Penguin Table Runner

I found some cute penguin fabric on Equilter and have been using it in projects.  I made myself a table runner for the holidays.

The trees in the center were paper pieced.

 

 

Candy cane fabric was used for the backing.

 

I made a trivet to coordinate with the table runner.  My peppermint candies didn't turn out as round as I would have liked, better luck next time :)

  

More of the penguin fabric was used in the trivet backing.

 

 

Ribbon Christmas Tree Pins

I purchased a Ribbon Christmas Tree Pin at a Craft Show in Frankemuth and used it as a pattern to make a few for small Christmas gifts and package decorations.

 

I only had two sizes of ribbon.  The pin I purchased had three sizes, if I make these again next year I will look for another size ribbon to make the tree fuller.

Hexagons and Fordite

I have been working on some hexagon projects lately.  Earlier this month, I made Jenny some hot pads for her birthday .

At the Millington Quilt Club, we exchange 12.5inch Christmas blocks.  I made two for the exchange and one for myself.

The stitching was done by hand, the center hexagon was fussy cut and embellished.  I added red rhinestones for the berries, black for the snowman's eyes and buttons and AB clear rhinestones for some of the snowflakes.

My birthday was earlier this month and my daughters gave me this beautiful fordite ring.  Fordite is a Michigan gem :)   According to Wikipedia "Fordite, also known as Detroit agate, is old automobile paint which has hardened sufficiently to be cut and polished.^[1] It was formed from the build up of layers of enamel paint slag on tracks and skids on which cars were hand spray-painted (a now automated process), which have been baked numerous times."

Pumpkin Door Hanging

When I saw this pattern, I knew I had to make a fall door hanging.

 

Looking at the pattern in a catalog, I didn't realize there wouldn't be a binding and the door hanging would have a unfinished edge.  This is my finished project.

 

Instead of fabric berries, I used red rhinestones and red cabochons.

I used a variety of markers and crayons to draw veins and shade the leaves.

 

This is our front door with it's new quilt.

Hugs & Kisses Quilt

I saw the Hugs and Kisses quilt made up at the Front Porch Quilt Shop in Frankenmuth last winter. It was pieced with batiks and I really like it. I bought the special ruler and fabric and finally 8 months later, I have a completed throw.

I also used batiks in my quilt, perhaps a little brighter than the stores choices.

 

My daughter Angela and her husband Austin are going to be getting the quilt.  Angela requested a blue back.  I used a variety of scraps to bind the throw.  The quilter and I decided on a modern design since Angela and Austin are both artists.

Gazpacho

When I was in Grand Rapids, I had some wonderful gazpacho for lunch.  My daughter, Angela, gave me her recipe for gazpacho.  She had lived in Spain for over a year.  Angela is very precise in her recipes (NOT), for example her recipe calls for a generous glug of olive oil :)  For lunch today, I made some gazpacho sort of following her recipe.

 

I used tomatoes, cucumber and peppers from our garden.  Added onion, red pepper, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and a generous glug of olive oil.  Topped the soup with dill from the flower bed and homemade croutons.  No exact measurements so like the song says, "I'll never have that recipe again."

Window Challenge Quilt

We had a challenge at the Millington Quilt Club to make a small window quilt. 

This was my attempt.

 

 

I used a panel for the scene in the window.  The window frame is all the same fabric; the lightest was bleached and the medium is the back of the fabric.  I used fabric markers and fabric crayon to darken other parts of the window frame.

 

The best part of the project was being able to embellish the panel.  The scarf's pompoms are wool felt, the smile on the snowman is made up of beads and tiny black buttons represent the coal down his front. 

 

The berries are embellished with a variety of different sizes of rhinestones.  The clumps of snow were painted with fabric glitter.