Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Christmas Party

Another of Cynthia's Scrap-a-Palooza series at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.  I had it finished yesterday, but a thunderstorm rolled in, so I couldn't get any outside pictures.  So, walked across the street at 7 am to snap a few so I can post this!



As Christmassy as one can get in June!
You can read about the construction herehere and here.  This is going to my grandson, as everyone needs a Christmas quilt for their bed!  This is a good-sized lap quilt.

I was so happy that the snowmen I'd had for years worked in, as did the little mitten blocks.  And I used up all the Santa flannelette (being sure to wash and dry it to shrink it first before quilting!) I had left for the back.  I used this for magic bag covers, and it's a great flannelette.

The back
I didn't quite have enough, so I worked in a little of his Cat in the Hat flannel backing from his second quilt I made him this time last year.  The label is, as always, pieced into the backing as well.  I machine stitched the binding down, and I am getting better because I only missed catching it in a few places!  I prefer hand-stitching it down, love the feel, the weight of the quilt in my lap as I stitch, but I just wanted this done, and I think it might hold up a little better (?)  However, having said that, I just got Dayna's quilt from 2005 washed and dried, and the hand-stitching has come away in only one place, this on a quilt that is well-used by her and her cats, every day on her bed, so that's pretty good I think!

Here are some close-ups of the quilting.  I didn't get too fancy, just a little.  I wanted it to be soft and cuddly.  I FMQ-ed a few different motifs.  The trees and Christmas lights are from Show Me How to Machine Quilt by Kathy Sandbach, an EXCELLENT resource that really helped me to grow in free-motion quilting.  I first saw her on Alex Anderson's "Simply Quilts" and knew I had to have her book...just looked:  I bought it exactly 10 years ago, May 2004!!
Christmas trees!

Christmas lights above the trees in the top row of red squares!
I copied a design of Cynthia's, kind of. . . the big spiral in the outside row of red squares on the sides of the quilt.  For the inside rows of the sides, I just did some vertical straight and wavy lines.
Figure eight design in the sashing; straight and weaving lines that go both vertical and horizontal
in the green round

Leah Day's spiral meander in the blue centre from her first book, From Daisy to Paisley
Rolled up


I knew I wanted to photograph it here against the 125+ year-old stone wall, a remnant of the Hiram Walker, I believe, estate that used to grace these grounds which are now a Seniors' Residence, as well as garden homes, aka attached one-story condos.


The pillars are about 7 feet tall.  Once I wash it and dry the quilt, so it is nice and crinkly, I'll post another pic.

AND!!! Nearly forgot!! Look what arrived yesterday!!

My prize for the Caption This! contest that Fat Quarter Shop had going during Quilt Market.  They are gorgeous, so soft.  Can't wait to see what they grow up into!

1 comment:

  1. Oh it's a gorgeous quilt, it really is!!! Congrats again on your lovely prize too!

    Wow, ..... next to that wall you'd appear almost young!!

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