Growing Golden Roses

Today there are roses growing in my studio. Golden Roses, of course.

Yes, these are fabric roses, made from a folded strip of satin weave, capturing-the-light, Radiance silk blend (by Kaufman Fabrics).

I turned in the raw edges of the fabric ends and hand-stitched the edge with large stitches.

Turning and shaping, a rose grows before my eyes.  These roses will be added unto the golden scarf that flows over my wallhanging. 

Soon they will be climbing to the top shimmering all the way.

If you are looking for a unique Christmas gift for someone on your Christmas list, I invite you to visit my Gift Shop.

Art 4 Charity

In between the mad dash of Black Friday Specials and feverish Christmas shopping, it also a good time to reflect on the wonderful things in our lives. It is also a wonderful time to donate to charities that help those around us.

I am happy to be part of Art 4 Charity going on at Originals, Etc. in Waupaca WI. Several artists have donated a piece of art that will be sold with the entire proceeds from the sale going to the charity of the purchaser's choice. Isn't this a fantastic way to get a gift for you, a friend or family member and make your money double it's worth?

Stop by and see David. He will help you on your way to a perfect gift-giving Christmas.

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Spreading Christmas Cheer

Christmas has come to the table when red and green fabrics streak across in a cheery table runner. 

For this project I used strips left over from another bigger quilt. Why would I think of tossing them when they can be easily stitched into multi-colored strips?

The pieced strips are cut into blocks and re-stitched into a quick table runner.

What have you done with excess Christmas fabric?  The options are endless.

Find Your Joy

Are you bustling with holiday spirit?  Even your sewing studio can have a simple festive look. 

I've covered my small cabinet with a miniature Ohio star quilt to brighten my day as I work on Christmas gifts. This piece reminds me of days when I first started quilting, (many of you may recognize several of the fabrics) and brings to mind the joy I have found in my sewing studio.

  

One easy and quick project is to make your own Christmas greeting cards.

I started with scraps of fabric that I laid on a thin batting and machine quilted.

From the quilted piece, I cut out letters and stitched them onto card stock (yes, probably not so good for your needle, I used on old one.) The fabric was loosely woven and the edges are raveling but it wasn't a concern.

Today, the JOY is in creation

not in perfection.

Are you in the Christmas mood? Have you been busy running from shop to shop as you search for the perfect gift? Is you home beginning to take on a festive air?

As we put away Thanksgiving dishes and cleaned up from our holiday visitors, I gathered Christmas quilts to use in decorating our home. Often we face the dilemma of how to use a quilt which isn't sized for  our bed.  One of my favorite red and green quilts is smaller than my bed so I simply wrapped a coordinating sheet around the mattress and centered the quilt on the bed.

No, pillow tuck? Another quilt, lap size, covers the pillows. The red backs of my decorator pillows add a splash of color behind two muslin quilted throw pillows.

Instantly, we have transformed the room into a festive retreat for our next guest.

Is There Such a Thing as Ugly Fabric?

Every time I look at this quilt, it brings a smile to my face because I won a lot of the fabric in an "Ugly Christmas Fabric" contest. One year our guild decided this would be a fun competition and a way to purge our stash of unwanted fabric. I had a Santa fabric that revealed him as a drugged out version of his normal jolly self. (Maybe this is what he looks like at the end of his long ride?) Needless to say, it couldn't be topped and I won the pile of "ugly" fabrics.

After cutting the fabric and stitching it into this snail's trail pattern, I found I had, not a quilt of uglies, but a colorful scrap quilt. This brings up the question. Can there really be an ugly fabric? Or, in their proper place, do we love them all?

Merry Christmas cards

I'm not really good about sending out Christmas cards, but this idea is so much fun that maybe I'll be motivated -- at least to make them. Still don't know if they will get in the mail.

I was inspired by a post on the Quilting Arts blog. Every card will have its own personality as you cut and stitch. You can use up scraps and creative bits from your studio. Each one becomes a miniature work of art.

Now that I've reread the instructions, I've found that I followed them, could you say, rather "creatively". It was the idea that started me going, yes, going off in my own direction as usual. But, of course, it doesn't matter where our creativity, our art leads, we are here for the excitement of the experience.

Christmas Wishes

On this blessed Christmas week, may you and your family celebrate the most treasured of moments. Enjoy the last minute preparations, the gathering of family, praying together as you join hands in worship, the laughter, the excitement and abundant love of this holiday season.

More Grandchildren Quilts

I've been so busy working on Christmas gifts I haven't taken the time to add to my blog. Here is another of our Grandmother/Great Grandmother creations (the quilt, not the little darling in front -- although, I guess we had a part in that too!). My talented mother embroidered the squares and I put them together in the quilt. It's so much fun to work on projects together. And, it's so nice to make something that can be cherished in the future.

Always remember to add labels to your quilts. We forget details so quickly and as quilts are passed on, the stories are lost.

Christmas Quilts for the grandchildren

My mother embroiders but doesn't quilt. We decided to put our varied skills to work and make quilts for our Grandchildren/Great Grandchildren. The blue centers of the freedom log cabin blocks in this quilt were embroidered by my mom. They certainly added interest to this project which will become an heirloom treasure for little Nicholas.

Not all Christmas gifts are made of Christmas fabrics (as much as we love that wonderful red and green).

Christmas gifts

I can't really show this year's Christmas gifts. There may be one for you. These are baskets and purses I made for gifts last year. It was fun to depart from quiltmaking to try a different technique. The instructions for making these smart looking items came from Susan Brier's book "It's a Wrap", published by That Patchwork Place.

The baskets were made from Christmas scrap fabric, 1/2" - 3/4" strips. What a great way to use up fabric scraps! And what is too small to save?

Tis the Season

It's a wonderful season and what would Christmas be without plenty of cookies. Cherries winking in the pan are brightening up our house. Time for cooking, time for decorating, time for finishing up those sewing projects, all before the house fills up and we share the magical moments of Christmas.

What is your favorite Christmas food?

Holiday Melodies

If your favorite colors are red and green, you love the bright combinations used in Christmas quilts. Since these are my favorites, I could easily decorate with the colors of Christmas all year long. In fact, I do have quite a collection of red and green quilts.

Add to that a favorite log cabin block, and it couldn't be sweeter. It could be a whole quilt, an eye-catching center or a fabulous border.

After shoveling snow all day, its time for thinking of my loved ones as I sew Christmas gifts. Enjoy the beauty of the day.

p.s. Don't forget to add your Christmas comments to be entered for the Holiday Melodies Pattern Give-away.

T-shirt quilts

With a winter storm approaching, its a good time to spend the day working on Christmas gifts. I am busy with my first attempt at making a t-shirt quilt. I have the top of this one done and plan to quilt it to a fleece backing. Has anyone else tried this?

It seemed to work on a small sample, so I will soon find out.

Christmas Pattern Give-away

In the spirit of the season, I thought another give-away would be fun. This is my pattern "Holiday Melodies" and measures 55" x 67". It features a unique combination of blocks and a pieced border. Several neutral fabrics make the background sparkle, while rotary cutting make quick work of cutting. Over-sized pieces make it easy to trim blocks to the correct size. (You can click on the photo for a larger view.)

You may not have time to make it this year, but it's never to early to start on next year. To be entered in the give-away, please post a comment about your favorite Christmas idea between now and December 20.

If you would like to purchase this pattern, you may do so through my website www.bysher.net for a Christmas special price of $5.00 Just say you saw it on my blog. (If you would happen to be the winner and already purchased the Holiday Melodies pattern, you could choose another of my patterns for your prize.)

Christmas Snail's Trail

After completing my Christmas Snail's Trail quilt top, I used the remaining Christmas fabrics for a colorful scrap backing. After all, there will be wonderful new fabrics available next year, and I will have new favorites to purchase and use for 2010 Christmas projects.

Half of the fun of making new quilts is sharing them with others. We are all inspired by new ideas. Check out Christmas favorites at a Virtual Christmas Quilt Show
http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2009/12/virtual-christmas-quilt-show.html

Christmas Snail's Trail

Scrap quilts must be my passion, as I see my use of multiple fabrics has spread into my Christmas quilts was well.

The snail's trail pattern is an easy design to try. It looks festive when we combine several Christmas prints on a white background. As you can see on the detail, it is composed of four recognizable parts, a four patch surrounded by triangles, two larger half square triangle blocks and a solid block.

Enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit as you work on holiday projects.

Christmas Trail

With Thanksgiving past and our tummies full of turkey, we turn our thoughts to the next big holiday. Certainly, you must have been hiding under a rock not to have been surrounded by Christmas advertising. Isn't it magnificent that we, as quilters, can see beyond the common, commercial offerings. We want to invest our time and talents into making a gift that truly comes from our heart.

Whether you choose the most beautiful reds and greens or match a home's decor, your gift will be filled with the true Christmas spirit.

In the next few weeks, I will be blogging about gifts that I am making or have made for my loved ones. May they charge your creativity!