Candy Swirl {Quilted Throw Pillow}

I may have checked the Hallmark channel to see if Christmas movie season had started after I took this picture.  It really put me in the holiday decorating project mood.

And if you are now wondering? Hallmark Christmas movie season HAS started.

I finished my Candy Swirl Block project from the Vintage Christmas Fat Quarter Shop quilt along!!

 The Vintage Christmas book includes some really great small and large projects.

 I decided to spice up the vintage look with more modern matchstick quilting.  It really is one of my go-to for throw pillows.  I get a lot of questions on how I do it, and I am promising my followers that I am working on some really helpful tutorials over the next few months.

Lori Holt has suggestions for some cute trim around the binding, however, I thought the gingham fabric I chose was just the right touch.

I chose a small dotted red for the pillow backing from my stash.  I love using up my stash!

Another go-to?  Hidden zippered back.  And, again, I have a video tutorial in the works! 

I'm really excited to bring some tutorials that can be used in conjunction with some pattern releases I have coming out in the near future...so stay tuned!!

Quilt Project Finish:

Measures: 18"x 18"

Pattern: Candy Swirl from Vintage Christmas

Fabric: Reproduction Vintage Fabrics, Robert Kaufman Quilters Cotton, Joann Fabrics

Quilted: Matchstick Quilting with Superior Threads and Gutermann on Babylock Symphony

 I'm actually excited to have a new pillow for my bedroom for the coming Christmas season. Usually I am trying to make Christmas items AFTER the holidays because other things are getting in the way.

What are you already making for the holidays to brighten up your home?

Reversible Utitlity {Apron}

"An apron is just a cape on backwards!"

I NEVER wear full aprons.  They are usually too long for me, so I decided to make a half apron with the second apron kit I had in my stash after I made the first one for my grandmother.

  I had to keep it for myself so I can have warm memories of my grandmother. She is an important person in my life. You can read more in my POST HERE.

I don't generally use an apron in my kitchen, so I thought a utility apron for my studio would be more practical for me.

  I figure I can slip scissors, rulers, or various other notions I need while 

working at my cutting table or long arm. 

Not to mention my phone to take my quilty photos for Instagram!

Of course, I had to make it reversible like my grandmothers!!

 Have you ever tried to take a photo of yourself modeling an apron?

Let me know how you did, because this was the best I could do!

Merry Gift Christmas {Quilted Pillows}

"Gifts of time and love are surely the best ingredients of a truly Merry Christmas!"

It seems to be my luck that I can’t seem to find time to work on Christmas projects for our home in time for the big day.  This year, I finally had all my Christmas "to-dos" complete a few days beforehand.  I thought I had a reasonable amount of time to at least finish some pillows for our family room chairs, but our guests arrived while I was still doing the matchstick quilting.

Since I was busy entertaining during their visit, I wasn’t able to see the confines of my studio until Saturday...and finished these pillows right before the New Year.  I don't want to sound like I'm upset.  The gift of time with family is worth more than two cute Christmas pillows on my chair!

I will confess that this pattern is from a book, but I managed to work out the math by looking at others completed blocks, and I was able to adjust it for my own use.  Matchstick quilting is my favorite for where these pillows live for vacuuming/cleaning reasons.  I stuck to a white, green, and red thread.

I used a fun and festive red gingham for the hidden zipper backings.

 I finished the bindings with a red and white stripe.

Quilt Stats:
Measures: 14x26"
Pattern: Adaptation of Merry Gift Pattern
Fabrics: Joanns red dot, red gingham, red stripe and green fat eight bundle
Quilted: Matchstick quilting in Gutermann Red, Green, and White on Babylock Symphony

I’m hoping that I can start earlier this year on Christmas projects for our family this year...but am content to pack these away with the other quilts until next year.

Reversible Christmas & Everyday {Apron}

 "There is no saying no to Grandma's cooking!"

When Amanda at Jedi Craft Girl posted that she was destashing two apron “kits” with these Matryoshka dolls on them, I instantly yelled "BABUSHKA!" out loud and typed "ME! ME! ME!" on her post.

The reason I had to have them is that our family is of Polish descent and I grew up hearing my grandmother calling the stacking dolls she had in her family room babuskas, which means grandmother in Russian and some parts of Poland.

When Christmas rolled around, I knew that I wanted to send her one of the aprons with some cookie mix in a mason jar. 

 I found reversible instructions on Riley Blake’s website.

The dolls are just adorable and festive for Christmas. 

I also think she will love the cherries on the pockets on the "everyday use" side.

As for the second one? 

 See the details HERE.

 I had to keep it for myself so I can have warm memories of my grandmother. 

She is a pretty important person in my life!

Gift Box {Quilted Potholders}

"A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer."

As a parent, I often find it difficult to come up with gifts for teachers.  Particularly at Christmas time.  I grew up watching other kids give their teachers gifts for the holidays, but my mother never sent me along with any, so my frame of reference as a parent myself was, basically, clueless. When the older boys were all stacked together, I often was overwhelmed thinking about the monumental task of curating several gifts for several teachers they each had and never took it on.

When Button came along, I made a decision that it would be an area I would work on making more of an effort.

This year, Button as a teacher who seems game to take anything I send her way. This holiday, I happened upon this awesome Mason jar pre-filled with cookie mix at Target.  Just eggs and water were needed to finish them.  I thought it would be nice to send along some Potholders.

I did a fabric pull of some of my leftover Christmas fabric scraps, most from my Blizzard Quilt.

I found a quilt block that appealed to me at Fort Worth Fabric Studio HERE.

I definitely went off grid after her block instructions to make potholders that protect the back of your hands. I affectionately call them my potholder flaps.  I *may* have a tendency to burn the back of my hands on my oven. 

A lot.

The flap and the actual potholder each have a layer of Insul-brite and batting.  I quilted them very simply because it can get quite puffy with all the layers.

I always add hanging loops before I attach my binding to the back.

His teacher really was pleased  and mentioned at the Christmas party that she was hoping that I would make something for her. So glad I did!

While I was at it, I was feeling disappointed that I didn't finish all the Christmas ideas for our own home, so I made a set for myself along with some simple coasters for our family room (tutorial HERE).

Nativity Wall Hanging {Quilt}

 When I made the Nativity Auction Tree Skirt last November, I had an extra Nativity scene sitting around.  I couldn't very well toss the work of Kindergartners that worked super hard on it, so I came up with the idea to make a "mini" for the teacher.  And the room mom and I must have been on the same page, because she asked me if I minded making one for her as an end of the year teacher gift.

This time, since I knew it wasn't going to be "used" like a tree skirt, I appliqued the figures right on the background without the black felt edge.

 

I meant for it to be a "mini" but it was hard not to crowd all the figures.  I definitely eliminated the "town" a few less palm trees to make room!

 I used all the same fabrics, including backing and binding.  Made a sleeve at the upper back that blended in with the backing in case the teacher decided to use it as a table runner or whatever she desired.

 Quilt Stats:

 Measures:  20"x 52"

Pattern: none

Fabric: Kona Parchment, Kona Brown, Northcott Christmas Reindeer Prance, 

Henry Glass Beige Baroque, Moda Swirl

Thread: Omni Thread Natural Linen by Superior Threads

Quilted: Free motion on HQ Avante

 

 

I think it was very much appreciated.

 I'm so glad to have been able to use more of the kids' artwork!

Nativity Tree Skirt {School Auction Quilt Project}

 "and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living-space." Luke 2:7

 When we arrived to Salt Lake City, my friends all wondered out loud how long it would take the schools to find out about my quilting experience.  All it took was an Auction meeting in September to offer my services to the committee. The kindergarten room traditionally did a quilt for the class auction and they needed help.  How could I not speak up?

 I met with their room mom who had chosen coloring book images for the kids to color.  I sent her on her way with the approximate size, preparation of the muslin fabric with freezer paper backings, and my collection of fabric markers.  She chose the fabrics for the sky and background based on the fact that she wanted to do more "traditional" Christmas colors.

 She returned with two sets of Nativity scenes, unsure if I would need it to "fill up" the tree skirt.  However, it was too much, especially knowing that we had to keep the adorable drawings toward the edge of the skirt.  I saved the second set for the Nativity Wall hanging Quilt I made for the end of the year Kindergarten teacher gift.

I was really worried about the figures getting lost in the background and satin stitched them to some black felt and then appliqued them on the backgrounds.  It ended up being the part the parents loved the most.  The colors the kids chose and the fabrics the room mom picked evoked feelings of an authentic desert nativity scenen.  I made the creche oversized, had the shepherds gathered on hills of sand with palm trees, and the village of Bethlehem in the distance behind the Wise men.

This photo is actually from the wall hanging.

 I think I went a little crazy with the dense quilting, but I wanted to showcase the figures and also give the feeling of shifting sand dunes and swirling dense stars.  I can't seem to find a photo, but I made covered button closures at the opening.
 I also made a printed quilt label with the kids names on the back.  They were the main artists!

 Quilt Stats:

 Measures: Approx. 40" diameter

Pattern: none

Fabric: Kona Parchment, Kona Brown, Northcott Christmas Reindeer Prance, 

Henry Glass Beige Baroque, Moda Swirl

Thread: Omni Thread Natural Linen by Superior Threads

Quilted: Free motion on HQ Avante

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to hear how well it did at the auction! 
I hope that I can help them out to do just as well next year!