'Tis the season to finish the projects I started last year!
This one is a quilt I had made thinking it would be a good small project to practice my free-hand machine quilting. Then I decided that skill was better left to the more talented set, and I just had a quilt top lying around waiting to become a quilt.
It's basically made up of a few cheap Christmas fabrics from Joann's, and really the finished product is not half bad looking, however it does not compare to the Moda quilt kit that I made all new this year- and actually finished way before Christmas (shocking!)
Am I right? This is a Kate Spain fabric line (or maybe it is her pattern? I'm not sure) 12 days of Christmas. The kit came with a panel to cut all the little number blocks from, but the center is appliques. I did a little experimenting with the applique, a little zig-zag stitch, a little straight stitch, some hand-sewing blanket stitch, a little of everything really. The one thing I don't like is that the only way I knew how to do machine applique is by applying an iron-on fusable web, but this really makes the fabric so stiff. I later discovered you can just use basting spray, or a starching method I just read about on piece n quilt (thanks!). Oh well, next time. The quilt is still absolutely wonderful. It is 59x59 which is just about the perfect size, big enough to cover you on the couch, but not so big that it feels like it takes over your living-room.
Now the only question left is how many Christmas quilts does one household need? I think maybe one more... call me crazy, it's just that I have one more idea floating around in my head....
