AAAHHHH!  Christmas Time-It’s a wonderful time of year when we all rush around, from one party to another.  Rushing the kids to their parties, and activities, while planning for the cookies we will bake when we get enough time.  We spend hours, thinking, planning scheming for that SPECIAL day.  Twenty-four hours that it takes all year to get ready for . . . and . . . suddenly, it’s Dec. 26.  Where did it go?  I really hope that by Dec. 26, you will be happy with all the stitching and prepairing that you’ve done.  It is a happy, joyous, cheerful, hectic time of year.  It happens every year, but we all do it all over again each year, beginning on January 2.

Yes, I think some of us do just that.  We start thinking about next Christmas when we finish the last one.  This year, it has really rattled me.  I usually have most of my shopping done by the beginning of December.  Unfortunately, with planning and hoping to get this new motor home I talked about last time, November completely escaped me and I am sooo behind.  But guess what, I am here at the computer, telling you all about the adventures of LaRueSews-Quilts.  Have I quilted anything?  Very little.  I keep telling myself to get busy and get something done.  AARRGGHH!   DRATS! And #$&%^*^%!

This time I want to tell you about a little project I did to introduce a tool.  Sometime, a few months ago, one of my readers, who lives in Australia, wrote to me about a tool called the Double Mitre Ruler.  It’s made by The Sewing Revolution, of Queensland, Australia.  It can also be purchased from ShoppersRule.com.  I bought the tool some months ago.  The Double Mitre Ruler is used to make mitered corners.  It is really afine way to makegreat mitred borders on placemats, etc.  I told you about losing some things, a while back.  This ruler was one of them.  I finally found it and I used it last week to make the “project gone wrong.”  You know how it goes.  You make something that turns out really good.  (My breakfast room window valances) You have lots of fabric left over.  You think, “What will I make with it . . . Placemats!  Well, I made two last week, one was too small, the other one turned out good, except it was the “project gone wrong.”  Though I love my breakfast room valances, but the placemat just didn’t get it.  I won’t make any more.  The plaid is just not the right thing for this placemat.  Besides, it’s drapery fabric, not very practical for placemats.

I have remade the blocks that I posted a while back.  I also realized that I am way behind, but if you saw these blocks that I posted before, you will see that they do look better.  After Christmas, I will get caught up.  I promise.  I am the worst about keeping up with group projects.

OK, this is your block for this time.  Maybe it should have been a Christmas theme.  I didn’t plan it that way, so we’ll just go with it.  The name is Do the Twist.  It’s a little trickier than the other block.  However, I know how good you all are and I KNOW you can do it.  They will get gradually harder each time.

Each time I write a blog, I try to show you something I have done.  Still, I am running out of things I’ve done.  This quilt is one of the early quilts I made after I started quilting seriously.  It was a Quilt Guild Challenge.  I won Viewer’s Choice.  It has always been one of my favorites.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year
Stitches to you,
LaRue

Next LaRueSews-Quilts will be Jan. 2, 2010.