What I Made For Christmas (Mostly)

(I apologize in advance for the amount of photos in this post. The good news is none of them are taken up super-close so I shall remember my works in perfection and not see all the boo-boos! )

After I managed the feat of my first quilt, my mother (who has made a bunch of quilts in her life but has lost her sewing mojo (by which I mean her desire, NOT her abilities. Those are still awesome when she chooses to sew!) in recent years) decided to pass along some of the quilting plans she had on to me. Some were the quilt tops and squares pieced by my paternal great-grandmother and I really am going to share about those soon. Another was a bag full of log cabin squares mostly already pieced that she bought at a yard sale. Apparently she loved the fabrics and thought, with most of the piece work done that she'd put it together herself, but never got around to it. She had even bought fabric to back it with and fixed a few of the pieces that were missing, but had sort of just stopped there. I decided to try to fix up a lap quilt for her with what she had given me and it turned out really pretty (if not my style).

I will confess though, working with someone else's wonky piecing is actually even more frustrating than working with my own. Apparently I like to be able to blame myself when something isn't right. There is probably a whole post right there, but i'll save the couch session for another day! This impatience with non- self- created imperfection led to that quirky corner square. The last square that I have, was cut and/or pieced larger than all the rest. I tried to fix it and it looked awful. I tried taking it apart and it was worse. So I used the center and just appliqued it on another fabric. In the end, it makes me love it more, because it is a little different.

The back is hard to see, but there are little off center squares within squares where I quilted. I like it, but the pic doesn't show it off very well.

In other quilting news, I finished Ellerie's first quilt!!! WAHOO!!! Let's see. I only bought the fabric almost two years ago now? No biggie. I gave it to her for Christmas, even though it wasn't really intended as a Christmas present. Obviously, I am motivated by a deadline.

Here's the back. I am aware that the whole thing is sideways. Couldn't have it dragging in the dirty snow and mud.

I appliqued the paper dolls, like I did for Polly's, and added more pieces from my great-grandmother's stuff.

The backing is a thrifted sheet. Oh, how I do love getting that much cotton for 2 dollars!!!

That little blue square in the center with the kitties on it is where I "signed" it and is a patch of fabric from my mother's stash of scraps. She had a nightgown or pajamas made from it when she was a little girl. Isn't that cool? I think you can see it a LITTLE better if you click on the picture.

Speaking of cool... my awesome husband surprised me with these boots for my Christmas present. ( Dana! I am no longer the only person on the planet without awesome leaf-crunching boots! ;-) Check out the cool little buttons!

Anyway... back to the crafting. We are entering the home stretch and my favorite thing. Can you believe my favorite thing is not Ellerie's quilt? That is how awesome this last thing is. I got the idea back in November after seeing this somewhere and once I got started, I practically couldn't rest until they were done. Wait for it......

breakfast, lunch and dinner bibs for my nephew!

I used an old bib that was mine as a child for a pattern (although I think this is a common vintage top pattern from the 70s), all fabric from my scraps, and I free handed the applique.

Breakfast

lunch

(love the sandwich!!!!)

and dinner!

The next day I got a quick email from my brother with a pic of Milo in the lunch bib. Made my whole day!

Last, but ABSOLUTELY not least, is not something I made but a grandpa-made gift from my parents for Ellerie.. a tiny ironing board!

They are so creative. The pic doesn't do it justice. Someday, she really could iron on this! My dad made it adjust to two different heights and it folds up, just like the real thing. Mom covered it with a top to one of those countertop boards that she happened to have and they cut the cord off a tiny travel iron (also hanging around their place not being used) so it has all the knobs and fun parts to a real iron. She loves it! The boys too as, leave it to my kids, they quickly discovered that it actually holds water and squirts it out the front. Several items of Elle's clothing was soaked while being "ironed."

Those were my creative accomplishments for Christmas 2010. I wish I had done more. I like making things for people and it really does give me more satisfaction than buying something. Every year I say I am going to start early and plan and make more and I don't follow through on that the way I want. I am proud of what I managed, but really do want to start thinking early this year. Right now though, it is back to reality. Kids (and self) to be dressed and fed, laundry to be done, rooms to be cleaned. It is good to be back to routine though. 2011, here we come!