SewCalGal Christmas Party

SewCalGal is hosting a virtual and an actual Christmas Party today, complete with pictures, prizes and a nifty little linky to take you to other blogs/sites to see more party fun!

I'm actually about to leave to attend the face-to-face party so will share photos and more when I return.  My son's girlfriend has decided to come too so it will be a jolly afternoon!

My Quilting
I've been piecing for about 4 years, free motion quilting for about 2 years.  I'm on and off with having the fabric and sewing machine out so I've done that over the past 22 years!  In 2010 I decided to try quilting again and found so much support online!  I discovered that there was a name for the type of quilting I liked - liberated piecing and free motion quilting.  Doing the monthly block lotto challenges for 2010 really got me comfortable with cutting, and sewing again and then after a while I jumped in and started doing free motion quilting - I picked the beginner designs from The Free Motion Quilting Project and made a few charity quilts.  I've also arrange a virtual Liberated Round Robin that you are all welcome to join in!  (If you'd like to be on the list to get information use the form on the site.)  Seems now I'm back to a stage where I'm not sewing every night, but like everyone reading this I have plenty of projects to finish and to start!

Me
I live in San Diego. For my childhood, Christmas was a fun, grand affair with lots of aunts and uncles and cousins crowded into our house for an afternoon meal and time together.  The aunts and uncles are gone now, and the cousins are all off on their own, but we either share the day with friends or have a happy time with just us.  I'm looking forward to cookie or gingerbread house decorations and time for chatting this year!

The SewCalGal Party Beyond where I parked the car, a beautiful day.	Entrance to the Mission Bay Yacht Club
The other side of where I parked.	SewCalGal is in the center of this photo - standing in the back dressed in black with short hair.  These ladies at the table, were from the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild. They were not doing the FMQing challenges but had checked the website and found out about the party that way.  This was a potluck - lots of delicious casseroles and fudge! I unfortunately always seem to forget to ask people to smile...
After initial eating, chatting and doorprizes (We won a packet of material and a kit to make jewelry) we went to the next room to see a demo of a die cut cutting system.  Sizzix works pretty much the same as a GO but is less expensive.	SewCalGal had brought some other cutters and had examples of different project.  Somehow she was able to use the cut outs  to etch designs on glasses! After this we returned to the first room and heard about the two projects: Operation Home Front and Champagne Quilters.  Both presentations were well done, and confirmed that this was a terrific set of projects to help. There were boats sailing by out the window. Then the  final raffle tickets were drawn. I won the Sharon Craig Half Log Cabin book. (A method I sort of helped test I think thru a LQS my first time piecing projects.  I was supposed to make a lap sized quilt but I was such a fun way to make a block that I made enough for a king sized quilt!)

My photos are lacking, and I'm sorry about that.  At the very end was a photo I should have taken, when people were getting their casserole dishes back there were several different quilted patterns that had been used to make them easy to carry - that would be a fun present to make someone!
I'm pretty sure this is one of the patterns:
http://northerngirlboutique.blogspot.com/2010/11/recipe-gift-giving.html

It was a very nice way to spend the afternoon. I will approach the San Diego Modern Quilting Guild and Operation Home Front to see how I can get more involved when we return from our sabbatical in Boston!  Everyone was very friendly so I could have attended alone, but it make much nicer to be with my son's friend.  Maria has posted the URL to her photos in the comments below!

Having a party to collect gifts and donations is a terrific way to celebrate the holidays.
Bravo Darlene (SewCalGal)!  Thank you for a nice afternoon!