Mixed metaphor accomplishments

Oh boy, not only was my turkey stuffed but I think I was pretty stuffed also.  The best part was that for tonight's dinner, no cooking, just heating up!  Dishes but no pots and pans to clean.  
 Speaking of cooking (OK, I have had better segues) I think you need to wear an apron when you cook.  In fact, I am pretty passionate about this!  I make and give aprons whenever I can.  Therefore, for the shower present, you guessed it, I made an apron.  Remember the fabrics I showed you last week?  I used them to tie the shower presents from myself and my two daughters together.  We got soup bowls, a whisk and a ladle off her registry.  We added a soup cook book, reversible soup apron, red checked napkins, chicken soup napkins in red and the same in black to make a soupy gift!  Since the shower theme was travel, we threw in a can of French Onion soup and wrapped our presents in the colors of the French flag.  And yes, as a matter of fact, I did feel pretty clever!

The day of the shower we started decorating only to discover that the Christmas tree skirt didn't look right on the table for the new smaller tree.  When we had a regular size tree, the tree skirt lay flat underneath it but we are trying to downsize the amount of decorations every year and this year was the tree.  We have a smaller tree but a dopey looking tree skirt with those legs showing.  I decided I needed to make a cloth for the table to hide the legs.  When we were out on Saturday I bought two yards of solid red, if only I had bought three!  Lesson learned:  never trust quick math calculations in your head.  I had to piece and cut that fabric but I did finally get a covering for the table.  We put up the tree and decorated it after I got the skirt done. 

Here's our slimmed down tree.  Now I am not sure I am at all pleased with the angel, she seems too big.  I have to look for something new or make something new with better proportions.

I also wonder if I should make a brand new tree skirt which doesn't need an additional skirt underneath but that would be a project for next Christmas.

I do like the tree skirt and it was stolen once.  For real.  When we first moved in only two of us were in the condo building and only two garages were being used so some punks used to have a sortof clubhouse in another garage.  The garages are two levels with open air attic levels.  They slipped over the 10 foot walls into our garage via the rafters and stole the tree skirt and some food from my neighbor's freezer.  The police came, dusted for finger prints and one day I came home to find my tree skirt waiting for me.  Can I replace a skirt with such a storied past?

The year my daughter got married I made two more tree skirts, one for her and one for the daughter of a dear friend.  I machine pieced but hand quilted these skirts as well.  There are 6 log cabin blocks per skirt so that was 12 blocks, practically a quilt!

I like the fabrics in the newer versions a bit more, the original is from the mid 80's, these were made 3 years ago.  But did anyone like these tree skirts so much that they stole them?  I didn't think so!

Once we had celebrated Thanksgiving, feted the bride and decorated for Christmas did I just spend Sunday eating bon bons and watching TV?  No, because my husband claimed the TV for football.  I mean, no, because I got to start working on Christmas presents.

Here are the first two sets of projects I am working on, ten zip bags and then some cooking bags.  I will show them to you as I finish.  But here is something I did finish over the weekend.

Another scarf!  I am so dang proud of myself!  Who is it for?  I am not quite sure, I am making them with people in mind but loosely. 

Are you amazed and proud that this stuffed turkey was also a busy bee?  Wait, I am mixing my metaphors.  Hmm, I stuffed a turkey and myself, partied, decorated, sewed and knitted.  What is a good metaphor for that?  A fowl multi tasker?  A celebratory bird? A home economics holiday?

Nope!  Just your average quilter!