... preparations have begun! Due to my lean year of steady work, the little elves and I plan to make the most of my studio this month. It's truly all about the handmade holiday here. Of course, with the kids older and the fact that we have everything we need, nearly any gift shopping this year could be placed in the luxury category -- outside, of course, any shopping my husband and children do for me -- that's definitely in my family's "need to do" category!
My greatest personal crafting desire is to sit down with Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle and work my way through that book. Last year, I bought up a number of peices of red, pink, and white fabrics to do that very thing. Alas, the year has nearly passed me by with nary a project made. However, there is still time ...
Those little ornaments at the top of the post are some of my favorite things to make. Yo-yos with buttons and embroidered feltwork. I adore the birds, too. I keep meaning to make a flock of those.
Love the redwork here. I've used this design in a number of ways but do love the simplicity of the little house stuffed. Jacquie used some pieces I sent her last year in quilted pillow covers and this year made the button for her "Joy In The New Year" whip-up challenge with her pillow's photo. You know how happy that makes me!
My studio secrets this year include binding the quilt I finally backed and had long-arm quilted earlier this year for my daughter and make two throw-sized quilts for my husband and son. I've collected a number of more modern, manly prints lately, and it occured to me that my guys would like quilts, too. In the book Quilting For Peace, there are a number of easy blocks to create. There is one block created from sewing long strips of three fabrics, slicing into squares, and arranging them this way and that, back and forth, to create a sort of L-shape zigzag throughout. I'm thinking that should go pretty quick. I'll have to quilt them myself, though, and plan to defer to my modern-quilt-guru, Jacquie, again! She just posted some straight line quilting tips the other day that I believe I can follow.
4 comments:
How absolutely lovely. The colors are so yummy.
Yes, all this post sings XMas! the part about gathering the supplies and not having had the time to make the projects last year makes me smiles. It sounds like me, apparently, I manage to make handmade XMas gift every second year. One spent gathering the ideas and supplies, one spent working on them :-)
Your bird ornament is perfectly sewn -what is your secret because mine were evil....
everyone who walks into my house comments on those pillows! i LOVE them. i need to order some more panels...maybe after christmas and i can start on gifts for next year!! love the quilt. good luck with the handmade holiday.
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