There has been a mad flurry of activity here since Sunday evening, when the kids’ last Nutcracker performance of the year wrapped up. We always have lots of ideas for gifts, but run out of time to make them all. This year, Caitrin came to the rescue with beaded earrings. (I don’t know a thing about beading, but she let’s me think I am helping by choosing beads and making packaging. She does all the hard stuff. Thanks, Cait!)

I have been furiously sewing my nights away making quilts out of cuddle fabric for both kids and I can finally post about it since they won’t be able to check my blog until morning. Ho! Ho! How sneaky am I?

Not very sneaky, actually. I saw these adorable kits at Sew Much Fun! and couldn’t resist. Consequently, I have ended every night this week in a losing battle to clean up “cuddle” fur. Have any of you worked with this fabric? It is gloriously soft but also sheds and loves to stick to everything in sight, especially to one tired and crazy elf who likes to wear a robe of just that material while sewing in the wee hours of the morning. Have I ever mentioned that every member of our family has a robe made out of this fabric? Yes, that includes my husband. Four yards of tan cuddle fabric. It is grand.

Anyway, I have been singularly unsuccessful at covering up traces of my nightly toil with one of our children, who sees a walking foot on a sewing machine with nary a quilt in sight as a sure sign that something fishy is going on, and she knows her dad has nothing to do with it since he doesn’t know what a walking foot is.

I hope all of you out there have wonderful holidays full of warm memories!

Amanda

Sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words.

She just learned to make these last Tuesday! Congratulations, Mom!

My mom/International Retail Distribution Manager (she prefers exalted titles) was here for a few days and I gave her a basic quilting tutuorial.  Some of you might remember that she tried quilting a few years ago.  Always overly enthusiastic…  ahem… she chose this pattern:

I finished it because she is my mom and also happens to be the most enthusiastic gift recipient ever.

This time we are starting with the basics. I taught her how to do flying geese units. (This is all part of my secret, diabolical plan to get her quilting by the time she moves down to North Carolina next year.) Mom is going to make up a bunch in Swiss Chocolate and we are going to make up a placemats, napkins, a table runner, and even upholster her piano bench and dining room chairs in the Mocha colorway. (Yes, I am a lucky recipient of that overly enthusiastic gene, so the two of us together are up to no good.) Patterns will appear here later next year.

You can do it, mom!

Also this week, I played more with the Lazy Angle Ruler. I have Joan’s Lazy and Lovin’ It Book, which has oodles of great ideas.

In addition to making (12-1/2″) blocks from 4 (6-1/2″) squares,I made some from 9 (4-1/2″) squares.

There are even more possibilities with 9 squares. I can’t decide which block I like best. I love this ruler!

Happy holidays!
Amanda