Saturday, January 9, 2016

A New Year, A New Finish

December it the time of year I get excited about starting new Christmas projects and always say they are for next year. I enjoy working on something of the season and so I did some red work stitching during my vacation the beginning of December. It was all hands on deck once I returned, getting all the customer quilts quilted and back to them in time to bind and gift out on the 25th. I had decided if quilts weren't required for Christmas, then I would take the few days between the 25th and the 1st to clean up and regroup in my studio.

December 26th: I enter the studio with clear intentions, start cleaning and work on this green scrappy pile of strips and blocks that have grown roots beside my machine. It's JUST time to get these blocks done so I can gift out my last family quilt.


December 26, later that day:
In the clean up/pick up process, I find this pattern, border strips and squares all piled together on top of my Christmas fabric drawer and I pick it up. (big mistake)

December 27th:  Oh I'll just cut a few scraps and do a few corners to make the faces of these cute snowmen.  No, I didn't save these tiny off cuts.  Now that's just too small for me and remember, I'm cleaning up my studio and working on the green pineapple blocks.


OK, so you can see a few FG to the left.  Thought I'd test out the holly print for the background.


And once I got the snowball blocks all pieced, I thought I'd see what they look like on my design wall.  No time like the present to get them stitched together, right?


And while I'm at it, might as well make a few more FG blocks.  I love the  Elanor Burns method, it's perfect for something like this project.  All the outsides are the same and the centers are scrappy.



I only needed 78, so what the heck, just get them done.  A little trimming and the FG are perfect!


December 31: Well, might as well get the whole thing put together, quilted, machine sew buttons on for eyes, use some wool for the noses and a few sets of eyes.  All this just adds to the quilting as they were done after it was quilted and bound.  I stitched out an eye on one of the faces, just to make them individual and a little quirky.

January 8th: Stitch out the text around the inner border, using red Aurifil color 2260 in 28 wt.  It's my go to red thread for any type of red work stitching.


Oh, and I did get the drawer of Christmas fabric organized, tidied up and all put away.  That's what I started to do, right?


So who else worked on Christmas projects after Christmas?  According to IG, I wasn't the only one.  Now its back to the longarm and customer quilts for January. 

Pop by later this week to see what happened to the green blocks!

Happy New Year,
Sharon

9 comments:

Mimi said...

LOL....love your post. I am so looking forward to getting back into the sewing room. It's been three months.

Lori said...

I am cracking up!! At least you got a quilt done and Christmas fabrics organized!!
it was fun talking with you last night!!

Linda O said...

Ha, ha, I love it! But you are all set for next Christmas with a darling new quilt, and your fabrics are all ready to play with next December!

Pat said...

Sharon, you know you are among friends...we all understand totally!! When I stopped at the LQS on New
Years Eve for some metallic quilting thread, I told my friend that I was either really far behind on finishing the Christmas wallhanging or really far ahead for a 2016 completion....we decided to go with the far ahead approach:-). Your little snow guys are so darn cute and will never melt...feel good about being ready for next Christmas.

Louise said...

I was fortunate enough to have a personal, private peek while it was still hot off the longarm..it is really cute.
Sharon that is what I like about you....sew unpredictable! Good job! You are truly on a roll for the new year.

Karen said...

Christmas projects are fair game any time of the year. I participated in a monthly Christmas work day one year with like minded quilters and got a lot done. I made the snowman faces quilt a couple years ago (like you have just made). A picture of it has been pinned over and over and over on Pinterest.

Janet O. said...

Absolutely adorable, Sharon--the story and the quilt!
Love the quirkiness of the eyes, the perfect flying geese, and your redwork stitching looks great!
(I almost hyperventilated about the cut off corners not being saved, but I'll survive.) *LOL*

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

No sure which I like better--finishing a project or planning a new one

Nifty Quilts said...

What fun days in the studio, with very happy results!