One Christmas Project Down, Time for the Rest!

One Christmas project has been completed and I'm ready to clean up my studio and get on with planning the next! My studio is in chaos, well, chaos for me. You all know how I like my studio organized and straightened up, I just can't create with piles for fabric on the floor, on the worktable, and sitting on different stools and counter tops.

Last night I had a great time at the Dallas Area Fiber Artists covered dish and Christmas Silent Auction. I was able to win a beautiful necklace made by my dear friend, JoAnn Musso, and a black and white original painting by Flo Barry. Both are wonderful women and I am so blessed to have handmade creations from both of them. I try to get one of Flo's black and white paintings every year for Jeff's office. I have decorated it with black and white photos and art work.

Next on my " "To Do List" is cleaning up the studio and planning the next Christmas surprises. I have a couple in mind, but I can't tell you, because then it may spoil Christmas for someone. Sorry. I am going to create my plan of action for dyeing fabric, planning out shows to enter, new creations that are in my brain, (some I've pulled fabric for already), plus planning out the creation of our new master bedroom quilt. I've dyed most of the fabric already, thought I had dyed it all, but after I ice dyed a yard to add in, I've decided that I may need another yard. Just love the ice dyed fabrics!


I hope all you have a productive and beautiful day!

Merry Christmas!

This is my favorite time of year. I love the Christmas season, I love that Christ was born for us and we are free to celebrate his birth and share His love with our family and friends. My heart just jumps for joy (usually in the form of dancing with two little girls), no matter how tired my body is. I'm a person that loves to give and sometimes I have to tell myself to "stop" more than once so that I don't exhaust myself completely.
Last night my son wanted to help me make the family famous chocolate pies. The recipe was created by my husbands' grandmother and they are thick and rich and wonderful! I made the first batch, Ben and his two daughters watched while I stirred the chocolate goodness, well, Betty kept wanting to touch, until she touched the hot skillet, then she decided playing was more fun. Ben made the next three batches of pies and I'm so proud of him! For being his first pie event he did a great job. Last year I had made an apron for Nickola since she loves to help in the kitchen. She's 4 now and loves to "count" when we are measuring out ingredients. Betty is 2 and this year I decided that she needed an apron too. As soon as I get pictures taken this morning, I'll post pictures of the girls in their aprons. They are darling!
Like most of you I had last minute Christmas presents to make, Betty's apron was the last item to be made in my studio this year. I made another present, but I will have to tell you about it later. I don't want to spoil the surprise for the intended receiver.
I'm looking forward to having all of the kids home for Christmas this year. Amanda, Sam and the twins fly in today from CA. Texas weather is going to greet them with snow! Can you believe?! We were blessed yesterday with the arrival of my daughter-in-law's family making it down safely from Kansas. They were able to hit the "window" on the weather for their drive and we are so thankful for that! And we are so excited that they will be sharing the holiday with us too!
Well, everyone, have a safe and joyous Christmas, be thankful for your friends, family and the Christ child that we are celebrating.
Blessings,
Jules

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the one big holiday that I get to cook and serve my family. I love to cook and I love to have all of my family in the house. With our kids being married and having kids of their own, that means we have 4 generations in the house at once! Usually we have a huge gathering, this year there was only 9 of us, there has been as many as 25 in past years, and I'm sure that number will increase in years to come. The turkey is the main item and I have been able to get it down to perfection. The secret you ask to keep it moist through the hours of cooking? Soak it in a brine overnight. I use the one the Wolfgang Puck has on Food Network. There are a lot of ingredients, but it is the best one that I have tried. Now, after the turkey soaks in the brine, we smoke it in an electric smoker that my dad bought back in the 70's, it's old, but it works like a dream.
After the Thanksgiving feast is done and we have had our fill of turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, gravy, homemade rolls and chocolate pie, it is time to bring out the Christmas decorations! After the family has gone home and I have rested a bit, the decorating starts and by Sunday we are done. This year the guys put the lights on the house, in the shrubs and even lit a tree in the backyard and lined the fence. As of this morning, the house is complete with the exception of the family treeskirt. Today I will embroider the names of our three grandchildren that were born this year and look forward to Christmas, because they will all be here!
Happy Holidays everyone and may your season be bright, heartfelt and full of joy. And through all the mayhem, remember the true reason for celebrating is the gift that was given to us in Jesus Christ and that we are to pass on a piece of ourselves to others.

Busy end of October!

I know, I know, Halloween hasn't even past and I've started on Christmas already, but I have too! I've been working on 6 Christmas Stockings for my 3 new grand babies. I love decorating for Christmas and one item that is all over the house is stockings! The Red, White and Blue stockings run down the banister. They each have white hankies in the denim pockets with our individual names on them. The panel stockings (from Art to Heart a few years ago) are on our "Family Trees" in the foyer. I start decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. It takes a couple of days, so when we are done I'll show you the whole shebang. Some people in my family think I go overboard with my Christmas decorations, but I don't do near as much as some people I know. Plus I just love to decorate for Christmas and light up the house with joy, friendship and love ~ showing our love for the season and the Christ baby that made it all possible. Isn't that what it's about anyway? So, I'm back in the studio today to finish up the stockings and then continue testing ideas for a quilt I started before I left for Houston. This is not an original design, I took it out of a sketch book that I found when we cleaned out the house of Jeff's aunt earlier this year. So above is the sketch and below is my interpretation of the sketch. Quilt name? "Genesis 1" I have fused hand painted silk (thank you Frieda Anderson!) and the background will have celestial images made with fabric paints and paint sticks.