Christmas through the year and a few projects

I have made a little gift this time. I tiny quilt block fridge magnet. Very fiddly and took as long as making a big block! I had planned to make a few but that will have to wait. Christmas Through the Year is hosted by Allie of Allie-oops Sweet Happy Life.  On Allie's post Mr Linky has links to those who have joined in for July.

I have a few projects on the go or nearly finished. I made another pair of arm warmers for DD1. She liked the first pair so much. I just have to sew up the wrists and the thread ends.

I am more than half way through my lacy scarf using the alpaca wool I bought in Adelaide. It feels so soft and I love this pattern. It is the same row over and over. The label recommended no. 4 needles but I have used no. 5 to make it a bit looser. The pattern is here:
http://home.online.no/~tu-mell/onerowlacescarf.cfm

I made a crazy block using a different pattern and I will make it into a heat pad/mug rug by using blanket to pad it. I want to make the book shelf block as well.
These are designs from Don't Call Me Betsy.
She has a tutorial page link along the top. Her latest post is the book shelf block that she made for a friend's birthday present.

Lastly, I have been working on the Christmas quilt and have just finished one side of the final border. I should finish it in a couple of weeks without pushing too hard.

Happy Quilting,
Val

1 Xmas item a month

Nearly the end of the month and I was looking at all the nice Christmas things so many of you were making and remembered that I joined the Christmas clubs so I would be more inclined to make something. So this morning I got up and went up to my sewing room to make something. I was pulling out a few books when some bags of scraps and loose Christmas scraps fell all over the place. There was also a ready cut wadding square for a crazy block. My pot holder / teapot stand kind of evolved. It needed to be bigger so I added a border. I put woollen blanket inside. One piece a bit smaller than the other so the binding would go on easier. That's why there are stitching lines on the back. I sewed the smaller piece to the back first then sewed it all together. I love the button but it doesn't really go. At least it is finished and can wait til I get a Christmas button. I still have lots of pink scraps so I will make a pink pot holder for the teapot button.
Visit Narelle at Pins and Whiskers and see who has commented. Most will be part of 1 Xmas item a month and have posted about their project.

I made a useful discovery at Lincraft the other day. The fabric I bought had no tag on it and the girl said no problem she would look up the care instructions. Funny how some things just never occur to me. Of course most stores have inventory software on their cash register computer. I would always forget to write down the care instructions and when I got home I would promise myself that I would take my little note book next time. But now I will ask if they can print them out for me.

I have been pretty conservative with my clothes lately. Trying to get away from fussy patterns and multiple colours but I figured I could use what ever took my fancy for the lining of my camel coloured jacket so I bought leopard print :)

Also, the other night, instead of visiting all my blog friends I played with my header picture. I have a few Nitwit collections with lots of background fabrics and notions that are used for digital scrapbooking and after seeing someone's header I stopped blog surfing and made my own header.
I have nearly visited all the blogs in my list. It feels like I have missed so much over the last few weeks.
Thanks for all the lovely responses to Running Stitch Tommy. I feel inspired to make some more cat designs.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Running Stitch

I love making things that are special to me so a stitch sampler designed by somebody else to show off my work did not appeal to me. I had to think of some way to use running stitch on my kind of project. I have designed my book cover with Tommy on the front attached with running stitch and inside the flaps are decorated with lines of running stitch. I have used the ribbon from some Haigh's chocolates that I bought in Adelaide as the book mark. The fabric is stuck onto fairly stiff hand bag pellon.
My next project has to showcase back stitch. Not sure what I will make yet. If you hadn't already guessed I am following Helen's lessons in stitchery. So far she has covered running stitch, back stitch, stem stitch and lazy daisy stitch. I was never big on stitchery and I have learnt all sorts of things I didn't know before. Stitched Sunday is well worth a look.

Happy Stitching,
Val

Crazy Quilting Friday

I made time for my crazy block yesterday. The teacup was trimmed right up to the left edge when I made my table cloth and I didn't know how it would go lopsided but I think it turned out OK. I used some of my free trim to finish it off.

Happy Quilting,
Val