Some pics and progress

I have been sewing and working on the studio the past couple of nights.  I finished some napkins I started several years (yes!) ago - bought the Marimekko fabric and put it away for napkins, made a couple, then forgot about it!  Anyway, I got them done and ready for Thanksgiving! 
I'm also posting the pic of the table runner - it is quilted, bound and already on the table!  My middle daughter has admired it and may end up with it!  It all depends on how attached to it I get!

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I have so much to do to get ready for the big day.  I am already getting food prepared and frozen for dinner, but for some reason this year, I'm not as worried about getting everything ready.  Is this what happens when you get older - you just do what needs to be done without a lot of fussing over every detail?  I'm going to enjoy having family around the table and being thankful for each and every one of them,  even though some can't be here this year. 

Finally.....

I've been very busy and distracted, so I haven't posted in a while. 
Where to start????
I spent last weekend at a Quilt Retreat with several friends from my small quilting group.  It was a much needed time to just sit and sew and relax and visit with friends.  My batteries have been recharged and I am ready to get busy again!  I pieced a table runner using a fun ruler called "Lil Twister" that I got from The Country Schoolhouse (http://www.country-schoolhouse.com/twister_tool.htm).  I'll post a pic when I get it quilted - it was fun and turned out really well.  Now I want the bigger tool because I bought some 10" squares that are scrumptious and would look great using this tool.  During the retreat, I also put a border on a baby quilt and worked on an applique project -not a ton of work accomplished, but enough.  The company of friends and the wonderful food made the weekend complete!

I have a friend's quilt on the Gammill right now - again I will post a pic later. It has embroidered butterflies on squares alternating with a purple print.  I tried to echo quilt the butterflies, but it looked terrible, so I frogged the echo lines and am now micro stippling the squares.  Much better. The purple squares are being quilted with a sort of meander with points.  I'm using Glide thread which I am loving!    I should finish it by this weekend.  (I know - I'm slow, but I also have a regular day job, and  loving husband and dog and chickens.....not to mention wonderful children and grandchildren.)

On Tuesday evenings, I do volunteer work at our local library.  Besides checking out and shelving books,  I also teach a quilting class.  It is very informal - we usually have just a few people who show up each week.
We started with English paper piecing, and have worked on that for a while.  I demonstrated a floating four patch block for one session, and gave each person a chance to make one herself.  Next week I plan on having a session to talk about favorite sewing and quilting tools.  Since we don't have a classroom in our small library, we just set up a table in the library.  We get questions and comments from other patrons, which is a great way to promote quilting!