What? The world keeps turning ... even when you are immobile and in pain! Time stops for no one ... not even for Mrs. DillyDally! 😊 The local quilt guild hosts an annual Tea and Auction fundraising event every fall ... and the 2019 date was swiftly approaching. I needed to stop whimpering and get busy!
Went through my patterns ... seeking ideas and possibilities! Came across one of my favorite table toppers that I hadn't done in several years ... Terry Atkinson's
Happy Holidays! Perfect! Found fabrics from my stash and got busy cutting and piecing! This design goes together quick!
Before long I had it layered and was machine quilting. The fabrics each have a bit of metallic gold ... sew I pulled out my metallic threads!
It was finished ... and ready for someone's Holiday table!
I was really happy with the results ... and confess that I thought long and hard about how it would look on my Holiday dinner table. I resisted ... it was auctioned off. I knew while making my auction items that I would be in Anchorage for surgery during that time ... and sew ... would miss the fun!
The event has both a live and silent auction, so I usually make something smaller for the silent auction. While going through my Holiday fabric stash, I came across a few blocks left over from a panel ... they became a set of potholders!
On the back side they have loops, for those who like to hang potholders! A very fun project! Pretty potholders make such a nice gift!
White Christmas ... my favorite Holiday movie. In 2016, while visiting family in northern Minnesota, the local quilt shop had a sample of this on display. It stole my heart! I came home with the pattern and kit ... and so it has sat patiently for three years.
You can find the pattern here. It is a wool appliqué wall quilt ... so yes, the kit was an investment. It is also very traditional in color. I truly want to keep this for myself ... but it would make a great auction item.
DillyDalliers always find a way! Use the design, but make it contemporary rather than traditional looking! Back to my stash I went ... blue is my favorite color ... I have an abundance of blue Holiday fabric ... the fabrics had a metallic silver accent ...
... and
The Net Loft here in town has a wonderful selection on wool! It was meant to be!
I found the embellishments I needed in my stash ... silver rick rack, beads, and embroidery threads!
Eventually the top was pieced ... the appliqué and wool pieces were ironed on ... it was layered and ready to be quilted!
Back to the stash of metallic thread ... honestly ... is it legal to have this much fun while in pain? Not sure about legality, but it was a great distraction from the pain ... plus it made the days pass by more quickly!
I machine quilted all of the wool pieces down. Many will have opinions about that ... but ... my project, my rules! I used an iridescent thread that I was unable to capture with my phone camera, but I really liked the results! You can barely see it in the above pic. The snowflakes I hand embroidered with floss, metallic thread and silver beads ... again, hard to capture with the camera.
Flicka was ever attentive and
not at all helpful! Shiny thread and beads are difficult for a kitty to ignore. When I use my firm voice ... she usually tucks those little paws away. I love how this picture captures her restraint! Such a good kitty!
Finally ... it was done. In this pic, I am trying to capture the details in the top half of the wall quilt.
Attempted to capture details in the bottom half. Honestly ... I was completely in love with this wall quilt when I finished it! 💙
It includes all my favorite things ...
... and I had so much fun making it! Yep ... I found out that one can have fun, even when in serious pain! Good to know!
My friend from Minnesota donated this adorable book bag that she made to our auction! So nice of her to contribute! She is a soul mate ... and a blessing!
I truly had a hard time letting this project go up for auction! And obviously, so did Flicka! But it has a new home ... and I hope it brings joy to the family it serves!
The auction was very successful ... our guild can cover their scholarship costs and begin planning our next Rock Star event! A friend took a few pics for me, it was so fun for me to see some of the other items guild members had made and donated!
Our quilting community is so vibrant and supportive ... every guild member is generous with their talent ... I am grateful for the quilters and their influence in my dillydally life!
Do what you love! Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally
This pond served as a landmark while navigating Reykjavik back in 1980 ... this city has grown and evolved so much ... this natural landmark served us well again in 2019! We found Reykjavik to be a very walkable city ... our hotel was independently owned and had a central location. 
Half a block and around the corner ... look what we found! The Hand Knitting Society of Iceland! When we booked the hotel, we had no idea it was so closely located to this store ... providence at work!
I love that Icelandic sheep producers are working cooperatively together to protect the authenticity of their sheep related products! We fell in love with their insignia ... and all it represents! This was posted next to the door of the shop!
Walking into the store ... can only be described as magical!
Every garment was hand knit by an Icelandic citizen ...
... with authentic Icelandic wool!
I was swooning ... and because my mouth was open, probably drooling as well! 😉 It was overwhelming ... and that is an understatement!
Of the hundreds of sweaters in the shop ... this was my favorite!
Leaving the shop and looking left ... our next stop!
The Hallgrimskirkja!
This Lutheran church was designed in 1930 ... construction began in 1945 ... it was finished in the 1980's. It was not finished when we were here in 1980, so we were excited to visit!
I love the simplicity of Scandinavian inspired design. 
Light ... clear ... functional ... unadorned ... very authentic to the materials used and culture it represents.
The baptismal font ... gorgeous!
The pulpit ... beautiful!
The organ ... stunning! It was added in the 1990's funded by donations from the public. 
We really would like to attend a service here during our next visit to Iceland!
"Leif the Lucky" ... our son's namesake! 
On our way back to the hotel that night, we found these two in a gift shop window display. They perfectly reflect how we felt ... tired and happy! It had been our first time celebrating International Viking Day ... in Iceland ... providentially perfect!
