Proof: Santa is a Quilter!

December 31, 201810 Comments

My very dear friend, MJ, cross stitched this wonderful Prairie Schooler Santa and gave it to me as a gift. What an honor to receive this lovely work of art!

This pattern was released in 2005, as noted on the lower left side. What makes it even more special? 2005 is the year MJ and I became friends.

Within such a teeny space, “Santa” created a wall hanging from 6 different, tiny blocks! I look at each block and am in awe of these tiny little stitches. Yes, this proves that Santa really is a quilter!

It looks like Santa is ready to pull an all nighter as he finishes embroidering the Christmas tree nestled in the hoop! How about that little spool of thread?

As you can see, MJ even signed (with stitches) the lower right hand corner of this masterpiece. Friendship, quilting and cross stitch…I think they blend together to make lasting memories!

As we wind down the 2018 Christmas Season, Sandy and I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year!

Let’s toast to the new quilting journeys that await us in 2019…cheers!

Tag Team Follow-up

December 13, 20185 Comments

Good morning! It’s Cindy reporting in from Ohio.

We finished decorating our tree yesterday and I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas ornaments with you. My son made this ornament for me when he was in pre-school (many years ago) and it always makes me smile. He’s wearing his favorite dinosaur sweatshirt…very festive!

In previous posts, I’ve mentioned my two neighbors who just happen to be teen-age girls or TAGS as I affectionately call them. One TAG is very interested in continuing her sewing journey so of course I have many ideas to help her in this quest!

A community service project I have been working on, through my guild, is to make place mats for Meals on Wheels recipients. I thought my TAG would like to help make a few place mats and I was right!

Step 1: I asked her to piece batting scraps together to begin learning how to use a zig zag stitch. Nice job!

Once we had the place mats assembled and turned right side out, I had her top stitch around the outside edges. She’s learning how to turn corners with the needle down…not bad!

Next, I asked her to get more brave and just top stitch/quilt however she liked. I had her use a light thread color so she could see what she was doing. I knew she had gained confidence because she started sewing just a little faster!

We now have 5 place mats completed and have 4 more in progress. Soon we’ll be on to the next TAG project. Stay tuned for more TAG team fun!

Reflecting

December 10, 20187 Comments

In the middle of the joy and bustle of the holidays, I like to take precious moments to sit quietly and reflect on the lessons learned, the chances not taken, the mis-steps, the words spoken and unspoken, and the joys and accomplishments of the past 365 days. Hand sewing always gives me that chance. #quiltbonding time can be therapeutic.

The road to the farm under a December fingernail moon:

Color of the Year — you guessed it

December 6, 2018December 6, 201818 Comments

Dear orange, Orange, ORANGE: you can call yourself “Living Coral” all you want, but I still see you!

What a cruel trick to play on my orange-weary psyche — you go and get yourself named the Pantone color of the year for 2019 using an alias, an also known as, a fake name — you clever color, you. However, that old adage is true: a tiger can’t change his <orange> stripes. I. Still. See. You.

Now that I understand what I’m up against– a conspiracy of orange/living coral/tangerine/pumpkin/salmon or whatever you are calling yourself today and the world-wide marketing reach of Pantone, (the greatest color arbiter in the world)— I vow to conquer you in 2019, embrace you as my friend, and win this struggle using love, not hate.

I will make you into a carrot, just you wait and see.

Resignedly,

Sandy