Let The Quilting Begin-and other stuff

I have the pieces embroidered for Danny's yearly birthday quilt, now I need to put them together, sew on the bindings, and start quilting. If you ever feel inspired to embroider teeny, tiny squares to look like a Monopoly board, I'll offer you some advice-don't. If you're really determined though, remember to leave adequate seam allowance (oops). Designing your own stuff is hard-why do I never buy a pattern?

Sort-of related: Danny wanted to take a sewing class, so next week he'll be learning to embroider from a "professional" that is, someone other than his mother. I'm not hurt, as I know a few basic stitches to get by with, and am a terrible teacher (sewing teacher, anyway. The jury is still out if I've screwed the kid up academically).  He's making a lovely dresser scarf for his grandmother as a Christmas gift, which I'm guessing she isn't expecting.

Know what I am good at? Decorating cookies. I've baked more gingerbread over the last week than anyone outside of Santa's Workshop ought to be baking. The cookies have been sealed in treat bags, tied with red ribbons, and hung on the tree. Yes, the tree is up-don't fret, it is artificial. If you're living with an artificial tree you bought for ten bucks at Goodwill several Christmases ago and it is starting to look a bit thin-bake cookies. The cellophane bags and ribbons when placed strategically do wonders to hide a tree that has seen better days. As a bonus, you always have Christmas cookies ready at a moment's notice. Glass ornaments are nice and all, but they taste terrible, and really shred the hell out of your mouth.

The birthday cake-you want to know what I'm doing, don't you? Of course you do. Monopoly. What did you think I was going to do, The Day the Earth Stood Still in cookies...wait...nevermind. So yeah, the cakes will be a a red hotel, and a green house. The decorated cookies will be the monopoly board, with properties fit together around it in small individual cookies (like the quilt). I'll try to do the title cards, but that may be ambitious. Oh well, it isn't like I'm trying to depict the siege of Troy in cake...shit. Nevermind.

Thanksgiving was nice though. A welcome rest, didn't have to do dishes. Had beautiful coffee mugs to match my china pattern to enjoy at dessert (thank you again Janice-we just love them!). Now we have tooth extractions (Danny), concerts, plays, Flamenco dancing, sewing classes, and while I might grumble a bit, I really do love being busy with fun things to do. My house may look like Martha Stewart puked gilt all over the walls, but eh, whatever-Danny likes that sort of thing.

 *Sob*. I'm not getting any sleep at all for the next few weeks, am I? No, I mean I know I'm not. Am I? You're probably not either. Are you? Of course you're not.

Awright-that quilt ain't gonna piece itself...