Wool Applique Americana Tablerunner Finish

Place a gold star on my forehead; my wool applique “Americana” table runner is done!!! (I had purchased the kit from Shabby Fabrics.) There are 260+ pieces, and I love how it turned out. (You may click on the photo to see a larger image.) I also appreciate the fact that I was disciplined about stitching it. I stitched a minimum of thirty minutes each day from August until Monday afternoon when I finished the edges. Whew! After taking this photo, I rolled it up and tucked it away as friends were coming for dinner on Wednesday evening, and I wanted to put out a Christmas centerpiece. 

I had purchased this little boy and girl in the sled for my mom at a craft show many, many years ago. The vintage angel candlesticks originally belonged to my aunts. 

 My godchild and her family came on Sunday afternoon and lugged up from the cellar my boxes of Christmas decorations and trees. I then spent Monday and Tuesday decking my halls, no small task as I love to decorate ;-). I have a large tree with ornaments and a small tree with my cross stitch pieces. I am beyond happy that my decorating is done, and that I may now enjoy it for the coming month.

It was 55 degrees today, so I took advantage of the warm weather to get my outside decorating mostly done. I’ll finish it after all the leaves are taken care of. My mighty oak tree is slow to relinquish its leaves. (I’ve already had the leaves raked once, and the men who do it will come again early next week. I have a large backyard, and raking leaves is one job that I have gladly given up.)

On Tuesday, I attended  a Crosstown Quilters Guild meeting. Our guest speaker was Christine Myers of  the Quilt Corner Studio in Sandwich, and her talk was on “The Trials and Joys of Owning a Quilt Shop.”  She was an absolute delight. 

On Wednesday, I met six friends (all former Weymouth teachers) for lunch at Mia Ragazza in Abington and then came home to bustle about finishing a few things before my quilting buddies arrived for dinner. ‘Quilting’ buddies is a bit of a misnomer. Though quite a few years ago, we actually did bring machines and sew, now we might bring a binding to stitch on or some knitting or cross stitch but mostly it is conversation, food, and show and tells. Here’s Maribeth with her recently completed chandelier quilt.

So, lunch with one group of friends and dinner with another . . . yes, indeed, life is good!!!