Quilting Cheer

Haven't been sewing much lately but I should....have one big present to finish! But I still have some days....I'll show you some of my Christmas projects from the past that are adorning my walls now thanks to my handy husband who cut and sanded dowels for me to use! This little wall hanging I started in Long Beach during a "coffee sew" with good ol' Betsy! I just finished it last year at one of my AWC crafty days (with Kelly Sue and Neitha).I just did a simple "stitch in the ditch" quilting. It's FINALLY hanging up! The pattern is from ...(when I find it I'll tell you..it was just here ;-)
I took a class in Manhattan Beach a LLLLLOOOONNNNGGGG time ago to learn to make this stained glass window technique. The black fabric is ALL ONE PIECE and required nerves of steel to finish...I'll NEVER do that technique again. The tracing freezer paper,cutting, ironing, folding under and eventually sewing all around the edges nearly killed my enthusiasm for sewing. But with Betsy's perserverence and reminder that "We paid for this class!" I stuck it out and I'm so glad I did because it really is a lovely piece. This is the first time it's hung up properly!
This is my tribute to all the multi-cultural Santas* that exist in the world! I got the pattern from a magazine my dear colleague, Ella, gave me while I was in Los Angeles. I started work on it when I spent a 'crafty weekend' in Copenhagen with my Peruvian/Danish friend, Anna Maria. Many of the faces are made with various shades of brown silk...and red silk caps. I love the affect of the silk to make it shiny and lushy in places. This fall I finally finished it during another 'crafty weekend' but I absolutely hate how I machine quilted it...I think I ruined all that hard work. Taking the stitching out is an impossiblity as I did it on the tightest of stitches. (not smart!) Perhaps after the holidays I will embellish it with bells, buttons and other things to hide the ugly quilting. This mistake, however, inspired me to get a walking foot at last!
Here's my little red elf! Maya has been such a good helper this holiday! She loves to decorate and create her own presents! I can't wait to see what she's been hiding in her room! Today is shopping with her grandparents in Helsingborg! She'll come home tomorrow...leaving me time to do my secretative things! Hope you all are enjoying the few days before Christmas in a crafty sort of way!

* I find Christmas time to be a big festival to worship the "white men". Although I do love the white men in my life...sometimes it just seems wrong that all the little children of the world are praying and idolizing white men. Couldn't Santa look like they do? So whenever I can I like to buy and create Santas that have different skin tones from the normal, stereotypical Santas. My collection is growing....I have a lot of ornaments and Christmas cards. But I'm still looking.....