Quilty Christmas presents!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day! I love getting anything quilty for Christmas! My DH gave me a new 6 x 24" ruler, two books, and a Jim Shore Santa. Today looks like a great day for sewing....

Tree table topper

This table topper is made from a free pattern called Trees on the Table offered by Marcie at Patchalot Patterns in 2007 at http.patchalotmore.blogspot.com. It went together so easily and I love it. My plan is to get this finished by Sunday, because I also want to make the pattern she is offering for this year, Christmas Punch. Almost all the Christmas decorating is finished, and hopefully, by Wednesday night, all the shopping will be done. Looks like the possibility of sewing on Thursday!

Christmas Tree Skirt

For years, I've been telling one of my lovely sisters that I would make her a Christmas tree skirt. This fall, I finally decided that this was the year. I drew some ideas on graph paper, trying to come up with a good design. My sister was appreciative, but what she wanted was a scrappy homey feel. Hey, I can do scrappy and simple! Here is the final result, my sister really likes it! It closes with three adorable buttons shaped like stockings. It is finished with purchased bias binding.

Sidetracked...

My DD#2 was out of school on Monday for a teacher workday. She wanted to get some fleece so that she could make a jacket. We ended up with fabric for two jackets, some fat quarters for mystery background fabrics (man, am I glad I got those!), and some craft items. Somehow, I got roped into making the fleece jacket and the second jacket. My Dad has decided to visit my sister in Germany (leaving on Sunday), so now the tree skirt I am making for her has a deadline! Okay, priorities.... tree skirt, jacket #1, mystery, jacket #2. This afternoon, I am taking DS to get his driving permit, and this evening DD#3 and I are continuing to make some ribbon Christmas trees. I wonder what DD#1 is going to want to do when she gets home from college?

Mystery quilt

My SIL's quilt
My quilt

I love doing mystery quilts! I am currently working on Bonnie Hunter's Carolina Christmas mystery. The first mystery quilt I ever did was by Judy Hopkins. It was presented as a series in the Lady's Patchwork Circle Magazine in late 1992, early 1993. My Mom hand quilted it for me, and I love using it! My SIL is also a quilter and I was trying to talk her into doing the mystery along with me (long distance as we live in different states). She came to visit in March of 1993 with her three children. Then, in one of those rare occurrences here in the south, we had a blizzard that shut down the city. She decided to join in the mystery, and we cut fabric all that Saturday. When she finished hers, she machine quilted it and gave it to my dd#2, who was supposed to be baptised on that Saturday. My daughter was baptised a few days later, after the roads cleared somewhat, and the entire trip has many fond memories for both of our families. My niece and nephews had been in the Philippines for several years after living in San Antonio, Texas and had never seen snow. They loved it! DD#1 had never seen snow before either, but as a two-year old she was not very impressed! You can tell from the pictures that my SIL put hers together differently from mine - that's what comes from getting the next step to the mystery over the phone! I just noticed that one of the background fabrics in this quilt is one of the background fabrics I am using in this latest mystery-maybe this will be the end of it!

Design wall Monday

I am excited to participate in Judy L.'s design wall Monday! My design wall is actually the floor in the rec room (think wreck room for a more accurate description). Several, okay, many years ago I did a mystery by Elsie Vrendenburg using Christmas fabrics. For some reason, I way over cut the red triangles needed for that quilt. Finally, this past October I decided to use them up and piece another Christmas quilt. So here is the quilt so far, red, green, and Christmas fabrics in a square in a square. I am thinking of putting a narrow black border around the blocks and then adding a wide border of Christmas fabric. I am also gearing up to make Bonnie H.'s mystery that is starting on Friday using more fabric from my stash. Between these and another Christmas themed quilt I also started in October, I will have 4 Christmas flimsies.

Introduction to my blog

I have been a blog lurker for several years now, and due to the prodding of my family, have decided to start a blog of my own. Luckily I have teenage children to set it up for me, because I am not very technologically adept. My mom was a great sewer, quilter, and dollmaker, and she taught me to sew at an early age. I made my first quilt when I was in high school. I love the fabric, cutting, and piecing, but I have only quilted one quilt! The quilts I do have were quilted by my mom or by a friend of hers. Mom passed away almost two years ago, so now I need to figure out the quilting part of the process and make these flimsies into real quilts!