Sew & Tell ~ Christmas Prep Delay

I should be able to show the progress I made this week... and I have made some, though not what I had hoped for.  I sandwiched and (lightly) pinned (thanks to the fusible batting that is my go to) the dresden quilt.  I have done stitch in the ditch to secure the center of the quilt and am ready to tackle the outlining of the plates.  

I really need to get this done and to my customer so that they can ship it off so that it is received before Christmas.  As I feel extra energized, I will be at the machine

After deciding that I needed to cancel the Pieces from the Past quilt parade on Wednesday, because of a horrible cough that I had developed over the previous few days, I worried about just when I would get there to the store to pick up that fabric I purchased on a blow-out sale...  The cough is a lingering symptom of the recent chest cold Dave and I shared.  After we both improved, he got worse and I followed suit the next day.  *sigh*  Thankfully, I had a special delivery of the backing fabric!

In our effort to finally get over it we plopped ourselves down in chairs (because laying down in bed only made things worse)... we are slowly improving.  I mean s.l.o.w.l.y.!  There has been so much hot tea with honey, decongestant and expectorant as well as lots and lots of vitamins.  We have finally had two nights of better rest... less coughing from both of us and less snoring and "twitchy" sleep from Dave.

But, before we declared ourselves sick couch chair potatoes, I finished two special Christmas ornaments... the First Christmas ornament for Hanna that was missed last year... The second one was because Tyshan, while decorating their tree a few years ago asked Heather where his First Christmas ornament was.  Heather happened to locate one that didn't have a date, name or picture on it and declared it his.

This young teen is adopted by our SIL and, as Dave often states, "came with the marriage", but we love him as our own and I think that giving him a personal ornament with the year he was born will be something super special and appreciated.

We haven't even begun getting Christmas decorations out... Our annual Christmas letter has been delayed (partly because we have been ill, partly because one daughter (who procrastinates EVERY year - shhh... don't tell her that I always set an earlier date of needing the letters than when I really want it...).  We like to get it in the mail by the 10th of December each year...  Our letter is unique in that each one of us writes a section of the letter telling of the details of the events and happenings that stood out in our minds.  So... without her contribution it would be incomplete.  

We still have time to get it to the printer Monday morning and it should be out in the mail by the end of the week.  We discovered a couple years ago that it was the same cost to have someone else print it as it was to do it at home.  It saves me the time and headache of having to sit at the computer desk and monitor the feeding of the paper.  I especially need this time in the studio this year.

Last week Andree shared a project of Mindful Stitching with natural elements...

And Vicki showed off a pair of her fabulous scrappy placemats...

Now it is your turn.  But before you share a link, tell me...

Do you send out Christmas cards or letters?

It is one of our favorite things about the season... hearing the updates from loved one across the country.

Piece on earth,

Melva

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

m