Merry Christmas!

I think that this will be my last finish before Christmas - and it was the right sort of colours to show it next to our Christmas tree!

 

 It's finished at 60" x 44" and I'm pleased with how it looks.

 The binding is the same fabric as the sashing / border.  It also makes a stripe within the blue-grey backing which serves both to bring the backing fabric to the size as well as give it a little more interest.

A few more Christmas decorations - made with friends - and this 'new home' card for a friend, made with some of the scraps from the decorations!

My energies now will be engaged in family and festivities, although sewing will be squeezed in when I can manage it, of course!

I wish you all the best of good wishes for both Christmas and the forthcoming year.  May you enjoy good health, much happiness and plenty of crafting goodness!

Under my needle

The blocks that I showed you last week have been sashed and ironed and backed and basted and, almost, quilted.

I would have finished the quilting completely if I hadn't had caught one side of the backing up and folded it under by accident.  I have a few inches of quilting to remove so that I can fix it.

Looking forward to making and adding the binding to this.  My happy colours for sewing!

Pleasant Patching

A total of 22 '16 patch' blocks were made from the 3" squares in my box.

I'd already split them into warm and cool colours, so it was a simple task to lay them out and chain piece them.

 I've decided on these layouts.  The warm colours around one central mostly black and white block.

The cool colours in an alternate pattern - more saturated colour blocks mixed in with those that have more black and white in them.

A fairly efficient use of them, and the size of the lap quilts will be extended by the use of sashing and border fabric.

Just one orphan block left.  I don't have a plan for how to use it, but I do have a plan to look for any other orphan blocks that I have and to decide what to do with them once I can see them together!

Enjoyable, easy patchwork - a deliciously relaxing background to the preparations for Christmas.  I'm now in the happy state of almost all Christmas cards having been written and sent, and almost all the Christmas presents wrapped and put into the appropriate places!  Things are going well!

Happy stitching!