Twelfth Day of Christmas; B.O.M.; Traveling Thursday!

I'm sitting in my living room looking at my Christmas tree and all the ornaments, on this, the last day of Christmas.  I love opening and hanging my ornaments every year.  I can remember where I bought the ornament, or who gave me a particular ornament.  Some of them are really special ... the ones from both of my children's first Christmas' for example.  I started a tradition when my husband and I got married that I get an ornament for us every year; if the date is not on the ornament, I write it on in permanent marker.  When each of the kids was born, the tradition continued for them.  I love unwrapping their ornaments every year and remembering the ornaments I bought (or made) for them, and how old they were at the time.  One of my friends gave me a great idea -- she said that she wraps each of her children's ornaments in their own box and then when it comes time to decorate, she has them unwrap their ornaments and then they sit and reminisce.  I am going to put them away in separate boxes this year.  We'll see if I can corral them both next year when I'm decorating to get them to unwrap all their own ornaments!

I took the B.O.M. with me to work today and really got a lot done.  I put the next (and last) two rows together, and started assembling the entire thing ... can you believe it?  I am so excited!  The directions do not tell you to trim the rows, but after looking at them when I started to pin them together, I knew they needed to be trimmed up.  Trimming blocks that are on point you always have to remember to extend 1/4" past your point.  If you trim to your point, you'll lose the point in the seam when you put it together.

This picture does not do it justice.  It is just stunning when you see it in person!

I am really loving the way this looks, and the boss is really happy too!  When we saw this quilt at spring market last year in May, we loved it, but didn't particularly like the line of fabric that it was made with.  The fabric is beautiful, Cotton Club -- browns and reds, but it was just too much brown and red.  So we decided it would really look better, and suit our store more, if it was done scrappy.  Sometimes when you think you have a great idea, it doesn't always work out that way.  So we are all really excited that it is everything we hoped it would be ... and more!

Now for my traveling Thursday post ... I don't know that I have ever sent you to one of my friend's (who also happens to be a co-worker) blog.  Her name is JoAnn Mullaly and she is also JAM ... she has loads of doll patterns, and stitchery patterns, but the last few years she has done a quilt called Wool Crazy, and she has published two different books.  Her work is beautiful, and I am always in awe of her ideas and talent.  Please check out her blog, http://woolcrazy-jam.blogspot.com/.

Thanks to you for checking my blog!  Knowing that all of you are out there drives me to keep to my schedule!  I so appreciate each and every one of you ... happy almost-Friday!