Uh-oh

Uh-oh, I can't finish one of my Christmas presents!!

I ran out of buttons! Doesn't this one look sad?

I am just so pleased with the way these thread-cutter pendants worked out. The colours haven't photographed very well. I tried with and without flash.

Do you remember the one I made for myself? It's this green one.

We are going to be the button-cutter club!! LOL!!!

Knitting is not quite quilting, is it?

What are these?

They are presents I already gave away!!

First I threaded the beads on the wire, then I knitted the bracelets.

I enjoyed playing with the colours and I really couldn't keep them all for myself.

Hang on, I don't think I kept any for myself! Ah well, I will have to make some more!!

Red Delicious time

Esther has her next block up for the free Red Delicious BOM.

It will only be up for one month, you will have to be quick. On the 15th of January the block will be replaced with block three. If you missed Esther's first block you will need to go to etsy and buy it.

I can't wait to start mine...

Here is what I really have to do now. LOL!!

My sister's DB (Dearly Beloved) is a very funky guy. When we were shopping for bridesmaid dresses (1 1/2 years ago!!! *blush*) Pevie said he always wanted a "smoking jacket". Do you know the type? Shiny with flash large lapels? He has never seen anything like it that would work.

I said I would make him one. Pevie bought the fabrics and pattern (about $100 worth) and I have half-made it. I need to take it up there at Christmas, finished. He doesn't mention the jacket anymore, but I know he hasn't forgotten.

First... I need to find it. I found the pattern.....Isn't the velvet beautiful?

There were only 2 mens jacket patterns available from all the pattern ranges. I guess people buy ready-to-wear or see a tailor (who wouldn't need a Butterick pattern LOL!!!).

Pevie liked the pre-quilted look so I didn't make a separate lining. In some ways this was easier. I want to use a satin-finish fabric to add "bindings" (like quilt bindings) over the seams so that the raw edges are not sticking out.

The velvet really makes the "look". I added some to the cuffs to give a bit more glam. This photo doesn't look as good. I must take another one without the flash.

I hope to post more progress tomorrow.

The last of the book covers

I do believe I have reached the end of the book covers. I thought I was done, until last night when I went to wrap presents for giving today. Dang! One short!

So, I made this one for that particular recipient. She will remember her own family kitchen to have been like this, or her grandmother's.

I made this one for my sister. She is such a golf nut that she and her partner went to watch the Australian Open in Sydney last Sunday.

Libby is also very fussy. "No pink, frills or flowery crap". Too bad! This isn't too frilly, and you can't change the colour of the skin on the girls!! I was trying for a fun, fresh and funky look.

I would say my sister is most like the girl in the background. She has short-ish blonde hair, blue eyes and a similar top-heavy build to the girl pictured. LOL!!

Lastly, because it's easier to make a few at once, I made this cover. I am using it as a cover for next year's business diary.

Addicted to these things...

These are worse than chocolate!! Alright, not that bad - they are not fattening after all.

I made some more book covers for gifts. Four from the same fabric.

My DH looked at them and said "I didn't think this kind of fabric was your bag". I said that it would be hard to make a quilt out of, but it's good for these. Plus, I bought the fabric on sale a year ago and hadn't found anything else in particular to use it for. To this, he nodded agreeably.

I used different kinds of ric-rac. The pink ric-rac is pretty swish!

I know just who to give these to!!

Look at this stack! What was I thinking?? LOL!!

I already gave one of the oriental ones away!!!

What do you do with oven mitts?

How do you make these look good when you give them as gifts???

Put them with something else! LOL!!

If I just give oven mitts, the recipient might feel I only think of them as a cook!! If I only give bought goods the recipient might feel the gift is not very personal. So, I think I have it worked out!!

Quilting Christmas party

Those three words really do go together well: quilting, Christmas and party. Yeah!

I showed you the bag I made for Gill. Sue made this one for me.

I indicated a preference for icky green fabric (That's what non-reproduction fabric lovers would call it. Group members who know me well would know I meant repro). Sue filled my bag with green stuff!! Threads, fabrics, buttons and even green chocolates! (well, peppermint filled Freddo frogs). I ate them straight away!! Yum!!

At our Christmas-In-July function (this is a great idea for us, because we get to enjoy traditional Christmas foods in the weather they were meant for, sometimes it is just too hot to eat roast turkey and pudding.... just kidding!!) my group had to present our Challenge items. These are the miniature quilts in the slideshow on the sidebar of the blog.

At that time the new Christmas Elves were chosen by the previous ones. The rest of us had no idea who has been organising our next Challenge! Tuesday night, our Elves were revealed (Fiona and Di H). We received a parcel of goodies and instructions.

This is Andrea's parcel (unopened) - she will get it early in the New Year.

This is what I found in mine (there are slight variations in fabric between the parcels).

The challenge is to make a free style collage applique quilt: (Yay!! I love it!!) Basically, one cuts fabric the size and shape wanted then secures with glue or fusible web. Fabric is added layer upon layer until the image is constructed.

The picture on the cover of this mag was used as an example.

• The background must be pieced
• Only straight edge machine applique allowed (no buttonhole, no zigazg, no satin stitch etc.
• No broderie perse
• Quilt must be at least 14 inches square or a shape adding up to that measurement
• Must include some free motion embroidery
• Binding is optional
• Use at least one piece of the fabric provided somewhere in the project

You can see the free motion embroidery in this close-up.

And yes, I made more books!!! LOL!!

I am trying to make them for gifts, but my DH has said I need to keep a Dick and Jane one and a kitchen print one (I do not need any persuading!!). I thought the kitchen print books would make good recipe books.

I am going to buy more book inserts today. VBG.