Many Christmas Projects

I may not have been blogging lately but I have been busy...mostly with Christmas gifts. This applique curtain is for my daughter's door which divides the living room area from the bedrooms. Both sides blend in with the colors in that area and I tried to use the window panes to define the space as quilt blocks even though the piece was a single fabric. I haven't done much of this sort of thing and even that was quite awhile ago but it was a really fun project and she is pleased with it too which makes it all the better. I love working with leaves and these fall colors so that helped make it interesting to do. And, it all came together exactly like I had imagined it. How seldom that happens! There is nothing wrong with happy accidents but it is nice to be in control once in awhile too.



These are not quilted but I did applique each side to a separate muslin background so that light wouldn't show the one side through to the other. I had briefly thought about hand appliquing the pieces on but using a machine zigzag took long enough and it is probably sturdier anyway. I had fun drawing all the leaf shapes and collecting the leaves while hiking or walking in the neighborhood. This was the perfect fall project and reminded me how much I enjoyed making those leaf scrapbooks in school every year.







I am still making and selling pixies and fairies. I have 12 more knit and am working on assembling them and then that is it before Christmas. Just out of time! I want to work on a pattern for small bears and cats along with the pixies and fairies for next year.

Also I have done some weaving for gifts. I made a triple birds-eye pattern scarf for Cory's piano. They wanted certain colors and as luck would have it, I had some hand dyed cotton in just the right blues that I had dyed in a workshop a couple years ago. And I also wove a hearth rug for Gabe and Amy. They are getting a new gas fireplace insert in the next couple of weeks so that should just right for them. They also are waiting for some new furniture and I think I was able to match that and the wall color up pretty well.

I don't weave that many rugs because I just have jack looms and they are not that great for rug weaving but I found a draft for a 2 tie 6 end pattern and it works up wonderfully even though the tension isn't as tight as on a rug loom. This is the second rug that I have made with this draft and both turned out thick and lay nicely on the floor. There is also tremendous design potential with the draft that relies on color and weave so the weaving is interesting. I'll have to get Gabe to take a photo of the rug after Christmas for the blog. That was all handspun yarn that I had for several years thinking I would make a coat for myself sometime. The fleece was from a Maine Island sheep and has a nice luster and was very clean wool since the island fleeces are claimed to be fog washed.

Sadly, I haven't worked on my tapestry all month but now, except for some baking, all the gifts are done and I'm anxious to get back to tapestries and purses. In fact, I can't wait! I actually enjoyed all the gift projects that I did but now I will really appreciate getting back to my own work.

It is a beautiful, cloudless sunny day BUT it was -24 this morning and now is only a sorry -5. So I feel like I want to go out since it is so pretty but way too cold to walk today.