Sunday, November 29, 2015

Get Ready to Drool!

 
It's almost time for the Virtual Cookie Exchange! Starting December 1 through the rest of the week, several bloggers (including me) will be sharing pictures and recipes of cookies we have made. I'm eager to see what everyone is baking. :)
 
The picture below shows 3 of the completed placemats. There are 8 total and they are all done!
I used Superior Fastastico #5005 thread so there is a sheen and a variation in color, but it's hard to see with all the prints I used. That's ok. I like it anyway. There are all finished and ready to be gifted.
 
 
Many thanks to Carol at Just Let Me Quilt for putting the cookie exchange together!
Here is the blog order, in case I don't get it on tomorrow...
 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Last Day of Christmas is in My Heart

 
Well, I was too busy to get Wednesday's schedule on but I will get the last day.
I have enjoyed seeing everyone's contributions--and getting a few free patterns is an extra bonus!
 
Here are Thursday's hoppers:
 
Thursday, November 19
 
 
Thanks again to Marian of Seams to Be Sew for coordinating this hop. It has been fun!
 
 
Don't forget our sponsor, the Fat Quarter Shop, and  be sure to enter the Rafflecopter drawing for today for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate.
 


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Christmas is in My Heart Day 4

 
 
Hope a bunch of you are following this blog hop!
Here are today's sites to visit:
 
 
 
Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter drawing each day for a $25 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop!!
 
Enjoy!

Monday, November 16, 2015

More Christmas is in My Heart Sharing

 
Hasn't this blog hop been great so far?!
 
Don't forget to visit today's sharing on these blogs:
 
 
 
 
 
And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Christmas is in My Heart--My Turn

 
It's my turn for this wonderful hop--
thank you, Marian of Seams to Be Sew (http://seamstobesew.com) ,
 for putting this all together!
I saw many lovely creations yesterday and read some inspirational thoughts.
 
The first Christmas item I have to show is a panel I did to hang in our church sanctuary during the Advent and Christmas season. I thought about cutting it apart but against it and left it in one piece.
 
 
Maybe you can see that I FMQed the panel. All the brown is quilted to look like stones, and the lighter areas are stippled. I outlined the word "Rejoice" and the angels. I'm sorry that I didn't save the selvage to tell you what the panel is called or the designer, but I purchased the panel at The Quilter Corner in Morton, IL.

 
The next thing is this table runner. It was a kit I bought in Washington, IL, at Peddler's Way, called "Monochromatic" by Sue Michaels.
I love the gray and red--could not pass up this kit!
 I FMQed the entire runner with paisley-like figures.

 
You can see them better here. Boy, does that use a lot of thread!! All the quilting on such a small piece used 1 1/2 bobbins on my Tiara II. I was amazed.

 
Don't you think it looks nice with a few of my nativities sitting on it?

 
Next, I have made a table runner using the "Triangle Frenzy Swirl" pattern by Bunnie Cleland. I have made several of these, and so have the members of my quilt club, Cerro Gordo Quilters. This Christmas one uses a border design that is symmetrical so you have triangles that look the same, regardless of which side they are cut from. I use my walking foot for these and quilt along the lines of the border fabric.
I think this nativity looks nice on this runner.

 
 I am working on a Christmas gift and will show you what I have done. These are placemats from the pattern "Crazy Patchwork Placemats" by Merry's Stitchins (www.merrysstitchins.com)  in Jessup, IA (one of my favorite quilt shops).
A set of 8 placemats is made with 8 fat quarters and the stack and whack method. I had made one set but couldn't find my pattern to make this one. So, I just redrew the parts and thought through the way to cut them apart, restack, and sew together. In the photo are 3 finished placemat tops and on the right is the stack of parts for the other 5 placemats. I was despairing because I had no hearts in any of my projects (except my own) but then I noticed that the green fabric in these placemats has aqua hearts in it! Covered!
 
 
Last, I will show you something that is on my list of gifts to make: this Happy Snowman panel by Debra Jordan Bryan from JoAnn Fabrics. One of my daughters will like having this. 
 
 
So, even though it's not time for decorations, I was listening to Christmas music while typing this, and I have many other  gifts on my list to make. In the meantime, we will be decorating the church after Thanksgiving and beginning to really get into the meaning of the Christmas season. I will pull out more nativities to display (I have a large collection, many of which I leave out all year long), and decorate my own home too. Every time I pull out a nativity or look at one on a shelf, I have a reminder of what this is all about. Just like the picture at the top of my blog page (which I did last year), I think about that family and of Jesus and of what he has done to change so many of our lives. We are truly blessed.
 
There are others displaying their creations today:


Please be sure to visit them, and if you leave me a comment, I will enjoy reading it.
Also, be sure to enter the rafflecopter drawing for a $25 gift certificate from our sponsor The Fat Quarter Shop (www.fatquartershop.com)

 
 
 

 
Thanks for visiting!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Christmas is in My Heart Begins Today!

 
 
The fun begins today with the Christmas is in My Heart hop. Marian at Seams to Be Sew (http://www.seamstobesew.com) is our blog mistress. My day is tomorrow but you will want to see all the wonderful things that have been made by today's group.
 
Sponsored By The Fat Quarter Shop

 
Since Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring our hop, there is a giveaway--a $25 gift certificate.
Let's see if I can get this Rafflecopter in right so you can participate. (This is my practice run for my blog tomorrow.)
 


Tuesday, November 10, 2015

A Few Projects

 
I have the top done for a baby quilt I'm working on--just need to sandwich it and quilt. I plan to stitch in the ditch with my walking foot. You can see the panel I have behind it, showing a darker spot behind the upper right, and the eyes of the nativity figures in that panel (it's a Sandy Gervais design). That will get done one of these days... You can also see the bottom of my "design wall," a flannel sheet hung on the wall. Hey, it works! :)
 
 
I made up one of these Amazing Grace panels for church and this is the 2nd one I did for our church district auction at our district conference last weekend.

 
I FMQed the panel itself with some curliques with hearts in them and with a paisley design around the edges of the panel. The inner border is stitch in the ditch and the outer border is are wavy lines.
Maybe you can see some of the quilting in the photo below. And my camera has this mysterious black mark that comes and goes. Have to find a camera shop...

 
I was pleased that this wall hanging brought $200 at the auction. It helps to have a few people who want it very badly.
 
Coming up is Christmas is In My Heart blog hop, sponsored by Marian at Seams to Be Sew. Don't forgot to follow it. I'm on for November 13! Yikes, I have more to sew before then. Better get busy!!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

A Cookie Blog Hop

 
 
I'm excited!! Carol Swift, at Just Let Me Quilt, has just come up with a Virtual Cookie Blog Hop. We'll make cookies, share photos and recipes, and maybe even show off some Christmas things we've made.
 
I'm in!! I might even have to make some cookies today--it's been awhile since I've done so.
 
I think sharing our cookie recipes will be a welcome break in all the sewing flurry.
 
Want to join? Check out Carol's blog
 
Then send her an email.