Christmas Bon Bons

The sewing machine has been humming as I’ve been hard at work trying to get all my stitching up to date in time for Christmas. At this time of the year, it’s rush, rush, rush with a million things to do. One of the easier projects I’ve done is make a few Christmas Bon Bons. Made from festive fabric with a nice toning or contrasting lining, I think they turned out out really well. The idea is to fill them with delicious wrapped chocolates or something similar. They would make cute little gifts to give away, or you could put one on each place setting on the Christmas Dinner table.

Christmas Bon Bons waiting to be filled with goodies

Jeans Bag? Yes, please!

Isn’t it great when one of the family want you to stitch them a gift! I had made a jeans bag some weeks ago for my eldest grand-daughter for her birthday and asked the younger one if she would perhaps like one for Christmas. “Yes please Nana, they’re cool. Could I have black jeans and red lining?”. No, she didn’t want any added embellishments, just a plain bag. So I went op-shopping looking for a pair of black jeans. The size didn’t matter. Plenty of blue demin jeans hanging up, then at last I found a nice black pair, and they had fancy details on the back pockets too. Just what I was looking for!

Black jeans bag with bright red lining

First thing was to give them a good hot wash and hang them out in the sun to dry. Then, chop the legs off and hem right across. Make a shoulder strap from one of the legs and stitch in place. Then make a lining, stitching that securely under the waistband. Last of all, cut down the triple seam on one of the legs, thread through waistband and knot ends. So easy, and best of all, I know Megan will love it. Perhaps I’ll put a little something extra in one of the pockets for her.

Back pocket detail

The original pattern was by Jan Knight and featured in Patchwork and Stitching Vol 4 No 2.

100 handmade Santa's

That’s what the small ad in the local newspaper said – a collection of 100 handmade Santa's on show at the home of local couple Moira and Allen. So I collected my friend Adele and we went for a drive to see all these Santa's on display. After all, Christmas is coming up fast so a “Santa fix” will get us in the Christmas spirit. Just inside the door was a large decorated Christmas Tree. A couple of youngsters were enthralled as they watched the train circle around and around the base. Allen was chief train driver and and he seemed to be having just as much fun as the children. Moira told us that she had made most of the faces for her creations, using tin foil and clay. Each figure was exquisitely dressed and we were invited to pick them up and check out their clothing. The display covered three rooms and we wandered slowly around admiring each and every Santa.

One of the many groupings

There was a delightful Nativity scene in the dining room, all dressed in hues of blue and purple. The three Kings were dressed luxuriously in shades of purple and gold. Mary and Joseph were more plainly dressed, and the shepherd was carrying a little black lamb. Moira told us that she had made the figure of baby Jesus herself from clay.

Nativity scene

There were other figures too. We noticed Charlie Chaplin, Merlin the Magician, Genghis Khan, an Inuit Eskimo and a setting of carol singers. Christmas wreaths and wall hangings adorned the walls and there were Christmas cushions and stocking scattered around. We loved the snow white Polar Claus, whose outfit was made from their daughter’s wedding dress. Polar Claus rides astride his own polar bear.

Polar Claus with his polar bear

There were Santa’s of every imaginable style, even a Surfboard Santa. All the items on display are lovingly made by hand and as a crafter myself, I can appreciate the time involved. Thank you Moira and Allen for so generously sharing the magic of Christmas.

Allen and Moira

The Christmas Apron Challenge

I had been sewing away diligently on my Christmas Apron challenge to get it completed in time for our November club night. Whew – did it with one week’s grace, that’s a relief. There is nothing worse than stitching right up to the moment you step out the door!! The challenge was to make a Christmas themed apron, of our own design. I am definitely a wearer of aprons – probably because I am a messy cook, so this challenge certainly took my fancy. So I went hunting for that commercial apron pattern that I knew I had from years gone by, (Butterick 4066). Remember those tissue paper patterns? And the trouble you have trying to fold them all up neatly afterwards and get all the bits back into the envelope? I decided to stitch the selvage from the Christmas fabric across the apron bib. The print was used for the straps, pockets and the apron hem, teamed with cream homespun. It didn’t turn out too bad, if I do say so myself.

My Christmas Apron featuring a selvedge bib

Last night my apron joined about 16 others hung up during my quilt club meeting. There were all sorts of variations on the theme, some had appliqué, some were embellished within an inch of their lives, and some just let the fabric speak for itself. There was a lovely Christmas Fairy flitting about the hall, and she stood still by the Christmas Tree just long enough for me to take her photo.

The Christmas Fairy

Voting time arrived and we oohad and aahed as we checked them all out and finally made our choice. Judging was by Viewers Choice, and I am happy to report that the apron I voted for was 1st equal. This was a fun competition and everyone enjoyed seeing the end results. Great work from all who took part.

First prize equal goes to Margaret and Anne

Wish I could stitch like this!!

I popped in to view the Upper Hutt Embroiderers Guild Exhibition today, titled “Labours of Love”. These ladies do wonderful work and 60 pieces were exhibited. The Upper Hutt Embroiderers Guild recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary and has approximately 40 members. I marvelled at the 2009 Challenge Embroider your Initial”, which really needed close inspection to see all the different stitches and techniques that went into the various initials.

2009 Challenge – Embroider your Initial

On display were items of stump work, black work, gold work and cross stitch, and all sorts of other techniques. There was a display of hardanger, which I really love. Hardanger always looks beautiful and is something that I would quite like to try. But could I trust myself, I wonder, to snip the fabric so close to that stitching without causing damage? Perhaps not. Perhaps I will just have to be content with the two lovely hardanger pieces that my daughter Nicky made me a few years ago.

Display of hardanger pieces

There were several glorious bead encrusted camels on display. These were obviously made at a class and were all so different, and just as lovely as each other. Such a lot of work went into making these beauties.

One of several camels on display

Another class was crazy patch cushions, as a quilter I can certainly relate to this type of stitching. But the piece that really took my fancy was a banner glowing with gold.

The golden banner

Wish I could stitch like this! With my fat fingers I am more comfortable using thicker threads and needles, and I like to do a little candlewick embroidery and red work. Fine embroidery is not really for me, but I love to view exhibitions and can certainly appreciate all the talent that goes into making such beautiful items.

Saturday night at the Quilt Shop

Saturday night is not usually spent at a quilt shop. No indeed, but a group of keen quilters were invited along to Sawmiller’s Quiltery to view recent purchases from the huge annual International Quilt Market in Houston. This quilt shop is the “new kid on the block” here in Upper Hutt. Nestled in a beautiful garden setting with towering trees and it’s own babbling brook, Sawmiller’s Quiltery is the former family home of Kevin Bold. After buying it back some years years later, in 2007, Kevin opened the Stonestead Tea House. Then Kevin with the help of Yvonne Matthews decided to move forward with the next phase in the project – a quilt shop. The shop is situated in a building that was relocated and restored onsite especially for the Quiltery.

Sawmiller’s Quiltery

An eager bunch of ladies gathered in the Tea Shop and after a little bit of mix and mingle settled down to watch the presentation about the International Quilt Market in Houston. Such a huge place and Kevin and Yvonne admitted to getting lost on a few occasions! We viewed all the goodies brought and watched a demonstration upstairs about the X block. Lucky me won a spot prize, one of the many that were awarded during the evening, two fat quarters of fabric with a 1930’s look, plus a little shoulder bag. The bag has a plastic pocket on the front, think I will have to make a special little quilt block to pop in there.

My lucky spot prize

Then it was time to draw the main prize of the evening, a wonderful basket full to overflowing with fabric and assorted quilting goodies. “And the winner is …… Adele”. There was a moment of confusion as there were two ladies with the same name present. My friend and workmate Adele was the winner, and we were all so pleased for her. As a new quilter, she was absolutely thrilled and couldn’t wait to get home and look through her gift basket.

Secret Sewing and goodies in the mail

I have been doing some “secret sewing” over the last few days. With Christmas coming up fast my quilt club is having a Christmas Apron Challenge at our last meeting of the year. The aprons will be judged by Viewer’s Choice, so I can’t really show my offering just yet. It will be interesting to see what everyone else comes up with. Watch this space!

Is there an apron in here?

The postman brought me a lovely surprise today. It was a parcel of fabric from my pen friend Elaine in Australia, a belated pressie for my birthday last month. On her card she had written, “I always think of you when I buy pussy cat fabric”. She sent me 3 half yard pieces, cats in a cottage garden, cats wrecking havoc in a sewing room, and a striking black and white print. We met Elaine and Steve through our love of caravanning, and I have the honour of introducing Elaine to the pleasures of patchwork and quilting.

Three lovely pussy cat fabrics

Had a bit of an “Ooops” moment last week. The rotary cutter slipped and ran over my fingernail, slicing it about half way down. Luckily it didn’t draw blood but I will have to keep it covered until the split nail grows out, I certainly don’t want to catch it on anything. Just goes to show that I wasn't taking enough care.