HANDMADE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE AND QUILTING

My entry for the Handmade Christmas Challenge is a notebook cover.  I used the journal cover from Moda Bakeshop for the directions.  

I added a pocket on the front

I got the pinwheel quilt basted this week as well as my basket quilt (but just took pictures of the pinwheel quilt.  I have been using Cindy Needham's method of basting the quilt on one large table and it has been working quite well for me.  I use picnic table clamps to keep the fabric tight.

Yesterday I started quilting and after quilting some large free motion feathers that I planned to do all over the quilt top, I decided I didn't like them, so I will be ripping that out.  Luckily, it's only about 18" square.  Now I am quilting some skinny fern-like feathers in the sashing and some lines in the pinwheels.  I still haven't figured out what I will do on the navy squares.

I don't know if you can see what is quilted in the sashing or not, but both of these pictures show it.

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post.

FEBRUARY'S HANDMADE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE

I found something on the Moda Bake Shop that I thought might make a good gift for some people I know that drink wine.  Of course you don't have to be drinking wine, but you do have to use a goblet type glass in order to use these.  These are honeycomb wine coasters and you can find the recipe here.  

This is a great site to go to for ideas!  All the directions are there to make these wine coasters.  I made a set of six and each one is different so people (hopefully) can remember which glass is theirs.  If identification isn't a problem, they could all be made the same to match the tablecloth or decor.  It didn't take long to make them - it would have been faster if I didn't have to unsew some of them.

black and white

blues go well with my crystal

The other four coasters

See the top left one?  It shows the iron-on vinyl that is on the bottom of each

Actually, I don't really think you would need the iron-on vinyl.

Last night I finished one more block for my Dear Jane quilt.  I hand pieced this one to see if I could manage the tiny pieces.  I'm kind of amazed that it came out as good as it did.   I haven't decided yet if I will hand piece many more of them, but wanted to see how it went.  I rather enjoyed doing it while watching TV.  The block is 5" square unfinished.

A-3

 Here's another one that I'm prepping to hand piece.  It is A-5.  Maybe if I get my process perfected I will do more this way.  I'm sure I will use the paper piecing method as well.  It is probably faster, so I may well opt for that method as I think most people do.

A-5

Here's what A-5 looks like.  I had my book spiral bound so it would be easier to make copies of the diagrams.

I made this block for my guild.  There are 12 people to a group and we make one block per month.  At the end of the year, there will be 12 sets of 12 blocks and each person who participated will get a set.  Each month it is a different block and color.  It's easy to do and I will receive 12 blocks in December to put together!

I plan to finish the 9-patch pinwheel blocks for the anniversary quilt today and next will be the sashing and trying to figure out how to put it all together.  I still will need more pinwheels too.

It's another beautiful day here in Texas!  I hope you enjoy your weekend.

A HANDMADE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE

I found out about the "Handmade Christmas Challenge" from reading SewCalGal's blog here.   If you haven't been following her, you should at least check out her blog.  She has lots of quilty/crafty things on it including tutorials, etc.  

Anyway, the challenge (which I joined) is to make one Christmas gift or decoration each month during the year, so that you don't have lots of things to do at the last minute.  Good idea, huh?

I have this book, "Everyday Handmade" by Cassie Barde and Adrienne Smitke, which I have used before and remembered this wristlet purse that I thought was cute.  So, since I have plenty of selvedges, I decided to make one of these for a Christmas gift.  I really like how they turned out.

This one will be given to someone for Christmas and is made with blacks and reds.

I'm going to give this to someone before Christmas, but thought I would show it to you anyway.  It's made with blues, tans and white.

I had to order the swivel clip, or you can purchase them at most craft stores.  I already had one zipper and only had to buy the black one, so these didn't cost much at all.

Here is the link for the January challenge, which ends today, so if you made something this month for Christmas you still have time to enter the challenge.  I'm going to link this post on the "link party" now.

Let me know if you decide to join this.