Boreal Witch

Like last year, I wanted to try not to buy any fabric (because I have so much already), but I wanted to continue to finish more of my projects. I found a few bargains here and there (I mean, a quilter can't go cold turkey!), but I tried really hard to make sure than anything I took in I had a project in mind for...except for many of the pieces I found at garage sales. I find garage sales are great places to get lots of yardage for very little money.

Quilt 1: "Fields of Blue" - I finished this quilt for Josh's birthday. It held the honor of being the first quilt quilted this year, although I had actually finished the quilt top mid-December of last year. I love the Roman Squares design and thought that my nephew might, too. I chose all kinds of blues leftover from another project that I never did finish, as well as some blue for the sashing that I had been saving for a special project. I love the small border (I did promise more of them on future projects, didn't I?); the fabric is exactly the same as the binding and the backing - which was great because I go to use up some more fabric. You can't really tell that the back was pieced. The quilter said that it was beautiful and I totally agree with her.

Quilt #2: "Gone Fishing" - I made this for my new niece, Ella. The entire quilt was pretty much made from fabric I had leftover from other projects, so I didn't have to get anything new. I thought the leftover purple batik from Cedar's quilt made great fish fins and the green leftover from my mother-in-law's turtle quilt complimented the purple well. The blue polka dots reminded me of bubbles. And the border? Love it! Funny story about it, though: when I cut the blocks out, I had made the green blocks too big, so I had to go back and re-cut them. Luckily, they were too big and needed to be smaller, but I was left with these 1" strips that I wasn't sure what I was going to do with. Eventually, I paired them with the dark blue polka dots, which really makes the quilt pop.

Quilt #3: "Star Wars II" - Robinson finally got his Star Wars quilt! I had most of this one cut out and partially sewn, but it ended up sitting for quite a while. The pattern is exactly the same as Arthur's, but the arrangement of the fabric is different. I still have a lot of fabric left over, which turned out to be a good thing as Baby X will probably someday want a Star Wars quilt, too. (Hey, people, these are heirloom quality!) I designed the quilts so that Robinson would have more Dark Side than Light Side and the opposite for Arthur. I think little boys love playing the good guy and their daddies love being the outrageous bag guy.

Quilt #4: "Strawberry Patch" - I found this nine-patch in a quilt book and wanted to make it for Amanda who was having another baby. She opted not to find out the sex this time around, so I tried to make the colors neutral, but bright (she loves bright colors). I had made another strawberry quilt and had plenty of leftover fabric, so I figured a nine-patch would sew up pretty quickly (it did - I finished it in July) since I wanted to sew other blocks beside Roman squares, but I didn't quilt it until December (that seemed to be the trend this year). This was the first quilt I quilted in a pattern other than squares and straight lines. My little machine and I tried our luck at the clamshell pattern...and even though it took a bit of maneuvering, it turned out pretty nice. Amanda said that she thought I had gotten it done professionally.

Quilt #5: "Building Blocks" (quiltville.com) - This quilt was a baby quilt for another member of the board I serve on. She was having a little boy, so I thought I'd put all the blue scraps I'd been saving to good use. I started this quilt with a different pattern, but as I started piecing and sewing it together, I decided that I didn't like it. The blue scraps weren't bright enough a contrast with the brown and the yellow scraps I had matched with it. I pulled everything apart and left the blocks sitting in a ziplock baggie for a month or so until I found a pattern that I liked better. It sewed up rather quickly (I love quick and easy patterns - I always feel like I get something accomplished!) and the end result was rather lovely. I was much more pleased with it. Sometimes the most simple patterns are the most beautiful!

Quilt #6: "Chunky Churndashes" (quiltville.com) - My final quilt was made for one of the moms in our playgroup who had gotten married in January. I had actually finished the quilt in September, but didn't get it quilted until November. It's my biggest quilt to date - a queen-sized quilt that measured about 80" x 80". It took me forever to piece and sew it, but the end result was absolutely stunning! Seneca said that the quilt looked "like fireworks!"

I have a few other quilts in the works for next year, one of which is another large one that I must finish by March. If I don't, I'm afraid it will sit around while I fall into another new mommy coma. I also have a quilt I'm working on for myself (another large one - why, oh why am I doing this to myself?) and another Star Wars quilt for Baby X.

My goal is to make at least 4 quilts next year...so I guess I'd better get started.

Blessed be.

Ah, Christmas.

As I've gotten older, I've found less of a need for all the holiday fuss. This year, I didn't even send out holiday cards, mostly because I just didn't care. I didn't really want to spend the time writing cards and stuffing envelopes and then standing in line for a half hour at the post office waiting for stamps. It's not that I don't feel the need to be generous during the holidays. I love making things for people and I love finding things I think people will enjoy.

But, like most people, I have too much stuff and I spend too much time getting rid of it. I'd much rather get something I could use or need than get something I couldn't (or wouldn't) use. Because of this, my sisters (as well as Robinson) claim I'm one of the hardest people to shop for.

Marketplace had a very interesting story on unwanted gifts. Proof that I'm not the only one who doesn't care for random stuff.

This year, we received mostly gift cards, which was nice. It's great being able to pick out my own stuff to clutter my house with. At least then I don't feel guilty about opening a gift and then putting it in the Value Village sack along with all of the other unwanted items I've discovered during my weekly purges. Arthur only got a few toys, which was great because his toy box is bursting.

So...how was our Christmas?

It was nice. It was quiet. We didn't go anywhere, and we didn't have visitors. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then opened presents (of which very few made it into the Value Village bag). Arthur played with his new car carrier. We worked on our bathroom remodel. Robinson made dinner later that night. A lovely, quiet day.

Blessed be.

Robinson and I stayed up late to see the lunar eclipse. This is the first lunar eclipse on the winter solstice in about 300 years and the next one won't be for another 372 years.

We joked about what people in 1638 thought about the eclipse, whether or not they were terrified (as is the stereotype) or if they were fascinated (as I'm more inclined to believe). Some cultures knew a lot more than the Western world did about the heavens.

Robinson was quite the shutterbug. He created this montage, picking among the hundreds of photographs that he took.

Blessed be.

Of all the Wiccan holidays, I like Yule the best. Maybe it's because it's become an established tradition in our household, or maybe it's because it's such a non-commercial holiday (compared to Christmas where you have to get everybody something otherwise you're a Grinch). Whatever it is, I love the simplicity and symbolism of it.

It's almost as though you can feel the warmth of the sun the next day. Those precious few seconds quickly extend to a minute, and then two and three. Somehow the winter doesn't seem to be as dark or as long. Your mood feels lighter and your body feels as though it might make it through another winter. Spring is on its way.

Thankfully, the weather wasn't too cold to make a fire, so we were able to burn the Yule log outside. Arthur insisted upon carrying it to the fire pit and throwing it into the fire. He also wanted his fire poker so that he could help me keep the fire going. His hands got cold quickly and he was ready to go in way before the Yule log burned completely. He commented that it was "quite a little bit chilly" outside; which it was, even for an adult.

After warming up inside, we had some apple crisp. Here's the recipe:

On the Menu: Apple Pecan Crisp
Makes 12 servings

Topping
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted (if desired)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:
3 lbs. apples, your choice, chopped or sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients together. Mix well, then pour into a 13x9 inch pan. To prepare topping, mix together all topping ingredients and then sprinkle over filling mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Uncover, then bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until topping is crisp and juices are thick and bubbly.

A happy and blessed Winter Solstice to everyone.

Blessed be.

Every year since we've been married, Robinson and I pick out one significant event that happened over the course of the year and make a Christmas tree ornament to commemorate it. Our first year of marriage, our tree was completely bare except for two small ornaments. Now our tree is covered with fun memories of years past.

This year, I chose to remember my grandmother, but I wasn't sure how I was going to do it. I thought about getting a nice frame and choosing a favorite picture, but then I took apart one of the Hallmark ornaments my mom got me last year and used that. My grandmother loved to garden and loved her birds (particularly the cardinals). I glued a picture of her at Camp Byron (her favorite place to be) in the back. It's one of the nicest ornaments I've ever made, in all honesty.

What's your most significant event of the past year?

Blessed be.

Ever since Robinson and I moved to Fairbanks, we've bought our Christmas trees at the Kiwanis Christmas Tree Sale. It's become another one of our (many) holiday traditions.

This year, we received a very special surprise when we went to get our tree: Santa and a reindeer named Cocoa!

Arthur was pretty scared of the reindeer at first. He didn't want to go near it and he didn't want to touch it, despite the urgings of one of the volunteers. The longer we stayed looking at trees, however, the more he warmed to Cocoa. He even let Santa hold him and held onto the reindeer's rope. Afterward, he touched Cocoa and said that she was soft like our kitty at home. He was so taken with her that when we got home and started setting up the tree, Cocoa was all he talked about.

We spent the rest of the evening decorating the tree and telling the stories behind past ornaments. Arthur even "helped" Robinson set up the tree stand and cut the Yule log off the tree. He was so careful with all of the ornaments, except for the little clay hand we made for his 2008 ornament. He kept dropping it and I was so afraid one of the fingers would break. Even though he doesn't sit through us talking about each and every ornament as we take them out of their wrappings, he does love helping us put them on the tree.

Robinson and Arthur are still behind on a few ornaments. I'm hoping that by the time the new year rolls in, we'll be all caught up and ready for next year. (We'll need the preparedness since there will be another little one to make an ornament for!) This year, I'm planning on making an ornament about my grandmother, but I'm not sure how to do it. I don't know if I'll just get a little picture frame or if I'll actually make something. Regardless, I want it to be special.

Blessed be.