Block Twelve

I just can’t believe a year has gone by since we started “A Tisket A Tasket”!  A year!  And here we are at block number 12!  I started with a snowman and I’m ending with a snowman (ok, a snowlady).  Welcome December! 

I can’t wait to see all of the finished quilts! Take a peek at all of the blocks in my Flickr group!  So many of you have made me smile and I’ve loved seeing your work! I hope you’ll add pictures of your finished quilts!  I’ll be checking in to see them. And keep posting your blocks as you finish them.  I’ll be looking at those too!

And finally, I can show you my finished version of  the appliqué and redwork quilts!

See the rick rack in the binding?  I’ll be posting a tutorial “how to” soon, so please check back!

And the redwork!  Ohhhh, sweet embroidery!

As for next year, did you think I would just drop all of of you cold?  You, my blog readers?  My favorite people in the world?  You’ll be getting a little treat every month in 2010, starting in January. 

As always, you can see the wool version of block 12 over at Cottons ‘n Wool.  The finished quilt will be coming soon!  Anne’s waiting for flannel to arrive! That’s right, we decided to go with flannel for the sashing.  It’s going to be so cute!

If  you’d like to purchase wool to make your own wool quilt, I found the best web site for you!  Woolies will love The Wool Basket!   I’m sure I could spend some time and money in this shop.

Happy December 5th everyone!  I feel like a grand reunion should be on the agenda in 2010 LOL!

Hugs,

Anne

Glitter Me Pink

I had such good intentions.  I purchased special German glass glitter, made a Bitty Lamb from French General linen, and set about to make a pink glittered lamb.

I think I’m better at appliqué.   Here’s how she’s supposed to look, powder puff white, sweet and innocent…

Here she is in linen.  Still pretty cute and certainly innocent. There’s the bag of glass glitter…

Now add the glue.  Glue + glitter = mess.  Bad, bad stuff!  Glue is sticking to my fingers, the lamb is sticking to my fingers and the glitter sticks to any darn thing it wants to.

Had I thought this out I might have done something with those buttons before I started with the darn glitter. 

Not my best work.  I’m in awe of those of you who can make glittered treasures.   For my little ornament,  here’s the story I’ll tell:  She’s a very old lamb, belonged to my grandmother (I know, those awful buttons), and over the years she’s lost a bit of glitter.  She’s worn, but still has a special place on our tree every year.  We’ll never give her up. 

   

More decorations to come… 

 

Hugs,

Anne

Christmas Decorating

The weekend went by too quickly.  Holiday weekends seem to do that!  I spent part of the weekend decorating for Christmas.  I’m not sure why this process takes so long, but it does.  All over my neighborhood people were busy decorating.   Thousands of lights went up on houses, and front yards were filled with snowmen and other delights. The neighborhood took on a new look! Isn’t it amazing what we do for Christmas?

I try every year to change things around a bit and not duplicate the previous year.   Do you put everything in the same place each year, or do you change things around?  Do you have a decorating plan?  Tell me your secrets!

Last year, Brigette gave me this wonderful pink sign for Christmas. 

This year it became the focus of my dining room hutch.  These pink lambs are feeling right at home!

And speaking of pink, the snowmen that you saw in an earlier post, are at home on my dining room table, in front of a bowl full of pink…

…you’ll have to wait to see inside the bowl.  Too much of a pink fix for one post.  I’ll show you more later!

 

Happy Monday everyone! 

Hugs,

Anne

A Squirrely Name

Sorry, but this post is a bit squirrely.  Long and squirrely.  Stay with me through the story for the winner of the “name that squirrel contest”.  Maybe grab a bowl of walnuts to munch on while you read .  It’ll help.  I HATE long posts, but I just couldn't help myself…

--------------------------------------------------------------------It was dark in the Bunny Hill Studio, and everyone had gone for the evening. “Shhhh” said Bitty Kitty, “be quiet or they’ll hear us! We HAVE to talk”. Bitty Squirrel, Bitty Dog, Bitty Bunny and Bitty Lamb were wide awake and listening, but Bitty Bird was sleeping in her nest.

“Have you noticed what’s been going on around here for the past few weeks? All I’ve heard is squirrel this, and squirrel that”, whined Bitty Kitty! “I for one, am sick of it!”

Bitty Squirrel squirmed a bit on her cushion. The talk was making her nervous, as the topic was about a relative of hers.

“She’s a rodent! That squirrel is a rodent, plain and simple”, Bitty Kitty meowed. “Look at all the attention she’s getting! I’m a cat with the highest of pedigrees, and no one goes on and on about me!"

Bitty Squirrel was upset. She didn’t want Bitty Kitty mad at her, and being part of the squirrel family just might do it.

“Stop!” said Bitty Dog. “That squirrel is getting attention because she’s on a quilt! She’s appliquéd! Why, we’re just stuffed! An appliqué squirrel should have a fancy name. She’ll probably be around a lot longer than we will. She’ll be loved by a family and hung on a wall, or maybe used to cover a bed. We’ll be stuck on a shelf, stuck in a drawer, or, stuck by a pin! Besides,” said Bitty Dog, “you already have a name! Bitty Kitty is a great name!”

“Stuck in a drawer” said Bitty Kitty? “You’re kidding right? Why would anyone stick me in a drawer? I’m the perfect body!”

And so on it went throughout the night. Jabbering away about the squirrel’s new name and what it should be. Bitty Bunny wanted the name to be “Biscuit” and Bitty Lamb thought it should be “Penelope”.

It wasn’t until the sun was coming up that Bitty Bird finally awoke. She stretched her wings, and hopped out of her nest. “What’s all the fuss about”, she asked and all the animals told her. “Weren’t you listening last night when Anne left the studio?” asked Bitty Bird. Anne said something about “Henrietta Whiskers” being a perfect name for a squirrel!”

“Just great” said Bitty Kitty with a whiny little meow. “I guess the name is cute, but not as cute as me!” She gave herself a little lick and tried to look as pretty as ever.

And so it was. The Bunny Hill squirrel finally had a name!  Henrietta Whiskers!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Twila Dockter you are the winner of the gift basket!   I loved the name and the story you submitted…here’s Twilla’s story… 

“Hi Anne,

Many years ago, my son found a baby squirrel, cold and half dead.  He brought it home and begged me to save it.  I knew we needed to get it warm first, so while I prepared a basket with a hot water bottle, my son tucked the little fellow inside his shirt.
We raised this little guy to adulthood and the name Tyler gave him was Henry Whiskers.   We never really had any squirrels in our neighborhood, but after releasing Henry I noticed the population grew quite a bit.  Tyler always said Henry found a “quirrel friend”.  I think he was right!

My son passed away 10 years ago at the age of 14, but I swear I just saw Henry the other day.  You see, Henry had an accident where he lost most of his tail, and the squirrel I saw had just a stub of a tail too. 

You call your squirrel a girl, so I would like to submit the name Henrietta Whiskers.  I’d like to think there are several squirrels out there, related to our little Henry”

Thank you,
Twila Dockter

 

Twila, this basket is on it’s way to you and Henerietta will make her debut in a future Bunny Hill pattern. 

For the rest of you, if the name you submitted was mentioned in the story, send me an email, along with your address and you can choose ANY  Bunny Hill pattern! 

If you’d like to see some of the names that were submitted, click here and click on the file!  Be sure and enlarge it to at least 150%.  Makes reading a lot easier. 

It was amazing to see all these names!  Nutmeg and cinnamon were the most popular of all.  I loved them too! Oh if only I could pick them all!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  My family is feeling a little better, but we’ll still be having a quarantine Thanksgiving.  Some of my family will be here and the “sickies” will have food delivered to them!   

Hugs,

 

Anne