Merry Christmas 2014

It's Christmas Eve and I'm all ready for Santa.  I have the cookies made and Hot Chocolate warmed up.  My stocking isn't hung but it's waiting right next to Santa's treat.  The turkey is thawing and I've already started on the basics for Christmas dinner.  I decided that pumpkin pie could wait until New Years.  Living alone I don't need all those sweets.  

I want to wish all my followers a very Merry Christmas so I have created my own Christmas card just for you:

Merry Christmas to all and may Santa bring all your wishes for the new year.

Christmas Stocking Challenge Winner!!!!

It's official!!!  My Christmas stocking Noel took 4th place in the Nancy Zieman Christmas Stocking Challenge.  I want to thank everyone that took the time to vote for me.  As far as I'm concerned I received the best prize.  Seven fat quarters from Riley Blake Designs from the Christmas Collection.

Here is the bundle that arrived last evening.  But wait you can't really see the fabrics so here's a better view:

I just love them!!!! 

My Santa with his frog stocking took 6th place just 4 votes short of winning 5th place.  But that's ok I didn't do the challenge for the prizes I did it for the challenge.  I just love a design challenge.  Plus both stockings were ideas I've had for a long time.  This gave me the inspiration to actually do them to a finished project.      I love dead lines too!!!!  That's why I started this blog, to have dead lines to help me finish my work.  It's helped tremendously,  I've gotten more work done since I've started this blog then ever before.  

I'm now working on a few ideas for Christmas mini's.  I won't get them done before Christmas so I'll probably show them to you next year.  I'm also still trying to finish some older projects that have been sitting around.  I need to sit down and decide per month what I should work on and try to get it all done.    Maybe having specific deadlines will help me finish most of it.  Of course I keep getting interrupted by new ideas.  New Ideas tend to take over and yet they don't always get finished either.  It's a struggle I've always had. Oh well back to work.  I'm about to finish two mini quilts that I shared here two years ago.  Finally!!!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Potholder Kitchen Set

This is my post for 

FriDaY NighT with FRienDs hosted by Gone Stitchin'.  It's a fun way to spend the first Friday night of each month.  I don't always remember to register but I do sew almost every Friday.  

While I was visiting my son and his wife this Thanksgiving, I noticed that they didn't own any potholders.  I also noticed that their new dishes matched a chicken fabric I bought several years ago and couldn't find a use for it.  That started it all. 

I knew I wanted to do the oblong potholders I designed several years ago but I wanted to add to them for a full set of potholders.  I searched the web and found this site that had a tutorial for Hexagon Potholders.  Since they have a slightly oriental decor I thought they would be perfect. They went together fast and easy.  Here they are after the first round is sewn on. 

Then here they are after the second round and before cut into Hexies.

After the hexie's were completed then I cut them into finished hexie shape.  Then layered the backing, cotton Batting and Insul-Fleece by Pellon, pinning it temporarily. It is recommend by the manufacturer to put the cotton batting between thefabric that will touch the heated object and the Insul-Fleece.  I then turned this layered section over and placed the hexies right sides together with the backing fabric.  Sewed around the edges with the usual 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a 1" opening for turning.  After sewing was finished I cut around the hexies through all layers. Turned them right side out pressed  and topstitched them closed.  Then quilted in the ditch throughout the trivet. This is the final product. Too cute!!!!

I then started with the Oblong Potholders.  They are still available as a free download at Pellon Projects.  I did change how I quilted the fabric. Instead of doing several small sandwiches I made one big one.  It's still small enough to handle easily with a regular sewing machine.  

Here's the finished Oblong Potholders:

I almost finished here, then thought about the Pot Handle Holders I would love to own myself.  I again did a web search and found several ways to make them after measuring your own pans.  I wanted something more universal.  So into the kitchen I went to look at my cast iron pans and my other cooking pans.  I saw that there are some pots with short handles and some with long.  You know what that means.  I needed to make one of each.  I had extra quilted fabric left over from the Oblong Potholders so I used that to make these.  They slip easily onto the pot handles.  This is a very easy way to pick up a hot pot without the usual slipping with a flat pot holder.

Again I almost stopped here.  Then I thought that my Oblong Potholders are great for on the stove and some baking but not so great for large oven roasters or oblong cake dishes.  I hate oven mitts that are two mitts with a long length between the mitts.  It limits the user to size of pots/pans that can be used.  I also can't see the use for the middle section.  So I designed some Oven Mitts that are similar but separate.

I wanted them to be different for the others I had already made but of the same fabrics.  So I started with layering the cotton batting and Insul-fleece over the backing fabric with the ride side down down. For ease of handling I pinned this layer section on the corners.  I cut several widths of the fabrics I had already used and sewing them with a sew and flip method.  This allowed me to quilt as I went along.

I used the finished quilted fabric to cut out the oven mitt pattern. I finished them with binding as with the Oblong Potholders.

Here is the finished product.  I can't wait to make my own to try them out.

Happy Holiday Cooking,

Christmas Stocking Challenge

I was busy with my many designs and making my annual Christmas Ornaments for my family when a friend called me about a last minute challenge.  You all know I can't resist a design challenge.  I dropped everything and started on the above stocking named of course, "Noel".   It is something that I have had in my mind for several years.  Almost 20 to be precise.  In fact I was having trouble working on it at first as I wanted it to be elegant and usually I do cute and/or humorous.  I think I created elegant.  What do you think?  Here is a closeup of the thread work done on the poinsettia petals:

Here is my second entry (we could have up to three entries).  It is named, "Santa's Delivery".  See I couldn't resist cute and humorous.  I just took a Santa I already designed and made him longer and added a stuffed frog.  Why a frog? some of you may ask.  Because I'm a froggy person not a teddy person.  So some lucky child will receive a stuffed frog and not a teddy.  he he he 

The rules were simple.  Just pick a stocking pattern from the Pellon site or the Baby Lock site and go for it. They are all pictured on Nancy Zieman's Blog and that is where you go to vote.  Voting started today and will continue unit the 8th.  Please take the time to go to this link to vote : http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/sewing-2/christmas-stocking-sewing-challengevoting-begins/

Please go and vote