing and shopping time around all of the Christmas festivities, cooking, and the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert (which was awesome, as always!). 

I finished steps one and five of Easy Street last weekend.  I have part of step four completed but still haven't started steps two and three.  The sixth step is just cutting - I think I can handle that this weekend. Here are my blocks from step five:

I am making good progress on this month's Lemoyne Star assignment.  I finished the first 12" block when I was traveling and finished the 6" block last weekend.  I am well on my way to finishing the second 12" block for this month - I hope to knock that one out tonight.

I always like to start a new quilting project over the holidays.  Perhaps I should focus on finishing some of my current projects instead, but where's the fun in that?!?  I felt particularly ambitious this year and have decided to start not just one but TWO new projects...and that's just this week!  I visited Sweet Annie's quilt shop to purchase fabric for Birds of a Feather by Blackbird Designs.  I fell in love with this quilt when I saw it at The Quilted Moose back in September.  I hadn't really made plans to start it but then one of my Yahoo groups selected it as a group project for 2013.  I am highly motivated by assignments and goals, so I figured I may as well play along.  Most of the fabrics I selected are from Edyta Sitar's last couple of lines:

I will throw in a few more reds and possibly a couple more browns from my stash to complete the palette.  The background is brown, and the large print floral is the border.  It's a little different from the rest of the projects I am working on so I am looking forward to getting started.

My second holiday project is Prairie Peonies by Edyta Sitar (Laundry Basket Quilts).  I pieced little strip sets for my first two blocks yesterday.  Here they are before the diamonds were cut from them:

The colors aren't great in the picture - they look a bit brighter than they actually are.  They go well with the beige/tan background batik I am using.  I'm having a blast with these so far.  I cut the diamonds and all of my background fabric last night and plan to piece the blocks and prep the applique today.  I didn't realize until I started working on these yesterday that the applique is different in each of the 25 blocks.  I think that is awesome!  I love combining piecing with applique, and I really hate the idea of repeating the same block over and over...probably why I am not progressing very quickly on my Rose of Sharon. 

Off to the sewing room - I can't wait to get my first two peony blocks together!

Snowman in New York

My creative time has been limited by business travel the past couple of weeks so I am rapidly falling behind on Easy Street.  I did make some progress, however - while I was at The Quilted Fox last Saturday I found an absolutely awesome piece of fabric that was a medium blue/teal with green and purple in it.  I decided to throw originality and creativity out the window and go with a color scheme more similar to Bonnie's.  I pulled a bunch of different limey greens, bright purples and coordinating blues and plan to go that direction with the rest of the quilt.  I forgot to take a picture before I left home, but the fabrics are gorgeous!

 I did manage to pull off hooking a small rug over the past week.  I am giving it to a coworker here in New York this week.  I had been trying to decide what to bring her and finally landed on making a rug while in New Jersey a couple of weeks ago.  The pattern is by Cactus Needle, available on Nola's website.  Nola drew it for me and helped pull the wool a week ago Saturday.  I dragged it with me to Boston last week thinking I would finish it on the road, but no such luck.  After a marathon hooking session Friday night followed by a marathon binding session Saturday night, it was done.  I think it's the fastest I have ever finished anything!  I love the pattern - I just may have to do another one for me!

It's a foggy, dreary night in New York.  I think the weather is supposed to be clearer but colder the next few days. Here's the view from my apartment tonight:

I plan to venture down to Times Square and Rockefeller Center tomorrow if all goes well.  I have to hit the Disney Store and take a picture of the tree (again)....it's become a holiday tradition for me!