Progress....

I'm posting my November and December blocks without patchwork for now just to show my progress. Embroidery on January and the center stars is progressing, I should be caught up by the end of January...

 Sammie
AKA Mama Bear

October?

Above is my October block, I think...

and below after it was sewn to the

other two....

Now see, I have my snowmen

butted up to each other and one is sideways?

I've taken all that out and am doing it correctly...

also had to piece my background after cutting it too small

I used a nativity because I believe..

and wanted to include the true reason for 

Christmas.

And below is the Penny Rug I made for 

my May project, right? 

I made this as a gift

and it is already in its new home.

I have done the embroidery for 

November and December

and plan to finish the applique

tomorrow.

Mama Bear (Sammie)

 

September Block

I finished up September's block today....As you can see, I've done the heart and stars instead of the one with the three stars...I don't think it really matters as they're the same size....

 I have the smaller star and heart blocks ready to applique so I'll take them on my upcoming trip....I've decided to copy Susan and do a nativity instead of the post block...it won't have very much embroidery so I should have that one finished before the end of October..
Happy Stitching,
Sammie
Mama Bear

Just In Time

As you might have guessed, I didn't do anything on this quilt in July, but I have been busy stitching in August....

 This is the stitchery I did to replace the 

Pudding, so July's block is done.

 And here's August. I think I left one of the 

candy canes out.

 I realize it is most likely September in

Australia, but here in the U.S. it

is still August....In Alabama it is the 31st

at 3:30pm.

I have loved seeing what everyone is

doing and the colors and fabrics

being used...

I have been working on the Penny candle

mat and that will be my May 

project when it is done.....

Sammie

AKA Mama Bear

Confused

Hello, I'm Sammie, AKA Mama Bear from Bears at Home. I live in the United States, Southeast. Although Alabama has its most southern border on the Gulf of Mexico, I live in the northern part of the state near Tennessee and it is more mountainous. We live in what is known as the Tennessee Valley, in Huntsville, home of NASA and the Space Camp. I have participated in SAL from the beginning although I didn't do the year of small projects. My Husband and I are semi-retired after 50 years of marriage, but we're both very active. He now does home health care 3 mornings a week and consults with his former employer in Tennessee. We have 2 grown children, 5 grands and 1 great.

I joined up for this project a little late and just got my book from Michelle. I have read it and am confused. Has anyone sorted out the background squares by measurements and tagged for each applique? Also where do I find the star and heart? There are numerous ones in the book but which is for the quilt? Here are the fabrics I've pulled from my stash and the cream for the background, although I may pick up some more Christmas prints when they come out in the stores.

 Doing the projects with a group has kept me on schedule and enabled me to finish the quilts. I have been blogging since 2006 and now count many of you as friends.
Mama Bear

The Gift of Giving..........

The gift of giving is so amazing..................it is such a good feeling..............seeing, hearing, reading those precious responses........when you give someone a gift...........it is even more precious when you can make your gifts............thinking about the person receiving the gift as you go along..................
This is a special gift.................this quilt is a group project for one of the SAL members................earlier in the year I got an idea emailed some girls and was blown away by the response..............so promptly people got stitching and the blocks were stitched for Deb and Andrea..........both having terrible times in there lives and both girls had been part of the smaller GJ SAL group........(poor Deb has had earth quakes again today)..
Miche'le got to work on Deb's  (here) quilt but it took a little while for Andrea's to happen............lets say life interrupted............finally it got to the machine as was pulled together............popped into the mail and landed on the sleigh today................just in time for Christmas.......

and here are all the blocks with the girls links.......sorry some are a little scrunched...........

Yvette..........

Sonia

Diann..........

Annette............

Helen.........

Suzitee.........

Dawnie...........

Lisa...........

Sammie 

Lorraine.............
Continue to spread the Christmas cheer and love around the globe.....
.....life is too short and precious.............
Enjoy your quilt Andrea..............

Keep Stitching............

Chookyblue...........

Its Finished!!!

 Just wanted you to see a close up of the binding that you all helped me pick out, it looks great doesn't it?

 A peak at the back, label and hanging sleeve. That corner looks bad but it isn't, trust me.

Okay, Chooky Blue, I want it to say finished on the sidebar.

Two more blocks--completed!

This is block H(July)...I finished it last week...It is extremely hard to get all of it in the photo because it is such a long block...I love those little wreath blocks...

I managed to finish this one today...This is Block B..I know it is out of order but I had the stitching done so I wanted to put it together...Plus, I used some of the fabric from the swap I did with Lee in North Carolina...Lee doesn't have a blog and Jennifer is posting her progress for her...."Can you spot her fabric?" When I finish and put on the label, I will refer to this block and note that the fabric was from her.

This block is going to butt up against the 'no place like home' block...see that long pink piece on the side..It is one of the border blocks for the house....Hum, I wonder if this gets us to 100...Chooky?...

My 1&1/2 inch squares have given me problems...They seemed to lay even on this one...there were just so many of them.

I'm loving this stitch-a-long...my first ever...it is wonderful meeting all of you and learning about you as we go along.

Happy stitching,

Mama Bear

:0)

Block C and some stitcheries

Good morning, It is Wednesday morning here and looks as if it might rain. The Maple tree beside the patio is being windblown and I can hear the chimes.. My granddaughter has come to spend the day and night. I need to get off the computer and spend some time with her. We're doing a devotional together and she loves to work in the craft room with me.

I have a new friend. Lee and I have been chatting back and forth with emails. I didn't realize there were other Stateside participants until she got in touch with me...So I had an idea...It would be nice to know where everyone is located. We could just add it to our signature at the end of our posts...I hope you will join me. I know many of you are Australian...Thanks!

Mama Bear

Huntsville, Alabama, USA

May Block A finished

I managed to finish block A for May with a few days to spare. I am so pleased with the way it turned out. I invested in a seam guide for my machine and it is well worth the money.

I have finished several of the stitcheries for future blocks. I forgot to check and see which block we were doing next before doing some so now I am working on the 'No Place Like Home' and the dog house for the June block.

I am enjoying this blog so much, reading each one's post and watching their progress.

Happy stitchin'

Mama Bear

:0)

G Block.......Finished

I can't believe that I have finished this block and today is only May 3rd. I only joined the group a couple of weeks ago. I had a little problem. My stitchery was not the correct size so I had to do some patching. I thought, at first that it was because I had cut it too short, although I cut on the line. But after looking at the pattern in the book, I realized that somewhere in the transfer of the page to email to copier, the shape changed. See, I'd gotten the patterns over the line from Chooky Blue. Regardless, it doesn't interfere with the look of the finished block. I do wish we had the dimensions for the blocks so I'd know if my measurements are correct. I did a little squaring up but was afraid to do too much.

I've transferred the pattern for the potting shed and weather vane so I can begin to stitch on them. I think they'll be easier since they are a little bigger with more straight lines. Oh, and this time, I used a ruler when drawing to make my lines straighter. My fence in the first block is very crooked. I am pretending it is a wire fence. Ha!

Happy Stitching,

Mama Bear

Yea! The Book Is Here...

My book arrived today all the way from Australia. I am doing a happy dance. I am so excited. The sprinkler scene for block G is about finished, then I'll start on the Bird bath. Maybe I'll catch up before the end of May.

Mama Bear

Hello from Huntsville, Alabama in the USA

Thank you for allowing me to join you on this stitch-a-long. I just discovered you all at the end of last week. I love what you're doing. I had to order the book from Australia, couldn't find it in the US at least not online. Hopefully, it won't take as long as they said to ship. I got it from Patchwork Angel.

I have read all of your posts and seen your lovely work. I'm going to be behind but that's okay. I had these fabrics and I thought they would be good for this project.What do you think? What do you think I should use for the background on the stitching and the backing for it. I read that you are using different things. I like the idea of using one color thread as some of you are doing but I like the ones with different colors, too.

Looking forward to more posts and pictures from you.

Mama Bear(Sammie on the sidebar)