The Travelling PicStitch Bloghop

I can't believe it's already the end of November and my turn to post for the Travelling PicStitch Bloghop! I actually had quite a bit of trouble choosing a picture for this project as I tend to have more pictures of people than landscapes. After auditioning several pictures (including a lovely double portrait of me and a goat at the petting zoo) I came across this picture of Daddo and BabyBrother that the Momcat took on a trip they took out west a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure this picture is from their time in Rocky Mountain National Park.

As I mentioned in my sneak peek post last week, I decided to stick with my favorite English Paper Piecing pattern of Grandmother's Flower Garden. I used 3/4" hexagons from Paper Pieces, which is where I get all of my papers for English Paper Piecing. 

I used two different Stonehenge charm packs for the flower petals and red and white for the centers. I'm not sure how I'll put them all together. I laid them all out together but I'm not sure if it's too much and might not be better with a row of white between each flower. 

I have plenty of pieces left so I'll be able to figure it out-now to just find the time to sew some more flowers! 

This post is part of the Travellin' Pic Stitch Blog Hop.  From 1st October - 30th November we are hopping all over the world EPP-ing in some fantastic locations.  Check out the full list here and be sure to check out the other participants.

On 30th November it's over to you to link up for a chance to win these fabulous prizes!

Sponsored by Paperpieces.com, FabricwormPink Castle Fabrics ,  Marmalade Fabrics, the Fat Quarter Shop, WantItNeedItQuilt, and Aurifil.

Full details for competition entry can be found here.

Sneak Peek-Travelling PicStitch Bloghop

I'm super excited to be participating in my very first blog hop this month! Quokka Quilts has put together two month extravaganza event of blogs using English Paper Piecing to create blocks inspired by photographs. Details are on her Travelling PicStitch Bloghop page, including links to all of the blog participants and discounts from sponsors who specialize in English Paper Piecing supplies.

My day to host the bloghop isn't until November 27, but here's a sneak peek of what I've been working on this month. I can't wait to show the final project!

I'm pretty sure no one will be surprised to see I'm using hexagons. Is there a more perfect English Paper Piecing shape?

Have you ever participated in a bloghop? 

Christmas Decorations, Advent and a Student Party

A busy week here, as the semester wraps up and we celebrate the end of another successful semester. This Sunday we held a Christmas party of our new house with students from one of our new programs this year. 

We had both international and domestic students over, baking and decorating Christmas cookies, drinking hot chocolate and hot apple cider and listening to Christmas music. 

Some of the men also watched some football (Go Bears!)

It was a great opportunity for our international students to experience some aspects of Christmas in America-a new cultural experience for some of them. As our house is all decorated for Christmas, I 'm joining Kim over at her great blog Kim's Big Quilting Adventure for a holiday tour of my home:

The N-boy and I purchased a fresh evergreen wreath for our front door at the Farmer's Market. 

It smells just heavenly every time we open the door!

Along the staircase we have the Christmas Carol Rubber Ducks-Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim and the three ghosts. 

Christmas cards are lined up on the built in cabinet. 

Our Christmas tree is in the front room in front of our window. We already have presents underneath it!!

And on our buffet table (really used to store DVDs, CDs and extra linens), we have what the N-boy refers to as the "Marriage Tree" (a wedding gift), with some shiny Christmas baubles and candles. 

We decorate this sculpture for each season with appropriate things-Christmas ornaments, Easter eggs, Paper mache pumpkins, etc. 

We're sticking with our current decorations for this year, and will look for things to decorate the house more next year at the after Christmas sales. 

On the festive Advent front, my wonderful swap partner has been so kind to me! I've unwrapped a bag that can be used to make baked potatoes in the microwave. 

I can't wait to try it out!

Cute cupcake liners. I love baking cupcakes!

And an adorable pink keychain with a sewing machine charm attached to a yoyo. So cute!!!

Finished for Friday: Letters/ I Won a Giveaway! Woohoo!

This week I'm joining Threeundertwo over at Lit and Laundry again for her Finished for Friday. Unfortunately, my finishes this week are not nearly as spectacular as her TWO finishes, but I think they're good enough for me this week.

I finished writing three letters this week: a postcard to BabyBrother from the Harry Potter Exhibit (so keep a lookout for it, Babybrother), a letter to my Grandpa and a nice note to the Momcat.

I try to write to grandpa every week, but sometimes I miss a week or two. The Momcat says he really enjoys hearing from me, and it only takes a few minutes. He sometimes writes back, too, which is nice.

The other big news for today is that I won something on a giveaway! I'd entered Angela's giveaway on her blog MyThreeSons for a package of needles that were giving her trouble...
and I won!

She's making the cutest orange and pink star blocks that I just love. Be sure to check out the pictures of her studio, too. I think her idea of using a china cabinet for fabric storage is great!

Thanks so much, Angela!