Christmas creations

It's a crazy time here at the end of the school year, heading for Christmas. Full of Christmas parties and get-togethers.

What a perfect time to create!

Staying up late, and getting up early for creative baking is just as exciting as it is for creative sewing (although it's a necessity here in the tropics to chill and roll out bikkie dough or to ice and decorate treats in the cooler times of the day). It's also child free time, when I will not be distracted by little feet running about, and perhaps touching the hot oven.

I had been planning to make extra oven mitts as gifts until the sewing machine became sick.  So at the last minute I was making these snowflakes as ornaments. I once went to a quilty gf's house, and she had garlands of greenery hanging everywhere absolutely covered in crocheted snowflakes. Susan gave every visitor in December one of her snowflakes. It made a stunning display, and a touching gift.

Even though there wasn't time to block the snowflakes and hold in place with ironing starch, I think they still look cute.

I was amazed one of the oven mitt recipients didn't appreciate her hand made gift. I don't even know if she knew I had made it, but it was brushed off as "I will have the chocolate, and my husband can have this".

It happens occasionally, but I think as crafters, we cannot be upset about what someone does with a hand made gift. We have given it to them. It is theirs now, and we have released it. Although we can be sure they will never bloody well get another hand made thing again!

Here are the baking creations made for the children this week.



Both recipes are from the December 2016 Coles magazine.

Andrea, I thought of you as I made the candy cane swirly bikkies. I remember you telling a story where Daniel as a toddler was able to describe how to make the curly twirly bikkies and you thought "Ooh, maybe we've made these more times than I thought". I wonder whether these are made in a similar way.

What to make next? I am keen to finish the owl Christmas stocking when I have my sewing machine back, and to machine stitch the binding onto two quilts ready to hand stitch for the children for Christmas. But, what else?

I was thinking of making quilts for two weddings I have been invited to. The first is in India (cannot take baby boy as it is too dirty for him while he puts everything in his mouth), and the second is in New Zealand (cannot go as it has been declared an adult only wedding, no children). Luckily I think I have two quilts in my stash ready to be gifted.

This one, Samsara, is going back to the town where it was made after the married couple return from India. Originally, I was going to keep it for myself. But the fabrics suit a cooler climate, and are too warm for my home where we wear cardigans for only 2 weeks of the year.

The other one is  a Persian tiles design which I've made 3 times now. Funnily enough I can't seem to find it on my blog. Did I miss adding a finished quilt? I am so curious I will go back to check.

.... Aaaah, here it is. La Petite Ecole Persian Tiles

And so, I will take a look at my projects to see what I'd like to work on next.

I thought I'd better....

I had a little fabric acquisition....and thought I had better get moving on some UFOs... I stitched the Rural Jardin 12FQ blocks together into the centre of a quilt top. It still needs borders.Look what I bought so far!!

I say so far, because I am going to add to this stash of Kashmir V fabrics. These 2 prints will be used in a bag.

This jelly roll and metreage might be used in the same quilt. I might use the green on some timber screens.

I am going to have a play with the fabric very soon... just like I did with the Samsara quilt.

I don't know how this happens really... I think to myself, I'll just work on some things from home, then there is a range like this.

Oh well, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity isn't it?

Mine! Mine! Mine!

I just loved making this quilt. The fabrics are so delicious (from the Samsara fabric range). This quilt looks like a Turkish carpet when seen in real life.

The flash blows out the colours a bit, so it doesn't look as rich here as it does in person.

The quilt top went together in a day, and Mum quilted it for me. (Thanks Mum, I love it!!).

I chose large feathery cables to reflect the simple Amish arrangement of the fabrics. After all, the fabrics are the reason for making this quilt.

I am keeping it, this quilt it Mine! Mine! Mine!

block 10

After finishing the Samsara quilt top in a day, I felt I could start a new block.

It's block 10 of the Civil War Bride quilt. All these stems are not sewn on yet, but I couldn't resist sewing on a couple of strawberries!!

Would you believe this stem fabric has horses on it? I would never use it whole, but it makes great stems and leaves.

I name this quilt ... Samsara

I feel like I have been finishing a lot of things... should I have started something else? Maybe not! Here is my beginning sketch - it's a traditional Amish design. Can you see my use of pythagorus' theorem on the bottom left? LOL!! It worked anyway!

I fell in love with the Samsara range of fabric. Really large prints that should not be cut into little pieces.

This Amish design would be perfect. Uncluttered.

I pieced the quilt top in a day. This was my first go at mitred corners. It wasn't difficult at all... I just needed courage to make the first cut. It does use a lot more fabric, but the effect is really worth it.

I will ask Mum to quilt it in traditional Amish style - vertical cables through the central part, then a feather border in the mitred outer border.

I name this quilt - Samsara.