Like everyone 'Yikes it is December already'

The month has begun with winds sweeping in overnight and freezing everything.  No dog walks early in the morning and a desire to stay inside until spring arrives.  In fairness, we have had a lovely fall but it is now definitely gone.  The roses still need to be hilled up and there are some leaves that might be more tidily placed.  Perhaps winter will recede for a day or two or maybe the sun will shine for several hours and make it feel warmer.

The bonus in winter is that there is more quilting time.  I have finished a quilt which was started so long ago.  A shop called Jillybeans Pride, which is no more, had a lovely quilt with Chinese symbols.  I was not a quilter at that time.  I occasionally took a class (very occasionally) when I needed a stress break from work.  This quilt was a block of the month and before I moved to my present home I had done 7.5 of the blocks.  I think there were 12 in total.  I had bitten off so much more than I could chew because the blocks are applique with several layers in each.  The backing fabric got lost in the move.  The backing fabric was found on line thanks to a store in Manitoba.  But the blocks hung around unfinished.  They got stained.  Finally I dug out some fabric from my stash, got the blocks that were presentable but not perfect and made a quilt.  It is very different from what the original one.

After making the quilt, piecing the back and letting them rest (aka UFOs) I quilted it.  I am truly pleased.  The machine clocked 20 hours of quilting time; just quilting.  Everything is hand guided long arm.  Here are some pictures.   I am glad I did not turf the stained blocks.  Now on to other projects.

Christmas Roses Quilt

Another UFO.  The top for this quilt has hung around my fabric room for ages without any borders.  I simply could not stir myself after the original borders did not work.  The reds were not the rich Christmas red I have always associated with Christmas.  I had not really liked the borders anyway but ................Those of you who quilt will be familiar with this malaise when something does not appear to be a wise choice.  And the longer things hang around the harder it is to move them up the list.

I searched for another border that would be in keeping with the center of the quilt.  Some of the strips in the quilt portray Christmas rose as well as pointsettia and lilies..

 These roses do not appear in Canada in all the ice and snow at Christmas but do appear in the UK where it is milder.  So when I found a backing material covered in roses albeit not the same Christmas roses and put the border on the quilt it moved a step or two up the rung of the UFO ladder.  I remember many years ago learning that red roses play a large part in the table decorations in France at Christmas and even had a wreath made of red velvet roses.  This wreath now survives, undone as ribbons on my Christmas tree; silk velvet which has a gorgeous hand and many memories.  I also conceived a design for the border of this quilt of full blown roses and an overall quilting pattern of cascading rose petals with some holly sprigs thrown in.   A few more rungs on the UFO ladder earned there.

So Hortense and I got busy and this quilt is now finished.

 Where the quilt is going from here is a question as I have started a more contemporary scrap Christmas quilt.  How do all the Christmas fabrics proliferate overnight?  But I have come to like this reject and with a nice cozy wool batting it makes a lovely bed cover.  

Unfortunately the UFO list is a bit like an extension ladder in that it can expand to great heights and like ladders things can slip down and climb up.  The newest things become the favourites and then slip.  Oh how fickle we quilters are when we see something new and exciting.  UFOs get demoted.  How often you can overhear in a quilt shop 'I really shouldn't'.  'Ah, why not?'  And another quilt slips down the UFO list.  How do I know?  I have a room full of fabric and an overflow and lots of friends in the same position.  Do we encourage each other?  You bet we do.  Nothing like friends who agree with us at just the right time.  'Yes, it will make a beautiful quilt'.  PERMISSION to purchase the fabric.