Christmas knitting

I've been knitting up a storm for Christmas. . I made 24 small cardinals and 16 large guys just like in the photo .

Found I needed to cleanse my palette between cardinals and moving on to socks for Christmas.

Seasonal cats

I finished the top of the Jim Shore Seasonal Cats. 

 As you can see, Angel was helping me hold the pieces in place!

This does not show the blocks very well, but it is finished.  Now how to quilt it!

WHat have I been up to?

After the visit to my Son and Daughter in law and the boys (young men) I have not been as busy in the sewing room. 

I finished the top for Colorful Cats.   The blocks are tessellated cats.  Each of the 23 block are 2" X 3".   These were practice blocks.

The quilt is only 13.5 X18.5.   I know I am crazy for working with very small pieces, but I enjoy it!    The pattern is by Loren Wilhelm.

 And here is my top.  The two plain blocks need to have the words stitched and then backed and bound. 

My photographer had to make an appearance, too!


The project I am now working on is a block of the month,  Jim Shore's Seasonal Cats. When I got home from my Out West trip, I had November and December blocks to make. 

Each month, a cat panel came with a different pieced border and enough fabric to back a mini quilt.  Or you could save all of the remaining fabric and make a large quilt.  You were given cutting directions to make the corner blocks.

I have cut and made 28 -  3" stars.  Them I cut 208 - 2" squares. Here are the four corners laid out and ready to sew.  I had to put each corner on a portable surface (cutting mat. large square ruler, block wall)  and these were balanced on a stool so I could get them in the photo!  Again, the photographer is standing on  a red  mat.

I have to cover up these pieces or my little helpers will rearrange them!

WHO, ME?

Today, I will stitch these together.  I will  cut sashing and borders if I have time. 

This evening, we are delivering and setting up a Bernina Q20 (sit down quilter) form the Bernina store  to a customer. 

After Sewing Camp

 We didn't get a chance to get the older grandsons sewing with Mom while she was here.  I did finally get the Brian to sit down to create his own mug rug.

  everything went really well as you can see in the last photo.. but when we went to put the initials and the year.. the stitches the brother made were horrible!  we didn't pick thread with enough contrast either!  not really sure what was wrong.. I will do some troubleshooting later.. this took us from 9am to 4pm to finish.. I am just plum tired now...   Think he is too..   He choose the fabrics, cut them... did all the sewing...  all I did was iron and sit next to him... seems silly I am so tired.. hahaha....zzzzzzz.....