The Quilts of Christmas Past

I can't believe I haven't blogged in almost three weeks. Well, I guess I can, really.  This has been a crazy-busy December!  I have barely been in my sewing room at all. Since I don't have anything new to share I thought I'd show some of the Christmas quilts I made in the past.  

This one is probably my favorite.  I made it in 2007 from blocks I received in a quilt guild row-robin.  Each person in the group made a row using the Christmas fabric I had provided.  When I got it back I didn't love it.  Naturally, there was only one thing to do - take it apart and put it back together in a different layout.  It took a lot of imagination to come up with this plan, and I had to add the piano key border make it more balanced.  It's about 47" by 57".  I call it "Christmas Hodge-Podge" and it's the perfect snuggle quilt!

In 2004 some friends and I exchanged 5" squares of Christmas fabrics and I used mine to make this 33" by 34" Tumblers quilt.  (There I go again - adding appliquéd holly and stars in the border to make it my own!) 

I love how it looks draped over the chair next to the chair with my snuggle quilt!

I started this one at a retreat in 2001.  I had to spruce up the negative space with some appliquéd and embroidered poinsettias. You know I can't just make a pattern the way someone else says I should!  This quilt is about 44" square.....

..... and makes a great table topper!

When my son was setting up his own home in 2002 I made a tree skirt using a pattern from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine for him.  

I also made him this little snowman wall-hanging from a McCalls Quilting Magazine pattern.  It was one of the few times I worked with homespuns, and I really like how it turned out. 

The third thing I made for him is this 28"  by 43" wall-hanging called "Cranberry Township" from Quiltmaker Magazine.  Like all the quilts above it's hand-quilted! 

About the time he was turning 5 years old our grandson, Gavin, asked me to make a quilt for his stuffed kitty.  He specifically asked for candy cane fabric.  Lo and behold I had some in my stash!  This little quilt is only 14" square .....

..... and just the right size!

In 2008 when our grandson, Aidan, needed a Christmas stocking, I found the perfect pattern in the 2002 issue of Quilt It For Christmas. I used some lame' fabrics in Christmas colors along with a few cotton prints and appliquéd his name and some gold stars to make it extra special.

I really hope you've enjoyed this Christmas Show and Tell.  I sure had fun putting it together!

A New Quilt for Aidan and March Stash Report

This cutie pie, my 9-year-old grandson, Aidan, has informed me that it's his turn for a new quilt. 

In his (barely) nine years I've made him not one .....

..... not two .....

..... not even three .....

..... but four quilts .....

..... AND a quilted Christmas stocking.

After being a dedicated Miami Heat fan for several years he has just changed his loyalty to the Golden State Warriors, so he thinks he needs a new Warriors quilt.  I convinced him that a wall-hanging would be an even cooler idea.  

  


















I enlarged the logo and bought the fabric.  I'm planning to just make a simple raw-edge appliquéd top and free-motion quilt it.  It set my stash-busting back a little, but that will motivate me to get it finished quickly.

Besides, I need to get it onto his wall before he changes favorite teams again.

March

Fabric Added in March - 2 yards

Fabric Used in March - 19.48 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 2 yards

Fabric Used Year to Date - 55.30 yards

Net used in 2015 - 53.30 yards

I am so embarrassed!

I keep track of all my quilts and quilted projects on an Excel spreadsheet, and I just took a look at my totals for 2012.  Hmmm, something has happened to my momentum!  

In 2008 I completed twenty-eight quilts, nineteen of which were for charity.   This stack and slash quilt was made and hand-quilted for baby Seth....

....and I made this quilted stocking for our grandson, Aidan.

In 2009 I completed eighteen quilts. Two of my favorites are this "Wacky Blues"  quilt I made and hand-quilted for our great-nephew Phenyx....

....and this quilt I made for our grandson Noah's bed using a Hockey print for the focus fabric and red, white and blue alternate blocks. 

In 2010 I completed fifteen quilts.  One was a Black & White & Bright baby quilt for a friend's new baby, Max....

....and one was a little quilt for Noah's stuffed monkey, made out of the leftovers from his quilt. 

Then in 2011 I completed twenty quilts.  The only one I haven't blogged about in a previous post is the baby quilt I made for our great-nephew Christopher.  I used some blue strips I found in my sewing room and pieced them with white squares, similar to the Allegro pattern by Terry Atkinson, then hand-quilted it.  

That brings us to 2012, which will be ending in one more day.  That is not much time to bump up my totals, so I will admit that I only completed seven (yes, seven) quilts this year.  That includes not one single UFO.  ((sigh))  And I even blogged about all of them so there isn't anything else to add.  Except maybe one of the reasons.   Better make that THREE of the reasons.