Show and Tell - Looking back...

and SSS's revealed!!

January 2005

Jo-IN is busy busy preparing for Christmas as she has fun with that sewing machine some more.....

Took a class on programming on sewing machine screen - this is one of the many banners I've made since.  They are small - measure approximately 7" x 12" - depending on designs and how many lines of words I used.  Having so much fun with this magical machine!

 JO-IN

Leo - on his own scrappy quilt - lovingly made for him by JO-IN !!

The Opportunity Quilt rests comfortably now....

Our Secret Sewing Sisters - new very best friends.....

Another Exciting Moment with the Secret Sisters!   This lovely wall hanging was sent to Louie last year as the 'reveal' from her Secret Sister, PhyllisWA. It goes just wonderfully with Louie's country house. It is hard to believe the tiny paper piecing work. Each flying Goose block is approximately 1/2" square. And, yes, the tiny bird house doors are pieced. The wall hanging is 'squared'. Sorry about the photo making it look 'wonked'.

quiltDonalyn puts the stockings in place....

Remember those stockings quiltDonalyn showed us back in December????  Here is a photo of the Christmas Stockings Hanging at DD's House, with Rachael's and Lauren's. 

On December 16th Annie's SSS was sweating bullets.  Did the package arrive?  Where is she? Annie, won't you please come in to chat and open your gifts?

Annie was packing and getting ready for her Christmas Trip on Amtrak to Wisconsin, so her SSS knew she was busy, but this was important.  They had been emailing back and forth regarding the package that had been shipped on the previous Saturday- priority- but the post office's priority turned out to be more than two days; it turned out to be 5 days.

While SSS is in the chat room, waiting patiently for Annie's arrival, she is chatting with other chatters and finally has had it.  Pick up the phone and call her.  She is not escaping to the north without that darn package being open.  Reason, there were a couple of special gifts that she had to take with her!

So I - the SSS - pick up the phone and dial up Annie. No answer, just a machine that cut me off.  I was furious, darn machine,   I hung up and then picked up the phone and redialed.  Well guess what,  a human answered the phone!  Don't know if it was her DH or her son, but he said she was there and to hold on.  Annie then comes to the phone and I say very meekly, " Annie this is your SSS."  She said "Who?" I said again "Your SSS, did that package arrive?"  She said "Oh yeah, package arrived" and I said "Get into chat now, we need to open it now in chat."

So she says okay meet you there in a few and off we both go to chat.  I quickly change my name to SSSofTXAnnie2004 and in she comes.  Everyone is having a blast by then, waiting  patiently (? Editor notes: Really? LOLOL) for the packages to be opened.

The first picture is the gifts.

She finally opens the first of many packages, taking her sweet time, making us giggle and cry at the same time, but soon the table is turned on Annie - it is now to open a special package.  She slowly opens it and states out loud, "Its a quilt, it's gold, brown, wow, it's for who? Me?" 

 I finally tell her it is for Murphy, the man that was a roommate of her dad while he was in the Nursing Home.  She of course is now in tears not from laughing but from deep gratification.  That is one thing about Annie, she has a large heart and does give to all.

The last gift to be opened and she wants to save the paper, so I tell her okay we have all night.  Then she opens and it is another quilt, Lucky Stars made with batiks.  I mentioned on the card that there had been a disaster with this quilt.  Something was spilled on it after it was made and so in washer it went.  Well, I have learned even if you wash batiks before making anything with them put in some color catchers because the white that surrounded the stars was now tie dyed and it really didn't look bad, but I was heartstricken.  But, as always, Annie was delighted in receiving it. 

But the problem was she still did not know who I was.  Colleen? Glenda? Needles?  Who was I?.  We gave her three guesses and she was wrong each time.  Just as she is looking at the back of the quilt where the label was, she looked at the screen and saw my name and the label.  Boy, was she shocked.  She was flabbergasted in knowing that I kept myself a true secret till the last minute. 

So who was Annie's SSS? It was me - quiltDonalyn!

This program is so worthwhile and we have lots of fun scheming and planning our little surprises to our SSS's.

Thanks Annie for letting me help you this year, and being a true Sister.

Purple Hugs

quiltDonalyn (Annie's SSS 2004)

A close-up of the beadwork in the center of the pointsettia!