Xmas Update

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Last week, on Aug 26th, someone said to me - "you know, 4 months today is Boxing Day". I shuddered a little.

I enjoy Christmas and getting ready for it. I usually spread my preparations out over Nov and Dec. Some years I'm really ready and some years I'm not. Last year I put up a tree, put lights on it, but didn't get any decorations on it. I'll be better prepared this year.

My friend Button's Quilts has a friend who needed some crafting done. (I should mention that Button's sends a LOT of business my way, which I really appreciate!). The friend's mother started making these fancy Christmas stockings for her grandkids, daughter, and son-in-law, and has been unable to finish them. So, I've been hired to finish. The daughter wanted a few things customized and I said I could do that as well.

I finished the first stocking this week:

One of the customizations is a pleated back - so that the stocking can hold more goodies. The backing looks like this

To make it, I traced the stocking front onto pattern paper, then drew some registration lines, then cut it apart and expanded the pattern. Then I re-folded it and cut the bottom out - around the heel of the stocking is a funny shape. Here's what my pattern for the back looked like

It looks pretty strange, but once it was pleated, everything lined up and it fit great.

The final Christmas prep this week has been cutting and doing a rolled hem on some table napkins. A different friend hired me to do these as a gift for her mother.

These are 100% cotton and measure 13" x 13".

This should be it for the really Christmas-y stuff for a bit. I'm heading back to school shortly and I'm trying to get some of my loose ends tidied up before then.

What I've Been Up To

I was in a bit of a quilting mania earlier this month (at least it felt like it) and I've slowed down a little lately. I don't have any looming deadlines and I know I work better under a bit of pressure.

I have been doing some sewing and crafting bits though.

I'm working (still) on cleaning up my sewing room and I took a stab at my cabinets. This is my before picture.

It looks slightly better now, but I'm still not finished. All in due time!

Remember the clamshell quilt I made on retreat that wasn't big enough? This one

I found and ordered some more fabric  online to complete the quilt so it's big enough for a single bed. I ordered from two different US shops in order to get what I wanted (and with the Cdn dollar right now, I cringed). One store delivered and I got these last week

A coordinating solid, two prints I already used, and a 1/2 yard of an ombre stripe from the line.
The other shop hasn't delivered anything: they haven't charged my paypal and aren't responding to phone calls or email messages. I wonder if they've closed up shop and not taken down their website? I'm going to wait a little longer to see if they come through before I get going on this quilt again. I'm going to have to take a lot of it apart and I'm hoping for all the fabric I ordered to arrive. (It's Coquette by Chez Moi by Moda from about 4-5 years ago, colour is Petal).

Finally, I've been hired by the friend of a friend to complete some Christmas stockings that have great sentimental value. There is a lot of hand stitching and I'm finding it quite relaxing (once I set up a system to help me be organized and efficient). I'm making progress fast enough that I'm not getting bored.

There were a number of customization requests by the recipient - including adding the Mrs. Claus in the toe (there was originally an elf there). I'm hoping to finish this one this week, then work away at the others asap.