Looking Back - December Collage

The trip to Florida was uneventful, and since we've been here the pace has been non-stop. It took about 3 days to get the internet and WiFi set up. Writing this post is the first time I've opened my laptop. The quilting projects are all stowed away in the guest room, and I sure hope I find a few hours in the coming week to make a little something, but so far not a single stitch. 

Since I have no new stuff to share, I will revisit December with my monthly collage. I fear there isn't a lot of stitching to brag about here either, but oh, we did have a wonderful month!

TOP ROW: I've brought with me just about every bit of scrap organization I've accomplished in the last year or two. The first picture shows a bit of what came with me. My plan for the three months we'll be in Florida is to sew all the 4-patches, 9-patches, half-square triangles, pinwheels,  etc. as possible. If I have the units made, then the making of a quilt will be a matter of combining various units. The next two pictures feature our dear granddaughter Cate, first asleep in my arms, and then listening intently to Uncle Adam reading to her about her favorite cartoon character Elmo.

MIDDLE ROW: One bit of sewing I managed to squeeze into December was making the pillow cases to complement the Dusty Trails quilt. All the fabric came from my stash, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. Center stage you'll see 3 Honnold men - brother-in-law Mike, son Adam, and husband Kevin. (Better known to blog readers as DH - dear husband.)  Adam was here for 3 weeks from Thanksgiving through early December, and we squeezed in as much family time as possible before he headed back to Oregon. Scandinavian stars were a staple of the month, as I must have made about 20. I used them on our tree and on gifts. It was a way to keep my fingers in the fabrics, and still have something to show for my time.

BOTTOM ROW: I found a couple of days of free time and decided rather on the spur of the moment to make this churn dash table topper. I shamelessly copied from an Instagram picture I'd saved, and decided I'd just "get'r done!" More pics of Cate round out the month! Grampa is a lifelong Browns fan, so he and our wee one now have matching shirts to wear as we cheer them through the post-season. On Christmas Day, Great Grandma Jeannie and little Cate share a moment contemplating a bottle and a nap.

Here are few more shots of the variety of units I will attempt to make over the coming months. I have a pretty good start, and this will give me incentive to keep going. A few of you observant long-time readers might recognize some of these units as they are leftovers from old projects.

Since this is our first year of wintering in FL, we have a lot of things we want to do to our house, so that is our priority. We are also walking and riding bikes as often as possible. My cousins, who also winter here, enjoy playing cards and we've already done a fair amount of that. Six full days in and we have adjusted quite well, if I do say so myself.

I intend to stay active here on the blog, so come around again to see what we are up to!

Happy Quilting, Friends!