winter? already?

The last four days have been unbearable -- gray skies, constant spitting rain, and biting wind. The house temperature has plummeted to 71 degrees, chilly for a gal who leaves her thermostat on 80 all summer. Could winter be here early? I certainly hope not. It's just got to be a passing phase. Please?

But in the meantime, I've settled into cozy winter tasks. I'm halfway done with the scarf I'm knitting. I promised my mother I'd create a silent auction item for her women's group function next week. I've settled on sewing holiday coasters in a quilt-square theme. I'm combining 3-5 of the fabrics shown here in each square, which will be added to a felt backing. It took an hour and a half of debating at the fabric store to come up with these pairings -- I wish I was more decisive! Denyse Schmidt Quilts has been my inspiration for this project. Her off-kilter geometric designs have always caught my attention. If these coasters go well, I hope to dive into my first quilt by the beginning of the year.

I've also been commissioned to create holiday gifts for about 20 coworkers -- Gators themed. I have some ideas kicking around in my head, and I hope to have some drawings done by the weekend. As always, I'll post my progress with these tasks in the next few days and a few fun surprises, too. And maybe if I'm lucky the sun will finally come out of hiding.