Help Wanted, Will Pay in Fabric

HELP WANTED:  Capable person,  clean, non-smoking, to assist (with minimum supervision, as in all by yourself) in the setting up of Christmas decorations and tree to resemble Country Sampler page, finish, shop for and wrap all Christmas gifts per Martha Stewart standards, bake and prepare all Christmas desserts and meal as per Paula Deen style .  Bonus available to someone who is skilled in foot massage.  Pay rate:  1 lb of fabric per hour worked.    Preference given to quilter's.  Start date: yesterday.

Well, now you know the status of my household in relation to the Holiday preparations!

LOL!  If I could afford to send this ad for real, I would seriously consider it!  Have you ever felt you needed a maid or assistant or housekeeper?  Just to get you over the hump?  How do I get myself into these situations!  Is it because I take on too much or is it because things take longer than I plan for.  Do I make my "to do" list too long or just not start early enough?  Am I still, subconsciously, buying into the theory that a modern day woman should be able to do it all, do it well, and all by herself? A theory, which by the way, I totally disagree with!  Maybe it's because I'm getting too old to "get it done" like I could in the past?  Perhaps my superwoman powers are waning?  I just don't know...

What I do know is that there is not one single sign of Christmas in my house and I am not happy about that! (insert me stomping my foot LOL!)  I LOVE the Christmas season and I feel like it's passing me by this year!  The fact that each and every CD player in this house will NOT play a CD so I am in Christmas music deprivation does not help....I took one to the repair shop 8 days ago but they just don't seem to get the urgency of "I need it fixed yesterday" in my voice LOL!  

I have been a busy little sewing beaver though over the past week!  Maybe that's where all my decorating time went? LOL!

First up:  Now I did not make this quilt or the next one but today was Schnibble's Club day at the quilt shop and of course some of the girls had some Show and Tell!  These are two versions of Two Bits, one with a darker background than the other.  They are both lovely and the girls did a wonderful job!

 And, No, I didn't make these but I did score them at Mr. RQ's office party swap last week.  I HAD to have them because they are RED POLKA DOTS!! and we all know how happy RED POLKA DOTS make me :) LOL!  I'm sure the other people at the party couldn't quite figure out what all the fuss was over potholders! LOL!

 This is what I made a week ago at the Mystery Class.  I love it and use it everyday.  In fact, I think I need to make several more!

 As I said, today was Schnibble's day at the shop, so on the weekend I had to whip up the sample of January's Schnibble--Sunday Best, done in Charity by Howard Marcus.  No matter how many photos I took, I could not get the true background color to come out.  It's a really nice mustard/black print.

 On the weekend, I also did up this tablerunner, just waiting to be bound tonight.

 And, I am making two wool pincushions for surprise gifts...all done except the stuffing!

And, I pieced this quilt centre as a sample to use in teaching the Schnibble's girls today how to make EASY Peasy Pinwheel blocks using charm squares.  I saw this as a tutorial on another site/blog, thought I had bookmarked it but for the life of me can't find it now.  I don't know who to credit  but THANK YO*U very much!!  They loved learning the new technique on piecing these and it makes very accurate points in the centre!  I used one charm pack of Park Avenue and one charm pack of Moda Solids....gives you 42 (5 3/4") unfinished blocks.  This was fun to make and stay tuned to see it when the borders go on.  It will make a good sized lap quilt.

I have also done 5 other itty bitty piecing projects for gifts over the past week but I can't show them yet LOL!  Whew, now I see why there are not trees up at my house or sweets in the freezer!  Deep Breath here.....and exhale.....anyone decorate and cook for free? LOL!  Happy Seasons Greetings!