A Closer Look at the Finished Pillows

Here's another look at those pillows, brought inside and on the bed where they are being used ... until I put the Christmas quilt away.

Before I assembled the pillow covers, I took a couple of photos of the quilting from the back because the red, white and green thread I used blended into the fabrics. The pillow front is 24 inches square. 

The pillow covers are made with a plain fabric envelope-style back.  I assembled them, wrong sides together and covered the seams with binding.

When I went looking for a photo of my Christmas Pinwheels quilt the other day, I couldn't find one, so I brought it downstairs to the studio, hung it and took one.

This quilt is 84 inches square. I finished it in 2011. It was the first large quilt that I quilted on my little purple Bernina. It was my first effort at free-motion feathers–they fill all the white areas of the quilt. The quilt was made from some blocks from a star sampler block exchange–most of which I dis-assembled and remade into one of two star patterns when I didn't receive a sampler of different blocks as intended.  The star blocks on the pillow covers were made from leftover blocks and bits and pieces from the disassembled blocks.

And here's how it looks all together (along with the little pillow I made from a hand-quilting class project.)

This makes the third pair of pillow covers I've made this year.

For me they've been great projects to use up scraps and practice free motion quilting.

1. Scrappy Quilt and New Pillow Shams, 2. Scrappy Triangles Pillow Shams, 

3. Pillows on the Bed

I'm joining the parties for LAFF and FMQ Friday, 

Merry Christmas

I don't usually like shopping and generally avoid malls and large retailers at all costs, but there's something about being out and about around the holidays, with all the decorations, music and good will that makes me smile.  

Today, when I returned to my car  in a parking lot, I found it next to a car that seemed to be completely filled with the live pine tree stuffed inside. The smell of pine inside that car must have been intoxicating. The image reminded me of this one–of a larger tree in a smaller car (from Curiosities by Dickens).

The snow has all but melted here, but more is forecast for tonight and I'm hoping for a White Christmas.  As the song says, May your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white. 

I need another Friday Night Sew In ...

... and fortunately for me, I'm not alone.  I'm joining this Friday night's Sew In, in hopes of finishing In the (holiday) Mood, my quilt made from swap blocks. 

The quilting is essentially* done.  I plan to trim it, bind it, cross my fingers and send it through the washer and dryer ... and put it on my bed.

I'd also like to make a couple of pillow shams using the leftover star blocks (still on my design wall.

* I still need to figure out what to quilt inside the plain 6" print square centers of some of the blocks (like the one at the top of this photo). Most have interesting prints, so I'd like to keep the quilting to a minimum, which I fear may be at odds with the wonky, bendy, sometimes pretty dense feathers which cover all the white areas of the quilt. I had a little brainstorm about it yesterday, but if you have a good idea, please suggest away ...


If you have a project in mind to complete before the holiday, why not join me for the Friday Night Sew in? 

Merry Christmas

As the song says, Have yourself a Merry little Christmas.

I hope that Santa Claus was very good to you . . . and that none of your gifts need to be returned or exchanged.

It's Raining, It's SNOWING . . .

. . . It's a winter storm warning in Dallas.

There's an impressive storm headed this way with snow predicted to start falling in another hour or so in Dallas and, while I expect the snow will immediately melt, it's still going to look a little like Christmas around here for a while.

Like a little kid home from school on a snow day, I can't stop smiling about it and waiting to look out the windows and see some white fluffy snowflakes fall.

In spite of how much of my tumbleweed life has been spent in locations where there is no snow, somehow Christmas and Snow are firmly linked in my memory and my idea of the perfect Christmas.

This tree, in the new Main Street Park downtown, just doesn't say Christmas to me, how about you?

And even these three evergreens seem oddly out of place, surrounded as they are by such blue skies, skyscrapers and trees that still have all their green leaves.

I've been walking past all of these Christmas trees since before Thanksgiving and they still all look wrong to me . . . although the one one top of the Neiman Marcus Fashion Cafe never fails to make me smile.

Despite the dropping temperature and wind gusts up to 44 MPH, when it starts snowing, you know I'm going to be out in it . . . quickly, before it melts ;-)

What Holiday are YOU?

You know I can't resist these blogthings . . . here's my result and the link so you can take the test, too ;-)

You Are Christmas

More than most people, you are able to find magic in life's small moments. Traditions mean a lot to you, and you tend to be quite nostalgic. You are a giving, kind person who really understands the true meaning of holidays. You inspire others to be as altruistic and caring as you are. What makes you celebrate: Tradition and a generous spirit At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The storyteller. You like to recount memories with everyone. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Give a gift to everyone you know

What Holiday Are You?