Hello all, Mary Ellen here.

Back in January a challenge was thrown down to work on holiday gifts throughout the year instead of waiting for “crunch time” in November and December. The challenge was to make/finish one each month. How’s that working out for you?

I’m doing pretty well. But to be honest…I have a little extra help. I teach classes at a local quilt shop and am frequently making sample to use in teaching. I’ve gotten smarter about choosing the fabrics. I now pick them with someone on my gift list in mind. (I’ve got 3 completed gifts living at the shop right now.) That way the sample, when it’s returned to me from the shop, becomes a completed gift. If I know the sample will be still living at the shop after the gift occasion passes, then I choose the fabrics for the step outs with the giftee in mind. Those fabrics I try to choose from my stash. That helps to work on another goal of mine-using up the tremendous stash. I’m beginning to worry about whoever has to deal with my “stuff” after I go to the big craft room in the sky. It’s not just fabric I’m talking about. I have waaaaaaay too many hobbies and the “stuff” that goes with them.

This gift idea was in an e-mail from The Quilt Show this morning. The designer says she came up with it because of her curious cat. I think it’s darn cute anyway, being only a cat tolerater rather than lover. (Although my dog was very curious as a pup and ate a pin cushion which was loaded with pins, to the tune of several hundred dollars at the vet!) See what you think of her idea for someone on your gift list. Click here.