As I started to pull boxes from storage (13 altogether), I realized that family circumstances this year were not going to allow me to unpack them all. So naturally the quilts came out first; full of applique work and fabric panels.
Old Timey Santa is one of my favorites.
I would have loved to live in the Victorian (Downton Abbey) era.
My children say that I never would have survived without a microwave. So, I just daydream about having servants to clean the house while I create crazy quilts, embroidery and stump work!
We have a fireplace that turns on with the flip of a light switch. It’s a great place to put favorite things on the mantle but not for realistic fires. We’ve had crocheted Christmas stockings for the children forever. My daughter recently married. Now I was stumped as to what stocking to hang for my new son-in-law. Help, I don’t remember how to crochet-too many years have gone by since I touched yarn. Anyone willing to help me re-create a crocheted stocking??
He thinks of himself as an urban cowboy. So, I made him a cowboy boot stocking. And no, not every Coloradan is a cowboy or knows how to ski.
Once it was up, I kept thinking of the Sesame Street song “One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong”. So, I made a high-heel stocking for my daughter-the city gal. Not enough time left this year, but the pattern for the two stockings will be out next year.
Time to set the formal dining room table. Apothecary jars filled with fake snow, ornaments and greenery. Check. 
I only use this room on the 3 major holidays-Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. Anyone else fall into this group? It would have made a great quilt studio, but hubby says he has to draw the line somewhere!
Oh, I found the ornament box that I bought last year in the after-Christmas sales!
What does a quilter use an ornament box for? Hint: not ornaments.
Teeny tiny fabric pieces of course! These are the "mosaic tiles" that I'm using to design my new series of quilt patterns called Mosaic Mini's. Coming soon to CCQ.
I found a few minutes to paint some watercolor Christmas cards. Will have to send them out tomorrow.
By now I’m exhausted and only one box emptied. Time for nourishment. Fudge!
I’ve had the job of making fudge since I was five years old. Mainly because it was easy and never fails (remember I’m a microwave kind of girl). Candy usually is a hassle to make because you have to watch the temperature when making it closely. This is my go-to fudge recipe because you just have to watch the clock. “Easy peasy”.
Jackie’s Fudge
All these many years I've cooked on an electric stove and this recipe is "never fail" If you have a gas stove, I'd probably reduce the cooking time from 5 minutes to 4.
Ingredients:
1 can carnation milk 3 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla 3 cups marshmallows
2 cups chocolate chips 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Grease (butter, Pam etc.) an 8” x 10” baking dish (I prefer glass)
- In a large non-stick pot, add carnation milk and sugar. Stirring CONSTANTLY, bring to a rolling boil. When this happens, it's time it for exactly 5 minutes (I use a clock that you can see the seconds on or stop watch).
- Remove from heat at immediately 5 minutes.
- Stir in vanilla, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Keep stirring until all dissolved. I usually have all this pre-measured so that I can stir in immediately before the sugar/milk cools down too much. Add walnuts (optional).
- Spoon into baking dish and let cool a bit (about ½ hour). Then place in fridge to help it set up.
- When fudge is firm, cut into 1” cubes and enjoy.
My husband has just informed me that he’s taking me away to Denver (all of 30 minutes from our house) for afternoon high tea and a "sleep over" at the Brown Palace (the unsinkable Molly Brown lived in Denver) and a night to see the lights and sights.
I hope you find your holidays memorable and a happy time of year. Next year I am going to try to slow the season down a little more and maybe not pack it all into one day!
BTW, do you have a favorite fudge or holiday cookie recipe? If you share it with me (info@coloradocreationsquilting.com), I’ll put it in the next blog post for all to enjoy.
Happy Quilting and Merry Christmas,
Jackie