It's down to the wire now - where reality takes a big BITE out of my "Left To Do List"! If you are still scrambling to make a little something that will raise a smile & make a memory, this may be just the last minute project for you. Or, if you are all set, sipping eggnog, & laughing at the rest of us, you can get an early start on next year ....
Here are the wonderful instructions:
Half Eaten Gingerbread Man Ornament
I especially like how no fancy (as in, "impossible to find") buttons are necessary. Just white embroidery floss & bright buttons, sewn as instructed, makes them look like candies - sweet :)
I like to make a new ornament every year - sometimes they are elaborate (as in smocked Christmas Ornaments - I made 1/2). I had to buy ornaments at the last minute .... lesson learned!
Looking back, my favorite ornaments are the simple, quirky ones - like the year we all painted ceramic ornaments for Mom. My brothers painted theirs black - ALL BLACK - they were into heavy metal music that year & obviously, had no time to spare on details :) What's your favorite ornament? Or, decoration? Yep - it's time for eggnog & memories ... love, faith.
I have the best of intentions: I collect massive amounts of information on a quilting topic before I attempt it. And, after all that, I can never put my fingers on it when I need it! Oh well, I figure the important stuff will stick. And, since circumstances are always different, you just have to DO it & hope for a certain amount of grace. Hope is a wonderful thing - don't you think?
Hotpad Project
I found a lovely project (near the bottom of the page): ThimbleMouseandSpouse Blogspot
& Snowman people fabric I really liked from my stash.
Since my center feature was a different size, I adjusted all measurements - not a big deal.
But, I absolutely refuse to apply Binding to a project <12" finished size. So, a slim outer border that looks like Binding was improvised.
Note that I now have to sew my project, right-sides-together with Backing Fabric & Batting & Insul-Bright & turn & hand-stitch the opening closed. Things are getting kind of thick.
I stitch in the ditch & give definition to the borders - liking it!
Then, I remember a lovely free-motion Snowflake quilting design from the AQ (American Quilter) Magazine, November 2014 Issue. It really is the sweetest design - trust me. Three rows are perfect to offset my Snowflakes & I mark w/my new Frixion Pen (heat activated removal - perfect for a HotPad). The marking works wonderfully - thanks PJ.
But, after ripping out my free-motion Snowflakes three times, I decide to do some straight stitching w/my trusty Walking Foot.
Ooohhh - all that thickness starts to distort my Snowpeople HotPad. I sew a few lines across the Top & Bottom to help straighten - oops - should have used my Frixion to mark first. (Snowflakes don't fall horizontally, so I hadn't marked before.)
O.K., now it's boring. I sleep on it.
The next day (ripped stitches forgotten), I decide to add a few free-motion touches to my Center to make it pop.
I remember that my previous Snowflakes were attempted with feed-dogs up for more control - like regular sewing. This was suggested for free-motion quilting novices & had worked well for me with other projects. However, with all the extra padding, this was NOT the thing to do!
Now, my free-motion went much more smoothly. And, I managed to make a Snowflake (alright - it does look like a flower). But, I'm happy & DONE - grace will be there another day, I'm sure :) love, faith.
