Yesterday 10 of us met over at the Home Front cafe for lunch while the community room was being used for a kids craft program. We had a nice little lunch although the room was a tad chilly whenever the door was opened. Nevertheless it was nice being with friends and having an outing on what would otherwise be a very dreary day. Jo Ann and I ordered dessert and when I offered Winnie a bite of my chocolate cake she declared: I don't want just a bite! and grabbed the waitress to order her own piece of cake. She was given a rather large slice so we all teased her a bit. I hope she didn't mind. After lunch we went next door to the yarn shop. I think I'm the only one who bought something. I want to make one of the bags Sandie had made. She claims it's easy so I'm trusting her on that. I drove Marie over to the cafe and back and I know she was very happy with the outing. I think all of us were.

Today we had 16 ladies. Marie came in with a beautiful and very complicated looking sweater she made. Her brother bought her the yarn (which is from the Aran Islands) in Scotland. She hates the color (what I think is a beautiful fall gold color) but made the sweater anyway. It was gorgeous. Then Sandie came in with 2 finshed items: her crocheted petal bag and a blackwork piece. Sandie is just incredible! Kathy O. had bought some interesting yard but couldn't figure out how to knit it so Sandie got her started. It's going to be a very unique scarf. I wish I could knit--they make such neat stuff! Ethel brought in the Christmas stocking she made for her newest grandson. Kathy O. and Sue R. brought in the tops of their table runners so we should have at least 6 table runners at our show. We will not be meeting next week because of a children's program that has been booked so instead we will be meeting at the  Home Front Cafe in Altamont at 12:30.

17 ladies attended today.  Ethel has been working hard: she finished her cross-stitch wedding sampler for her daughter and son-in-law, a pillow matching the quilt she made for her grandson, and a Christmas stocking for her new grandson. I hope she can put some of those in our show in February. Jo-Ann had been on a bus trip to New Hampshire to the Quilter's Gathering show. She came back with some new purchases to show. Kathy O. came in today. With her arm in a sling she can't do too much in the way of sewing but she got some help from Agnes to cut out her table runner. She's going to see if she can operate the sewing machine. Marie was knitting some socks, as was Sandie. Marie demonstrated the stitch she was doing. Boy was it complicated! Sandie says she'll give the stitch a try sometime but I think even she thought it was complicated. Marie is not afraid of complexity--she likes a challenge. Remember, we will be having our Christmas lunch on the second Tuesday of December. I will call ahead to find out costs. And, this year we have entertainment: slide show of Elaine and Bob Suss' rafting trip down the Colorado river. Husbands are invited.

15 ladies attended on Tuesday. I brought in a bag for show and share. I made it in a workshop with Jessica VanDenburgh. Several people expressed interest in making the bag so I will demonstrate in the coming weeks. Marguerite finished her small mile-a-minute quilt so brought in a new mile-a-minute top which she will quilt this January when she pulls out her quilt frame. She tried a different layout--instead of lattice strips she put solid blocks between the m-a-m blocks then turned them all on point.  Fran showed those of us at her end of the table how to tie a scarf in a new way. Ellen and Deb were having some laughs reading a quilter's horoscope out of a magazine. We decided that we will have our Christmas brunch on December 11 and that we will again have it catered by Chef's Take-out. I will call ahead to make sure they will still cater lunches and to get the price. During our Christmas brunch we will have entertainment provided by Bob and Elaine Suss who will show us slides from their vacation rafting down the Colorado River.

Last Tuesday 20 ladies attended. I brought in my finished table runner top to show. I gave the ladies a challenge to make this table runner. It turned out to be a somewhat difficult pattern and as a result my ladies were suggesting that I would never make it. I had to prove them wrong. If I'm going to challenge them to  make it then I really have to make it too. Cathy M. is in the Tuesday morning Altamont group. In that group they had a challenge to all make the same bag so Cathy brought in her bag. It was very nice. I don't know it that group will have a quilt show so I don't know if they will ever display their bags in all different colors and fabrics. That's fun to see: the variety you can have with just one pattern. Linda B., a new member, brought in a finished wool pillow. It had an ear of corn with leaves. The corn was french knots made with a chenille yarn and looked just like corn! The pillow was beautiful. I hope she'll put it in our show in February. Daryl was back this week from Cape Cod and Jean K. was in today but is leaving this week for the winter. Goodbye Jean and have a nice winter!

20 ladies attended today. The big news is Kathy O is back! And this time she didn't bring back any new patterns to teach us. I knew that day would come sometime I just didn't know when. But she did bring in her finished yellow sweater in a stitch she was working on when she left last spring. She also brought in a serged quilt. I've never seen a quilt serged with the serged seams showing but this was one. It was very nice. Deb finished her tablerunner (the 3rd to do so) in spite of all the whining and complaining she did about how hard it was. I still haven't started mine. I brought in a load of Linda O'Connor's items--mostly patterns. She had so much stuff and I really don't want to throw it away so naturally I'm taking what's left home with me. Marie brought in a partially finished rug she's been working on plus some of her rug-hooking books. Linda B., a new member, is interested in taking up rug-hooking so joined the group just to talk to Marie. Ethel was working on a beautiful bargello ornament and Sandie was making a hardanger piece. Lots of knitting going on around the table and I added just a couple of stitches to my needlework.

Today we had 21 ladies at Nimblefingers. Last week we were lucky to welcome Cathy Y.'s daughter Tasha, and this week we were happy to meet Marie's daughter Maria. She lives in Californial and regularly reads the blog to keep up with her mother's doings. I'm very happy that both daughters were able to visit. Pat OR was back today. She's been home sick but still working on her table runner. She sent it out to be quilted and now just needs to finish the binding. She's the number 1 table runner finisher. Prizes will come later and she definitely has earned one. Deb made her sit down and explain this crazy table runner to her so she can be #2. This was my idea and my pattern and I won't be surprised if I'm #last. All quilting has been postponed for me until after the wedding. Speaking of which, I showed everyone my pictures of me in my dress, shoes and new fancy hair-do. I think everyone approved so I guess I can check wedding clothes off my worry list. Joyce spent her lunch half hour with us laying out a quilt to pin. It was made from a panel of children's illustrator Eric Carles' pictures so was very colorful, cheerful and bright. It would be very nice for a little kid but this quilt is to be for the little kid in Joyce. They make a lot of panels now from children's books. I know I see them and want to buy them so it must be a real temptation for Joyce who is a children's librarian. I've resisted so far but it's really hard. They are sooo cute! Jo-Ann got some instruction today from Cathy M. and Fran on doing redwork. She's been wanting to try something new and both Cathy and Fran are embroidering now--Cathy in red and Fran in blue. We do seem to have a lot of embroidering going on lately. That's good--it shows what broad horizons we have within our little group. Today was a lot of fun and I know next week will be too.