Happy New Year!

For our wedding this past year, we had Scottish guests who brought us this medallion as a gift...

It seems that it's a wish for prosperity. A lum meaning a chimney....so may you never be without fuel for your fire to heat your home.

So, Happy New Year, and Lang may yer lum reek!

I happen to have a husband who follows the Daily Mail out of the UK. I have just been informed that one of the newly proclaimed super foods for this year is....

 black pudding!!! Can you imagine??? When I was a little girl, we would often have black pudding on a Sunday breakfast as a treat. I loved it! My mom had to ration it out carefully so that all four sisters got their fair share.

Then when I was grown I saw that it is also called blood pudding and couldn't eat it for quite a long time!

There's a British shop in Burlington that does a nice black pudding. Maybe we'll have to get out there and buy some....since it's a superfood and all, right?

I'm excited for the new year, and a little overwhelmed, since I am taking on a few new projects/challenges.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2016

For a long time, I've read on Kathy's blog all about her enjoyment of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Each month this group focuses on a certain colour scrap from the stash and make blocks in that particular colour. I'm in! To find out more about this challenge, follow the RSC16 button on the right-hand side of my blog page.

365 Challenge

Another new one is the 365 Challenge. A few of us are taking part in this one....as well as many (7000!) quilters around the world. So many that when the first block was published on New Year's the server was overwhelmed and crashed! It's all figured out now and here are the first two blocks...

Also, to commemorate the new year, we were given an advanced block to try....

Keep in mind that these blocks are only 3" finished! A stiletto comes in handy when sewing these blocks together!

Evidently, we are starting with simpler blocks and working our way up in difficulty.

Quilty 365

I am linking up with Quilty Folk today for her January Quilty365 Link-up (also known to me as my Day in My Life!).

I began my daily Quilty365 on November 13, 2015 and have just now put all my completed blocks on the design wall for the first time in a long while. I like it!

There are 47 hearts here in the picture and I have 3 or 4 more that need stitching.

I am still glad I started in on this project and hope I can keep it going for the full year. I'm also enjoying the search for the perfect fabric each day as it takes me back to some old favourites that I haven't used in a while. I actually hesitated using up the last of a particular favourite...I didn't want it to be all gone! How silly is that?...but then I'm sure many quilters can relate.

That Town and Country Quilt

This one I don't think I'm taking part in, but I have to admit I'm thinking about it a little bit. You can see a little video on this quilt HERE. This is also a Block of the Day for 2016 and has 365 little 4" house blocks. I am always so intrigued by house quilts (dammit).

This one is actually fusible, raw-edge applique, which I haven't really done much of in the past.

I'll put a plug in for my local quilt shop, Quilt Junction in Waterford. My friend, Lana, the owner of Quilt Junction is involved in this project by starting a support group for the quilt, as well as offering a starter kit for the quilt. This makes it even harder to resist!

I think the fact that I've already got so many projects on the go should be enough to stop me from joining in on this one......we'll see!

Slow Stitching

Of course, it wouldn't be Sunday without a mention of my morning applique. I really thought that by now in my Christmas break I would have been able to find the time to do the prep work on the next border of AuntieGreen, but nope, have not!

So I've been able to enjoy getting caught up on my little hearts ....

and a bit of stitching on my Life is Beautiful....which I had almost forgotten about.....

I hope everyone has had a lovely start to 2016....and will join me in the quest to carve out a bit of each day for a little bit of piecing! Wouldn't that be nice?

Visit with Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts to see what others are slow-stitching today!

Have a great day!