Winter giveaway & thank you!
As 2023 comes to a close, I find myself feeling a little nostalgic and very blessed. Even though there is the stress and (sometimes) chaos that comes with the holidays, I have this peaceful space to share my creativity and this quilting community that I know will always be there. I am so thankful that.
To show my appreciation, I’m having a Winter giveaway! There are two prize packages available so there will be two winners. All of the details to enter the giveaway are given at the end of this blog post.
Prize package 1
The first bundle of goodies includes 12 fat quarters from the Stitched fabric collection by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda Fabrics, 3 spools of Scanfil Organic thread (30 wt.) and 1 pattern (Freesia) by It’s Sew Emma.
Prize package 2
The second bundle of goodies includes 12 fat quarters from the Hope Blooms collection by Deb Strain for Moda Fabrics, 3 spools of Scanfil Organic thread (50 wt), and 1 pattern (Marseille) by It’s Sew Emma.
Giveaway Info
NOTE: To leave a comment, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this blog post (NOT from my home page), and look for the rectangle that says “Enter your comment here”. Please be sure that I can contact you immediately through your email. If I choose your name but don’t receive a reply from you within 48 hours, I will choose another winner.
Here are the giveaway rules:
- To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite Winter or holiday activity.
- You must comment by 11:59 pm PST on Sunday, December 31, 2023.
- One comment per person.
- Giveaway is open to US residents, however, if an international winner is chosen, you’ll receive three PDF patterns from my Etsy Shop.
- Winners will be chosen at random.
Due to the high volume of comments, I won’t be able to reply to you (unless there is a direct question), but I will read each and every one. Thank you in advance for your participation and for leaving a comment.
Happy Holidays!
I’ve been baking cookies, wrapping gifts and trying to enjoy every stage of this holiday time. Our first group of kids came home today, and now I want to slow the clock down. We have a three-day overlap when all of the kids and grandkids will be here together and we are so excited! I hope you have the very best Christmas/holiday that you can imagine!
Can you elaborate on the process of selecting winners for the Winter giveaway and how they will be announced? Greeting : Telkom University
Whenever it snows, we take out our snowshoes. Its even more fun to go at night with head lamps on.
My favorite holiday activity is walking thru our city’s River of Lights display that takes place every year in our Biopark.
Julie, Had a crazy bout with a protruding disc and sciatica pain the last 2 weeks! Looking at quilt pictures has been my go-to calming method BUT so frustrated that I can’t sew! As always, I look forward to whatever you have to say/show me! XOXO Daisy
Hello
I’ve just started rekindling my quilting interests. My favorite activity is still being discovered, but I love looking forward to spring, catching up on a good book and sitting by the warm glow of the fire.
Happy New Year and I look forward to learning lots from you.
Hi Julie,
Happy New Year! There are lots of things I like about the Holiday season: special times with family and friends,
cards and calls from far away family, and the good smells of the season. I think my favorite thing though is the quiet time in the sewing room, to evaluate the past year’s projects and select new ones for the first part of the new year. I never get everything that I’d planned finished, so there is always a place to begin.
Thanks, Julie for all the posts and good info.
Sandy Rich
Just starting my journey as a quilter. Love your website and all the inspiration you are giving me.
The holidays give me an opportunity to combine listening to Christmas music while creating presents for family and friends. That’s what brings me joy!
One of my favorite winter activities is going to LightScape, the light show at the Chicago Botanic Garden, with my adult children and my grandkids. All of us, young and old, find joy there.
Christmas is my favorite time of year and baking Christmas cookies is my favorite activity. I bake about 10 different types of cookies and then share them with family, neighbors, and coworkers. My second favorite activity is sewing with Christmas-themed fabric – placemats, tabletoppers, quilts, wall hangings, etc.
It’s different people each year. Some come and some are other places. I like having a light dinner with everyone, with candles lite, instrumental music on low, the christmas lights lite, and good conversations.
We always do a Christmas puzzle.
My favorite thing about the Christmas holiday is the family gatherings, seeing ones that we haven’t seen in awhile. If we are unable to meet up with them we always have a conversation with them over the phone. Not quiet the same but it is something we make an effort to do. We have a large family, combined we have 9 children, 19 grandchildren and last count 26 great grandchildren. Several years ago I made 14 quilts for the great grandchildren during a 2 1/2 year time frame. Needless to say I couldn’t keep up with the new ones, but I have recently retired from a full-time job and will be trying to catch up with the great grands and maybe the grandchildren might even get a quilt. LOL! You help keep me inspired to continue my quilting, it is my connection to my grandmother. She quilted up until 1 1/2 years before she passed away. Thank you for the encouragement and ideas.
Love your website and the things you make. I am always looking forward to new posts.
Family gatherings around the holidays are my favorite thing.
My favorite winter activity was making snowmen and snowball fights with my girls, even when they became adults with children of their own.
My favorite holiday activity is to bake pumpkin bread in a Santa Loaf pan & chocolate crinkle cookies for our 10 neighbors in the cul-de-sac. My daughter helps with the baking & my husband personally delivers the packages. Its our way to show how grateful we are to live here and it helps us reflect on how blessed we are. We do this every year before the family get togethers start. The neighbors let us know how much they look forward to the goodies every year. We bring out such goodwill, I feel so thankful to make people happy with my small offering.
My favorite winter activities include reading, watching movies, sewing, and finding peace at a slower pace with loved ones.
My favorite holiday activity is our Christmas Eve party. We travel to the party to celebrate with family in a relaxed atmosphere, playing games, catching up on life and enjoying the young ones in the family with their “extra energy” and enthusiasm of the upcoming Christmas day. I love this precious time, more and more each year. As each year passes we have lost some that we have loved for years that we now share memories of with each other, while welcoming new little ones into our family. A Joyous time for all of us to relish.
My favorite winter activity is sitting in front of a cozy fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa in PJ’s and thick fuzzy socks.
The Crafty Quilter is my favorite Website. I have many of their patterns, all of which I love, several of which I have finished with many thanks. Looking forward to 2024 and wishing you a Happy New Year!
Click On The Given Link To Read More Such Post.
https://getblogour.com/jeinz-macias-talented-story-a-creative-force-in-the-spotlight/
I love spending Christmas Eve with my family. Thank you for all that you have shared, you inspire me.
Hi! During the Christmas holidays, I like to bake ginger cookies, decorate the house, spend time with my family and, of course, sew in cozy evenings
Hi Julie! My favorite holiday activity is shopping for gifts for a needy child. My work has a giving tree every year and with no small children in the family everyone wants money! We still get together to decorate cookies and that is also a favorite. Thank you for the chance to win!
My favorite Christmas activity has become the seasonal Advent calendars. Because our family is global, it’s hard for all of us to gather for the holidays. Our solution has been for everyone to participate in some type of Advent Calendar. This year I was gifted a quilting calendar. Every day each member of the family posts a video of opening their gift of the day. Needless to say videos end up including babies crawling around, dogs howling in the background, cats jumping up on counters….all the happenings that would take place if we could gather together. I’m so grateful for the coming together we all experience.
Thank you for another year of fun projects on the blog! While I haven’t had much time for sewing in the last few years, I do feel so much inspiration from you and many other quilters out there. The fabrics, colors and patterns have come such a long way through the years, and I hope to find more time to tackle some and put my lovely Juki to use. Thanks for organizing the giveaway and Happy Holidays to you!
As someone who is wheelchair bound l love going into the forest with family and there dogs then coming home to something warm to drink then after good food followed by fun and games I settle down with something to saw including repairing dogs toys time to all settle down with needle in hand.
Love all the Christmas songs and hymns.
Thanks for your blogs and all things that you’ve shared.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
I love driving around and looking at the holiday lights…especially the few days after Christmas when I am no longer rushed with last minute stuff – mostly self-imposed 😉 !! Happy New Year!
I absolutely love everything about Winter. The weather is perfect for quilting and creating, enjoying a fire in the fireplace, cuddling under a quilt, reading a book on a quiet afternoon. I also love it for making homemade soups and stews.
I have so enjoyed being a part of the crafty quilter. When I think of Christmas I get a bit stressed and then I think of the reason we are celebrating. The birth of our Lord and Savior. I live by my self so it is much quieter than it used to be. Hopping you had an joyable Christmas. Lois
Thank you, Julie! My favorite winter activity is, of course, sewing! I love designing/making Quilty gifts for my friends. Lynne Stucke [lynnstck{at}yahoo.com]
Making cookies with my Daughter and Grandkids.
Making and giving gifts!
Thank you for the giveaway…. hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas together.
My favorite Christmas activity is decorating the tree with all the ornaments collected over the years reminding me of previous fun times while sipping sherry and listening to Christmas songs.
My favorite Christmas activity is making cookies, both decorated and pressed. Then I have friends and family come to share coffee and cookies. I also like to decorate my home with quilted mats and runners I have made over the years. Happy New Year to you and your family.
My favorite time in winter is just after sunset on a quiet day. Change in to jammies make hot cocoa and pick up a book.
Settling by the fire in the living room with some soft music!! No hustle or bustle and if it might be snowing that would be icing on the evening.
Living in Vermont our favorite activity in the winter months is getting out in the cold weather but not too cold! The beauty of the woods or heck the city streets covered in snow is magical! In order to make it through the winter here you have to appreciate the beauty winter has to offer. So, Merry Christmas, Happy Winter!
Merry Christmas Julie Cefalu Yes prep for the Festivities of Christmas has been hectic but fulfilling But now I am ready to get at my sewing and finish ufprojects that could have been gifts I did get a few decorations outside which made me happy
Greetings Julie … for me, being British, but living in America and now celebrating Thanksgiving as well – (in England we have a Harvest Festival in September to celebrate the blessing of the Harvest and children bring fruit and vegetable to the church service) but Christmas really is our immediate family get-together time.
Weeks before, the mischievous elves can be found having got up to antics over-night during those weeks before Christmas … and the youngsters have to find where they are and what they have done/Advent Calendar (preferably with chocolates under each opening) midnight carol service if we can stay awake/and in the morning opening presents under the ornamented Christmas tree whilst still in pj’s. Salmon and scrambled eggs, cream cheese and capers on bagels for breakfast … huge traditional lunch of roast turkey with multiple vegetables, Christmas pudding and mince pies then the Queen’s (now The Kings Speech for the first time in my living history) on TV. Games in the afternoon and evening, enjoying our new gifts and crashing to bed early with very full tummies.
My favorite part of Christmas is spending time with people I actually like and want to be with. This Christmas has been extra special as we have spent it with friends that have become family through the years. We have celebrated by doing simple things like making cookies together, playing silly games, eating and watching movies. Simple things but great memories in the making.
Favorite winter activity — setting up the tree – decorating it with ornaments that I
have had for decades and unpacking all sorts of other holiday items to make the
house look festive. I leave the decorations up well into January — the happy colors
make the days seem less gray and cold.
I love Christmas baking – special things we only get at Christmas time!
I like getting out and about with my dog as she loves colder weather. We walk one of the local trails. Of course if it’s too cold or too snowy, I stay in and sew, piece, or quilt.
I love baking Christmas cookies and working on making a photo album with this year’s photos. Merry Christmas!!
My favorite holiday activity is participating in our community celebration called Dickens of a Christmas, which features craft markets, food vendors, music, and lots of folks in Dickensian dress strolling the streets of our small town.
Favorite winter activities are many: reading, sewing without interruption and playing cards.
In Tge town we live in the kickoff for the Christmas Season is to go to The Lighted Christmas Parade. Held the first Saturday evening in December.
Many attend to see Decorated Christmas/winter theme floats with lights as well as cars, trucks and even some animals!! It’s a favorite beginning to the Christmas season !
You are always such a pleasure to read and see your family. You seem like such a peaceful woman. Hope you have the best Holiday Season and happy, healthy New Year.
Carol Elliott
Love to get up early go down to my sewing room (which is part of or walk out where my husband & I spend most of our time) and put all my decorative mini lights on and spend time at my sewing or embroidery machine.
Sending wishes to you and your beautiful family
for a wonderful Christmas and Happy, HEALTHY (!) New Year?
Many thanks for your blog… your amazing hints for a better quilting process, links for products, projects, and all around wonderful content. I have learned so much and look forward to each issue!!!
Take good care!
Melissa, Kalaheo
Being with friends and family and have enough time to spend at my sewing machine
My favorite holiday activity is to make as much time as possible for my grown kiddo’s! Oh and hitting the Topsy’s popcorn store the day after Christmas is the only must do that I have on my list!
In the winter I want to be indoors, in the warm, and hopefully doing some sewing!
My favorite winter activity is making cookies to share with my family.
The second giveaway contains the quality Moda holiday fabric.
I especially enjoy your emails with the latest news as you juggle all your activities.
My favorite holiday activity is baking goodies & delivering them to friends & family.
My favorite holiday activity is performing in Handel’s Messiah. I also enjoy making and delivering small gifts to our church’s home bound.
My favorite thing about the holiday season is creating handmade gifts from fabric and thread. Making them with heartfelt sentiments in my warm cozy sewing room! ❤️
Decorating cookies is my favorite, second only to eating them.
My favorite activity is decorating a gingerbread house with our grandson and daughter. Our grandson is now 18, and still enjoys the activity.
My favorite winter activity is curling up on the sofa with my cats and a hand sewing project!
I like the baking this time of year. We get together for the Christmas cookies.
My favorite traditions have changed over the years as my children have grown and flown the coop. However, the one that remains is the (live) tree shopping with my husband and stringing the lights onto the tree (after it has “rested”) together (since he can reach the top and I can’t ). We usually have something Christmas-y playing in the background, whether it’s music or a movie (Die Hard all the way! lol). Wishing you and your the Merriest of Christmases!
Favourite activity CAROLLING followed by a bonfire with hot chocolate. To me this is warmth for the body, soul, and spirit.
Merry Christmas! Your my favorite blog! My favorite Christmas activity is making Christmas Cookies!
My favorite activity is having all of my family home for Christmas. I enjoy the baking and playing games with the family.
I love to ride around and see the Christmas lights.
My favorite winter activity is quilting. When the holidays are over I’ll get busy making quilts. I have plans to save a quilt to hand quilt while listening to podcasts or audiobooks. Totally relaxing for me.
My favorite holiday activity is singing in the choir for Christmas Eve mass.
Julie, My favorite activity for Christmas is riding around looking at the Christmas decorations in everyone’s yards. I have been doing this since I was 5 years old, some 70 years. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I love baking Christmas cookies this time of year, and also listening to holiday music.
Have a very merry Christmas, Julie!
Hi Julie, my teacher and my daughter’s teacher,
Happy holidays to you and your family.
I have enjoyed your blog in the past years. I get inspirations from your ideas and tutorials.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing such an awesome giveaway, and Merry Christmas to you! My favorite winter activity is skiing!
I retired to the South from Chicago so that I wouldn’t have much Winter. Still we do have some cold. Favorite winter activity at this point in my life is staying warm, quilting, sitting by the fireplace and waiting for spring. Thanks for the chance to win.
Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family together. One of my favorite activities during Christmas is singing carols, even better to go caroling, which we did tonight. It was great.
My favorite “Holiday” activity is seeing family and friends and “catching up” on all their news and happenings. It is a very special time of year for me as I age.
Every Christmas I enjoy making an ornament to give to family and friends. This year I had used the smitten mittens pattern by my 3 sisters. The mittens are adorable ! Merry Christmas !
My favorite time is baking with my precious grandchildren. They are getting better and better. Enjoy the days when you have them close
I love making ornaments to decorate our tree! And making lots so they can be shared!
Baking cookies
One of my favorite activities is I like to cycle when there is no snow on the ground and if I can’t do that I like to be at my sewing machine!
My favorite winter activity is going for walks when we get a nice heavy snow. It brings a peace & calmness to my heart. Baking goodies for my family is also a favorite.
My favorite Christmas activity is spending time with family & friends!
My favorite winter activity is hiding away in my sewing room and working on sewing/quilting projects and making Christmas ornaments for the family members for next Christmas.
My favorite holiday activity is decorating the tree and making delicious cookies. Then sitting back and enjoying being with my family and friends.
If it’s snowing I like to stay inside, put some soup on and sew.
I love sitting with all the lights off except for the Christmas tree, looking at all of the ornaments and reminiscing about the memories associated with them. Happy holidays!
My favorite holiday activity is baking cookies. I don’t always make the same ones, but if someone requests a specific recipe, that will be added to the mix. It’s so much fun to fill pretty plates with a selection of treats and pass them out to neighbors and friends! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Julie.
My favorite Holiday activity is decorating the tree with my grandson. Thank you for your generous giveaway.
My favorite winter activity is to attend the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California along with many family members and friends every January 1st.
Having to do with quilting, our Flying Geese Quilt Guild Christmas party is always fun; food is brought by members. This year we shared something that we made in the past or present. I had an item that was done in trapunto, a Christmas tree wall hanging. I always put a label on it and to my surprise, it was done in 2005. I did not realize that I have been quilting that long. What history that I have with all that I have made, given away, and kept. Merry Christmas.
Hi Julie!
I just love all your patterns and can’t wait for the new year to begin to get started on my stash! I had both thumb joints replaced this year and it has been an insane recovery period! Still in a splint for the next few weeks, but that doesn’t stop me! Working on the binding of 3 quilts as I comment, a bit late for Christmas but they understand how the year has gone! Have a Blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year!
Cathi
My favorite holiday activity is being with my spread-out family. This year we’re in SoCal with 2 sons & families. Next year we’ll remain in TN with our daughter and family. The following year we plan to be in WI with our older daughter and family. Miss our days of all being together .
I love cooking for & eating with my family the most. This year some are away in Poland so it will be a small but still great celebration with my younger son. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!
Making Christmas cookies is my favorite thing to do, however this year I plan on instuting a new holiday tradition. Listening to a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I like that it teaches that giving is more important than receiving and that Love is the most important give of all.
I love being with family and passing on our holiday traditions. Once we are into January there’s more baking and settling into winter sewing!
During winter I love to plan a new quilt or finish up what I have started. It is so quiet and peaceful and while sewing I can think of my next project. Sometimes it will be curled up in a chair in front of the fireplace looking through fresh quilt ideas!! Your bundles have the creative juices flowing!! Thank you for having such great prizes available for followers. Blessings on you and yours!! Kathy
My favorite winter activity is sitting in front of the fire while I cut a new project out. I also really enjoy our Christmas Eve service at church. My son and his family come to our house for dinner after the service. It is a special time.
I really enjoy decorating for Christmas, it always brings a warm feeling . I love following your blog , lots of interesting info and lovely projects . Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Making Christmas cookies with the family ❤️
My favorite thing to do for the holidays is making all of our favorite Christmas cookies with my daughter and granddaughter while Christmas carols are playing in the background.
Love driving with my husband and looking at all the holiday lights and decorations in the nearby neighborhoods. Often if the weather was really cold, I’d take along some hot chocolate.
I love taking a walk on new fallen snow, coming inside to a bowl of homemade soup and eating while snuggled under my favorite quilt in front of the fire. Just thinking of it now makes me long for snow.
My favorite winter activity is quilting and of course spending time with family.
Have a very Merry Christmas, Julie, with the whole family!
My favorite winter/holiday activity is making Christmas gifts
for family and friends….getting too old for the outdoor
activities
2024-
Let’s quilt more!
My favorite holiday activity is eating fresh Dungeness crab with family and friends!
My favorite holiday is gathering my family around the table for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of oyster soup, appetizers and dessert.
My 1st most favorite Christmas activity is getting together with family. But my 2nd most favorite is digging out my Christmas fabrics and making quilted items – gifts, decorations, wrappings, etc.
Happy Belated Birthday!
After reading Gail Holt’s response, I was reminded of my favorite childhood Christmas activity which was attending the Christmas Eve service at church with my whole family. My one uncle would always walk in late and stand right next to me, grinning down at me, winking. The service included each person holding a lit candle in the darkened church as we all sang Silent Night.
Sadly, I know of no church where I now live that has any Christmas Eve service at all.
…sitting by the fire, with a glass of wine and watching the snow fall
Good Morning and Merry Christmas to you. You are so sweet to do something like this. I do want to let you know that I love your patterns. I have been making your potholder for a few years and everyone that gets one (or 2) love them. The pattern is the one with the little mushroom in the center the star. Everyone also loves your cookie plate crumb catcher. I’ve made them for different holidays. Thank you for all you do.
Happy New Year as well.
I love the music this time of year! So many traditional and new Christmas songs. I like to see the decorations and lights in the neighborhood. I like receiving Christmas Cards; I just need to get better at sending more myself. (time is a factor)
I appreciate the chance to get win this prize! What fun! Thank you!
One favorite thing is a nice walk in fresh fallen snow when everything is quiet!
My favorite thing is to spend time with family and friends – just being together and talking, or enjoying a meal, and just being grateful for the opportunity to be with them. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thanks Julie! My favorite winter activity is seeing snow from the comfort of my warm home. Happy holidays!!!
Enjoy your emails. Great patterns and ideas
Hi Julie! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
My favorite holiday activity doesn’t include playing in the snow..don’t like being cold and wet , so it’s a good thing I live in California! But I do like to go see a live performance of The Nutcracker Ballet A total stress reliever for me.
still developing skills in quilting. However, every gift this Christmas was hand made for each person.
When my Mother was alive, we would always gather in the living room and sing while she played the piano after eating and opening presents. Everyone would sing and I now have those memories to listen to and cherish.
My favorite holiday activity is being with family! We have traditions…parties, food, stories, games that we look forward to each year. It’s a treasured time.
My favorite holiday activity is thinking warmly of family and friends as I write cards or make crafty items for them.
Grace
It is a custom in many households, especially those of Polish heritage, to begin the Christmas Eve meal by sharing oplatki which is an embossed wafer especially made for this occasion. The head of the household begins by dipping a piece in honey and passing it around to all those around the table saying something encouraging or a blessing or simply, Merry Christmas. All those in attendance do the same. It can also be a time of reconciliation. This is my favorite Christmas custom.
Hi julie, I would love that as an Xmas present!
Decorating the tree is the best. Happy Holidays to you, Julie!
Celebrating Christ’s birth and beingI with my family and friends!!
I love being with my family and friends!!
My favorite holiday activity is participating in my Community orchestras holiday concert. I live giving Christmas music to the to our audience and especially seeing all the children dressed in their finery enjoying their experience and the job of the season.
It’s not Christmas until I bake my Grammy’s butter cookie cut out recipe. I loved doing this with my 3 sons and now with my and my friends’ grandchildren! Big choices: what color icing and sprinkles or none!
Being with friends and family are at the top of my holiday times. Sharing laughs, thoughts/opinions, memories…playing board games and cards…making and eating common and holiday foods…sharing adventures including quilting, hiking, singing, canoe/kayaking…and playing with the dogs, cats, and other critters in our homes.
My favorite activity is checking out the Christmas lights.
Baking Christmas cookies.
My favorite December/Christmas event is making krumkaka with my husband grandkids-when they are around. Krumkaka means crumb cookie in Norwegian. It takes two people to make the cookies one to put the batter in the iron and the other person to roll the cookie on a wooden cone and then stack the cookies.
God Jul-Merry Christmas in Norwegian.
My fav is watching my grandchildren open their presents.
My favorite winter activity is Snow Shoeing and Hot Yoga along with sewing
I love getting together with my family–especially when everyone can be there!
My favorite holiday activity is Christmas baking and decorating with my granddaughter. We always have so much fun together
On Christmas after gifts are opened we like to play Chicken Scratch with dominoes. It’s easy and so even the little grands can play too!
My favorite holiday tradition is having a huge gathering of family together for Christmas dinner. Lots of food, noise, silliness, and way too many desserts!
Bowling, having dinner then playing games with family ❤️
Love that you answer my questions so quickly. Your handiwork is beautiful. Wish I was close enough to enjoy one of your classes. How about a zoom class?
Rhonda
Having my family with me is the best gift of all.
Love sled riding followed by hot chocolate of course!
Love to sing Christmas Carols at church with family. Merry Christmas to you and yours’.
I favorite holiday activity is baking for and with my grandchildren!
My favorite Christmas activity is cooking on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day with family members. While cooking, we share memories, jokes, and lots of smiles and laughs. After the birth of Jesus, this is what Christmas is really about for me. The gifts don’t matter but spending time with loved ones does.
Being with family and friends is my favorite activity.
Favorite activity: taking an afternoon off and enjoying a good book while wrapped in a fuzzy warm blanket along with the dog and warm beverage.
Baking cookies with the grandkids.
My favorite part of the holiday season is being with family and also on Christmas evening driving around the area where I live and seeing and enjoying all the Christmas decorations and lights. After coming back to my house and enjoying pies.
I love spending time with family and the Christmas Eve service at church.
Watching the younger grandchildren opening their gifts.
My favorite holiday activity is Drunch at a friends house with all of our other friends. We drink, play games and visit after eating to our heart content.
My favorite activity for winter (as well as all year) is quilting and reading!
My favorite part of the holiday is Christmas Eve when all the family is together. Aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, etc. The evening is filled with games, reminiscing about the years gone by, and lots of good food. So special.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Julie.
This year my favorite activity is baking cookies to share with family and friends. Merry Christmas, Julie!
Julie,
Most important to me is having all of the family together at the Holidays. Starting two to three days before Christmas we do a Christmas themed puzzle together and try to finish it before Christmas and we haven’t missed yet. This year is a tough one and I am sure we will be working on it all day today and tomorrow. May you and your family have the most wonderful Christmas.
Hi Julie!
My favorite things at Christmas? Bringing out all the decorations and finding different ways to set them out for display. A close second is baking pumpkin rolls and Kolacki cookies- my Mom’s recipe. They have become a staple for every holiday. Hop you and your family have a wonderful Christmas Season! Please enter me in your giveaway!
Thank you!
My favorite holiday/winter tradition is baking goodies for family and friends. Of course, I have to sample as I bake, but I hope in January I’ll get time to walk it all off! Best wishes to you and yours for happy holidays. I look forward to reading your blog in 2024.
I love that I have more time to quilt and read in the winter.
My 18 year old granddaughters want to travel to our house every year for Christmas – because that’s what they’ve always done since they were 2. That warms my heart!
My wish is that every day we have the togetherness of family, appreciation of friends and the sharing and giving to those less fortunate as we do during this season celebrating the birth of Jesus and the magic of Santa Claus!
My favorite holiday activity is to take a drive around town and look at Christmas lights. It is simple, relaxing and gives my husband and I a chance to chat about fun things!
Sewing, quilting and crafting, of course!
I love going to the stores and hum-sing Christmas tunes and people (strangers) always comment in positive ways. It just put a smile on my face and their’s. Love it!
We don’t have much winter in Texas, so i am happy when we have a cold spell that triggers the leaves to change color. That happened this year. It looks like it may be a mild winter with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. I enjoy your blog about your sewing adventures and your family. Wishing you a blessed Christmas.
My favorite winter or holiday activity is baking. When it’s cold outside, I love to warm up the house with baked goodies.
Thank you for all your generosity throughout the year. Wishes for 2024 to be more Blessed and family time more often. Merry Christmas! PattiK
First of all, merry Christmas!
My favorite activity for this season is making gifts for my friends and family – usually ornaments and small quilted pieces like mug rugs, placemats, pillows, or wall hangings.
I enjoy your blog posts and patterns. Thank you.
Linda
I have taken my daughter to see the nutcracker every year since she was 5. She’s 23 now and it’s still special to us both.
Looking at all the Christmas lights and displays
Since I don’t get out much my favorite winter activity would be quilting and visiting with my kids and grand kids when they come over. Love making cookies also!
Thank you for your generosity!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
My husband and I live far from family but our holidays are still steeped in tradition. We prepare traditional foods, watch our favorite movies, and, with the help of Zoom, gather with family to open gifts. The miles may separate us, but we are still celebrating together. Merry Christmas!
I love the Christmas season. There is a flurry of baking Latvian Cranberry Nutbread to share with family and friends. The men of the family gather to make pirogi in honor of past generations of our Latvian family. Christmas Day is celebrated at Mass followed by a delicious meal. At the end of this, I like to sit down with a coffee and relax with my current stitchery project.
My favorite holiday tradition is at the beginning of the season. The day after Thanksgiving we make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and frosting with LOTS of candy to decorate and munch. They then become part of our decorations for the season.
Hi Julie,
My absolute favorite winter activity is going to my ‘happy place’, my sewing/quilting room! I love spending hours on end in there just sewing and creating. I de-stress from everything. And…I’m happiest, overall, when I’ve been in there.
Christmas and baking cookies with my granddaughter.
Every year my husband, daughter & I get together with my husband’s aunt to make sand tarts. It’s an absolute labor of love because the dough is literally rolled out paper thin – so thin that they take 3 minutes to bake!
I love Christmas! Advent preparation, tree trimming, sharing traditional meals with extended family. Then when the busy time is over, I love spending cold winter days in my sewing room. It’s all a blessing. Merry Christmas Julie!
Thank you for all you do.
My favorite holiday activity is decorating the tree. One year I moved to a new town and invited all my friends to a tree trimming party. About two dozen people turned up and, once we’d had our greetings, treat and glass of eggnog, I told them to split up into groups. They looked at me in confusion and I told them I had a Christmas tree in every room in the house. Yes, including the bathroom, and even one on the deck. We had a great time and my house looked very festive. The next year, one friend gave me a plaque that read “I suffer from OCD – Obsessive Christmas Disorder!
My favorite Winter activity is going to nearby Middlecreek Wildlife Preserve in Lancaster County PA in February to watch the migration of the snow geese and tundra swans. The lake and surrounding fields are covered with thousands of birds rising and landing in unison and they never collide. Two nearby quilt shops provide an extra bonus!
Merry Christmas Julie.
My favorite activity was making Gingerbread Houses with my children and now with my grandchildren.
The oldest grandchild is 18 and they still find time in their schedules to come and enjoy laughs, treats and
making memories. We managed to coordinate so we are all together.
I enjoy your post and thank you.
Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.
Judy Hadeed
My favorite activity is being with my children and grandchildren
Hi Julie,
Thank you for your wonderful website and all the quilty inspiration! At Christmastime, I enjoy baking, visiting, gifting, and singing Christmas Carols. I most cherish the Christmas Eve service with my church family!!
Thank you kindly for the give away! My favorite activity during the holidays is spending time with my 4 grand kids. They don’t live too far so I am blessed to see them often. Sewing is one of our favorite things to do together. Merry Christmas Julie, may you have a blessed New Year.
My favorite part of the holidays is keeping our family’s food/cooking traditions. All the best to your family in the new year!
My favorite winter activity is hand stitching while watching TV with my loving husband. Thx for the opportunity to win one of the prize packages.
I always enjoy reading your posts! Your patterns are beautiful! Merry Christmas!
Merry Xmas! My favorite holiday memory was the annual day long Adopt A Christmas Family shopping spree with my now deceased mother-in-law and her 4 daughters. My MIL worked 3 jobs while raising 7 kids on her own and had very little money for Christmas presents. She wanted other families now in that situation to have more under the tree for their kids, so we would pool the money we would have spent on gifts for each other, shop all day for the adopted family (minimum of 4 kids but usually more), and then gather in the evening with our spouses for dinner and present wrapping. We were always exhausted by the end of the day, but to see the joy on my MIL’s face was priceless.
I look forward to bringing out the Christmas dishes.
I am a senior now and spend Christmas at my son’s house, where everyone gathers. Lasagna is our meal (old school) and my favorite thing is building the layers in the pan with my son. It is a good memory.
My favotite Christmas tradition is attending Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with by Grandson.
Our children are all grown, so my favorite thing is to visit each of our sons and families on or close to Christmas and watch our grandkids open their gifts. It brings back sweet memories of our young boys at Christmas and their genuine excitement at seeing what Santa brought. Now I see that excitement in our grandkids!
My favorite Christmas activity is enjoying the silence in the evening and gazing at the lights on our Christmas tree.
I love to go out and see the Christmas lights.
Favorites are making cookies and enjoying family and friends!
We live in Minnesota. We love going to a warmer place for a week in the winter. It re-charges our batteries. Thanks for offering this drawing.
Sally Mortenson
I love baking holiday cookies and all the dishes that get made only for the holidays. Sharing them with family is the best.
I enjoy making chocolate covered peanut clusters and Chex mix snacks for munching on while working on puzzles! Love your fabrics and patterns!
My favorite activity is cookie day with the grandkids.
Christmas Mass and the beautiful hymns celebrating Gods gift to mankind.
Watching how excited the children are when the see the gifts under the tree Christmas morning.
Hot cocoa with marshmallows and a fire, enjoying the quiet beauty of fresh snow at 5 am, making gifts with my hands, playing carols on the piano, working a puzzle and being with family when we are able.
My favorite holiday activity is sitting with my husband in the dark with the Christmas tree lit after everyone else is in bed
My favorite winter activity is quilting!
Working on UFO’s and WIP’s while I watch it snow.
My favorite holiday activity is singing Silent Night in the church lit only by hand-held candles for the Christmas Eve service.
You just brought back sweet memories of my childhood. I looked forward to that every Christmas Eve. I loved it. My whole family there. And then my one uncle would always walk in late and stand right next to me, grinning down at me.
What a wonderful giveaway, thank you! My favorite winter activity is snowshoeing.
Winter days can be so dreary, so I leave my mantle decorations and lights up through January. The lights and garland make our home feel cozy during the cold and dreary winter.
Merry Christmas!
Gingerbread house making with my kids and grandkids. They are all so creative and competitive, but I love the laughter that flows.
My favorite holiday activity is gathering together on Christmas Eve with my daughters and their families, as well as my sisters, for an evening of snacks and game playing.
My favorite winter activity is sewing! I love making gifts for Christmas and then I LOVE starting a new project after the holidays are over!
Best thing is the “off” button of my company computer and having time for sewing!
Thanks for your blog – its my window into an inspiring sewing world.
We have rainy Christmas in the middle of Germany.
Merry Christmas to all the readers here, to you and your family
and a healthy and happy New Year!
My favorite winter fun is cross country skiing in the Adirondack area of NY.
As much as I love everything Christmas I must quietly admit that my most favorite winter activity is going in my studio the day after everyone goes home from the Christmas holiday. It is usually at least 5 days of the best kind of chaos when my 4 adult kids, spouses, 4 (soon to be 6) under 3 grands, oh and 3 extra grand dogs are here. But the sweet sound of silence when it is over is so wonderful. I have all moments of the week to go over in my mind and nobody needs me to make or do anything. My 10yo furry dog friend is right there with me. I turn on my sewing machine and there is no mom guilt, the time is mine…..
My favorite Holiday activity is gathering with family and enjoying each and every person, whether it be playing with grandchildren or talking with our kids and their spouses, eating a meal together….just enjoying each other. Merry Christmas to you!
My favorite activity would be a walk in the snow (if we get any this year!) and then a cup of hot cocoa when we get home. Lots of quilting, too, of course!
I love putting up the tree and decorating it. Some of the ornaments I have from my childhood,some my kids made in school. It’s like visiting old friends as I pull each one out.
My favorite winter activity is making gifts for friends and family. Be it either quilted, sewing related, embroidery or decorative painting. It’s hard to decide which sometimes and I usually end up with to many things for the same person.
A favorite thing to do at Christmas is making cookies with my daughter. Brings back memories of doing that with my mother. Wish I had grandchildren to join in the fun, but have been blessed only with grandcats. By the way, that cranberry cake recipe you shared is absolutely delicious and I should be ashamed to admit I ate almost the entire thing all by myself!
This winter I plan to use a lot of my stash to make quilts to donate to kids, and to do some paper crafting. These are my favorite activities ANY time! But my heart is mostly in spending time with family. Merry Christmas, Julie, and thanks!
Enjoy time with your family! We don’t have snow in Michigan right now (so strange!) so sledding and skiing/snowboarding are not going to happen for us over Christmas holidays this year, but we do enjoy snowy activities.
My favorite activity is making Christmas cookies, the more different cookies the better.
New to your site but enjoying what I see and reading. This Christmas is a quiet one as we shared a wonderful Thanksgiving with family. Still making favorite cookies and sewing small gifts makes me happy.
Hiking the Saluda Grade Trail on a brisk, sunny day.
Winter is the perfect time to cozy up in the sewing room and get busy behind the sewing machine!
Sitting in a chair with a soft quilt (and Cat) on my lap sipping hot tea while nibbling on a cookie dotted with sprinkles.
My favorite holiday activity is decorating the tree with my children. They are young adults now but are still willing to decorate with me.
I love to snuggle up with a cup of tea and enjoy some stitching
It warms my heart and brings joy to me and the person that will receive it ❤️
My favorite holiday activity is baking treats for neighbors and family.
Hi Julie,
thank you so much for all your wonderful and heartwarming ideas over the year.
I really enjoy your blog and all your helpful hints around quilting.
Happy holidays to you and your family.
Best wishes,
Ann
I know this will probably sound weird, but seeing the snow and feeling peaceful. Now that I am retired and no where to go but to stay home reading, working on quilts, my leather work or some other craft is my therapy. Of course my dogs with me all of the time. These are my favorite winter activities. Reminds me of my childhood, living on our farm and being inside with my large family. Brings serenity to my soul.
My favorite holiday activity is cooking for my family.
Making Christmas quilts for the family.
Not having to work (UPS) and staying in my jammies all day on Christmas Day
Thank you for the give a way. Hope your holidays are fantastic with the kids and grands
Thank you for sharing your family blessings with readers, along with your sewing experience. It is always a joy to read.
Baking goodies for my family and friends.
My favorite winter activity is the candle light service at church on Christmas Eve. Beautiful and very generous giveaways. Thank you and the Happiest for 2024 to you and yours.
My favorite holiday activity is decorating the Christmas tree on the afternoon of Dec 24th. All the ornaments bring back so many memories…
My favorite activity during the holidays is to tidy things up for the New Year.
My favorite winter activity is attending a performance of the Messiah. Even though you didn’t ask, my second favorite is driving around and looking at Christmas lights.
My favourite winter activity used to be a lovely walk with family and dogs. Now due to mobility it’s a gathering at home followed by sewing and a movie with hot chocolate
Christmas Eve candlelight services as a family
My favorite winter activity is spending time with family around the fireplace!
Happy holidays to you and your family! Looking forward to your blog posts in 2024!
Hi Julie,
My favorite passetime inwinter ist painting.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Karine
Favorite activity for this season is all the family get togethers from baking day, hometown Christmas celebration, church activities, and celebrating the birth of our Savior and the hope that gives us. Thank you for your generosity during this season and throughout the year! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
My favorite holiday activity is watching all of the football games & hiding in my sewing room.
My favorite holiday activity is baking with my grandloves! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Thank you for all your friendly and upbeat blog posts, Julie. I enjoy reading them, and I enjoy the good quality of your photos and instruction diagrams. You have a very high quality blog with always useful information.
Perhaps the winter activity I plan for most is deciding what flavors of cranberry chutney I will make for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. My all time favorite so far is blueberry-cranberry chutney, but I have made pear-cranberry, apple-cranberry, apricot-apple-cranberry, and many other variations. This year I had discovered a recipe for wasabi-cranberry sauce. (Smiles, I won’t be repeating that one!)
My favorite holiday activity is sledding and building snowmen and snow angels with my grandchildren in freshly fallen snow!
My favorite tradition is making cookies with my kids. We make cut out sugar cookies and the kids decorate them. We get all the Christmas decorations out and put up the tree and string lights, add ornaments. So much fun.
Christmas is a fun winter activity for me. I have the opportunity of having my two grown children visit with me. It’s a fun noisy time. Thanks for the chance to win some fabric.
I love to bake holiday cookies.
Love going around the neighborhood in the evening to see all the festive decorations.
the best activity of my holiday is definitely the gift preparations and doing what i can to be sure everything is finished on time. And that there are a few extras created for those last minute things and as well as being able to give items to those unexpected folks who came bearing gifts.
Merry Christmas and a great 2024
My favorite winter activity is baking cookies to gift to people I love.
Our favorite is to drive thru Willow Glen to see all the holiday lights and play Xmas music really loud and sing our favorite Carole’s .i also love to quilt something special for family.
Our favorite holiday tradition is hosting the family for a big dinner on Christmas Eve and afterward, we do a gift exchange/rob your neighbor which gets the whole family (especially the grandkids) laughing and teasing each other and everyone leaves feeling really close and loved. It is always the best!
Attending a Christmas Eve service with family and friends.
Favoite winter activity is reading the Christmas story in Luke 2 on Christmas eve.
I love watching holiday movies with my family, while drinking hot cocoa and eating popcorn.
Baking with the Grandchildren
My favorite holiday is baking Scandinavian Tea Rings or cinnamon rolls and Norwegian cookies and looking at the wonderful handmade ornaments made by my family throughout my 75 years and before. I also enjoy having an Irish coffee with my husband in front of a wood fire on Christmas morning no matter how warm it is here in Tucson, Arizona.
Thank you for all your great posts and for sharing your life and quilting experiences with us. Merry Christmas, Julie. Enjoy every minute with your family. Blessings and Joy!
My favorite holiday activity is making cookies with my grandchildren…then taking them with me as we deliver to neighbors, friends and the less fortunate. We sing, laugh and totally enjoy the giving back.
The holidays mean many, many things to me…one of the activities I enjoy is baking cookies and treats to take to my neighbors, friends and family. This happens in December. Another activity I enjoy can take place another time, and that’s sewing or quilting a special gift for friends and loved ones.
I love curling up with a good book and/or a stack of quilting books and magazines and planning my projects for the new year!
One of my favorite things is decorating my Christmas tree with ornaments collected during our time in the military, ornaments made by friends and family and ornaments I’ve made over the years.
My favorite winter activity is cuddling up with the grandkids and playing a game on the computer or reading. It doesn’t get really cold here, but we love snuggling under a quilt on the sofa.
My favorite holiday activity is wrapping presents! Thank you for the chance to win!
Mele Kalikimaka from Hawaii,
One of my most favorite Christmas things is when my daughter and I decorate our main tree immediately after Thanksgiving. Don’t tell anyone, but we have eggnog and kahlua liquor while decorating.
Attending the Christmas Concert by the Scott Air Force Band is a special treat that I enjoy annually with my family. In addition to the beautiful music I am reminded of the sacrifice regularly made by our service people.
My favorite winter activity is baking to give away as gifts to friends and neighbors.
My favourite Christmas activity is to write our annual Christmas Letter with photos which I have been doing for 41 years considering we just celebrated our 50th anniversary.
My favorite activity is filling the Advent things I made for my grandkids, both made from plastic canvas. My granddaughter’s is a cottage, with 24 packets for small gifts. The roof orbs up, and inside is the new outfit I buy her each Christmas. This is her seventh year doing this. My grandsons is a BIG dump truck, with as bunch of pockets and secret compartments. He also gets an outfit every year. This is his third year. They look so forward to it, and so do I!
There’s undoubtedly no better holiday activity than making Christmas cookies with the grandkiddos. Not only am I amazed to actually get a bowl of dough made, but the cookies are edible as well!
I love to drive around with grands and my husband and son looking at Christmas lights in neighborhoods. Then off to a local park where the Sertoma Club sets of light displays for businesses- its absolutely wonderful- the $5,00 per carload is a deal , and that donation goes to a good local cause.
My favorite holiday activity is making Christmas gifts for special people in my life. A quilt, table runner, quilted bag, and other favorite cherished items are among the possible gifts, and it is always a joy to watch the surprise and appreciation when these gifts are unwrapped.
I have 2 favorite Holiday traditions. My first tradition is to decorate my home. I have SO MANY Christmas/snowmen decorations but I love each and every one of them. They take a long time to put up, but once they are up, they bring me so much joy. There are so many memories with each decoration and our entire family loves seeing them and talking about what they remember about the decorations.
My second Holiday tradition that I love is to bake as many cookies as possible so that I may share them with family and friends. I also make different types of candy and fudge, as well as all the cookies. I love being able to share all these goodies with others!!!
Favorite holiday activity is making cookies with family.
I love listening to Christmas music (and singing loud and proud!) while wrapping presents!
My favorite Holiday activity, is to decorate my house with all the stuff I made for the particular Holiday. Meaning, my crafts, my sewing and my baking for each Holiday. Like valentine, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
Getting together with friends and family.
My favorite winter activity is crocheting. Winter time is the only time that it is cool enough to crochet. Summers in Utah it is too hot to crochet.
Favorite holiday activity is being with family and friends. Thanks for the give away. Happy holidays.
My favorite winter activity is decluttering, purging and reorganizing my spaces for the new year. Donating and/or repurposing items that no longer bring joy is satisfying and reorganizing is energizing and motivates me in my creative endeavors.
My favorite winter/holiday activity is baking sugar cookies and frosting them with my grandchildren when they are out of school. My 3 grandchildren are David 17, Aurora 13, and Christie 7. They are all such tremendous helpers and learning how to bake all kinds of cookies. I so look forward to spending time with them baking cookies together and sharing them with our entire family on Christmas Day. Thanks Julie for your generosity in the two giveaways. Anyone would be thrilled to be the winner of each of them. You are such an inspiring quilter to all your fans. Keep up your great work in 2024! Happy holidays to you and your family.
My absolute favorite thing to do in Winter is to sew while it is snowing!!! My sewing machine is in front of a double window and I can sit and sew and watch it snow!!! ☃️❄️☃️
I LIke the decorationas once they are up! I loive to make and give items I have made.
Love the Winter Season for it seems to be a slower time of year (at least after Christmas ;)) when I have time to read, quilt, enjoy my family, and just not be in such a rush!! 🙂
Being with family, stitching, knitting and enjoying them fireplace with loved ones
Thanks so much for the chance to win so close to Christmas!! 🙂 I was going to say my favorite winter activity is sitting by the wood stove and reading, but that’s only one of many. For the holiday, my favorite is sitting at the piano, playing through Christmas books, looking for something special to play during the month of December. I don’t play every Sunday for church, but I like to find music that moves people when I do. I spend a good bit of time practicing, so it seems to flow seamlessly, even if there are parts that are difficult. Touching people’s hearts during the Christmas season is personal for me, and playing the piano at church is one way for me to do that. 🙂 Have a blessed Christmas!!
My favorite part of Christmas is being quiet, and focusing on Jesus coming to earth to be our Savior.
Staying in and quilting is my favorite winter activity.
Merry Christmas
Every year I try to find a simple “quilt/fabric” project to challenge me, and that I can make for 6 of my best friends. (none of them sew and are soooo appreciative of a home made gift.) This year, I made personal tissue holders.
Favorite Christmas activity is visiting Johnson City, TX & stroll under the large oaks covered in lights. Just beautiful! My family will then walk around the courthouse square that is decorated also. Wonderful ❤️
Playing in the snow…ice fishing and watching our grandsons race snowmobiles.
Baking cookies while listening to Christmas music.
My new favorite solo Christmas activity is enjoying Hallmark movies and baking for friends and coworkers. I also keep my featherweight at the kitchen table so I can sew in the evenings. Enjoy your family and the fun they bring this Christmas.
My favorite holiday activity is getting together with family and/or friends and having an enjoyable time visiting or playing games together.
Christmas morning with our whole family is my favorite. The grandkids are so excited and so much fun, big family breakfast together…..my heart is so full.
Happy holidays. I enjoy walking and driving around to look at all the snow covered trees and things after a big snow storm when everything is untouched and soooo white. Also when there is hoar frost on everything
My very favorite holiday activity is spending time with my granddaughters. Right now we are drawing- whatever we feel like!
I love making and giving handmade gifts and baked goods.
I love Christmas music, both singing in the Choir and listening especially to Capital Public Radio and their special programs.
My favorite Christmas activity is spending Christmas Eve with our oldest son, his wife, and their 4 children. Being together is always my best Christmas gift.
My favorite holiday activity is making peanut clusters and handing them out to people that I’m grateful for in my life–like delivery people, mail workers, contractors, and so on. It’s a wonderful time to make an extra effort to show gratitude to all the wonderful people who have shown kindness throughout the year.
I really love to listen to Christmas music and sit down to wrap presents. Years ago I learned how to make lovely ribbon bows and while I can’t easily find the paper ribbon any longer I still enjoy the process.
I love to trim the Christmas tree considering the memories associated with each ornament. Enjoy those little ones and make wonderful memories with them.
Playing with my grandkids in the snow.
My favorite Christmas activity is loading up the grandkids and going to look at lights. We sing Christmas carols and drink hot chocolate.
My favorite winter activity is reading by the fireplace.
My favorite holiday activity is spending time with my son and his family and watching our 2 1/2 year old grandson experience the wonder, sights and sounds of the Christmas season.
If there is enough snow this winter, I will enjoy sledding with the grandkids. Otherwise, I like to spend an evening under a quilt while doing handwork!
Hi Julie! I love this time of year, especially being with family and friends and trying to come up with just the right gift for everyone on my list, especially making gifts that are special for each individual in their favorite colors. Time spent with God, family and friends is always wonderful and lasting. I would love to be one of the winners, thank you for everything you do! Merry Christmas Julie!
Some of my favorite things to do during this time of year is to make cookies, fudge, and Quilty gifts to give to family and friends. I also help decorate our neighborhood tree for Christmas in the Park. Merry Christmas and have fun with your children and grandkids.
Cooking and baking everyone’s favorites to be enjoyed when the family gets together during the holidays.
Every year we frost and decorate cookies together listening to traditional holiday music. We enjoy traditional holiday meals that we only have at this time of year. Everyone looks forward to being together.
My favorite wintertime activity is either quilting, knitting, reading a good book…I like keeping my hands busy!! Living in South Carolina, there are even days we’re able to get out for a walk with our Bassett Hound. Looking forward to the holiday. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Christmas is my favorite holiday. Not because of gifts but because of family and the birth of Jesus. Merry Christmas
My Favorite Winter activity is going to Arizona away from the frigid North!
Baking cookies & making candies to share with family and friends. About 20 years ago my best friend and I started the tradition and we make up to 15 different varieties of cookies and candies, then load up trays (usually between 15-20) to give out to our friends and family. I start looking forward to it just as soon as my feet stop hurting from the current years bakefest!!
Julie. My favorite part of Christmas is having my family home and having our traditional Christmas Eve Swedish dinner including Swedish meatballs, rice pudding and sweet Swedish rye bread. All means work for me but I love it
Thanks for all your great ideas this past year
Hi Julie,
My favorite thing is to spend time with my Nieces ❤️☃️
My favorite holiday activity is caroling with my church. We go to those who are shut-ins or widows and take them a gift and sing carols for them. S0 much fun and rewarding to see their faces and the appreciation they have.
Lighting Chanukah candles. The blues would make a wonderful winter quilt
My favorite Christmas thing to do is watch the children’s church program. Extra special is if a little girl nervously lifts up her dress in the middle of the program!
My favorite holiday activity is playing cards and visiting with family! Thank you! Merry Christmas!
My favorite holiday is Christmas! It’s the one time of the year when my entire family gets together to celebrate the holiday. Wink! WINK!
CHEERS!!
Thank you for your blog. I thoroughly enjoy making cookies with my granddaughter s. And spending time with my family
My favorite winter activity is to be able to get thru it with the least amount of shoveling of snow as possible. I love to hibernate with my stash of good novels to read.
Spending time with family and friends
Have a great holiday
We used to all gather and play games, visit and eat, as I have aged seems like it’s just me and my husband now. So after we enjoy our meal, I get to sew, and he takes a nap. I love it.
Hi, Julie! Merry Christmas! My favorite Christmas activity is listening to the grandchildren read Luke 2 on Christmas morning! Thank you!
I enjoy attending the Singing Tree event every year with my granddaughters. It just makes my heart happy with music and loved ones!
My favorite holiday activity is simply getting together with family. We do not get to be together often because of miles in between us, so holidays become VERY SPECIAL!
My favorite winter activity is the same as my favorite activity ALL year: Quilting!! I have 5 quilts that I’m working on right now, 4 full-size quilts and 1 king-size quilt. All of the blocks for all 5 are cross-stitched!! Plus I’m working on a smaller quilt that also has cross-stitched blocks. Just this year I decided to try the cross-stich blocks after nearly 20 years of quilting. They are really fun, just like regular cross-stitch. I’m hoping the quilts work out. We shall see. Wish me luck.
I love the second giveaway. So pretty. Our family get-together is the most fun with lots of food, laughs, hugs and kisses.
Hello, My favorite activity during the Christmas season is remembering all the wonderful Christmas seasons with my family. I’m 74,(egad!) so I have lots of memories. Perhaps my favorite Christmas is when I served lobster for dinner rather than the usual fixings. It was a big hit. What fun.
My favorite winter activity is watching the snow fall while sitting at my sewing machine. I love the peaceful beauty of freshly falling snow and enjoy making something that will keep me or my family warm. The difficult part of this favored activity is that I currently live in Florida….so no snow, cold temperatures or peaceful beauty. Most of what I make is for my walls….because we don’t need quilts to stay warm! Some day, though….some day!
Curled up on my chaise in front of our woodstove, listening to an audiobook and quilting after a walk with dogs here in Maine❤️
ice skating!
Spending time with family is my favorite thing during the holidays.
Favorite tradition At Christmas time is shopping for Toys to donate. We started this activity when our daughter was in scouts back in 1993, & have continued every year. Also family time sharing dinner & playing games with Grandkiddos .
Happy holidays As I cut out sugar and gingerbread cookie shapes today I thought of the many cookie baking days from years past with my sister and then with added children helpers in the kitchen. The good memories sustain us as time changes our families
Hope blooms 32 are lovely greens
Favorite thing for the holiday baking cookies and working on my winter quilt wall hanging. Hopefully will get it finished before spring. Happy Holidays!
Although I no longer live in Buffalo and my husband is recently deceased, my favorite winter activity is shoveling the driveway and then going for a walk in the dark in the freshly fallen snow! It was always so quiet and beautiful.
The women in my family spend a day together each December to work on Christmas crafts and make cookies. It’s always a ton of fun!
My favorite winter activity is spending the long dark evenings in a cozy chair with my knitting and cross-stitch.
Hi! And Merry Christmas. I love church services during the Advent season, I particularly, Christmas music.
Thanks for the chance to win a pattern and fabric.
Sara Ray
The beautiful lights tour. So many lovely lights and scenes.
Thanks Julie! I hope you have a wonderful time enjoying your kids & grandkids! Have a merry merry Christmas!!!
My favourite time is late Christmas Eve, when everything is done & we are ready for Christmas (or put off till the new year!), and since the kids are grown up we now have a new tradition of opening gifts, enjoying some snacks and hot chocolate in front of the fire…just a relaxing fun time with family!
my favorite winter activity is quilting. i don’t like snow and i don’t like cold, so staying in my warm sewing room is what i do.
Shopping in stores that play Christmas music, it always puts me in a good shopping mood.
I have created my own tradition since I have four grand daughters! Taking them to the Nutcracker here in Seattle. This year was super special as my cousin’s daughter was performing in The Olympic Ballet so I got to take the two oldest to see a much more “upclose” experience! There is way more to this story but I won’t bore you!
Merry Christmas to you and yours and thank you for all you do for me❤️
I love to make presents for my sewing buddies and my family
My favorite winter activities are reading or sewing. I live at the tippy-top of Minnesota and, for me, at my age, it’s far too cold for me to be outside for any length of time
My very favorite thing(s) for the holidays is/are planning, shopping, and cooking for my adult children and grandchildren and having them at our home for fun and laughter.
My favorite holiday activity is baking and sharing the results with my neighbors.
Just being with family is the best part of the holiday season. We all come together this time of year. Merry Christmas!
There are so many activities to enjoy this time of year! Today I enjoyed making cookies with my daughter and two granddaughters.
My deceased mother was from Norway so each Christmas I try to duplicate what she created. from baking cookies and desserts to smorgasbord from her recipes. Our tree has the woven paper baskets, special pictures and garlands of Norwegian flags. Our home is too small to dance around the tree.
My favorite holiday activity is having my three sons and one DIL here, and enjoying the chaos of cooking together. My husband creates a spreadsheet that we share with ingredients and items required and everyone signs up. My job comes at the end, clean up! Hope you enjoy your family time, Merry Christmas!
I love that the work outside is slowing down a bit, although with it being a little warmer I did go out and pull 32 feet of fencing out of the fence row. I couldn’t resist as I know my days are numbered living in Iowa. I like that I can spend more time in my sewing room. And most of all that we gather with families and enjoy our time together. Thank you for having a giveaway. They look like beautiful projects to finish the winter with.
I hibernate in the winter. Not a cold weather person. My favorite things to do are crafting. I loom rugs, wood burn, sew, quilt, paint, glass/mirror etch, crochet. I also do some other needlecraft things. This is what I do all winter. I do woodworking in the summer – my all-time favorite craft. My shed isn’t heated – so gives me time to play with my other crafts. Keeps me busy – and I love to craft so makes it all the better. Merry Christmas and have a Blessed New Year.
A memory of holiday activities is baking Christ cookies with my mom and my children. Now the cookie baking is me with my grandchildren. Mom would have loved every minute of the time we share.
Quilting, followed by baking are my favorite wintertime pastimes.
Virginia
Watching snow fall! When I was younger, I loved skiing.
Making marshmallows from scratch is a favorite winter activity for me. After cutting them into squares (well, as much as possible!),they go into a nice glass container. People are incredulous to receive marshmallows as a gift. The first time, they think I’m goofy. After they try them, they hope for more! It’s fun, interesting to see the reactions, and makes for some interesting conversations!
I love spending time with my kids and grandkids!❤️❤️
This year my 2 year old San Francisco granddaughter came to St Louis to visit. She won’t be coming back for Christmas so we made Christmas cookies anyway! A new tradition started!! Thank you for all you do for the the quilting community! Patty
I ♥️ being with what little family I have left this is the most priceless thing to me, oh besides quilting and sewing. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love to spend time with my 3 grandsons during the holidays. I also enjoy decorating the house and making some homemade gifts whenever possible.
Looking at Christmas lights!!
I love hosting Christmas Eve when all of the family is together. We eat,
laugh, talk and share all our blessings of the past year. With everyone’s busy lives, it’s so good to have this one evening to all be together.
Blessings and joy to your family, Julie.
A tour of lights in the neighborhood, enjoying time with my hubby, Christmas treats, and a little handwork in front of the tv.
My favorite holiday activity is making fudge with my granddaughter. We make a caramel fudge tgat is amazingly addictive for something that is not chocolate! Love sharing this special time with her!
I love to stay indoors and bake followed by a little test tasting of course.
My favorite activity is putting all the ornaments on the Christmas tree and remembering where we bought them.
Happy Holidays!! I hope you can enjoy family and friends within this busy season. I winter in AZ and one of my favorite hobbies is hiking in nearby mountains. Thank you
My favorite winter activity is meeting my quilt friends and sewing with them most of a day each week.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Favorite activity. I make a hanger similar to the Advent Calendar — 24 pockets. An individual picks a small piece of paper from the pocket– could be a clue — to find something..i.e. scavenger hunt, or an act i.e. charades– or just a blank piece of paper. Once the activity has been completed a small prize can be picked from the secret bag. Everyone enjoys the activity with such grand laughter.
My favorite “holiday” Christmas activity is putting candles on a birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. My family did this when I was a child, we did this when my children were young and now I do this with my grandchildren. It’s a time to stop and think about why we are celebrating Christmas.
My very favorite winter activity is when the kids come home for Christmas Eve with their kids and their kids kids! Yes we are blessed to have four generations present. We enjoy a lovely ham dinner with all the trimmings and after dinner we play “Remember When”! Hysterical things each of the kids remember about growing up…the grands are starting to share and the great grands, age 6 twins will be sharing their first Remember When’s this year! Oh what fun!
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Blessings, Dawn
My favorite Christmas activity is baking traditional cookies with loved ones.
My favorite winter thing to do is make as many free standing lace ornaments I can and embroidering as many things as I can!
Favorite holiday activity is skating at Winter Lodge with the awesome decorations
My favorite ite is definitely Christmas. As a child, I enjoyed decorating the tree. As a teacher, I liked doing the programs and watching all 5h3 smiling faces. As an older adult, I enjoy making others happy.
We love sitting by our outside fireplace, drinking wine and listening to Christmas music. A favorite winter activity!
I love to go walking in the crisp winter air. I enjoy the quilting during winter especially working on hand binding. It’s wonderful to curl up with a cozy quilt.
My favorite holiday tradition is the family Christmas party where we catch up with all the family we have not seen for awhile. Its always held the Saturday before Christmas at Granny’s house.
My favorite holiday activity is attending the Festival of Trees in our area with my family. We buy raffle tickets and put them in our favorite trees to try and win them. All of the trees have been decorated by local businesses and individuals/families. It’s so much fun!
Thank you for a great opportunity. You have shared so many great things with us over the years.
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Getting together with the family , having dinner and exchanging gifts, always
A fun time.
.
Being with my family. Our girls and their families both live in Massachusetts and we live in Texas. It’s a long time between visits.
My favorite activity is having all my family together for the holidays.
A favorite activity during the Winter, whether it’s during the holidays or not, there’s nothing like taking a walk after a snow, in Colorado. Cold, beautiful & nearly always sunny.
My favorite holiday activity is baking and decorating cut out cookies with my children.
Hi Julie; my favorite holiday activity’s playing board games with my 3 grandsons and 2 great granddaughters. They are under the age of 10! We have quite the commotion around the table as I’m sure you can imagine. Thank you for the chance of winning fabric and other goodies, quilt making is my most fav anytime of year. Merry Christmas, from my house to yours.
Denise
Now that I am getting older, I love having my grown up granddaughters come over and help with tree trimming and decorations.
Reading a “Night before xmas” to my grandkids so that they can fall asleep gently
My favorite winter activity is to quilt away the day when it’s snowing outside! Both giveaway packages are terrific!
Spending Christmas with my grandchildren!
I love you blog and the links you share. Merry Christmas
As a kid, going to the winter markt in my town in Germany was my favorite! Everything was so magical! Now, my favorite is having Christmas morning with my family and seeing them open the presents I picked out it mailed to them!
Ooops! Made them! Ads kept getting in the way of my post!
My favorite Christmas activity is playing flute, ringing handbells and singing in the choir at church.
My favorite winter activity is driving up the north shore of Lake Superior and tromping around the state parks. Just gorgeous!
Hello, my favorite holiday activity is baking and bringing goodies to all the “older” neighbors and then getting a chance to visit with them.
My favorite winter activity is sitting in front of the fireplace with a good book.
Sharing Christmas stockings with special treats with my children and grandchildren.
Living in SW Fl we really don’t get winter…..but I love to decorate the house for the holidays. Gives me a distinction for the seasons. Originally from Pittsburgh, so do miss a “white Christmas” – 76* for Christmas, still better than humid 90’s.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a great give-a-way.
Baking cookies…..memories of my childhood that are repeating as memories for our grandkids!
Merry Christmas to you!
My Holiday Busyness is always Quilting / Sewing for Holiday gifts, cooking and baking cookies
My favorite Christmas is watching the little children’s eyes when they see Santa to tell him their wishes for Christmas morning or the look on their faces when they see the presents under the tree. It’s all about the Miracle of the Savior’s birth. Merry Christmas.
A favorite winter activity is playing outside with my grandkids after a snow. I hope you get to savor every minute with your family, Julie! Christmas blessings to you!
Family outings with the grandkids at Christmas time is my favorite activity. We visit the Broadmoor Hotel to see the giant gingerbread structure baked and built by the Broadmoor pastry chefs. Walking among the thousands of lights at the Electric Safari at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a highly anticipated tradition. Merry Christmas!
Snuggling under my favorite quilt with a good book and a cup of tea!
My favorite activity is Breakast with Santa where I provide the ideasand supplies for 5 crafts for the children to make and take home. A breakfast of bagels, donuts and juice is available, photo with Santa, face painting, Santa’s workshop where they can buy gifts for a dollar or less and the cake walk. Money raised is for three scholarships given to granduating seniors. We have been doing this activity for 45 years. It’s a wonderful way to start the holiday season.
Wonderful.
Here is saying goodbye to 2023 and Welcoming 2024.
My favorite holiday tradition is baking cookies at Christmas.
So hard to choose a favorite holiday activity. I love to be with family for sure! And I love to look at the Christmas lights! One of my most favorites is what I did today…baked bread and delivered it to my neighbors! Merry Christmas to you and your family, Julie! 🙂
My favorite activity is baking especially Christmas cookies. I love to make cutouts and decorate them – spritz are another favorite. It would be fun to open a cookie shop!
My favorite activity is baking goodies for neighbors and friends!
I have an Advent calendar from my childhood that I still have and use.
Thank you for the chance to win those yummy fabrics. My favorite holiday activity is just spending time with my adult children and grandchildren. My favorite winter activity is quilting! Happy Holidays!
Quilting and sewing in general
Hibernating
Happy Holidays! My favorite winter activity is cuddling under a quilt with a cup of cocoa and a good book. It used to include a grandchild, but they’ve all gotten too big.
I don’t tolerate winter well. I have lupus and I have a rough time during cold months so I really don’t go out much. I also don’t like to be cooped up in the house. My husband bought a heater and a fire pit for me to be in the backyard on the porch and since then I can sit outside and drink my coffee in the morning and my cocoa in the evening. We listen to music and work a puzzle, watch a movie on a projector, or quietly read books. It’s become something I cherish and I actually look forward to!
My 84 year old mom does beautiful embroidery blocks and I make into quilts
My favourite holiday activity is baking decorated sugar cookies with my grandkids. I am blessed they live right next door and can “drop in” to help gramma bake whenever they like.
Their decorations are sometimes interesting but always fun.
Merry Christmas
I live in Wisconsin and it gets cold in the winter. I also have rheumatoid arthritis so am limited in what I can do. So, what is my favorite winter activity? About the only thing left I can still do – sewing! And I sew everything, quilts, bags, garments, and home decor.
Thank you for this giveaway and I hope you have an absolutely wonderful holiday season! 🙂
I enjoy making Christmas cookies with my daughters.
I love seeing Christmas programs, the excitement of children young and old!
Attending Christmas Eve church service with my family is my favorite activity.
Thank you for a wonderful year of hints, tips and inspiration. My favorite holiday activity is making our traditional Christmas morning special treat, Nut Bubble Ring, with my son and daughter. It is a delicious, decadent pull apart bread assembled into a Bundt pan, but the part I enjoy most is baking in the kitchen together with them.
Robin
I love sleding in the wintr.
My favorite Christmas activity is to decorate cookies to give to neighbors.
My favorite winter activity is lighting Hanukkah candles and watching them burn down.
My favorite winter activity is definitly quilting…I have more free time in winter. My favorite holiday activity is strolling thru town looking at displays and lights.
My favorite winter activity is playing in the snow with our dogs. Coming from Southern California this was new to us–something we had done as an event, on a “trip to the mountains” kind of thing previously. To wake up to a magical, snowy scene and watch our dogs find it as much fun as we do, and then see them careen and frolic with complete joy, is my very favorite thing.
Hi Julie,
My favorite holiday is Christmas and all that goes with it! The beautiful tree, decorations through out the house and neighborhood, music, food,of course and gift giving and receiving! Like I said, I like all of it!
Oh! Julie, it has bee such a pleasure to follow U all 2023, I can’t wait to see my Grandkids this Christmas, They are all grown up, but have a conversation and getting to see them, makes my day, Wish U have a good one too
My absolute favorite is singing Christmas carols! Thanks for the opportunity. Merry Christmas.
Love decorating the tree and listening to holiday music.
My favorite winter activity is definitely quilting–I have more free time in winter. My favorite holiday activity is strolling through town, looking at holiday displays and lights, while sipping a hot beverage.
A night ride to look at Christmas lights. We bring hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.
Merry Christmas to you and yours
There are so many, hard to pick, but our family get to gethers. We have cookie decorating day and then our Christmas party with the kids and grandkids. So much fun.
My favorite winter activity would be the same as my favorite summer activity and that would be sewing/quilting and machine embroidery
Happy Holidays
My favorite winter activity is baking. It fills the house with wonderful smells.
Thanks Julie
Hi Julie!
One of my favorite holiday activities is using my fabric stash to make things for my home. This year is disassembled a table runner kit to make stockings for our first ever hearth. Additionally I made placemats for my daughter’s home with a three yard piece of adorable fabric I’d completely forgotten I’d purchased.
Enjoy that three day overlap of time with your family. It’ll be precious to be sure!
Cindi
My favorite activity is driving through the Fantasy of Lights at Vasona County Park with my grandsons. They are still at the age where they enjoy doing these things with us and we cherish these moments! Merry Christmas, Julie. Enjoy the precious time with your family over the holidays.
Decorating the Christmas tree and playing Christmas music on the piano. Merry Christmas! Thanks!
Beautiful quilt blog
So kind of you to have these 2 prizes, Julie! Happy you get to have all your family with you over the holidays. Enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas!
My favorite Winter activity with my family is to go see all the Christmas lights. Here is Tucson, AZ we have a community that you donate a can of non perishable food to enter and you can ride on wagons to see the lights or walk. All the houses in the community go all out with a beautiful light show. It’s amazing and a lot of fun.
Thanks for letting me share.
Marcia Escarcega
I love walking on the chilly beach in our town on Cape Cod with my husband!
My favorite holiday activity is baking cookies and confections for the kids and grandkids. My favorite winter activity is sitting in front of the wood stove with a cup of cocoa and watching it snow. Thank you for this opportunity and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you, Julie!! I love the togetherness and tge pay it forward attutude of the yuletide season. Crafters are so generous!!
Hello Julie,
doing crazy quilt in front of the TV under a blanket!
Happy Holidays!
https://thecraftyquilter.com/2023/12/winter-giveaway-thank-you/#respond my favorite thing to do is baking during the cold winter months then heading to Atlanta to visit family with home baked goods
My favorite winter activity is family game night. We all get together and play all kinds if board games. We eat a lot, laugh a lot and get very competitive in a friendly way!
My favourite winter/Christmas activity is a carol service at church on Christmas Eve and of course getting together with family and friends.
My favorite holiday activity is going to local craft shows with my sister to see all of the talented artists and crafters.
Doing gifts that are handwork in front of a good fire.
I love it all- the huge family get together on Christmas Eve, the smaller Christmas Day breakfast, and our newest tradition, dinner out with the immediate family on the 26th.
Hi Julie, my favorite thing is family. This will be our first Christmas with both my kids home since 2019. We will enjoy eating, laughing, playing games and just being together in the same room.
Baking cookies is my favorite. I just finished doing it with two granddaughters.
Martha
Favorite winter holiday–Christmas, of course.
Cooking and eating with family is the best holiday activity!
Quilting of course!! This winter in Florida it has been cold and rainy. So, what’s a girl to do but stay inside and make beautiful quilts.
My favorite activity is a trip to the Pike Place Market in Seattle. We’ve been doing it for years ( except Covid years). So cool
Oh for sure the Nutcracker Ballet in
nYC, someday with my
Little grandkids.
Decorating our Christmas tree with my homemade ornaments. This is my favourite time.
Love spending time with family this time of year