Pin It/Do It: Christmas Table Topper

This post is doing double-duty for October Pin It/Do It and Needlework Tuesday.  I pinned this project quite awhile ago, but was undecided on fabrics.  I also had a collection of 5 Charlie Brown Christmas fat quarters that I wanted to make into something that didn't require cutting them up too small or the prints would get lost.  Behold the perfect combination.

The original pin called for a plastic wedge template for cutting the pieces but, because of my self-imposed $5 spending limit for this challenge, purchasing one was not an option.  Instead, I printed a Dresden Plate template off the internet, enlarged to the proper size on the copier, and squared the outside edges to get rid of the scallop.  It would be cute to leave the scalloped edge if you're talented at finishing. Not I!  My pattern called for 16 wedges rather than 20, as in the video.  This went together very easily and quickly.

The video shows a slick trick for getting the center piece perfectly round. 

Tip:  Be very (I mean VERY) consistent with your seam sizes.  A little too big or too small and your circle won't lay flat.  Of course the video calls for finishing the outside edge with bias binding.  And of course I didn't do it.  I hate binding.  I layered my finished top with cotton batting and the backing fabric and stitched the outer edge, leaving a space to turn.  If you look close, you can see that my circle puckers just a little bit in places - proving my point about consistent seam sizes. 

Also, don't try to sew as a distraction when upset.  I had just received news of the death of a co-worker who had been battling cancer and my mind was wandering.  The finishing isn't as good as it should be.  I'm debating ripping it out and restitching the outside edge, but most likely I'll just use it as is.

Here is the original Youtube video by Missouri Quilt Company:

If you missed yesterday's post, back up and check out my other sewing project this week.

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather at Books and Quilts.
The October Pin It and Do It Challenge is hosted by Trish at Love, Laughter and a Bit of Insanity.

October Pin It/Do It: Roll Warmer

 

from Virginia at Gingercake

I love vintage kitchen things, and I actually remember these roll warmers from years and years (and years) ago.  They are incredibly simple to sew and I'm sure there are many creative uses for things other than dinner rolls.  

Virginia's version calls for two coordinating prints, but my version uses four fabrics.  I had partial fat quarters left over from a throw pillow for our daughter's apartment, but none large enough to cut three 12" circles.  So I cut one each of three coordinates and three of the coral solid.  

I matched up 1 print circle and one coral to make the three required double-sided circles. 

Stitch together following Virginia's easy instructions, add three snaps . . .

snuggle a dinner roll into each pocket and you're ready for thanksgiving dinner.

I like the look of the three prints, but I also like the other examples on Gingercake that are one solid color.  I'll be making more of these.   Let me know if you have brilliant ideas for other uses.

The October Pin It and Do It Challenge is hosted by Trish at Love, Laughter and a Bit of Insanity.

Readathon Wrap-Up

Wow!  It's 7:00 a.m. once again and the readathon is over.  I never accomplish quite as much as I planned, but I always have a great time.  Here are my final thoughts:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  Evidently Hour 19 - that's when I finally HAD to go to sleep, but I came back for hour 24
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?  The only book I finished was Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg.  Very good!  For the later hours I had to move on to a thriller by James Patterson because they are always page turners and don't require deep thought.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  No - they are always amazing!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  I especially enjoyed the Twitter conversation - that seems to be growing with every readathon.
5. How many books did you read? I finished 1, but read from 6.  I have to jump around to keep myself alert.
6. What were the names of the books you read?  Tapestry of Fortunes; You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado; The Sallie House by Debra Pickman; Ghost on Black Mountain by Ann Hite; Mistress by James Patterson
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Tapestry of Fortunes
8. Which did you enjoy least?  The Sallie House - interesting true story but by an amateur writer.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?  It takes more time than you realize.  I tried to cheer for 3-4 blogs/hour but it was tough to do and still participate in reading and challenges.  Next time I will probably devote a block of time to do nothing but cheer.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  100% chance that I'll participate again!  I think I have tried all the roles now - reader, mini-challenge host, cheerleader and host.  I may leave the hosting duties for the younger ladies who are more informed on all the social media, etc., but I will definitely do all the others again.

Thank you, Hostesses and Coordinators, for all your hard work and commitment.  This is an amazing event.  I'm already looking forward to April!

Hour 19: Show it Off

It's hour 19 - and I'm winding down fast.  The house is quiet again.  Everyone has gone to bed - even the dogs.  I'm going to try to make it all night but will probably have to take a snooze.  This hour's mini-challenge is called Show it Off, hosted by Kay at Dead Book Darling.  The plan is to photograph the books from our personal library that we are proud of - signed copies, well-worn favorites, out of print - the ones you would grab in case of fire.  

Well, my bookshelves are in the guest room, which is occupied by a sleeping daughter so I can't get a picture.  I'll just have to tell you my most precious books:

Dave has a paperback signed by Louis L'Amour.  He actually has every book L'Amour ever wrote, but the autographed one is special.

I don't have any books with monetary value, but there are a few that are dear to me because they are frequent re-reads:  The entire "Cat Who . . ." series by Lilian Jackson Braun; my childhood copies of Charlotte's Web and Harriet the Spy; and, of course, three Bibles - one belonged to Dave's mother, one to his Grandmother and one is mine - a gift from my grandparents in the mid 60's.

Hour 13 Mini-Challenge: The Best of the Year

Lisa at Lisa's World of Books would like to know, "What are the best books you've read this year?"  She has a list of categories and asks us each to name a winner in at least 3 categories. My problem is, I'm not sure how to categorize some, so I'm just going to give you my three favorite reads (so far) of 2013.  And the winner is.....

Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman.  Beautifully written.  A good story with that little extra "something" that moves it into 5-star category.  My review is here.

The Fate of Mercy Alban  by Wendy Webb.   "A perfect read for a dark and stormy night," according to the cover blurb.  An unusual mystery. My review is here.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  This one wins for Best Book I Should Have Read Years Ago.  

Readathon Update

As we enter hour 12, here's a quick run-down of where I am. 

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg - on page 184 of 219.
You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado - on page 59 of 159.
The Sallie House Haunting by Debra Pickman - on page 49 of 266.

Mini-Challenges entered:  5
Prizes won:  0
Blog's visited as a cheerleader: 20

Mid Event Survey:
1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired? - I've dozed a couple times, but it's only 6:00 p.m. in my time zone, so the tough hours are still ahead.

2) What have you finished reading? - Nothing, because I keep switching between books.

3) What is your favorite read so far? - Tapestry of Fortunes

4) What about your favorite snacks? - I'm trying not to snack much, but I did have an apple with peanut butter that was pretty yummy.

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love! - I've visited a lot of new blogs and found some new friends on Twitter.  I'll have to sort it all out later when there's more time, but I'm amazed at the variety of blogs.

Readathon: Through the Tea Leaves

Love, love, love this challenge hosted by Katrina's Reads.  The idea is to make a blotch on paper using a tea bag, coffee or ink.  Then, create a drawing of a character from your book, using the splotch as your outline.  I made my spot using coffee on brown craft paper - not the best idea because it doesn't show up very well, so you'll have to take my word for it that I followed the outline.  Here is my awesome creation (not!)

Now the hard part - what character from my book does this represent?  Well, the book I'm reading is about a group of 4 women, so I'm going to say this is the ex-boyfriend the heroine is hoping to reconnect with.  Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to this poor guy. :)

Thanks, Katrina, for the fun idea.  I'm going to go spill some more coffee so I can do more of these later.

Now - since I have spent the past two hours closing out my own mini-challenge and working on others, I better get back to reading!