Now is the Time to Show Gifts I Made for Christmas

Since Christmas has come and gone I can now post more of the gifts that I made for family and friends.  Every year I have to wait until the gifts are opened before I can show more of my sewing.  This year was a mug rug Christmas.  I made so many that I lost count of them all.  I even made one for me but I forgot to take a picture of it.  I guess I will have to do that soon.

This is a cushion cover I made for Lynda using the Pineapple Log Cabin block.

The beige strips and the backing are all about post cards.  She is in a group called Post-crossing where you send post cards to other members of the group, so I thought this fabric would be a hit and it was.

Mug Rugs for Maria.

I used a pattern from Craftsy but changed it and put applique for the word Sew.

She collects miniature shoes so I added one to the second rug.

Mug Rugs for Joyce.

Joyce's home has many outdoor bird feeders with blue jays visiting so I made a blue bird with a bird house for her second rug.

These were given to my sister and her husband

in California.

More Mug Rugs for special people. 

My daughter has an orange cat and my

son and his girl friend have a black cat.

These are really cute coasters for the guys on my list.

Christmas Pure and Simple

I started this wall hanging in the summer but only finished it now because I hate panels.  I don't know why I buy them except that they make great quilted wall hangings. 

I had an old wall hanging with the nativity scene that I had for about 20 years and decided that it was time for a new one.  

I had it quilted by a local long arm quilter because I couldn't decide how I would do it let alone manage the size of it.

I left off the outer border because it would be too large for the wall it would go on.  I am happy with it even without the extra border.

Snow Days

My son asked me to make him a wall hanging and we came up with this one.  I started this one back in April and finally got it finished now.  One of his grandfathers was a railroader so possibly that was why he was attracted to this panel.

I had this one quilted by a long arm quilter and she quilted snow flakes on it.

It wasn't a Christmas gift but it was a good time to finally get it finished.

Peggy

More Placemats

I started these a while ago and as things go they got put aside.  I thought I blogged about them but when I posted the pictures a few days ago of the other placemats that are slightly different I realized that I hadn't posted them.  

I made 12 of these to use for Christmas dinner because I never know how many people I will have but usually not more than a dozen.  I have been known to set the table for less people than were coming for dinner.  I don't think I will go wrong with making 12 this time.  Since I made the other 4 I don't have enough fabric left to make a table runner so I guess I will just go with the placemats this year.

Peggy

Christmas Isn't Far Off

Last Christmas I received a new wall hanging kit from my daughter.  It was a Christmas wall hanging and since the Christmas of 2014 was over and 2015 was a long way away I put the wall hanging away and forgot about it.  I was rooting through some of my drawers looking for UFO's and I found the wall hanging.  Since a lot of time had gone by I thought I better get on it and get it made.

A panel with a difference

According to the instructions I made holes in the panel around the tree and inserted lights that came with the kit, added batteries to the small pack that sits in a pocket in the back.

I have it hanging in my hall.

I also made more placemats from Christmas fabric.  They are a lot like the last 12 I made but I had to put green binding on them because I ran out of red.

When Lynda and I were in Tallahassee last year we went to a Quilt shop and I bought some winter fabric to make placemats for me for winter.  I didn't want Christmas but winter so I chose some whimsical snowmen.  I decided to use them this year again and wanted a table-runner to go with them, so I pulled out the left-over fabric and came up with a runner with the same pattern as the mats.

I used a dark green for the background triangles to set off the squares.

I think I have all my Christmas quilting done and will post it after Christmas.  I am going to concentrate on my UFO's and a new baby quilt for my doctor.

Peggy

Making Christmas Gifts

I have been really busy making Christmas gifts but I can't post some of them because the people that they are made for, check my blog.  There are a few I can post and I will save the rest for after Christmas.

Christmas Tree Skirts

I made one of these for myself last Christmas and had lots of leftover fabric so I thought that maybe my children might like one as well.  I had started them and put them aside because there were other things to make and Christmas was a long way off.  I actually forgot about them.  I was going through my boxes of projects and came across them about a couple of months ago.  I decided that I should get going on them or I wouldn't get them finished for Christmas.

There are very few repeats of fabric in them.  The pattern is really interesting because there is no real angle to cut it is all done with measurements and a regular ruler.  You can find the PATTERN HERE.

I also made some mug rugs and coasters.

I have made these before and they are so easy yet so attractive.

Jody does a great tutorial on this mug rug. 

The Pattern is HERE.

When I was in Southern Ontario last year I found this great strip of fabric to make some beer coasters.  The back is also neat because it is beer mugs.  I didn't quilt these because I tried and didn't like the result so I just put backing and batting and then sewed them right sides together, flipped them and top stitched around the edge.

Peggy

From Scraps to Scrappy

Working on scrap quilts keeps me busy.  I love to find new patterns and then sort through the scrap bins to come up with a quilt.  Sometimes I have to cut the pattern down to a size that I like working with so I have to choose patterns that I can do that too.  I like them to fit onto one piece of fabric for the backing and the usually size turns out to be 38-40 x 48-52 inches.  The size that will fit onto a wheelchair or a small lap quilt.

Jewel Toss

This quilt used up some of my 2 1/2 inch squares as well as some of my 5 inch squares to make the 4 1/2 inch half square triangles.  Check out Moda Bakeshop for more scrap quilts.  I think I have said this before, but as soon as I see the pattern using a charm pack I think of scraps.  I may have to make this one again, really like how it turned out.

Dog Lovers Quilt

I had this dog fabric that I hated to cut up so by making it into large squares I was able to use it without losing some of the doggy faces.  I good quilt for Precious Bundles.  I hope a little boy gets this one.

Peggy.

Applique Workshop

I have been under the weather, as they say, so I have not been doing much blogging.  I did attend an applique workshop put on by Dori Hopko from Sioux Lookout here in my home town.  She rented a conference room at one of the local hotels and there were 16 of us learning a lot about applique.  She talked about different needles and what to use them for and also gave us a lesson on thread.  We learned about stabilizers and different types of backing for your applique.  Dori also spent time going over the different applique stitches that can be used on a project.

Here is some of the work done that day.

A large selection of different applique techniques.  A great workshop and a lot of information was giving out to the participants.

Peggy

New Table Runner

I wanted a fall table runner for my coffee table so I used an old faithful pattern called Avian Table Topper that I found on allpeoplequilt.com   That has to been one of my favourite sites to find patterns.

Avian Table Topper

The first time I made this I used birds for the center of the squares, (which the pattern called for) but since I wanted it to be a fall runner I used fabric that I purchased in Tallahassee last January.  The squares are fall leaves in all different colours and the inner and outer borders are fall leaves and pumpkins.

Today it feels like fall here so it was a good day to finish this.

Peggy

Placemats for my Brother

I will be going back to Tallahassee Florida in January for my brother's 80th birthday so I thought I would make him some placemats this year.  Last year I took him a quilt for his bed.  I found a pattern on Allpeoplequilt.com but I changed the placement of the flying geese units to make a Dutchman's puzzle.  

Everyday Elegance

I wanted something masculine and it is hard to find fabric that doesn't have flowers somewhere in the design.  I had this in my stash and had bought it just because I liked it.  I'm sure glad because it came in handy for these.

Peggy

My Pineapple Log Cabin Quilt and Other Finishes

In April I took a class in making the Pineapple Block that was put on by Johanna Masko.  Our local guild invited her to be our guest quilter during our annual Quilt Show.  She put on three classes over the weekend.  She was making a block to make a cushion but I thought I would practice making the block and made 12 blocks to make a small quilt.  

Pineapple Log Cabin Quilt

The fabric was purchased in England and is made up of The Union Jack and other symbols of the United Kingdom.  There are Bobbie's, taxi cabs, crowns, pay phone booths, double decker buses and assorted landmarks all throughout the fabric.  I added a few of the assorted blues and reds but the theme fabrics are truly English.

Amazing Jelly Roll Quilt

This pattern is from the 3 Dudes and broken down by Missouri Star Quilt Company.  You take 4 strips and sew them together, measure the width of the strip and cut the strip into squares.  Take one and place it horizontal on your cutting board and place a different or same square vertically on top, sew all around the outside and cut it diagonally from corner to corner twice.  

I made one square and got hooked and before I knew it I had made 12.  I used the hinge method to put the squares together.  It is a quilt as you go method and goes together really quick.  It was completely made with scraps.

Floating Four Patch Quilt

I got this pattern idea from The Gourmet Quilter.  She was using up some scraps so I did the same and made a scrappy floating four patch quilt. This quilt measures 38 x 52 just the right size for a lap quilt for one of the Homes for the Aged.

Two Block Kid's Quilt

Strange as it may seem, that is the name of this quilt.  I got the pattern from All People Quilt when I was looking for a pattern for a child's quilt.  It was so easy just to use large square of assorted children's fabric that I had on hand and just added the coloured sashing.

Peggy

New Baby Ensemble

One of my sisters is going to have a new grandchild, a little girl, and wanted me to make a quilt and a doll quilt for the mother and child.  She found a pattern called Doggy in the Window on Craftsy and we used the pattern but changed the block to a doll instead of a dog.  The fabric is Simply Gorjuss from Quilting Treasures.

Simply Gorjuss

I also made a doll quilt to go with this baby quilt.

I put a small block in this quilt to match the larger quilt.  The backing is the pink fabric.  You don't see it in the large quilt but I incorporated it into the small one to give it more colour.

I like to make a bag to go with all this and Carole had sent me a second piece of fabric so I used it for the bag with some leftover pink fabric.

A bag to carry all baby's toys in.

I mailed it all of today so she should get it in a week or so.  Snail mail is so slow here in our town.  She needs it before September 15th so I thought I would get it finished and mail it in lots of time.

Peggy

More Teddy Bears and Quilts

I have a lot of fun making quilts for my Teddy Bears for our Christmas Cheer Fund.  

I found this rolly polly guy and just couldn't leave him behind.  I thought he was so cute.  This pattern is a disappearing hourglass with the pieces placed in 4 different ways.

This was a free pattern from Wal-mart given to me by one of the ladies at Neebing Needlers.  It is called Pretty in Pink but I had these fabrics with animal prints and matched the quilt to my little aqua penguin.  A good match I think.

My little Christmas Teddy Bear.  When I bought this one my sister insisted that we check to make sure that he had 2 ears.  It is too scary for a little one to get a teddy bear and remove the hat and find only one ear.  I have made this quilt before, and I love the bright colours.  Some of the fabric has animal prints on it.

This quilt is a Sudoku Quilt made with 3 1/2 inch squares so it makes a perfect size for a teddy bear quilt.  The backing has doggie fabric so my little grey and beige dog fit right in with this quilt.

Another Sudoku Quilt made with 2 1/2 squares so I added a border to make it a bit larger and also added dog fabric for the backing.

Peggy

Here it is

I finished the binding on the Hinge Method quilt and I decided to name Double Flavoured Quilt because of the bright colours that remind me of sweet treats.  

 Double Flavoured Quilt

The side borders are larger than the top and bottom because I used 15 squares and not the usual 12 so it was a lot longer than it was wide.  It is 68 x 85 inches and very large for me to work on.  I think it will be a long time before I make another one.  I will help the guild make hinge quilts but I won't be making one myself.

Peggy

Whoot, Whoot

I have had a very busy month this July.  I was away on a quilt retreat at Hawkeye Lake again this year but forgot to take pictures.  I made 6 quilt tops on retreat.  Two of them will be Teddy Bear quilts and the others are children's quilts for a group called "Precious Bundles".  The guild supplies them with children or baby quilts to give to the less fortunate.

I also went on a fishing trip up to Lake of the Woods.  We didn't get our limit of 12 fish but we caught 10 and had a great fish fry.

Today I finished the Hinge quilt.  Whoot, whoot.  I was really not looking forward to putting the borders on this quilt as it finishes at 68 x 80 inches.  I very large quilt for me to make.  I just have to add the binding and then I will take a final picture.  I bought myself a treat of a new sewing machine and that is what made the task so easy.  It paid for itself today.  It is a Janome 8900 and just a gem.  I think I am really going to enjoy this new machine and to put it through it's paces.  Looking forward to getting to know it.

Peggy

Seven New Blocks

Our Guild is going to make some bed size quilts for an organization here for troubled youth.  I decided to make one using the hinge method since a large quilt is too big to quilt on my machine and using the hinge method you quilt the blocks first and then hinge them together to make a quilt.  I am still working on it and hope to have it finished by September.  

It looks a little weird because I still have to add borders and it is long and skinny, but it will look fine when the borders are on.  They are all quilted and ready to be added, I just have to get around to doing it.  The problem is that the quilt is still very large to maneuver around so I have to psyche myself up for it.

The guild has taken my idea and asked the members to make blocks that we can hinge together at a Quilt Bee in the fall, so I decided to make a few.  Once I get started I can't seem to stop.  I ended up making seven.   They were to be 12 1/2 inch squares but leave an edge all around them so that they can be squared up when it is time to quilt them.

Two inch squares

Three and a half inch squares.

Five nine patch blocks.  I tried to get a little creative with different colours and arrangements.

Peggy