Merry Christmas to You

Our family starts arriving tonight, and I have been able to forgo the sewing projects that I still wanted to get done.  I need to spend today in my kitchen.

Olivia Jane

Our latest addition is the only one receiving a quilt this year.  Her quilt was a challenge as today’s styles are not the same as those of us grandmothers.  She is yet to have a bedroom of her own so I did feel a lot of freedom in selecting the fabrics.

Simple pattern, pretty fabric

I had never done prairie points and found them fun to do.  They also emphasize the triangles throughout the quilt.

Iowa State vs. Nebraska

My adult men have pillow cases made of their favorite team fabric.  Their other gifts are stuffed into them and a bow is added.  One package for each adult has made my wrapping and our opening so much easier.  The grandchildren get two packages.  I am sure my creative friends have found great ways to do their gifts also.

aprons for the little kitchen helpers

We will have 5 guests K-age and younger!  They are so fun and will be so excited!  Usually one or two appear when it is time to knead bread.  As my granddaughter says, “We get to make a big mess!”  Recently I had to explain that we do not knead sugar cookie dough.

The view from our kitchen table

In Iowa we have had a couple nasty snowy days, but today the sun is shining and the snow is beautiful.  May you have a beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.

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Christmas Quilts All Through the House

First guest room

The only bed in my home that doesn’t have a Christmas quilt is mine!  Where are my priorities?

2nd guest room

The 30’s bedroom has a row quilt that was made by my small group years ago.  Each friend added another row.

3rd guest room

The Africa bedroom gets one of the first quilts that I made.  Technically it is a comfort as I tied it.

Store room beds.

Then there is the store room.  We are now up to 5 grandchildren sleeping there.  The other three are in pack-n-plays in walk-in closets.  The parents love it!  It is nice and dark in a closet.  We just have to remember to get our PJ’s out and our next days clothes out!

A couple real beds in the store room

Not all the quilts in the store room are Christmas quilts, but it is their own territory!  I do not go into this room until everyone has gone home!

Easy one piece of fabric!

Then there is the rest of the house.  Over the years it is easy to have collected a lot of Christmas quilt wall hangings and table toppers, etc.

Paper pieced wreaths

They can be easy or more time consuming.  My boys call the paper pieced wreaths “chain saws”!

machine applique

I have tried machine applique.

folk art

I have tried hand applique

old fashioned santas

I have tried hand embroidery

Simple and nice

I have taught a mystery wall hanging.  The trouble with these is telling the ladies just what fabrics to use.

Which one do I like the best?

Then there are the table runners when I could not decide which way to arrange the fabrics.

banner at front door

One of my favorites is the banner above the front door.  It took some men to get the rod hung.  Then my husband bought a tall step ladder to make changing the banner easier!

It has been easy to make it look like I have my act together when I just share bits and pieces.  But the reality is that there is still a bare tree in my living room and the guest beds are now loaded with gifts begging to be wrapped.  Then there are the gifts that I still hope to sew!  But as a friend once said,          ” Christmas will come whether we are ready or not, and we will still enjoy our friends and family even if it is not exactly as we were dreaming.”

Tumbling into Christmas

One more photo to share.  My quilting friends were here and Sharon had put together her tumbling blocks with a background.  She, like we often are, was not so happy with her choice of finishing fabric.  I think it looks so ‘folk art’ and charming.

May you enjoy the reason for the season.