Monday, November 21, 2011

Peppermint Cottage Table Toppers

I've been busy sewing over the last weeks. These days I'm into table toppers, table mats and table runners. After making big quilts over the past few years, it feels wonderful making smaller items.
I love Christmas fabrics, especially panels and stripes. I bought these 'Peppermint Cottage' by Diane Knott for Clothworks a couple of years ago - if not mistaken. Isn't it odd; we buy beautiful fabrics, intend to make something out of them, but find them too beautiful to cut or we don't know what to make... Does it sound familiar to you?! :) Well, in my case; I couldn't decide what to make! Honest! :)
I'm happy to say I have (finally) made some table toppers and table runners out of these fabrics and I think they turned out quite cute.

A small table mat - measuring 14 3/4 square. 



Table topper...


Another table topper...


Love the cute house border


Perhaps a bit nontraditional Christmas colors, but why not?! :)
Table runner in navy blue, yellow and green.


Again I've ran out of quilting thread! More is on its way and I hope to finish another two table toppers in a two weeks time.
I'm happy to say I've used fabrics from my stash! All in all I think I've reduced my stash with approx 8 yards! Isn't that great?! :)




Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Even more snowmen

It has been a struggle to upload photos to this post for the last 2-3 days, but fortunate now it looks like it works... I hope the connection 'behaves' until the post is done!!! Fingers crossed!!!
I have had so much fun creating these projects - love the whimsical snowmen!
I've been playing with the fabrics to create these blocks - lots of fun! :)
Yet another table runner! :)




Close-up of the block.


For the backing I have used some of the fabrics that I didn't find very interesting for the tops.


A pair of placemats...


Another pair, here the snowmen are on dark red (currant) background...


What's the life without mug rugs?! :))






Christmas card holder


He's too cute, isn't he?! So darling! :)
I have used Superior's King Tut cotton thread - brown variegated - for the quilting. I've tried not to quilt over the snowmen, I think they look much better without being 'tangled' in quilting thread - lol!


I added decorative snowman button on each side to hold the hanging loop (??) better... Don't know if this solution is the best one, but... I wanted to use buttons, and those are the only ones I had that is suitable... I used the same buttons to decorate the wall quilt I made using the same fabrics.


This is all for now... Believe it or not; I still have one table runner and two table toppers to finish. When I purchased the Moda Marbles for the binding, the web shop was sold out for one of the fabrics and is expected to the shop at the end of the month.
While making these projects, I tried to focus on the snowmen stripes. I did well; there's not one single snowman left! :) What was left of the fabrics, I have cut into 2.5 inch squares and strips. Not bad - huh?! :)

It's 7 o'clock evening here; I'm off to work on a new project! :)


Monday, November 7, 2011

More Snowmen

Boy have I been busy lately! And the best of all; I have several finishes! :)
For those of you who have read my previous posts (here and here), know how obsessed I've been with the snowmen! :) The fabrics were leftovers from a wall quilt I made earlier and they were too cute to be hidden in the cabinet!
I ran out of fabric for the binding as well as quilting thread for some of my projects and had to order from the US. Usually the shipping takes 10-14 days, but with our two public holidays last week the parcels were delayed. I was very happy when the fabric as well as the quilting thread came Thursday last week! I bet you have guessed already what I've been up to since last Thursday?! :)
Since I had several fabrics, but not much of each - less than 1/2 yards - it wasn't always easy to put the fabrics together. I wanted to incorporate all of the adorable snowmen stripes in various projects and I think I managed very well; there's nothing left of the snowmen stripes! :)
The snowmen stripes are in different background colors; here's the snowmen on dark brown, mottled background with snowflakes and primitive trees. I ran out of the mottled cream fabric and had to substitute with 'cocoa' Moda Marbles. If you click on the photo, you should be able to see the letters; 'we can build a snowman' - black letters on dark green background.
Here's the table topper - I just loooove the colors!




Close-up of the center piece.


The corner...


Small table runner using the same fabrics.


Close-up of the cute snowmen.


Table runner, using the lighter brown snowmen stripe.
This runner is similar to the one is this post; it is slightly longer and wider and I have used a different brown for the border.


Aren't they cute?!


Another table runner; snowmen on dark red (currant) mottled background (snowflakes and primitive trees).


Close-up of the snowmen on the dark red (currant).


Just to make some interest to the backing...


I have a few more finishes, but I'll have to stop here... The Internet connection is slower than syrup, photos do not load properly etc.. I have lost my patience!