Holiday Table Decorations

All last week I prepared for a community wide sale to raise money for the local
Community Hall.  I had three table toppers I wanted to finish and some mug rugs so that I had some small items to include.  

My first table runner utilized a combination of holiday prints and others for good measure.  No pattern was utilized, I just threw strips together in an orderly fashion.  You could use any size strips and it would be pretty, especially using holiday fabric.

I quilted it with feathers and swirls.

My other two table runners used some more holiday fabric and are a bit simpler than my first. 

The mug rugs were so much fun, I quilted them with a feather motif and straight lines.

I opted to rent a table to show my quilts and thought I would bring my business card.  My town is small-meaning-really small.  I believe somewhere in the area of 250 so I truly was not expecting to sell anything but I did think it would get my feet wet so to speak on putting my items out to be seen.  It ended up being a very positive experience.  I didn't sell anything, but I had the opportunity to meet different individuals in the community and discuss one of my loves, quilting.

I definitely need to work on my presenting skills.  Maybe purchase some hanging bars for hanging my quilts.  All in all a fun experience that I learned a lot from.

Scrappy Dresden Plate Quilt

Earlier in the year my local quilt guild brought in a teacher to teach Scrappy Dresden Plates...This class was an absolute blast!  It is such an awesome way to utilize scrap fabric in a fun way.  The possibilities are endless.  I used a black background and a lilac backing... Please consider making dresden plates if you want to use up your scraps in a way you didn't think possible!

A close up of one of the dresdens.

I quilted it on my dsm using a vine/leaf pattern throughout the black and then each dresden is quilted in a different manner

 I initially hand bound the back of the binding to the quilt but I just did not feel like it was sturdy enough..so I used the embroidery function on my Grandmothers Huskvarna to re-attach the borders to the back.

I have already washed it, hence; the crinkly look.

Have fun playing with scraps!

  

String Strip Quilt

Well, I'd love to be able to say I was incredibly productive over the summer.  I did oodles of work, achieved master worker status, but alas...I can't.   I only had one quilt finish to add to my score board this summer,  though; I did work on another that I will be showing soon.  I'd also like to add that  sometimes those periods of seeming inactivity actually allow the creative juices to flow. I learned how to apply a watermark to my photos, which I have heard is important.  I also think the inactivity allowed me to decide if I truly am ready to sell my quilts.  If I really want to give my Etsy store a go.  I know that the reason I haven't sold anthing is because I haven't been ready to sell anything.  Well I can honestly say I have worked through that block and I'm ready to give my store it's all. I've had to tell myself,  I am creative enough and talented enough to do so, and I believe I do have something to offer that others will desire.  To do that I have to give myself permission to stay in my sewing room all day, not do the dishes three times, not clean the house every day, treat it as the main priority when my family is not home.

 As the kids took off for their first day of school on Monday I cleaned...I cleaned the whole house, then delved into my sewing room and made it a sane, creative place to work.. and now I get to immerse myself with all these ideas that have been floating around in my brain with no place to land all summer.  I get to crank up the music and free motion to my hearts content...and though I miss my kiddos, I so enjoy my time to simply create...

The one quilt I did manage to complete is a strip string quilt.  I dug into my pastels strings, used phone book paper cut into 4 inch wide strips, and when all completed sewed them together....I decided for a minimalist look and just did white borders and added an aqua? (I think?) backing and binding.  As a first for me I hand sewed the binding to the back of the quilt.  I have always been adverse to doing this, however; I found it relaxing and I do like the finished product.  I opted for simple spiral quilting.

 

I also manged to finish a pair of fingerless mitts for my oldest girl... Not sure what yarn I used, I think Alpaca.