More crafting!!

I know, hard to believe after not many posts due to the holidays, but here I am again!  I found this great little tutorial on Nanacompany blog and just had to make one.  That is unusual for me, but what the hey!

 It's a needle book!  I made it in just a couple of hours following the easy tutorial and picking out my fabrics.  I am always searching for needles and heaven knows I have enough of them, just keep losing them!

 The back of the book is a small patchwork.  I used some fabrics from my charm swap I did this summer with Ellison Lane Quilts.  I put my GrammieQ label on one end just for fun.  I thought that was better than trying to put my name on it.

 She suggested embellishing the felt pages.  I also scalloped the edges with my scallop rotary cutting blade.

 I love the fancy little touches in here.  In fact, I have since put some of my tapestry needles through the holes in the eyelet lace.  They fit perfectly.

The little tape measure thing is a piece of twill I got at the Purl.  I am really loving this little book.  Go visit Nanacompany and make one of your own.  Also it would make a great gift!

Post Christmas...now I can show you!

I know I showed these before, but they were a big hit.  Both the boys tried them out and pronounced them as cool.  Both we also admonised not to throw the bean bags for any other reason.

 The gift that I am the most prod of is new pillow covers for my middle daughter.  I made her 3 pillows about 8 years ago.  They live on her couch.  She had mentioned to me that she would like new pillows or covers for these.  Aha!  What a great gift idea.

 This was the first one.  I had a panel of Fairy tip toes by Tina Givens.  I loved the panel, but never could figure out what to do with it.  So I began deconstructing it.  This is what happened.

 Then I wanted to do some circles.  So I used a roll of masking tape and drew around some of the elements of the design.  I quilted the circles in a spiral and then added vertical lines for contrast.

 All had an envelope closure.  This is the back of the circles, another print from the same line.

 This one is my favorite.  I think I was really getting into the swing of it by now and was daring to try lots of things.  After I figured out the placement of the strips I cut, I began to think of how to embellish the white spaces with quilting.

 I did stipples, pebbles, swirls and then hearts.  I LOVE how this one turned out.  My daughter was so happy with them too.

 Don't they look great on her couch?  Best moment ever.  I want to make so many more pillows!

This is the set up for a couple of notebook covers I made for my girls.  I unfortunately do not seem to have a picture of the completed project, but it was the December Label Crew project from Sweetwater.  They have it on their Etsy sight.  Very easy and of course, made with Sweetwater's Sunkissed line.  I also made an apron, which I forgot to photograph.  So all in all a successful Christmas.  Hope yours was too. 
Have a great week.

May your days be merry and bright

So close to Christmas there is nothing I can show you, but I have lots of pictures for after Christmas.  I hope your Holidays are everything you want them to be.  See you next week.

Linking up to Occupy My Sewing Room

I didn't really get as much time as I wanted, but I did get a lot done.

 This first quilt I made for my brother's new nephew.  I shipped it off on Monday.  Happy to have that one on its way,

 Then I finishe two pair of Christmas PJs for V and J.  Buttons, buttonholes elastic and all.  Yay!!

 This is one of two...pattern from Moda Bake Shop.  This for J whose fave color is orange.

And here is the back.  Still have to finish the bean bags.  Gotta buy beans.

 Here is the other one for V.  I hope he likes it.  Little Apples and Sherbet Pips fabric.

                                       And the back of that one...
So, what do you think?  Did I get a lot done?  I am pleased.  There are a couple of other items I can't share, even a peek.  So I will blog them after Christmas.  Happy Sewing everyone.

A musical interlude

It's very tough to do a post these days, what with all the gift sewing I have been doing.  I can't tell you what I am making, or for whom I am sewing.  I can't show you pictures.  it would spoil the surprise.  So instead, I am going to share something else with you.  I started this last year on a lark on my Facebook page.  Every morning, beginning with December 1, I posted as my status, a line from a Christmas song.  I wanted to see what reaction it received.  Some people wrote the next line, others tried to guess the song.  I tried to make some easy and some difficult, just for fun.  So if you are on Facebook with me, here is this month's selections.  If you don't want to spoil the daily read there, stop reading this now.
Ready?

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
We need a little music, need a little laughter, need a little singing, ringing in the rafters...
Let's take the road before us and sing a chorus or two...
Christmas day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp...
I can see me now on Christmas morning creeping down the stairs. Imagine my surprise when I open up my eyes...
See the blazing yule before us...
...in summer sun or winter snow...
Please bring us some figgy pudding...
Sing choirs of angels, sing in exaltation...
And all of heaven and earth will pray...
...son of God, love's pur light...
Come to Bethlehem and see...
...mistletoe hung where you can see...
...I have no gift to bring...
...where the treetops glisten...
Peace on earth and mercy mild...
...with God as our father, brothers all are we...
Peace on the earth, goodwill to men...
...a star, a star shining in the night...
I don't know if there'll be snow...
In Bethlehem in Judea, the blessed angel came...
If you want to be happy in a million ways...
...field and fountain, moor and mountain...
...in thy dark streets shineth...
The looked up and saw a star, shining in the east beyond them far...

I hope you have fun with this.  I am baking cookies too right now, so I am very busy, as we all are this time of year.  See you soon.  Have a great week.