Christmas Gifts- Candy jars

2 more kitchen towels completed. I used Pat Sloan's "I Believe" pattern for these towels.
I am trying to make my towels without Steam a Seam since it never seems to be on sale. Also with as many towels as I make it is was getting costly so I just used the fabric adhesive spray I have at home. I just spray the pattern lightly so it stays in place while I applique.
After I made these I realized that I should have made one for myself. I have quite a few Christmas kitchen towels and I really did not need another. But once I made it, I knew I needed one. So I must try to make one while I am still off from work.

Another completed Christmas gift

I decided to make a flip flop kitchen towel for a friend who lives on the beach.
I actually wanted to make it for her housewarming gift last year but I did not have a chance too.

Last ornament block

Treasa's block has arrived. It is beautiful.
I apologize for the delay in posting.Very busy with Thanksgiving preparations.
Now to see how to put them all together.

The Table is set & a winner

The table is set for our company to arrive in a few hours.
We have been preparing for this one day event all week.
13 dinner guests are due to arrive. My dear son spent the evening with us last night because he is unable to share the dinner table with us today. He has a new job and it requires his presence.
So before all the guests arrive I wanted to announce that Messy Karen is the winner of my One year blogging anniversary.
My blog friends may your day today be filled with joy as you share your dinner table with your loved ones.

Betsy

Bertha

On a recent quilt shop trip I saw this tiny quilt pattern titled Bertha by Moda's My 2 sisters. Well, I have made this pattern , actually 2 of the quilts I made for Christmas gifts are this pattern but under the title Bento Box.
Funny how the same quilt could have several names.
Well this one is only 24x27 and you only need a charm pack to make it.
So of course I am in !
I hope to make a Christmas one with my Vintage Holiday charm pack by April Cornell and a spring one using Lila Tueller Woodland Bloom charm pack.

ChookyBlue Christmas swap

A lovely Christmas runner came today from Gertie in Australia. I am so thrilled by it. She made it using my favorite technique" Applique" and it is just beautiful. she included some lovely fabric, a not pad from Australia and a lovingly made Christmas card. I have to say that the piecing is so precise that I thought it was a pre-printed panel until I looked closer. Gertie also fussy cut tiny Christmas ornament fabric so that all the ornaments are visible on the runner.
I could not ask for more.

Christmas runner

I emailed Pat Sloan a couple of weeks ago about helping decide how to quilt my "I Believe " quilt since it was her design. She gave me some pointers plus suggested that I get her Machine quilting book which I eagerly went out and bought. I have almost all her books so i was surprised not to find it in my library.
Well the book was a great help in my quilting process but it also had some cool projects in it, this runner being one of them. I appliqued the centers with some leftover Christmas blocks pieces that I had plus I added some holly leaves on the corners.
So basically I did 2 things at one time because the runner was so easy that I had to make it. It is nice when you buy a book that is full of easy and fun things to make.
Thanks Pat.

Christmas Ornament Blocks

Received the last 2 ornaments from the ornament swap.
Now I have all 7 and I am ready to make some wallies.
Thank you Toni and Rebecca.

Falling Leaves Quilt show please vote

My blog friends, my quilt " Leaf Delight" is in the Quilting Blogger contest.
Please click on the Falling Leaves Icon on the right and vote for your favorites.
Thanks

Ideas for Cathedral Windows + some thoughts

Some ideas of things to make with Cathedral windows:
Also, I guess there is a misunderstanding that when I blog I make my items daily.
I do not. I do quilt or sew everyday but I do not complete stuff everyday.
I may complete a project or 2 on the weekend or a day off and blog about it a week or several weeks later. For example, during Christmas break I may finish a few things and just post about 1 item per day.
I enjoy blogging and I enjoy all the friends that I have made but please do not think that I create daily.
My quilting items stay on the quilting table an amazinly long time. But when they are complete I will post about them but it may not be on the same day.
So I hope I have cleared any misconceptions.
Enjoy the Cathedral Windows. I want to see pictures of all who attempts it.

Cathedral Windows Tutorial continued

Cathedral Windows Tutorial

Cathedral Windows Update

During the summer I posted about the Cathedral Windows wall hanging I was working on. Well, it is finally completed.
I am in the process of steaming it. My cathedral windows requires a backing because I no longer make it like the one on my side bar tutorial which involves making a square, folding it, sewing it, and connecting it.
The method I now use I learned from Australian Patchwork and Quilting Issue #3 ( I believe) and it simply involves cutting and folding squares so that there is no envelope making. To me this method is faster and easier though it requires a backing.

Christmas blocks

Gardening block swap for November. There were some requests for Christmas blocks. These are the ones I sent out.

Christmas Ornament Blocks

Received these lovely ornament blocks and I am stunned. It is amazing how many Christmas designs there are printed on fabric.
I can't wait to put them in a Wally.

The top block is from my friend Debbie ,

The middle block is from Jenna who makes lovely items and for some reason I do not have her blog address to share, and the bottom block is from Treasa who loves color as much as I do and has the most colorful things on her blog.
Thank you ladies.

Thanksgiving company

Why is it that when a billion people are scheduled to come over for the holidays, the house suddenly seems really dirty???
Well, I have 14 people coming over for Thanksgiving dinner and putting the dinner together with my husband is not the problem. We both love to cook so that is the least of our worries.
Our house basically stays top clean but now it is time to deep clean.
The list is so long that my daughter begged to work the weekends at her job so she could get out of it. (Just kidding)
As I was scanning the furniture, I did notice that the ottoman looked a little bit too used.
Hence, I quickly went to work and whipped up this mini quilt to cover it with.
Making it was easy even though I got up at 5 in the morning to make it. Quilting it was another dilemma.
I have never channel quilted anything more than a small 20x20 quilt. This one is 40x40 and I found that as I guided it through the machine, it would shift a bit and make a few puckers.
I hope my company does not decide to examine it from the back.
Suggestions to improve this technique are always welcome on my blog.

Christmas Gifts

Here is another Christmas gift I completed. Criss Cross coasters for family and friends. I got the pattern from All sorts. They are easy to make and actually for those who love to decorate for all seasons you can make them thematic.
I plan on making a Halloween set for my daughter.
I gift them in sets of 6 or 12 depending on the family size.

Towel Swap

I sponsored a monthly kitchen towel swap at a Garden Club.
Every month we will receive a different towel reflecting that month.
My month was November so I made these towels for the group.
Talk about sweat shop applique! I had to make 11 of these plus I had already made 2 as gifts.
I would love to make another one for my sweet baby girl but I am quite tired of this turkey.

Scrappy basket tool holder

I made this scrappy basket for my stitcher"s angel so she could keep all her sewing tools in it.

Another Find

Another estate find. A lovely doll dress that needs a hem.
I want to hang it in my sewing room but I need a doll dress hanger. Where can I find one?

Log Cabin pillows

Strolling along the aisles of vendors I spotted these pillows. They were from an estate sale. I liked them for the simple fact that I have not yet made this block and I knew that it was quite old from the looks of the fabrics.
I want to take the pillows apart and hand wash the blocks because they are a bit dirty and musty.
Looking for a place to take them apart and not a seam to be seen. So they were closed quite tightly. I want to make the pillows fluffier so I may make a new backing and buy some bigger pillow forms.
Will post updated look when completed.

Autumn Fabric

Well after using up all my Autumn stash and then some, I had to replace some of it since I just love these colors.
Kim at the Fat Quarter she was having 1/2 off all Halloween fabrics and free shipping on $50.00 orders that I had to order all these fabulous fabrics. I ordered several yards of orange and green and 2 layer cakes. I wanted to share this photo before it all goes to the wash room. It looks so pretty though.
I always wash my fabrics before putting them in the sewing room so they are ready to use whenever the inspiration guides me.I would hate to be inspired to make something and then have to wait until all my fabric is clean. Read what Becky and Linda from Piece O Cake have to say on their blog about fabric washing. After reading that story, I am glad I wash it first.

Ornament Wally

I made this ornament wally from the wonderful tutorial shared by Christina.
The second block which looks Spanish was made by her . I decided to do a swap for variety and her block was the first one I received. I plan on making another wally like this since I need two for my dining room area. This one is ready to be pressed, squared off and sandwiched. Making them is so easy but deciding how to quilt it is such a challenge for me that it will sit on the quilting table for awhile.
Also, I think I will make a holiday bag with the extra ones for my daughter and I.

Estate Sale potholders

On one of my flea market trips, a vendor was selling some items he had purchased at an estate sale.
My eye caught sight of these adorable potholders and I had to buy them. They are smaller than average but so well made and so adorable.
The stitches are so tiny and the blocks so miniature that these would be hard to replicate.

Pat Sloan's favorite techniques book

I have been searching for this book ever since I knew it was published.
My daughters friend wants me to make her the cover quilt as a graduation gift. I did not want to pay full price so I had to wait until Joann's finally started stocking it.
Last Sunday was my lucky day. The owl quilt pictured uses a new technique of applique I am not familiar with so I will have to practice. Other than that this quilt looks simple but it is quite small and I will need to make at least 3 extra rows.
Also included in this book is a wonderful pomegranate quilt I hope to make.
So as usual many plans for future items.

Christmas Cottages Wally

I designed this wall hanging for my back door entrance for the holidays.
I made 3 of the cottages and Eileen and I exchanged one.
It is ready for quilting but I actually have no clue how to quilt it.
Ideas please my blog friends.
I purchased some gold fabric bows and I will include those later after the quilting is done.

Blog Anniversary Likes and Dislikes

Today is my 1 year blogging anniversary. So keeping with tradition I am giving out these 2 brand new magazines a postage stamp charm quilt kit, (sample shown in picture but with much more charms) and 2 panels of pre-printed stocking to make for Christmas by Nancy Halverson.Brand new and you can make up to six stockings.
Leave a comment about what you dislike the most about the quilting process and what you like the most.
I have been quilting for 3 years now and I have to admit that it has changed my life. There are aspects of quilting that I do enjoy like the rush you get when you see a new design you want to make, the satisfaction of searching for all the fabrics, and the pleasure you feel when you give that completed quilt or project to someone who really appreciates all the work you put into it.
Oh, but I do hate making the sandwich and machine quilting large quilts.
I love hand quilting much more.
What about you?
I will post the winner on Thanksgiving day.

Another completed Christmas gift

I finally went in the sewing room and did not come out until I was done with the second part of my daughters Christmas present. This bag reads "Picnic Bag" in appliqued letters and holds the quilt I made her for picnics.
I still want to try to get a pillow in there some how to complete this gift.
I am not crazy about the handles but this was the sturdiest fabric I had. If she minds I guess I will have to figure out how to change them out.
I made this bag from a leftover postage stamp wall hanging I had made.

Labels

Now that my embroidery machine is on the fritz I can no longer make my unique embroidered labels. I miss that because I used to customize them so well.
Now I have to resort to store bought labels and the micro pen. I try to find unique things also to use for the labels. Like these blue flower patches I found at an antique store. I do not know what they were intended for but they are cotton and I love using them as labels.
I also try to make hexagon flowers as labels and cathedral window blocks as labels.
What do you do for labels?

Why I don't quilt on the weekends , Warning picture heavy

Now that my DH does not work on the weekends , he finds something for us to do every Saturday. He will find a new town we have not visited, research where the quilt shops are, their downtown area and places to eat at and off we go.
This one weekend here, we went to Bush Gardens again because we have season passes.
The weather was lovely and we arrived at about 4 pm. For those who live in Florida, we know never to hit the parks early or you will roast like a chicken.
We spent about an hour and a half, got on the sky ride and enjoyed the view.