Wednesday 4 December 2019

Virtual Cookie Exchange


     Welcome to my stop on the 
Virtual Cookie Exchange blog hop which is hosted by Carol of Just Let Me Quilt.  Christmas is for many of us a family time.  This year for us this means seeing relatives and friends who come up from the United States and also seeing some  aunts and uncles on my husbands side of the family.  Spending this time with folks we don't see that much makes the season special and having children in the mix once again makes the season magical!  My side of the family is welcoming two babies this month so we get a repeat in February when the babies are a bit older!



     Carol gave us a lot of leeway in what we could share in the post.  I am not much of a baker so there are no cookies here just quilting projects.  Two of them.   I signed up for the  hop in hopes that it would give me the push I needed to get these two projects done by the beginning of December.  I am happy to say it did!

     It's not usual for me to make seasonal quilts so I surprised myself when I saw this quilt kit at Creative Sisters  and I just had to make it.  But I shouldn't be surprised because I am a Nana now to two toddlers who are pretty fond of their stuffed animals.  When I saw the fabric panel with cute penguins, moose, bears and tigers sporting reindeer antlers I pictured my boys snuggling under it on the couch.  Truth be told they are more likely to use it as a roof for a fort!  I also liked that it doesn't scream Christmas but has a winter theme that might extend its use a bit.



    It was a easy pattern,with the top coming together quickly but I did have  a few issues with the quilting.  I applied the spray basting outside on the back porch on a clear cold day and maybe because of the cold weather it didn't seem to stick very well on the top. This didn't give me major problems however.  I worked from the middle out and I didn't get a lot of puckering.  I used our sit down long arm machine for quilting and Wendy gave me a part spool of 40 weight King Tut  white thread called Linen to use for the quilting.  Unfortunately the thread ran out with about 1/3 of the quilting left.  None of the Stores in our area had this thread so I had to order it from Cotton Mill Thread Works.  To spread out the cost of shipping I ordered more thread of course.  I guess that was an early Christmas present for me!



     
     When our kids where small we always had advent calendars which we used to count down the days to Christmas.  It added a lot of fun to the season and a feeling of expectation.  It seemed with the boys being 3 and 2 this Christmas, that it would be a good year to pass this tradition down to them and give them a calendar of their own. Here's a picture of the boys calendar with a few of the things I tucked into the pockets.



     I also picked this up at Creative Sisters. There were no kits left so I bought the store sample which mean't I didn't have to sew the pockets on.  I quilted this one was with the walking foot on my domestic machine. A simple treatment which suits it well. The main challenge here was finding enough small treasures to squish into the small pockets as a lot of tiny things would not be suitable for the 2 year old. 

      As the days get closer to Christmas they will be finding some quarters for their piggy banks, some kitty stickers,some small ornaments, some candy.  A few things wouldn't fit in the pockets ( socks, play dough with sparkles) so they are in paper bags and a note is in the pocket.  You have to know here that the three year old is obsessed with Christmas socks and wears them year round, the two year old loves putting money in his piggy bank, and both boys are in love with kitties.
    
      The last pocket holds my favourite treasure.  It is a  baby Jesus ornament made with a bead, some scraps of fabric and a half walnut shell.  Their father made this cute little ornament at his after school babysitters when he was about seven.




     I hope you enjoyed my stop on the hop and that you can find some time to visit the other bloggers who are participating.  Here's the list of participants.  You will find lot's of recipes, lots of quilting ideas and maybe a give away or two. 

December 2nd

December 3rd

December 4th

December 5th

December 6th

     This quilt is my 1st finish for Quarter 4 of the FAL, the original list is here.

26 comments:

Julierose said...

I love those corner stars--they really add a punch to that quilt--lovely work. And I have always been a fan of Advent calendars--nice to have one that you can use again...nice work...hugs, Julierose

Stitchin At Home said...

I like the seasonal quilt and agree it doesn't scream christmas. It is so cute! I have never bought a kit.. yet. Thanks for sharing.

Dorian said...

What cute projects! I'm sure the boys will love them both. Thanks for sharing, Merry Christmas.

Anita Jackson @ Domestic Felicity said...

cute, I giggled at the walnut. My brother made me an ornament from a spring stuffed with cotton almost 30 years ago, of course I've kept it and laugh every year when I pull it out to look at it.

Vicki in MN said...

Your quilt is gorgeous, I too like those that say Christmas/winter but don't scream it!

Calicojoan said...

I love those cute little animals you found. What a fun holiday quilt.
What a treasure to have the walnut ornament after all these years!

Carol Swift said...

That sweet little baby Jesus ornament is such a treasure for you to have kept and shared with your grandchildren. Love it! Your quilt is beautiful and I'm sure it is loved by your family. The advent calendar would be so fun to have and an adventure to fill. Thank you so much for sharing these fun projects and hopping with us!

Karrin Hurd said...

Great quilts and Advent calendar. Love Baby Jesus!

tink's mom said...

This was a lovely visit. That quilt is priceless. Love all of the animals decked out for winter. Your advent calendar is also a great idea. Like the idea of notes's for the slightly larger gifts. Your son's baby Jesus is wonderful.

Denise :) said...

Oh gracious, both of your quilts are extra darling! I'm sure I couldn't pick a favorite! Thanks for sharing and inspiring! (You do pretty good for someone who doesn't generally do seasonal stitching!) :)

piecefulwendy said...

Oh, Lisa, I love the quilts, but I especially like the little baby Jesus ornament. How sweet is that?! Enjoy the holiday season with your family. Those littles grow up so fast!

Kim said...

That walnut ornament is so precious! And that the boys get what their daddy made is extra special. Love the quilt and advent calendar, too.

Danice G said...

Both gorgeous and festive quilts. The little ornament is also really adorable.

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Lisa!! Awwwww. The best thing is that Baby Jesus ornament. How sweet is that?!! Someone else on the hop said that they use little notes in the advent pockets or doors - I think that is a wonderful and cute idea. These quilting projects are just perfect for the season. And Christmas socks all year round?!! Don't you just LOVE your little peeps?! They just make our lives all the more full than we ever thought possible. Merry Christmas to you and your family. ~smile~ Roseanne

Louise said...

I can see why you couldn't resist these two projects. So cute! I especially like the animal panels wearing antlers. Too funny :)

LJ said...

Thank you for sharing those lovely seasonal projects. Always good to have a 'push' to make us more responsible. :) Loved those animals in that panel; perfectly wonderful in their winter apparel.

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Cute projects, love the animals and the friendship stars.

Beatrice said...

Very cute projects, thanks for sharing.

Carla said...

Great and festive quilts. Love the advent calendar quilt and that little ornament is adorable and a great memory. Thank you for sharing.

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting said...

Cute panel quilt! Love the Advent calendar, too. Wonderful that you saved their dad's handmade ornament of baby Jesus!!!

Brenda @ Songbird Designs said...

I love the quilts, but especially love the baby Jesus ornament. That is just so sweet and such a wonderful memory. Thank you for sharing.

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

These are great projects. I can't wait for Christmas with my two little nieces.

Charlene McCain said...

Love both your projects. You did a great quilting job on the animal one. The advent calendar is so cute and I'm sure your grandsons will enjoy it.

Michelle said...

Your quilt projects are beautiful.

Bernie Kringel said...

The advent calendar is so sweet Lisa!! How wonderful to pass along the ornament your son made. I love it!

June D said...

Lovely projects!