I’m getting ready for the open house, so really just doing little stuff and CLEANING (UGH!)
The other day an online friend sent me this snowflake file for the embroidery machine
First I did ONE layer of solvy water soluble stabilizer- FAILURE!
then I did 2, failure
3 layers was okay but then it ran out of white thread and bunched up on the bottom so I un-hooped it and with leftover solvy I hooped 4 layers
SUCCESS!! now the 2nd one I made was light blue…. FUN!
they are 3” tall so I’ll hoop a bigger hoop next time and do several in one hooping, but each one took 20 min!!
I do like the blue….
And it’s not too bad on the back either, you do see some of the white bobbin thread, but it’s not too bad (I buy prewound so NO it doesn’t like when I wind my own, so WHITE it is)
Then I’ve been making a # 46 sign for under my mail box.
I spoke to another artist on the tour and he said he had 3-400 people visit, OH MY!! that’s about 10 per hour….. I HOPE so……. 
There’s time for a little goofing around too
Sonja did this herself and I said “Baby in a basket” and she started saying “baby, baby, baby”
This morning I got my husband to take down our 2nd tree from the attic, this is our “tacky” tree (because it has colored lights)
-it was one I purchased after Christmas one year on sale and then realized I got the colored lights instead of white lights.
I do like that it’s pre-lit, so easy to assemble!
Sonja is my helper again
Looks good next to all my colorful fabrics, so it’s a keeper 
I just put up red and gold ornaments and now SONJA is taking off the bottom ones and throwing them down the stairs while I’m writing this post!!
what a GREAT help that is 
Back to cleaning???
And did you see the Pantone color of the year for 2014??
Radiant Orchid!
I’m not really into purple but this one is nice.
AND SURPRISE SURPRISE, I have a giveaway!
-McCall’s approved another quilt for to make for their magazine (actually 2)
and I’m going to use fabrics from Timeless treasures, so while they sent me color swatches, they also sent some for a giveaway!
Here’s a nice Tonga Treats charm pack
(actually the same batiks I used for the OWL quilt- my first quilt for McCall’s)
Just comment below and tell me if you have decorated for Christmas yet? and if you prefer REAL or fake trees?? (One comment)
– we had fake trees from when we lived in FL where live trees don’t live long- here in NC it’s almost a SIN to have a fake tree, there’s a tree farm a mile down the road from us-
I’ll pick a winner next Thursday
I have not decorated yet. Not motivated to do so:(. My son has a tree allergy so we go fake:(. Think I might try a sew flake, but next year:(
Due to being allergic to pine, we use a fake tree. But I love the real trees. So happy you were able to figure out the ornaments. No I have not even started to decorate for Christmas.
Yippee! I am so glad it worked for you. I made a bunch of white ones, and have some red ones on deck. I prefer real trees, but haven't had one for several years. It just makes such a mess, the cats will NOT leave it alone, and we travel for Christmas, so I don't bother to decorate any more.
We used to have a real tree when the kids lived at home but this year I am having a really modern white twiggy thing – very minimilist!!!!
Totally prefer real trees, but I usually prefer to decorate for the 1st December and take down just after 1st January so a fake one is a must for us. Not decorating this year…we are under renovation! Most of our stuff is stored in plastic bins right now.
With Me-new being so hyper, we will be gap having a fabric tree – no climbing. I began and then Me-new started rearranging and chewing on the items I put out. I will try again after her surgery hopefully she will be calmer then.
I am done, but I started early because I knew I wouldn't have time and I was right! We only have fake trees as my son has allergies and we use white lights upstairs and multicolored downstairs. 🙂
I love the Tongan batiks, Bea!I can't imagine decorating with Sonja's help! *LOL*I am about halfway through decorating. Outside lights are up, one nativity is up, trees are up, lighted garlands are up. I still have most of my nativities, wall hangings and window decorating to do.I had real trees all my life and up until about 10 years ago. We leave them up for over a month, but the last few years we had them, despite my watering it seemed we always had a brown tree at least a week before Christmas. It didn't used to be that way. I'd had enough. The trees were guaranteed, so we took one back and with the credit from that expensive Noble Fir we got a nice fake tree on clearance. We have used it ever since.We do white lights in the living room and loft and colored lights in the family room. I like both looks.
I wonder how the heat removal stabilizer would work on the snowflakes. 20 minutes??? Wow.I have most of my decorations up as we have a big Christmas dinner here on Saturday night.
I have decorated our shop, but not the house. In the shop we have little wooden dowel trees my Dad made. I don't usually put up a tree, but I do have a fake one should the urge hit.
I love "mama's little helper." Children really make Christmas fun. My faux tree is up but not yet decorated. (We always had real trees growing up, but I'm allergic and enjoy the season much more with a faux tree.)
The house is decorated for Christmas! I decorate with fake trees because I start decorating November 1st…a live tree just would hold out until Christmas. I 'collect' trees in various shapes and sizes my smallest is only 1 inch tall! Growing up in Florida years ago, we didn't even think about getting a tree until after December 18th! And then, the tree had to be live!!! We would go to the woods at the farm and cut a fresh wild tree every year.
Have a fantastic time at the open house!I have decorated a bit for Christmas… we usually have one real tree and our 30 year old fake tree. So far I've only got the fake one up and decorated.AND I have not bought one single Christmas gift!!
Your snowflakes are just gorgeous Bea!!! I'm hoping to do more machine embroidery this year :*) I love a multi-colored tree – I know it's so old-fashioned but the twinkle of all those colors just mesmerizes me! My son also loves it, and his poor wife – she's always so fashionable and her house is decorated so beautifully, but she has to suffer through the season with colored lights LOL!!! They have to twinkle too :*) I love a real tree, but for just me and Don it really isn't practical, so we have a pre-lit one we use every year. When we lived in NC, we did have live trees every year. We have not decorated yet – hopefully this weekend :*)
Love the coloured lites, we have an artificial tree but I haven't even put it up which is not my norm as I typically have the house completely decorated on Dec. 1st.
I decorated last week end. I didn't do as much as usual, but the house looks festive. Although I usually put up an artificial tree, I truly like a real tree better. It just makes the house smell so nice! Thanks for the generous giveaway!
I guess it's about time to think about getting all those totes out of our storage closet. I really need to downsize on the stuff I have. We have downsized from our house to a 2 bedroom condo & just don't have that much to be decorated.
My daughter is coming home for the weekend and it will be fun to decorate together like old times.Fake tree here – we are a cat family and the real thing is way too much fun for them! I use spruce candle melts for the yummy smell.
its always helpful to have a helper!! Glad you kept going with the snowflakes they look great xx I used to have a real tree but when you are still brushing up needles in July it gets a bit much xx lol x
Congratulations for being approved to make 2 quilts for McCall’s! How exciting it must be to see your creations in a magazine.I prefer real trees but use artificial because of the mess of real trees and also the increased risk of a fire because the tree gets dry.Sure hope you're using unbreakable ornaments since Sonja likes to use them as balls by throwing them down the stairs. LOL Typical little tot … always getting into things.
Little Sonja is looking so grown up. My tree is going up tonight as one of my little grandsons is staying overnight and he is going to help me. My tree is fake I'm afraid – but I like it anyway.
I prefer fake trees since I have allergies. I love the fiber optic lit ones. I have started to decorate but have a long way to go yet.
I haven't done any decorating yet. I did my fall decorating on Thansgiving morning, but I hope to do better for Christmas. We only do artificial trees–I never remember to water and end up with bare branches. I do miss the pine scent though!
when our youngest daughter was born we decided not to have her birthday under the christmastree. So, no Christmas items in our house before December 17. We have a fake tree, you missed the needles 🙂 Thanks for the chance
I have decorated already for Christmas. Our tree went up on Saturday and it is a live one. We use a live tree in the living room and then I have a small fake tree I put up in the family room. I prefer the live tree as I love the smell even if it is a little more work cleaning up the needles and remembering to keep it watered.
We haven't decorated yet, I prefer live trees. Thank you.
I am almost done decorating. I have one smaller fake tree that I decorate early and then about teo weeks before Christmas we get a real tree. Gives me an excuse to buy more ornaments.
I'm all decorated for Christmas – and we use a fake tree, because my Husband hates cleaning the pine needles of a real tree 😉
Bought a perlit, so much easier
:). Oh, you make me feel ashamed. My free is still in the attic. We have to use a fake tree because my husband and son have really bad allergies.Hopefully we will get the tree up this weekend.
I have the tree up and decorated, but nothing else. Hubby has been having problems with his ankle and since I'm pregnant I can't get boxes of decorations out of the basement! We have fake trees because I have issues with real ones, I think I'm allergic to them!
Our tree is up and shining. We use an artificial tree. We have some of the bubble lights and my boys just love those.Smiles,Kelly
We have the outside lights up. We use a fake tree because of our cats. — soparkaveataoldotcom
I've been THINKING about decorating. Does that count? We do a fake tree. Much easier. It's right in our garage.
your snow flakes are pretty. Sonja is funny, such a cutie. I love the radiant orchard color. Nope haven't started decorating for Christmas yet. Usually I start the day after thanksgiving. This year though, so much has been going on and our daughter has come in from CA for a week so I didn't stress myself out trying to get it all up before Dec. 4th Thanks for this great give a way.
I have not decorated for Christmas this year. I have been really sick with an autoimmune disorder and don't have the energy. I love real trees, however because of the mess I put up an artificial tree. I love prims and country decorations with small blinking lights. Also love the old bubbly lights. Thank you for offering this great give away! midwayfarms@hughes.net
In Hawaii on vacation so haven't decorated yet. We use a fake tree as allergies to a real tree exist in our household.
I have started decorating – I bought 2 new candle holders and candles and they are out, together with 2 gingerbread men candle holders I've had for some years! I also bought a new (fake) tree, which is still in its box, and the other tree and decs are all still in the garage.
Nope, no decorations here at this time.Like real better, but have been using artificial for the convenience.Since the kids have left the nest I have a little Charley Brown tree I can bring down and have set up fairly quickly…Thanks for the opportunity to win!
We have a fake tree due to allergies. I have not decorated and probably won't this year as we will be going out of town for the holidays. We have no kids at home anymore. Maybe next year.
Our decorations are up–I always like to get them up Thanksgiving weekend. We have a really full, nice fake tree. It looks quite real though. I was having a hard time with cutting down all those tress every year–somehow seemed wasteful.On the snowflakes–that must be a seriously dense pattern. I've done a lot of free standing lace bookmarks and never had to use more than one layer of heavy weight water-soluble stabilizer. Beautiful how they turned out though.I love your blog!
Our home is decorated and we have 2 trees this year; both are artificial. So much easier to put up and put away. I plan to decorate one more wreath to hang above the fireplace and then I can say "officially done". Your snowflakes are so pretty; thanks for sharing the inspiration.
Yes the house is all decorated, thanks to hubby help. We perfer live trees. Thank for the give away.
I'm as decorated as I'm going to be for this year! I like real trees, but they make too much of a mess – so we set up a fake one.I love giveaways and fabric, so thanks for the chance to win!Merry Christmas!
We don't put up a tree anymore but we do put up lights in the house as well around the porch. We also have a huge lighted star we put in the yard. Love you blog and all the pictures. Merry Christmas.
I have not decorated yet. I am waiting for my grandson to come over and get my decorations down..I like real christmas trees but since I live in AZ. (the hot part) I have to have a fake otherwise they die within a few days. Thank you for the chance to win this beautiful fabric.
I love the smell of live trees, but not the hassle. and hubby much prefers "fake", so our tree just celebrated its 40th anniversary……. Thanks so much for sharing.
I haven't decorated yet, but I hope to get it done next week. I love the smell of live trees, but I like artificial ones for ease of setting up. Thanks for the chance to win.
I've decorated all I'm going to do, which is not much! Your home looks beautiful for the tour! (love the Tonga batiks! and I have your buttons ready to send–just been too busy to grab an envelope! That's pathetic, isn't it?)
oops! Forgot: I do love real trees, but my favorite tree ever (and I still have it) is the little 12" or so fake tree my 6-year old son bought for his room with his own money. He's 42 now!
I like the snowflakes. Glad you figured it out. I've always preferred a real tree but when Jammer came along and put every spec of lint that he found on the floor in his mouth, we knew that we wouldn't be able to have a real tree for many years to come. So..we went out and found the best looking fake tree ever. My family always forgets that it isn't real, that is how good it looks. And I have to admit that I don't miss crawling under it to water it each day and I don't miss still vacuuming up the needles the following June.
check your colors for the Bonnie Hunter Mystery. Love your choices. Your quilts and longarm work is beautiful. Thanks for the chance for give away.
We haven't decorated yet and I'm not sure if we will. DH fell and separated his collar bone from his shoulder last night so I will probably just put up some of my decorations but not the tree. I prefer the smell of real trees but we have a fake one.I love batiks so thank you so much for the chance to win.thelady at hotmail.com
What beautiful snowflakes Bea! Cute photo and your hair is getting long! Would love to win some of those beautiful batiks, thanks!
Your snowflakes are beautiful. Wish I could see your studio in person. Sounds exciting. I love Christmas trees with multi-colored lights, so that is what I have. It is pre-lit but very tall. We usually drape garland on the fence around our property with red bows periodically. I love batiks, so thanks for the chance to win your beautiful giveaway.
Our house is decorated and includes a pre-lit artificial tree. Thanks for the giveaway!
We haven't finished decorating yet. We have a fake tree and we also cut down a tree at a local tree farm.