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Quilt #2

December 27th, 2018

This was the year of quilts for Christmas. I finished this quilt top (also acquired in a thrift store fabric grab bag) for my neighbor. Orange is her favorite color, so I knew she’d love it. The backing was a sheet from my stash, the binding was made from two different scraps of fabric which I got in a different fabric grab bag.




I quilted this one by hand as well, which was an enjoyable evening activity. No doubt this quilt will be loved and put to good use for years to come.

Holiday Gifts

December 26th, 2018

As promised, I’ll be sharing a few of the gifts I made to give out this Christmas. One of my favorites was this lovely quilt. I didn’t make the top, I got it in a fabric grab bag. It’s definitely old, the entire top was hand sewn together, with tiny seam allowances, which mean I had to do a lot of repairs before adding the batting and backing and quilting. The yellow striped binding is a lovely fabric from my stash, it is linen and should wear well and soften nicely with use.




I quilted it by hand, since I enjoy hand stitching a lot. It’s a wonderful way to spend evenings during the winter. I think the receipient loved the quilt, no doubt she’ll be using it to keep warm for years to come. It’s nice to give another life to a quilt like this. If only I knew the story of who made it and where it came from, at least it will have a future story and be enjoyed.

Do you have any vintage quilts?

Friday Favorite: Fresh Snow

December 21st, 2018

One of my favorite things is a fresh coating of snow. It makes everything lighter and brighter, especially when the sun shines! Earlier this week, we got a few inches of snow.





Sadly, we’re supposed to get 2″ of rain today, so it will all melt away, leaving behind an icky brown mess and there will be no white Christmas.

Do you live in an area with snow?

Tiny Zippered Bags

December 20th, 2018

I’ve been spending lots of time in my sewing room now that it’s mostly set up. It still takes me a while to find things as some are in this room and some still remain in the old sewing space. Almost all of my Christmas gifts are handmade this year (photos of those to come after the holidays). I did sew 8 little zippered bags for a friend (she received them yesterday so I can share without spoiling the surprise).




I gifted all of these to a friend, she will use some of them and keep some to have quick gifts on hand. These little bags a joy to make, they come together quickly and make such great gifts. They’re a great way to use up scraps of fabric.

What would you keep in these little bags?

Gingerbread House Party

December 18th, 2018

This past Saturday night we had a gingerbread house making party. It wasn’t anything fancy, there were a few pre-made kits and everyone brought various decorating tidbits. Here’s what we ended up with:








This was mine, complete with holly hedge, M&M box topiary beside the door, tootsie roll flagstone pathway, and giant candy cane decor in the garden.

What holiday fun have you participated in so far this season?

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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