A Quilting Start to the New Year

A Christmas Present Arrived Today

I will let you see what I got in the mail today from Nikki. Nikki is a young lady I met in Taiwan who crochets whenever she can. She is a friend of my daughter and son-in-law and she is visiting them in Dallas. Nikki was our tour guide when we went to the garment district in Taipei and here is the present that arrived today. 

These are crocheted coasters for teacups (or mugs) that she made. 

And a can of black tea!

This lovely dragon fabric will be put to use when I make a purse.
It is heavier and just right for a purse.

And these beautiful floral prints are a heavier fabric
and will become purses or perhaps home decor items.

New Year's Day Quilt Along

Mary May of Merry Mayhem's Mystery Quilts is again having a Quilt Along on New Year's Day and I am joining. I have done this for a few years now (when it was hosted by Planet Patchwork which is no longer in business) and it has been fun. I am happy Mary decided to continue this tradition. The pattern steps are revealed every hour and by the time the day is done, so is the quilt top! Click the link HERE to find out what it is all about. 

So I have begun the preparation steps. I chose to use creams for my background colors instead of the blues. I cut the fabric for the half square triangle blocks from my tote of scrap fabrics.

I am now sewing, pressing and trimming those pieces and eagerly awaiting New Year's Day. 

Some of my scraps were larger than the background blocks;
but since I would have to square them to size after sewing,
I decided not to make extra work and
will trim the excess off when I square them up.

Only a portion of the many blocks ready to trim.

Small stack of trimmed blocks.

What will you be doing on New Year's Day? Leave a comment and let me know.

And. . . . . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!