The Magic of January

I hope everyone has had a great January so far.  My intentions were to post New Year’s greetings but here it is mid-January and I am just sitting down and putting my thoughts to paper, or should I say the keyboard?  This winter weather with its cold gray skies and icy streets has made me sluggish so far.  I know I should get out and take the dogs for a walk and exercise all of us, but I want nothing more at the end of a work day than to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of tea, especially if the fireplace is cracking.  I am not much of a television watcher, but I have to say that season four of Downton Abbey is keeping me very entertained.  I used to hate British shows until I stumbled onto the cast of Downton and I love, love love them!

 

Before Christmas I had to clear off the dining room table of all the fabric scraps that were waiting to be turned into quilt borders.  I have it all back out now but have not made much progress because I realized first thing that I had measured incorrectly and so spent quite some time with the trusty seam ripper.  I am happy to say that I am now back on track.  My goal is to have the quilt top finished by the end of January so wish me well.

 

While the fabric was tucked away I have been busy knitting.  I am making a shawl with lovely ruffled edges out of Ty-Dy wool in assorted cream, taupe, green and aqua.  It is turning out rather nicely.

On one of the blogs I read someone was suggesting this applique quilt book.  My wonderful hubby bought it for me for Christmas.  I haven’t decided yet which block I shall start with.  It’s been quite a few years since I did any applique.  I am looking forward to another start.

Last week my sister and I helped mom clean out one of those storage closets at her house where you stash things and then promptly forget they are there until you pull them back out years later and say “what was I thinking?”  It was one of those “magic of ordinary days” times though as my sister, mom and I laughed while we pulled each item out and the Salvation Army pile grew higher.  I did end up with an ice cream maker so my time was well spent!

 

I hung this Dresden Plate wall quilt back in my bedroom after I put away my Christmas quilt.  This one is made from scraps that my Great-Grandma gave me when I was about twelve years old.  “Someday you’ll make a quilt,” she told me.  I highly doubted it at the time but each time I look at this quilt and see the fabric that was Grandma’s aprons and curtains I am reminded of her and the faith she had in me.  This one has beautiful feather quilting.

Winter continues to blow.  It took me four hours to complete the normal 20 minute road trip home from work last night.

  It was a horrible drive!

Blizzard road conditions will keep me inside for a while and it’s good to know that I have patterns and a stack of fabric to turn into something beautiful while I wait for spring.

But in the meantime Oscar is having fun in the snow.

I hope you all can kick up your heels in the snow, and enjoy the magic of an ordinary winter day!