Sunday, December 25, 2011

Best Christmas Ever!

HO, HO, HO!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Sort of looks like a quilt, doesn't it?  My clever husband made me this amazing thread cabinet! 

 I think I have "the perfect colour of thread" for just about any quilt!  I ordered the minimum order from Marathon Threads (Winnipeg) and tried to get a wide variety of colours.  Minimum order is $150.  The spools I got are 2000 m 35 weight - about $4/spool.  If I were to get quilting thread in my local fabric store, retail price is about $14 for 1000m (although I would typically wait for the half price sales).  If you do the math, it's worth dropping the $150 all at once.  I had picked up some Marathon thread at the last sewing show to try it out and liked it.  So I was comfortable in ordering lots more.  It will take me awhile to use it all up though! 


Craig and Rhonwyn sent me some fabric from Hong Kong (above - not a great pix, will have to try for a better one - oh who am I trying to kid? - you'll see it as it comes up in a project). 

And Eric gave me a gift certificate to the local fabric store!  Sew - I'm feeling like the little kid who got all the things she asked for!  Pretty spoiled, eh?

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Finally - this is the "table runner" finished for the dining room table.  It turned into more of a table cloth, but that's OK - I like it.
  For the pix, I pulled out one of the table leaves - the leaves are usually folded in so the runner would hang over the ends, but when both leaves are both out it will extend about half way over each leaf. 



Sunday, December 4, 2011

Snow! And 2011 Minis

 It started snowing about 14:00 yesterday afternoon and continued for the rest of the day and night.  We ended up with about 4-6 inches of fluffy white stuff.  I didn't get pix until after shovelling and neighbour kids messed it up - but oh well.  The kids looked like they were having fun!

It seems each year since I started this quilting hobby I have a couple of months at the end of the year where I pause for station identification.  I have lots of batting ends and bits and pieces generated from the quilts I've made previously.  I want to clear up some of the debris.  And make a few items for the season as well. 
 First up are my little gift bags - I made some of these last year.  Two half meters yield 10 bags.  I picked up this Mark Lipinski fabric for 1/2 price (I cannot resist a sale). 
 I made three minis as per the above - this is actually a pattern from a book called Pretty Little Mini Quilts  - a Lark Book (no specific author - this quilt is designed by Rebeka Lambert and called Around the Block).  Finished size is about 29 inches square.  No new fabric here - all "left overs".  Chris and Karl get the wine block.

 I've also been making some Christmas items for ME!  I think these are the first things I've actually quilted for myself.  We have three end tables this size and the larger coffee table.  I have two small ones done, hand sewing the third and will be working on the coffee table next.  I may even decide to do a runner for the dining table.  Using some fabric up and started in on some Christmas fabric I picked up a couple of years ago.  I made up the pattern. 
 Here are the remaining Around the Block minis.  The red one went home with Carol and Dan.  I put the blue one in for a door prize for my company party - then won it back!  I will have to find another home for it.  These are both using up more "left overs".
Finally - this little guy (above) still using up the fabric from my very first project table toppers/runners for my Mom.  Didn't measure this guy, but probably about 20 inches square.