getting ready for the holidays

This year I have decided to start a little earlier with the holiday preparations. Normally I am way late and stress myself out at the last minute.

I already started to make my mix of Christmas cookies too - ginger snaps, Russian tea cakes (so ähnlich wie Vanillekipferl), and traditional sugar cookies decorated by the kids. I still would like to make coconut macaroons, hazelnut macaroons, Baseler-Leckerli, mini peanut butter cookies and pecan sandies (Heidesand).

The house will get decorated this weekend and the Christmas tree will go up two weeks before the big day - December 25. We celebrate an American Christmas with Santa Claus and X-Mas morning gifts with stockings filled with goodies.

Our kids enjoy the German tradition of Advent Calenders that count down the days in December until the 24th. This is when the Christ Child (Kristkind) comes with presents. I made new calender for each of my children last year, but don't think we put them out.  (They always had one; they just got a new and improved rendition.) My kids have been nagging me for a store-bought calender, but I really like to fill them up with "healthy" goodies and not just a bunch of chocolate. My, what the kids of a patchworker have to endure in life! :-)

Today I am showing off my miniature quilt I made for my doll swap partner for the  month of November. We agreed to make something for Christmas, and Patty wanted a real doll quilt with the dimensions 18 x 24 inches. I didn't get the dimensions exactly right, but got them close enough. I also used a pattern from a doll quilt book, so I could book this one too...

I started with the book Prairie Children and Their Quilts. I wanted the quilt to be uniform (that didn't happen!) and use three colors - white, red, gray. I decided to use up my scraps from the prettiest winter collection in my stash from Jan Shade Beach for Henry Glass called Holiday Frost. This collection is no longer available but a newer version can be bought with the name Holiday Magic. All of the centers are fussy cut and the blocks finish at 4.5 inches. I thought I would make things a little easier and fuse all of the blocks to a thin fleece and then sew all seams at once. To do this, your layout has to be set in stone, because you can't flip the blocks around later. It definitely took longer to set it all up, but I am pleased with the result. I think only two points didn't match up. I don't mind the brightness, but the larger prints distract a bit from the total design. Was it the right choice with the red binding? Is the gray distracting? What about those three red centers I threw in to make it a little scrappier? Personally, for my own taste, I am not sure I like it. But, then again, if I put it away for a while, and took it out later, it might have become one of my favorites.

Enjoy your weekend!
Karen

Jump Start! a new SAL

Lately, I have been struggling about sewing and my motivation as well as the lack of time. I came across this fun and very short little SAL from EQ7 called Jump Start! It explains how to start up EQ7, design quilts, find blocks and print them out. It does not tell you how to sew your blocks together, unfortunately. This you just have to find out for yourself. It is not too late to hook up and join in the fun!

I acquired this yummy yellow and gray fabric last year and was just waiting for that perfect project to come along. And here it is. I will be making four blocks (I think), and this was the first one. I followed the rules and made the block just as it was illustrated from the program. You can change around the fabrics and make some really striking blocks, but I wanted to follow the rules this time. I like how it turned out with the gray in the middle and then radiates outward with different fabrics.

I just noticed something about this block. Normally, I am all into the color white (or snow rather) in my quilts these days. There is no white in this block!! I think that is why I am liking it soo much! I am not much for the color gray, but the yellow really sparkles here and puts a little sunshine out on the cloudy day.I am anxious to make the other blocks. This is going to turn out to be a very striking and modern table topper, or purse front or wall hanging.

Enjoy your weekend! I will try to get in a little more sewing time this weekend. We'll see what I can whip up.

sneaky-peeky

I am working on a new pattern for a bright chevron doll quilt. Here is a little sneak preview.

I like the look of the chevron pillows and blankets out all over, but I don't like the short cut of making half-square triangles. I have been looking into all of the different ways to make chevrons from sewing on paper to sewing scraps together and cutting at an angle. Which technique really makes sense and when? Once I have everything figured out  or the simple-easy-practical-way, I will upload the pattern for all of you.

I hope you check back on this one to download the pattern. I am really liking this one and Barbie will like it even more! :-) If she doesn't reside in your home, you can always put it in a nice frame and hang it in the hallway.

Enjoy your weekend and holiday if you have one!

Karen