Lil Twister Table Runner

 I taught a class at the store where I work on Monday.  It is a table runner using the Lil Twister tool.  It is so much fun to use.  I have taken pictures of the process.  I used a charm pack in Urban Cowgirl.  Extremely pretty fabric.  Firstly you lay out your blocks and stitch them together.

 When you are done you have to attach the first border which has to be the same color as the background blocks.  Just when you are finished and feeling quite pleased with your efforts you have to cut it up, and start all over again.

 The top picture shows the table runner with the first row of blocks cut out.  The picture below shows the placement of the Lil Twister tool.

 It is important to keep the order just right whilst doing this otherwise your pinwheels might end up wrong.

 Sew it all back together and you will end up with the above photo.  Next you put on your second border and then you are done with the top.  Then you are ready to quilt it as you wish.

 Here is a close-up of the twister detail.  Cute hey?  I am so glad with the way it turned out.

Too Much Fun!!!

 The community is growing!!  So far I have made ten houses.  I love that this project has taught me how to do Foundation Paper Piecing.  I tried it many years ago (albeit half-heartedly) and things did not go well!!!  I was determined to get it right this time.  My first house came together flawlessly!!  Have you heard of "Beginners Luck"? Well that is what I had.  My second house was not good - had a hole in the roof!!!  I discovered I was cutting my pieces a little bit too small and I had a gap.  Fixed that problem and trucked ahead!  I have had to unpick a seam or two along the way because I placed the fabric wrong side up!!!

 Yesterday I sat down and made six houses.  Got all those kinks ironed out and now I have the process down.

I hated all the jumping up and down from the sewing machine to the iron.  So now I piece a whole bunch of the building blocks and then go and iron them and trim them.  I am proud to say I am only behind by six blocks now.  I love to fussy cut an element to go in the window of some of the houses.  It really makes it fun.  I think my family thinks I am totally nuts.  I go running to them and say "Look what is in the window!!!"  This is really a fun project and I am enjoying it thoroughly.  Hopefully those of you who are also building houses are enjoying it too.
Take care and have a wonderful day.

Making Houses from Scraps

 I was quite daunted by the thought of hand piecing all of the little houses.  Then Jantine kindly made a foundation paper piecing pattern.  I have never done foundation paper piecing (I am the crazy English Paper Piecing lady).  So I thought I would give it a bash anyway!

Well it turned out much easier than I thought it would be - even on such a small scale.  I think the house is really cute and now I am only behind by 9 and not 10 anymore!!!  Here's hoping I will catch up pretty quickly!!! This is a great project to use up really tiny scraps!!!

The Quiltmania Hexagon Quilt

Quiltmania Number 86 (Nov/Dec 2011) has this gorgeous pattern in it.  I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw it!!!  Can you say GORGEOUS???  Well, there was only one thing left to do and that was to get started.  The quilt is made from 1/2 inch hexagons and contains about a trillion of them.

 Am I daunted by this project?  Nay nay!!!  I whipped out fabric, traced hexagons on freezer paper and got started!!!  Guess what!!! (This truly makes me certifiable)  I am FUSSY CUTTING the little pieces!!!

I am eating this elephant one bite at a time and I don't care how long it takes!!!  I bought the most gorgeous red fabric (Moda Solid - Christmas Red) for the connector hexagons.

I have fifteen little flowers done and am working on the large central medallion.  I have to say that so far it is not even enough for one row of the quilt.  However, I am having so much fun.  I will keep you all updated!! Thank you for stopping by!!  My blog has been up and running for a year now.  I have had so much fun blogging.  A huge THANK YOU to all who have stopped by to peek into my little sewing world.  You mean so much to me and it is so fun to see where all the visitors come from.

My Christmas Gift

 For many years I have admired cow hides!  I have wanted one for a long time but my husband has not!!!  Imagine my surprise when I unwrapped this beauty, bought for me by my husband.  Now that is love!!!  He actually likes it and I am so thrilled with it.  That was a cool Christmas gift!

 The best gift of all though was having all my kids at home for Christmas.  We had such a fun Christmas together.  That is such a special gift.  My eldest graduates from college in May.  We are not sure if we will all be together next Christmas, so this was an extra special blessing!!

I hope your Christmas was wonderful too.  Thank you for stopping by.

More Christmas

 A couple more Christmas groupings!  I hate to say this, but I still have decorations packed away.  Just have not been able to co-ordinate some burly sons to help me get them out!!!  I have done what I can.

This wreath hangs in my kitchen.  Love the gingerbread men!!! Had to snap a picture of the cat lying on the dining room table keeping my kids company while they did their homework.  He is such a sweet social kitty!!  

I hope to get the rest of my decorating done soon.  Nothing like leaving it to the eleventh hour!!!  Now to go and sit down.  I have cleaned my house from top to bottom.  Everybody has their winter flannel sheets on the bed and all is clean for Christmas.  It took me three days and I am completely pooped.
Thanks for visiting!!!  You make my day!

Things Christmas

 A few blogs ago, I showed a picture of the Christmas tree ready for decorating.  Here is a picture of it all done.  We always have so much fun putting the ornaments on the tree.  Several are handmade.  I try to add a couple of new ornaments to the tree every year that I have made.  We tend to laugh a lot while putting up the decorations.  I have little picture frames with photo's of the kids in them.  There is always a competition to see who can hang their picture front and center!!!

 I started the tradition a few years ago of having a chocolate christmas tree.  This tree is very popular and I am expected to do it every year.  I go to World Market and buy fine German Chocolate which is then hung on the tree.  Nobody is allowed to take a chocolate until Christmas day.  Then it is fair game and you may help yourself.  Hmmm, quiet delicious.

A little corner decorated with St Nick himself and two reindeer made from wire and beads which come from South Africa.
It is my aim to post a few more Christmas vignettes over the next few days.
Thank you for stopping by to take a look.  I hope your decorating is going well.