Holiday Gifts - Part 1

Here are some of the holiday gifts I have made and have already been given.

My son's preschool does a service project every holiday season which includes buying clothes and toys for children their age that are needy. I picked a tag for a one year old girl. I made her this little doll quilt from some cheater fabric. I just quilted on the lines to make it an easy, but still nice gift.

Here is the little doll that goes with the quilt.

I also made some gift bags. This is the smallest one I made. Inside is a pair of earrings my daughter made for a work friend of my husband's.

Here is what my wonderful husband got me. It is now on the computer. Now I just need to read the manual and give it a try. We'll see how frustrated I get.

This is what I made my son this year. Totally last minute. He started skating lessons this year and received his first badge last Thursday. I knew I wanted to make him a badge scarf and he had already picked out the fabrics. So, last Thursday night I wiped up this "scarf", added his badges and had it wrapped and under the tree for him to open last Friday (we open our gifts to each other before we do any traveling). It is already hung up and may need a little adjusting to hang straight - like I said totally last minute.

More gift bags.

Quilted tags for the bags.

Gift in gift bag with tag ready to be given tomorrow.

Present for my daughter. She is in her second year of piano lessons and needed a new bag to carry her piano books back and forth. My mom has already asked for one too.

Fairy Quilts

Here is my daughter with a little bag she whipped up on my sewing machine tonight. She had a couple little gifts she wanted to make. This bag is going to a cousin (who is hopefully not reading this). So, what's inside the bag?

Fairy Quilts! She bought a bag of squares at the quilt guild's garage sale a couple years ago. She has used the fabric to make herself a toothfairy pillow and some other things. They are about 2 inches square. We just made a quilt sandwich and didn't bother to bind them since they are so little. These will help keep some of the fairies warm up north.

These three fairy quilts are being given to some local fairies at my son's preschool.

This one is for the tooth fairy who made a visit here this week - tooth #8!
I think the fairy quilts are adorable and it was nice to give her a simple project she could do by herself. She had a lot of fun making them and was very proud of herself.

So, how are my projects going? I got some more gift bags done, a doll quilt that is being given away to a needy family (along with a doll) and bags for my daughter and a cousin. I also made my son a badge scarf for his skating badges since he earned his first badge today. It isn't very straight at the top, since it was a rushed job, (I have already wrapped it and put it under the tree) but he picked the fabric so I know he will like it.

My fabric pile has migrated to the back of the couch. Only temporarily though as I organize projects by priority and what I am willing to take with me to finish on vacation. I'll take pictures of finished projects tomorrow as right now I am enjoying a small glass of wine and watching a little tv before bed.

Giveaway!

No, I'm not having another Giveaway but Amy over at Park City Girl is to celebrate 400 posts. Go check out her blog to enter and win some beautiful fat quarters.

Amy, wanted us to leave a comment on what we are working on for the holidays and my list is just too long. I have worked on some gift bags this week and am trying to get a couple other projects done by this weekend. But I think my sewing machine will be coming with me on vacation so I can get all the presents done on time.

Blocks, blocks and more blocks.

While I was waiting for the Sew, Mama, Sew, giveaway to end, I was busy making some blocks. Lots of blocks actually.

Remember all those little 3 1/2 inch nine patches I was making? Well, here are some made into double nine patch blocks. I have 9 done with 11 more to go for a project for next year. I have also sewn together and ironed the final strips to make the remaining nine patches.

My sister Sarah, has designed a pattern and I am testing it for her. I am making it twice, one in fall colours and the other in Christmas colours. What do you think of my choices Sarah?

I also got some blocks done for my son's preschool teacher's quilt. The blocks are big (16 1/2 inches square). Here is the first one.

Block number 2. In the original pattern, the purple fabric is suppose to be red, but I really like the purple.

This is the middle block and measures 34 1/2 inches. Now the debate begins. Do I quilt as I go? This quilt is going to be huge and it might be easier to quilt as I go but I haven't decided the backing yet (patchwork or 1 fabric for the whole thing).

Here are the instructions for the rest of the blocks and sashing.

So, what can you get for $5 on Craigslist? Approximately 50 of these maple leaf applique blocks. They were done by machine and most of them are really well done. Some aren't very straight but I'm not going to fix it. Trying to decide what I am going to do with them. They are roughly 12 1/2 inches square. People who could get a quilt from these blocks - my father-in-law, my brother's three girls (there are pink leaves too) and myself.

And a bonus block. This was at the bottom of the stack of maple leaf blocks. Not sure what I am going to do with it but I really like it.

SALE!

Head on over to my Etsy Store for my 6 month anniversary sale. Everything is 10% off (before shipping). Sale continues until my shop goes on vacation on Saturday, December 19th.

Here's some of what I have to offer... Go take a look!

Quilted Wall Hanging.

Holiday Stamp. One of many I am destashing.

2 Winnie-the-Pooh fat quarters.I have some other fabric too.

Quilt on art canvas.

Beautiful Butterfly at my WIndow.

And the WInner is...

...comment #48 (as selected by random.org) which was Holly. I'll be sending you an email so send me your address and it will be on it's way.
Thanks to everyone who left a comment. Look for a sale in my etsy shop this week.

Giveaway Day!

It's Giveaway Day! At Sew, Mama, Sew. Here is my contribution. Click on the link and join in on the giveaway fun.
"Laundry Day". I really enjoy making these quilts and will have to make one for myself someday. However, this one is for you to win.

The quilt measures 19 1/2 inches square.





This is the back. Hanging sleeve is attached and ready to go.

Want to win "Laundry Day"? Leave a comment on this post and you could win it. Comment must be left by midnight on Sunday, December 6th (EST). Winner will be announced Monday morning and will be shipped out as soon as I get the winner's address (I am willing to ship internationally). Can't wait to see all the other giveaway's! Good luck to everyone and thanks for participating.

If you aren't lucky enough to win "Laundry Day" but really like it, I completed a second one that is for sale in my
Etsy Store. Go take a look. I'll be having a sale in my Etsy store next week to celebrate being open for 6 months.

Holiday Surprises!

We decorated the house for the holidays yesterday and I came across some quilted goodies that I hadn't completely forgotten about. This is a little quilt my sister and I worked on together. It was a round robin but we only exchanged it once. I did the middle bow-tie wreath, she did the first border and I added the outside border. I took the curtain down from the window in front of my quilt table and hung the quilt there.

My early attempts at free-motion quilting. This was probably done in 2004. I did free-motion in the wreath and then free handed the holly in the corners. I think it was with this project I began to accept I did better if I didn't mark my designs on the quilt. I don't draw well with a pencil but with a needle I seem to do okay.

I had forgotten about this "table runner". The blocks were suppose to be part of a quilt I worked on last year which introduced me to paper piecing. However when they were all done I didn't really like it and decided to keep the blocks I liked and turned them into this table runner. Unforunately it doesn't really fit my table, coffee table or the back of the piano. What am I going to do with it? Perhaps I will have to give it away.

Here is a closer look at the first part...

... the middle...

... and the other end.

Here's another forgotten goodie. My sister made me this quilt (10 years ago?). This was the only quilt that hung in our house for the longest time - year round of course. I have now made enough quilts that he gets to have a rest every once in a while.

I can remember insisting that he have a broom. It might need to get replaced soon. One too many moves.

Getting Ready!

This is a Winter wall hanging that is almost ready for the etsy shop. A little quilting left and then to sew down the hanging sleeve. I tried something new with this one. I picked up a piece of remnant polyester (very fluffy) at JoAnn's and just sewed the 2 pieces together, turned then right side out (with hanging sleeve attached attached at the same time as well) and am now quilting it. I made 2 like this. It makes the quilts lighter and thinner so they should be cheaper to ship. I figure since it isn't going on anyone's lap nobody will care about the poly. It's really soft though. The quilting doesn't stand out as much as if there was batting and a backing but that's okay. They should be in the store by the end of the week. They are a little slippery to free motion so I have left my feed dogs up to help with control.

Here is what else I have been working on. My giveaway. Working on 2 Laundry day quilts; 1 for giveaway day on Wednesday and the other will go in the shop. Not sure which will be for which though. I guess which ever one is ready. They will be quilted today (hopefully).

Giveaway Day!

Next Wednesday is the day! I will be giving away a little something too. Can't wait!

Organizing, again.

Where have I been the last week? I have been ironing and organizing. I went through my overflowing scrap drawer and knew I either had to throw some out or go through and flatten pieces and stack them in groups. Some pieces got thrown out, some were set aside to be used in projects (in the near future) and some were set aside to give to others. The rest were stacked nicely and placed back in the drawer.

Look how nice the scrap drawer looks now. A little less chaotic - not all thrown in there. Bigger pieces were stacked together or placed in a different drawer, strips are together and small pieces are together. It looks so nice now I actually want to use my scraps. I took out about a shoebox's worth of scraps and ironed them to use for a project which is to be gift for Christmas.

I also got some more blue and white strips sewn together in sets and are ironed, ready to be cut and made into...

... 130 nine patches. I have 49 of them done and ironed.