sewing my fingers to the bone...

sewing, sewing, I've been sewing...I keep thinking of that tune from 'Finding Nemo' where Dora keeps singing, "swimming, swimming...." I've been up to my eyeballs in sewing and all the Christmas activities that go on this time of the year. I've been mostly calm about it...enjoying the journey along the way of sewing for others. If I start focusing on deadlines and all I had to do, I'd get frustrated (with me, I totally bring this on myself! LOL). I've made tons of sling totes, placemat tote bags, fabric baskets, tons of class samples and the biggest thing of all, my In-laws memory quilt for their queen sized bed.

I got this brilliant idea a few weeks before Thanksgiving to make them a quilt for Christmas. Now, clear back in Sept. I decided I was NOT going to make any quilts for Christmas. Nope, not this year. Then I saw a cute quilt that was just basic strips horizontally and then a wide strip vertically about 2/3 the way across the quilt with handprints going up the strip. I thought, that is really cute, and it wouldn't take long. I think I'll do that! I had hubby pick out a bundle of FQ's (he got me several last year for my birthday) that he thought matched his parent's style the best. Well, the more I thought about it, I thought she really has hinted over the past few years for a quilt for their bed. Hmm, the fabric really didn't lend itself to a 'kindergarden style' quilt. So, I came up with a better quilt that would still show everyone's hands, but in a more subtle way. I made Courthouse Steps blocks, really scrappy style, (shown in the prior post) and just a plain bordered block for the handprints. Then I thought that the handprints would still be too juvenile for a bed quilt, so thought I'd hand embroider the hands.

CURVE BALL: hubby decided to surprise me and take me to Cancun (leaving tomorrow and returning on the 22nd!) Wow--things have to be really sped up now! I get back and it will be Christmas. So had to think of another way to get those hands embroidered quicker than doing it by hand. I ended up using a triple stitch on my machine with a rayon thread that's a bit on the gold side. You definitely can see it up close, but it kind of blends in from a distance, which is what I wanted. I wanted the quilt design to stand out first, and then as you get closer, realize there is more to the quilt. I had some extra blocks to fill and originally thought about leaving them for future children and thought it could be a while..and then, how to add them. So I embroidered my FIL's name and birthdate, same for my MIL, their nicknames and wedding date, a block in memory of their oldest child who died when he was 10, a couple of appropriate bible verses regarding family and a family quote. I quilted around the hands and then in the pieced blocks, I quilted everyone's name in the family, along with some places they've lived. I use So Fine in the top, so it's a very subtle look. I'm working on the binding now--I may have to finish when I return, but it's only 3 hours away from being done now, and I can handle that! I'll show the finished picture as soon as it's done.

Here are some class samples that I've also been doing....

Patriotic Stars and Stripes...the final borders are not on it yet, but you get the drift....this one will go to Alycia for the Quilts of Valor once the class is over..I'm offering a free class to those that take the class and then donate their quilt to QOV as well.

Another Apron, this one called the Church Ladies Apron

Watercolor Floral Basket...done with leftovers from a Garden Twist class I taught last year..

Crazy Hearts...another Stack and Slash pattern from Buggy Barn..only 3 out of 25 blocks are done, but again., you get the drift...

That's it...I was hoping to post a few more posts, but my time has run out. I must go to bed to get a little bit of sleep before leaving on a jet plane.....adios, Amigas!