Christmas Projects 2008

I seem to always wait til just before Christmas to start my Christmas projects. Grannie use to make something for everyone and she said that she started Jan. 1 to have them all due by Christmas. I haven't learned my lesson yet.

We draw names among the adults in my family and I always try to make something for them. We got Jonathan's name again. I know that I did him a wall hanging last year, so this year I thought I would do this framed piece.

It's called the Oriole Circle (glad I don't have to pronounce it). The picture looks really good, but here is my version getting started. The points in black and white are due using the paper foundation method. I've only used it once before when making a vest.

I didn't have any paper foundation paper, so I just used copy paper. This first block I did by hand watching TV last night, but today, I did the rest of them on the sewing machine. I'm trying to get all the point done so that I can take them to my grandmother's tomorrow and then while I sit with her, I can add the black corners.

I'm hoping that this project goes pretty fast. Where the picture has the block matted and framed, my mother thinks that I should use material instead of the mat (still frame it) but do some fancy quilting in the black to give more detail. I'll just have to see have far I get when it gets closer to Christmas.

Jonathan & Michael (my nephews) got married right after we moved back to Tennessee. With the move I didn't have time to make them a wedding quilt (which was my plans). I did crochet their last names and had them framed. They seemed to really appreicate them. But I always wanted to do them something quilted.

When we got Michael's name a few years back, I did him a wall hanging with flags and stars. He was in Iraq for 2 tours and was fixing to leave for his first tour when I gave him the wall hanging. Suzanne is his wife.

For Jonathan, I made his wife a Christmas table runner one year with wreaths and packages on it (a pattern I designed myself for the packages). But they divorced shortly after and I didn't ask if she took the table runner (I did make it for her). So I've been really happy that I was able to do him a couple of pieces.

We also got Suzanne's name this year, which I had a couple of years ago and did a blue log cabin table runner for her. I'm thinking of doing a couple sets of pillow cases using some of these materials as a pieced strip across the ends. I'm not sure which color to go with yet, I've got to do some research and see what her colors are in her bedroom.

As I was hunting through my material stash, I found these two blocks which I'm thinking of doing something for each of the kids, but I can't decide what to do. So I would welcome any thoughts and suggestions.

This flower block done with wool green, green/plaid, & black was done by Grannie Lewis (who passed away right before Sally turned 1 year old). It's done on a heavy white material, so it would be hard to quilt it. I'm thinking that I have enough of the pieces to make 2 blocks, I've got to find some green to match the stems, eveything else, she already had cut out. This will probably be Adam's gift.

This Dresden's Plate was done by Grannie Carathers. Don't tell, but I "borrowed" it from her house. I added the center and appliqued it to the white material last year, but just never figured out what to do with it after that. I didn't "find" anything else that would have gone with this one block...so again I need ideas on what to do with this one. It's going to be for Sally.

At the Tip of Our Fingers

Thimbles are everywhere in my home, my mom's and my grandmother's. I never liked using one until I started quilting and still have trouble finding one that fits me just right.

I borrowed my mother's button jar the other day and found this ivory thimble in it. The pictures not real clear, but I hope that you can see the needle holes all around the top of it. It was used so much that that grooves and holes were made in the thimble. My grandmother has one that had the top come completely off from being worn through by the needles. That takes a lot of quilting.

Here are some pictures from a recent local quilt show. I've labeled the ones that belong to us. Mom and Grannie had several in the show. I had one that was a sampler that I quilted, but all the children did the blocks and then we gave to Grannie as a Christmas gift. I think it was the first quilt she had received as a gift in a long time.