Today is the last Slow Sunday Stitching linky party for 2015 so, of course, I'm linking up and I'm hoping you do too. 

I finished quilting my Grand Illusion quilt on Tuesday and got it on our bed as this one I'm keeping. 

 

Just in time before heading down to Henderson, Nevada on Thursday morning to spend Christmas with my step-son, Michael, and his wife, Jennifer.  When we arrived we opened our presents and I got my most favorite thing, a Jo-Anns gift card.  Jennifer and I almost immediately headed to, you guessed it, Jo-Anns where I had so much fun looking and shopping.  I found all but one skein of embroidery floss that I needed for the cross-stitch Christmas stocking.  I also got several other embroidery goodies that I've been wanting to try on my crazy quilt project.  Other items I purchased were a plastic container for my floss and those cute cardboard pieces to wrap floss on, lots of needles, a cute book with sticky notes in it for my Quilter's Planner and meal planning.  Here is a picture of a few of the goodies I got and I still have money left on the gift card, so today I'll be heading back to Jo-Anns with a 20% off coupon that is good for regular priced and sale items.

I immediately got started on the Christmas stocking for my granddaughter and have worked on it for two days in a row and this is what I have done so far.  I had forgotten how long cross-stitching takes.  Of course, I've worked on some other things too.

I worked on some redwork over the last couple of days also.  I hadn't ever done any before and saw a really cute quilt on Pinterest.  I looked at it over a period of about a month and then finally ordered the pattern.  I have a couple of the small blocks done with only  about 31 more to go, most being a lot larger.  Who knows, maybe I'll have it finished in time to hang up for next Christmas.  It is going faster than the cross-stitch. 

 

If you are inspired to undertake this project, you can purchase the pattern at The Stitch Connection.

Christmas evening after dinner and games with friends, I got some hexie time in.  I like to work on these when I don't need to concentrate on a pattern.  Not sure how many I'll need.  I saw a quilt with trees on it done in reds, greens, and whites that was posted on Facebook and I hope to do something similar.  I just keep plugging away at it when the mood strikes.  If you haven't ever done EPP (English paper piecing), you should try it.  It is very addicting.  Want to learn how?  Click here for a fun tutorial.  I learned all I know from this great book, All Points Patchwork: English Paper Piecing beyond the Hexagon for Quilts & Small Projects.

Our dog, Lola, also got a Christmas present and as usual she went right for the squeaker and found it after she decapitated the toy.  She is still having fun with it, but she hasn't learned how to pick up all the fluff that comes out of it and throw it in the trash.  Maybe one day I can teach her how to do that.  Ha!

Today is a day for family as my husband's sister, her husband, and their daughter arrived late last night after an 11 hour drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-15 from the LA area to Las Vegas.  Needless to say, they went straight to the hotel, but will be spending the today with us.  We'll be enjoying smoked turkey and all the fixings prepared by Chef Michael, a/k/a my step-son, who is a fantastic cook. 

Off to work on updating my Quilter's Planner getting all the birthdays and anniversaries entered as well as my quilting goals for 2016.

Happy New Year!!!