Getting back into the Groove of Things After Santa

I have a customer quilt on my Gammill that has been there for 3 days.  I don't like quilts to be on my machine for 3 days.  I have to finish it tomorrow or it's going to get ugly around here.  I'm not really a custom-type quilter.  I really appreciate what those ladies/gents that do, I'm just not one of them.     This picture is of a block in my "Scrappy Nest #2" Pattern, made with Moda's "Cattails & Clover" fabric line by Kansas Troubles.

I love to stipple, I love the look it gives a quilt.  The quilts that I have made in my Rusty Crow  Patterns are always stippled.  I want anyone who looks at my quilts to know they can do that too.  The last thing I want is someone to look at my patterns and say, "I could never get it to look like that."  My quilts will never hang in a museum, but I hope that they keep my family and friends warm and happy for years to come. 
 

Quick Weekend Away before Santa Arrives

Mike and I have promised ourselves to do more weekends away.  So this past weekend, we spent it close to home.  We stayed at the Crystal pier Hotel in Pacific Beach, CA.  A local landmark, that we never stayed at before.  It was a Blast!!  What a treasure.  Basically, they are darling little cottages on a pier.  The public walks out front of the cottages, but there is lots of privacy on the back side.  The pier closes the gates at sunset, so at 5:00pm, the place was all ours. I would go back tomorrow if I could.  What a great little holiday we had. Now back to real life.

Christmas Quilts have piled up at me Feet.

I posted not even a week ago that I finished my Christmas Quilts.  Apparently, I lied.  Since then, I have quilted 4 quilts and have 3 more to go.  Which actually is probably a good thing.  My husband's work truck decided that Christmas time is a great time to get a new transmission thingy.  So $$$$$ zillion dollars later, his truck is running and I'm behind my machine.  Life.  Thank you for the work!!  I'm really very grateful for my quilting customers, thank you, thank you, thank you....

Thursday night, Mike (husband of 25 years) and I are going to Crystal Pier for 2 nights.  For those of you not from San Diego, Crystal Pier has cottages on both sides of the pier.  So you have the sound of water under you the whole time.  We have always wanted to stay there, so we decided to do it during the winter, when the tourists have thinned out.  Pretty sure, Mike will have a pole in the water at some point.  The man lives to fish.  I'll let you know how that goes. 
Then Saturday we are heading up north to a fellow quilter's holiday party. 
So back to Mr. G, I go.  The quilts won't quilt themselves.

Christmas Made in America

I'm glad to see the push to buy Christmas presents Made In America.  Anything to get the country working is a step in the right direction. I know lots of people who are getting quilts made here!!

All the printing for my business I do here, but I do shop prices, I have to admit. The Rag Rug Tool is manufactured up past Los Angeles.  I love the idea of using my local businesses.  In the quilting world, we aren't very good at this.  All the fabric is made somewhere else, books are printed in China.  I would love to see our mills that once clothed the world, busy once again making fabulous bolts of quilting fabric.  Farmers growing cotton, and all the industries that support the farming communities, lots of jobs.  I think this will be my Christmas wish for our industry.  How big a Stocking do you think I need for that one?

Lists, lists, lists, I have constant lists. Quiets the noises in my head!

This is the time of year for lists.  I use to make lists that I would just keep in my head.  So guess what happened to those lists.  Like the way of 8-track tapes and Speed Racer, disappeared into the abyss of my memory.  I had a vendor friend, who started making lists 2 hours before we started to tear down on the last day of the quilt shows.  I always thought that was really smart, make a list of things you need to restock or reorder.
Not me, always thought I would remember that.  No, get to the next show and still be out of it. 

So I started writing things down, better now.  Not perfect, still gotta manage to find the lists once I've create them.  Still, at least it's written down somewhere in the universe, that alone makes me feel better, in control.  So, back to my original thought, I'm getting things checked off mine.  Presents are bought, not wrapped yet, but in the house.  Christmas cards are gone, the free turkey from Thanksgiving is in the freezer so we won't starve on Christmas, and the chocolate chips are bought for the baking that starts next week. 
My Rusty Crow Winter Newsletter went out today.  That was a BIG check off my list.  I loved seeing so many familiar names in my address book.  Made me happy all over again to be a quilter. 

So continue with this lists topic, I hope Santa has me on his.

One more Christmas quilt to get done!!! Dinner with WA Friends!

Christmas with grown kids is very different than Christmas of the past.  It's all good, just different.  I don't worry much about them peeking now that they are in their 20's.  I love that I don't have to worry about the most popular toy being found, wrapped and parked under our tree.

Rusty Crow Quilting has one more promised Christmas quilt, then this quilter is going to start baking, shopping and enjoying the holiday.  Starting with the Rusty Crow Holiday party tomorrow night. 

Tonight, Mike and I are having dinners with old friends from Washington.  Can't wait to meet up over a Margarita and catch up!!

Getting ready for the Annual Rusty Crow Christmas Party

Every year on the first Wednesday of December, all the quilters associated with Rusty Crow Quilt Shop, get together and Party.  I decorate the classroom and make Chocolate Martinis as a THANK YOU for supporting me, quilting for me, cutting for me, bagging fabric for me, tying fat quarters for me, making samples for me, well you get the idea.  I have many, many wonderful peeps, who peep for me.  I give everyone a big fat discount on everything at the party.  We laugh, eat tons, drink Martinis like sailors (fancy sailors) and have a Nasty Santa Exchange.  If you are in town and want to come, please call.  760-752-7784!  Bring a gift and a dish to share, your Martini is waiting.

Last Wednesday night quilt class until 2012

The fact that I can already write 2012 in a real sentence and it not be science fiction is funny to me.  I remember went I graduated from high school in 1980 and thinking, "Wow, I'm going to see another century come and go." 

I'm going to turn 50 in 2012.  Another funny thought.  The 20's were a blink, too busy with life to appreciate any of it.  The 30's were about growing into a real person with responsibilities and raising decent little people.  The 40's, I developed who I really wanted to be, the focus was clearing and I had real goals that I wanted to achieve that weren't child or relationship related.  Besides, I already hit the jackpot in that department and plan on a lifetime with them. 

But 50, well now.  I'm really hoping it blows my hair back, in a unforgettably good way.  If the end of 2011 is any indication of whats to come, I'm pretty excited.  Rusty Crow Patterns are getting noticed, I'm really trying to focus on the future, making plans to grow the business.  I want to bring as many of my talented friends and peeps along for the ride. 

So before 2011 disappears into the history books, I wish it would take the ten pounds of pre-holiday weight that I want to lose so I won't fell guilty about eating more than my share of Christmas goodies.  Another funny thought.