More Stockings

 As a new quilter living in San Antonio during the 1990s...annual treks to the International Quilt Festival in Houston became another source of enabling my stocking stash. I found a pattern for little stockings...about 10 inches tall. It took me years to complete all of these little stockings. I did all the blanket stitching by hand around all the fusible web fabric pieces.

I used to have a personal goal to finish making patterns I bought at the Houston show before attending the next year’s show.

 Hysterical...LOL...HA!

 I dropped that little goal a long time ago.

 Now those patterns I’ve bought at the show and never make, are like souvenirs of my fantastic trip.

Back to the important topic of more Christmas stockings in my collection.

There was a wonderful booklet from Nancy Halvorsen...okay...there was more than one...but...

There was one booklet by Nancy Halvorsen with six large stockings based on, “The Night Before Christmas.” Before I became a batik-a-holic...I collected all things designed by Nancy Halvorsen.

The appliqué pieces were fused in place. I top stitched and quilted each appliqué piece at the same time...on my domestic sewing machine. No longarm in my studio at that time. 

I hand-stitched the wording.

Joining this display of the, “The Night Before Christmas,” is a set of cross stitch Santa’s designed by Pat Thode called, “The Twelve Days of Santa.”

I discovered the cross stitch Santa series while on a hockey team trip for one of my sons to Colorado Springs. My son was in 6th or 7th grade so players still roomed with parents but during the day he was busy with team activities. Sweet! I took off in my rental car and visited two fantastic quilt shops. One of the quilt shops had a huge needlework section and I discovered several of the Santa charts....but not all....grrrr. I think I googled needlework shops and saw there was one in Colorado Springs. 

The owner was so great. I told her about trying to find the other Santa charts and she had them. She also gathered all the fabric...a different piece for every chart. I totally trusted her. I had never stitched on anything but Aida cloth at that point but these were all different colors and thread counts, 28 and 32 count linens and evenweaves.

The shop owner suggested I stitch one a month...it was a good goal...I’m sure it took longer than a year for me to finish all the Santas.

I did all the finishing myself...though it is a bit vague in my memory. I got some help via internet searches. There weren’t YouTube videos to watch but there were bloggers who shared their finishing techniques. I remember making tons of the cording....twisting it all by hand. I spent days working on them, stitching the front and back pieces of covered cardboard together. I hand stitched all the cording around the outer edges. Every year I marvel at what a great job I did. I love the variety of quilt designs in the coats of the Santas. 

That needlework shop was such an inspiration to me! Sadly, it closed soon after that visit, as a year or two later when I was back in Colorado Springs...it was completely gone. 

Stay tuned for more stocking stories!

Innocently Shopping in a Craft Store

 That is how my Bucilla felt kit obsession began.

We were living in San Antonio and a friend and I went on a trip to Garden Ridge Pottery. I think they were a Texas chain of craft stores. HUGE! Two warehouses full of everything. There was a cafe in the middle of the two warehouses to refuel your energy tank. 

I spotted two adorable Western themed stockings...two sons...perfect.

Lots of details on the western Santa stocking that were a fun little challenge. I felt quite accomplished when I finished this stocking

It was several years before I saw another Bucilla stocking kit.

We moved to Alaska and western-themed stockings didn’t seem right.

Enter my discovery of eBay...the ultimate enabler.

These have hung on our mantel place every since.

I made a few repairs two or three years ago...new tabs that were doubled and added cotton linings.

I kept seeing more adorable stocking kits.

And then it happened.

I became a Bucilla kit hoarder!

I have many more kits in my stash than I have finished which will scare you when I next show the many stockings I have actually made. I really need to sale a few on eBay...probably many of the kits I originally bought on eBay. I’m not quite able to let go of them yet.

I went to a double decker display on my large picture windows.

I will have to come up with some ideas for future stockings I make.

And 14 more stockings behind the tree.

I pick my favorites to hang behind the tree.

It certainly makes for a bright and cheery atmosphere.

Hopefully I will stay on task and share more tomorrow. 

The First Quilted Stockings

 If you have been quilting since the early 1990s...many of the fabrics in my first stockings will look very familiar. I see you nodding your heads...yes...Debbie Mumm fabrics. I tried to collect them all!

I still have her books and a a tub of her fabrics I just can’t part with even though I really don’t think I will make more projects with her now...historical fabrics.

Here’s a fun fact. 

I was a broadcast journalism major in college and my first job was working in sales at the Yakima, Washington, ABC affiliate (1983...really a long time ago!) The weather man was Steve Mumm. Many years later I was reading an article about Debbie Mumm and there was a picture of her husband Steve...the same weatherman Steve! 

I don’t remember ever meeting Debbie Mumm...if only!!!

And the designer of these stocking patterns is also a very well known quilter, Nancy Halvorsen of Art To Heart. I have three tubs of her fabric in my stash and most of her sweet little books. I have at least one quilt top of her fabric and designs in the quilting que plus a UFO.

Hope you enjoyed my Christmas quilt history tour today.

#andsewforth

Here’s How It All Started

In 1983, when I was in my senior year of college, I worked on a Christmas tree embroidery kit.

Yes...this is when it all started...

...the innocent pursuit of Christmas projects.

And here I am today...this is just a portion of my accumulation of Christmas projects. 

I will try to post a few photos every day of my Christmas treasures.

I’m a slow decorator as every piece I touch brings me many happy memories.

I am equally slow to remove my decorations and have been known to still have many pieces on display until March...plenty of time to share!

 

 

Gearing Up for Christmas

 Winter weather helps increase holiday spirits. 

Just trying to look on the bright side of cold, dark days.

I am always amazed by the snow/ice crystals that form on everything when temperatures drop into the teens.  I get totally distracted during my daily dog walks.

I have started putting up all the garland with lights around the house. Today I hope to hang some Christmas quilts which will get me to the last of the garland hanging.

My studio is a little chaotic. Thought I would share what my poor quilting frame looks like between quilting projects...it’s like those treadmills folks wind up using as clothing hangars.

I do plan to quilt a Christmas quilt on it next.

I’ve prepped all the cross stitch ornaments I finished this year for wool felt backings. I stitch the perforated paper to the green wool as I find gluing the felt backing does not last in all cases.

I am struggling like everyone with feeling shut in...always a problem every winter but of course this year is worse. So...I gave myself permission to work on whatever makes me happy at the moment. 

I am done with Santa ornaments for this year but have started a set of snowmen ornaments from Mill Hill that are small projects and only take two or three evenings to complete one kit.

There are six snow folks in this series. One done.

I am working a little everyday on making rows and getting rows sewn together for the Royal Gardens quilt. I thought I wouldn’t make any changes to the original pattern but as I am working on it I feel the need to create a different border. 

I am one kit short of my personal goal to finish 10 Bucilla kits a year.

 I picked a kit from my stash that I feel confident I will finish before 2021.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! 

I'll be spending it calling family this year as no one will be in the Anchorage area this year...it happens when hubby and sons are pilots. I switched to a plant based diet several years ago so I am thankful I will not be fixing the traditional meal everyone else likes to have at Thanksgiving. 

Hubby insists we make a turkey roulade when he gets home but he will tolerate side dishes that are modified to my new tastes. I'm anxious to try a couple of new recipes. 

We have two Bailey family tradition for Thanksgiving. 

First, we all share what we are thankful for this year. 

Then, after dinner we watch, "It's a Wonderful Life." 

I'm very thankful for the connections I feel to so many stitchers around the world. 

I have really relied on internet relationships this year!

Even my workouts are through the internet now!

Thankful I have that option. 

I know so many folks have many more real struggles.

A Great Start to November in the Studio

I finished my mini Fall Frolic, a 35-inch square. I gathered those chopped of corners from the original Fall Frolic and just had to make a mini one! 

With the help of EQ7, I took a photo of my border fabric and was able to make a pretty close rendition of the colors.

A little close up of the quilting...it mimics quilting on the big Fall Frolic.

Here are the two quilts hanging together in my dining room...a gloomy day so not an accurate look at the vibrant colors. I am not sure where the mini will be displayed...I'm already thinking of getting the Christmas garlands with lights out to combat our dark weather. 

And my second major accomplishment pictured below was finishing this top...not yet named. A set of Hoffman Bali Pops and Crackers in the colorway parrot made up this quilt. The pattern started out as "Birthday Cake," from the book "Perfect 10," by It's Sew Emma. I added blocks and a piano key border. This quilt is now 70 x 90-inches. I am thinking this will be a gift and since both my sons are over 6-feet tall, even a lap quilt has to be on the big side. 

I have a general idea of quilting circles which pop the further away I am from the design wall. The colors remind me of walking through the woods. Indoor winter pictures of quilts...not so good. These colors are so pretty and the photo just doesn't capture those colors.

My last project is still in progress, Llama Christmas. So cute! Lots of presents get stacked on the saddle and a cactus to add for the finish...and lots of sequins in the background. This is the last planned stocking project for the year, but not the last Bucilla kit on my list.

And just like that...the holidays are approaching and I find the feeling of really not having enough hours in the day taking hold of me!

Halloween Treats

I have been working away in the evenings on a set of Halloween ornaments from the Bucilla kit, “Vintage Halloween.” Here’s a look at my spooky finishes.

A new technique with the pumpkin ornament was adding "strings," of beads.

 Once I got the hang of it,

 it is was easy and looks great!

It was pretty challenging to work with felt and pointy ends that have a bead. 

Yipes...not easy.

The skeleton was pretty simple.

Okay...the spider was labor intensive. Chenille sticks are the foundation of the legs but have to be trimmed and then stitched inside a folded strip of felt. 

A nice challenge and it came out great.

The ghost was nice and easy. I have one ornament left to make, an owl. 

After I finish the owl ornament I will start my granddaughter's stocking.

This Christmas Llama stocking looks pretty simple. 

I think it will take a week of evenings. 

I spent days making design boards...mostly to use with my Bucilla felt projects. 

I got a bit obsessed with getting one of my retreat projects to the next stage.

Blocks and sashing all put together. 

Loving it!

 I have a set of Bali pops that match the layer cake and am planning to make a piano key border.

I did a quick mock-up on EQ.

Thumbs up!