9 ladies attended today. It was really cold outside so I was surprised that even 9 came. We have had a two week break since the library was closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday, Dec. 31 so we haven't seen each other for awhile. I know I missed everyone but somehow I managed to be busy enough that I didn't get together with anyone over the break. Pat L. came in today with a pile of newly finished items. She made a short table runner in our challenge pattern. She says she's making a longer one too. It is much simpler so I hope a lot of people make them. She has also been doing some embroidered wool work. She made a beautiful bird candle mat, a small candy cane mat, and a very cute Christmas stocking. I hope they will all be in our February show. Kathy O. was very excited today. Not only has Downton Abbey started again, but she has purchased the fabric and downloaded the patterns to make a Downton Abbey quilt out of Downton Abbey fabric. Andover has created a line of fabrics for 4 of the different female characters. They will try to feature some of the fabrics this season on the show so we'll have to look carefully at the costumes. Kathy bought the Sibyl line of fabrics which were a little brighter and more fun than that of Violet and Mary. Edith's line was also colorful but Kathy preferred Sibyl's fabric. It's always fun to see Kathy so excited about something. She will begin by working on a mystery quilt created by the Joyful Quilter shop. Unfortunately, they didn't have in stock all of the fabric she needs but I bet Kathy finds those blocks she can make now and have them ready next week! Kathy also brought in her second One-block Wonder quilt. She made two this summer and they are quite spectacular. Tina brought in an almost finished sampler quilt--she was working on the binding. We're getting some sneak previews of what will be in our February show. Our old friend Elaine L. was back today too with her spinning wheel. She was spinning yarn made of silk and cashmere. We all had to pet it and ooh and aah over it. I hope next week the weather is better and we have a bigger turnout. We need to do some serious discussing and planning about the quilt show.

18 ladies attended today. Deb brought in her quilt and she and I finished sewing down the binding. Jo-Ann continued working on her scarf but late in the afternoon she started un-knitting it! Fran was knitting a hat. Pat L. had started embroidering a wool candle mat with a bird on a branch. It was very cute. Sandie passed around pictures of her new baby granddaughter--Elke Apple. She is a very cute little baby. Hattie brought her friend Heidi with her today. Heidi and Marguerite worked together at Macy's. Ethel is making a cross-stitch Christmas stocking for her new grandbaby. Please let me know next week if you plan to attend our Christmas lunch at the Grapevine. Deb, Jo-Ann and I are driving and I hope we each have full cars.

13 ladies attended Nimblefingers yesterday.  I brought in several show and tell items: a twin size scrap quilt I made a couple of years ago and finally got around to binding; a quilt begun in an Accuquilt workshop; and a modern quilt made with a charm pack. I also brought in my Fiesta Day of the Dead quilt which I was going to work on---sewing on the binding. But Deb brought in her big Lone Star quilt and wanted help tying it so I did that instead. Cathy Y came in late and brought her daughter Natasha. It's always nice to see her again. Winnie had expressed an interest in going to the Grapevine in Cobleskill for our Christmas lunch. So I called them up and made a reservation. Unfortunately, it sounds like no one else is that interested in going that far for lunch. I'll take a vote when we have more attendance. I had also spoken to Elaine about having her husband prepare another travel talk show so we thought we could have a pot luck lunch in January where Bob could show us his Nova Scotia pictures. He's a good narrator so it's fun to hear and see his pictures. Fran was working on a large appliqued quilt top. Pat OR was making placemats. Jo-Anne is knitting a scarf. Pat L. was making another scarf. Linda was also knitting but I'm not sure what she was making. After the meeting Deb and Pat L. accompanied me to Marie's house to check on her. She was very tired. Her power went off in the middle of the night and she had a heck of a time making her way to the bathroom in the dark. It also shut off her oxygen so she had trouble breathing. As a result she didn't get much sleep. She was happy to see us but looked like she couldn't wait for bedtime. She did get the small oxygen tanks so she claims she will be joining us soon.

19 ladies attended today. Sue Rei. brought in her finished table runner challenge. She did it in Christmas fabrics, fussy cutting the framed blocks. It was very pretty and reminded many of us that we need to get busy and make our challenge runner. I brought in a tote bag I made in a workshop last week. There was no pattern given out at this workshop--you were just on your own to make it up as you went along. Fortunately, I've made a few tote bags and knew the basic design and I brought along my African fabrics to use so my bag turned out pretty nice even if I do say so myself. Fran gave us an account of her Cuba trip. It sounded really interesting. Too bad it's so hard to get to Cuba. There were a lot of knitters today. Winter is coming, as is Christmas, so stockings, scarves and other warm items will be needed soon. Christmas luncheon has not been decided yet. I hope we have that set next week.

17 ladies attended today. I brought in my purchases from the International Quilt Festival as well as some fat quarter gifts. I had a great time, spent way too much money and got very sore feet but I'd go back again in a second! Kathy O. got one of her One-block Wonder quilts back from her daughter, the long-arm quilter. It was black and white and red and just beautiful! She also brought in her picture of her daughter with Linda Crannell and her sister Chris. Some of us know the Crannell girls as granddaughters of Betty Smith. It's really nice for Kathy's daughter and for Linda and Chris to have a friend from their old hometown where they are currently living. Edie Martin brought in about 10 quilts for Marguerite to take to Albany med for the terminally ill patients. Edie is a very productive quilter. We were all very impressed. Cathy M. is in the hospital today getting a pacemaker. Our thoughts are with her. Deb was back after a bad bout of fibromyalgia. And Pat L. is walking better every week. She didn't even have her cane with her this week. We still have had no sight of Fran. I'm still waiting to hear about Cuba. Maybe next week.

15 ladies attended today. Jo-Anne brought in a quilt she won in a raffle at a spinal cord benefit. It was a single Irish chain scrap quilt made by someone in the Delmar Q.U.I.L.T. group. It was very pretty. Elaine brought in her finished souvenir Grand Canyon table runner. It turned out perfectly! It's a wonderful remembrance of an amazing trip. Pat OR was back. She's been away a couple of weeks. She says Fran is indeed back and had a wonderful time in Cuba. She should be back to Nimblefingers next week. Diane C. brought in a friend today who needed some help with her crocheting so Pat L. and Marguerite gave her some advice. Pat L. reported that Deb is feeling very low with her fibromyalgia. Give her a call if you are able. I visited Marie last Friday. I helped her finish the quilt she has been working on. It is a two-sided quilt (both sides are beautiful) and the back quilt was not as big as the front quilt so I added on a large border. It's ready to go to the longarm quilter now. Tomorrow I am off to Houston to the International Quilt Festival. I'll meet my little sister there and we will take classes, look at the quilt show, spend lots of money at the vendors and have a few margaritas to celebrate! I know we will have a great time! When I come home I'll get together with Marie again and see if we can't get her quilt off to be quilted. I know she wants to have it in our February show.

20 ladies attended today--a big day! Linda H. is finished with the farmer's market so she was back after a long absence. Pat L. came in just 3 weeks after her 2nd knee surgery. She looked good and seemed much more optimistic about getting back to normal. Deb was also there. She took care of Pat after the surgery. Diane M. took the day off work to come in. She is moving to South Carolina in December so needs to use up her sick and vacation time at work. Jo-Anne, Diane and I have done the shop hops together for the last few years and I just don't think it will be the same without Diane at the wheel chauffeuring us around. Diane is also a calming presence when Jo-Anne and I find ourselves in a shopping frenzy. We're still eagerly awaiting Fran's return from Cuba. I'm afraid she missed her flight and is still there. I hope they have some fabric shops there or Fran will never survive! I was still telling my David Taylor workshop tales to those who didn't hear them last week. Jean brought in a cute tissue box holder that looked like a teapot. (I'll try to get the pictures in). She also had this little coin purse she bought some time ago made of one long zipper. It was soooo cool! I hope she does figure out how to make it so that she can teach all of us. Diane spent her summer in South Carolina inside the air conditioning sewing so brought in a quilt she made for her husband, a baby quilt and 2 small wall hangings. She says that's only some of the things she made. Diane also brought in some snowman ornaments made of the wrapped clothesline--just like the baskets we made in a workshop. It makes a cute little ornament. There was lots of talk today with so many people there. After Nimblefingers I went over to visit Marie to see how she was doing. Rosemary was there when I arrived so I got to check up on her too. Rosemary was feeling a little sore after an encounter with an SUV but will probably be back next week. Marie seemed to be in fine spirits. She's still waiting to get her portable oxygen so that she can get out of the house. I'm going to go over again to help her work on her quilt later this week.