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Friday, December 16, 2016

A few Christmas quilts on the wall

This is last year's Christmas quilt, kaleidoscope technique by Ricky Tims. You draft your own pattern. I showed the details of it in last year's post Click HERE to see kaleidoscope-finish   
I was so  late to finish I forgot to do a sleeve so I added one this year.
I also did a sleeve for this from two years ago
and this one from 1990.
That was the year I took a class with my friend Cindy in Tampa on the "latest" technique of paper piecing.

(my grandmother foundation pieced many a string quilt onto old yellow pages from the phone book)

Paper piecing was like opening a window to a new quilting life for me. I loved it and this little hand quilted piece that finishes at 18" X 22"   (each block finishes at 3")


Since I was adding sleeves to a finished quilt I did them a bit differently.
I usually cut them 9" wide, fold them, catch in the binding (there's more to it but that's enough for now)

This time I just folded a 5" wide piece, finished the ends, folded in half WRONG sides together. Seamed it. Moved the seam to the center  of the tube, pressed it open, and sewed that tube with the seam to the quilt back. Can't see the seam and the insides are all smooth. I'm not entering this, so I needed a small opening.
 Make sure to measure so it's perfectly even after pressing. Take care catching the very edge when stitching

This year's Christmas quilt, the poinsettia from uneven log cabin blocks is STILL on the design wall.
I can't seem to make the simplest of decisions lately. I added log cabin style, two green fabrics to the sides, and today thought I might just do top and bottom borders in red, and bind the whole thing in green...
Maybe adding in this cool metallic ribbon top and bottom
The blocks are all scraps but the border is poinsettia fabric, and I had a half yard, just enough!

Can you see the ribbon if you click on the image to make it larger??


Then I left the room and when I came back I thought it looked unfinished.




I decided this is not for competition. It's not up for top awards, I'm just making it to sew happiness into my life. So...
just make it quilty. I wanted it to be more playful, or modern, or edgy but I also want it done.
See the one on the wall next to it?
While I knew how to use the ruler, I made more blocks with scraps but this time mixed green and red strips in each block.
I also mixed in one of my all time fave fabrics, just scraps left, and those are left because I used the fabric to line a vest, hated the vest, and tore out the lining to keep! Yea! Note this is an old time drunkard's path setting called lover's knot.
See the little flower ladies peeking through in the blocks???


I decided to "make it work" piecing if I needed to in order to border this one with my flower girls.








I'll have to save this Christmas Cow fabric for later!









19 comments:

  1. Looking at your uneven log cabins remindedo me how much fun they are to make! Thanks for theverything inspiration!

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  2. What fun quilts! Paper pieceing is a technique that is a game changer!!

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  3. I love the kaleidoscope quilt. Those paper pieced blocks are so tiny! Very pretty, all around.

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  4. Both of these are so fun, and it's too bad the Christmas cow fabric doesn't really go because that is awesome!

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  5. You have the most amazing collection of scraps! Makes for great results!

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  6. I need to do a few more small table toppers. I just never think about it until I'm putting out my santas and snowmen and then there's no time. I already have enough wall hangings (trees, a wreath, a panel I used to hang on my office door).

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  7. Love the poinsettia log cabin. Those blocks are so versatile but this is the first time I've seen it arranged this way. Just beautiful.

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  8. What a lovely collection for your walls. More treasured as time goes by. Love your photos of your trips and I'm finding your likes are also my likes!

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  9. I love your poinsettia quilt, it would make a lovely pillow in silver and blue to use all winter.

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  10. Gosh, your holiday quits are soooo beautifully festive! Kudos. ღ

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  11. Your are going to have an amazing collection of Christmas Quilts.

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  12. It's been years since I made a Christmas quilt. You do make it tempting to do again. My first was a log cabin block Christmas tree.

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  13. Being Jewish, I don't celebrate Christmas. Seeing your pretty quilts, I am having ideas about how to make a Hanukkah or Passover quilt. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Each one is so special. Love Betty Boop and her puppy. The new wreath one looks very good with the mix of red and green strips. I'm not clear, are the flower girls the pieces you saved from the vest? It was a smart move because they are lovely. Congrats on all of them and thanks for the tute.

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  15. I love them all, but the third one from the top, with the white background, is my favorite. Thank you for joining The Really Crafty Link Party this week.
    You can also share all your holidays posts at the Holidays Celebration Link Party that will be live until after Christmas
    (http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2016/12/holidays-celebration-link-party-4.html)
    Happy holidays!

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  16. Log cabin beauties! The Christmas cow fabric is envied.

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  17. I love all of your Christmas quilts, LeeAnna! Each one is so unique and fun to look at! Amazing how the those log cabin blocks can make such different designs depending on how you lay them out. Hope you are enjoying a very special holiday weekend!

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