Layers on the Design Wall

What does one do with only one design wall? This quilter just layers quilt over quilt over quilt. This top quilt? It's my current hand project - a UFO I started at Glampalot in 2015. It's my merging of Carolyn Friedlander's needle-turn applicate technique (which I'm pretty hopeless at) on a background of Yoshiko Jinzenji fabric. A few weeks ago I woke up in a panic since my current hand project was completed. The next morning I found this neatly tucked away. Since I began this, I have become more proficient in my version of Sashiko, and I'm loving how this is evolving.

Here's a slightly better picture of this piece.

At the June meeting of my Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, I volunteered to quilt and bind this charity baby string quilt, a project headed by Debbie Pine.  This is a charming scrap quilt with lots of straight-line quilting, and it washed up beautifully.

Over the weekend I decided I had to make a duffel bag from a pattern in one of Sara Lawson's books.  I love these two books - Windy City Bags and Big City Bags - and have made bags from both of them.  But I couldn't find them.  It took some major putting away and straightening up before I found these books.  One of the things I unearthed is a project I started for John's older daughter several years ago.  Why didn't I finished it then?  Who know.  But what I do know is that this Christmas Tree is perfect for Julie for right now.  She's relocated to Atlanta but will be home for the Christmas holidays.  Perhaps this tree will resolve her decorating dilemma.

And finally what's uncovered is my current project.  More about this in a day or two!

Not Enough Hours in a Day

My shopping - such as it is - is complete. My wrapping becomes what I've made, despite John's ability to wrap presents so nicely.

These are pillows I'm making for John's sister Chris and hope to give to her Christmas Eve. I have the 24" by 24" pillow forms. All I need to do is finish them! But kitchen responsibilities are calling - steamed cranberry pudding and hard sauce, mushroom barley soup, slicing the beef for stroganoff. And I'm having an attack of the lazies - this just might be a "blow off the workout and watch a movie" afternoon.

Today's a day to enjoy the peace of the Christmas season, despite John's having decorated my quilted Christmas tree. At least he didn't string it with lights!

Maybe there are enough hours in the day.  It's my choice to take a break from the studio!

Peace to all during these dark days of the Winter Solstice.

The Christmas Fairy Comes to LaGrange

Every year while I'm working on quilts, John decorates the house (and does the cards and the Christmas shopping and everything else). While I normally don't embellish my quilts in any way, John found some little tiny ornaments which he carefully pins to the quilted Christmas tree I made several years ago. Even I admit that the effect is very nice. His real labor of love however is his Christmas Tree. And I love that he uses my bargello abstract wall hanging as a background for his tree.