Clean-up

Company's coming. That means I have to clean the house, especially the dining room. My dining room has been my sewing area, so the in-progress projects and my sewing machine have been packed up and put away for now. (In the new year, I hope I remember what I was doing on those projects!!!!) Before cleaning up, though, I took the time to pull together the pieces for a couple of hand applique projects. I know that I won't be able to go a couple of weeks without touching a needle and some fabric! There's just something comforting about stitching!
Merry Christmas!

Taggie Blankie

According to my daughter, my 8-month-old granddaughter LOVES to play with the tags on her toys more than playing with the toys! My daughter put a "taggie blanket" on her Christmas list. So I started creating...I dug out some pieces of flannel leftover from previous baby projects. I got out my box of trims and ribbons. I looked for variety in size and texture while trying to use up some of the small pieces in the box that might not be useful for anything else. I cut the trims to ~4" lengths, folded them in half, and placed them randomly in the seams. I made sure to stitch over the ends of the trims several times to secure them. There are definitely LOTS of tags on this blankie...it will be fun to see what my granddaughter thinks of it! (Things like this are my favorite kinds of Christmas gifts!)

Stash Comes in Handy!

A week ago today I was very glad that I have a stash of fabrics! I was preparing to be Mary in a skit we were doing at our church's annual Advent Tea. A search through the costume box at church resulted in "kid-sized" costumes and accessories, but nothing to fit an adult. Time to improvise! An accolyte robe would work for Mary's robe, but I needed a head covering. So I dug through my box of blue fabrics. I found a piece of solid Williamsburg blue that measured about 3/4 of a yard. One end was jagged--not a problem! Instead of trimming it straight (and wasting a bit of fabric!) I simply folded that end under and it became the front edge of Mary's head scarf. A rope belt around my waist and sandals on my feet and I was ready to go!
The skit went very well...the entire evening was a wonderful, peaceful way to begin the Christmas season, and a reminder of what the season is truly about! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

No Longer in Suspense!

My books arrived the other day. What fun to open the box and see the finished product! The book is beautiful--I am so pleased with the way House of White Birches presented my idea and my projects. If you have been wondering what to do with your scrap collection, why not give my "scrappy piecing" technique a try? At $8.95, the book is VERY affordable!!! Ask your local quilt shop or bookstore to order Start With Scraps for you, and be prepared to have fun!