My favorite winter holiday is five months in the future, but sewing panic is already beginning to set in. Will I be ready? How many projects do I really need to make this year? What do I need for gifts? How shall I decorate? What on earth can I sew that's at least a little bit different from everything else I've done?
I'm working on new ideas for patterns that will come out later, but some of you may want to get started now. A number of my projects are new since this time last year, and I hope one of these might help you with your holiday quilting plans.
Mug Rugs:
For easy gifts or handy table decorations, nothing beats mug rugs. They are small enough that they don't take very long to stitch, and your scrap basket will likely already contain all the scraps you will need. They can also be popped into an envelope and mailed for special greeting cards.
If you are really pressed for time, "Mitten Weather" is a perfect choice. There's no need to spend long hours sewing or shopping for fabrics. This one whips together so quickly that you can make a bunch, one for everyone using favorite color combinations.
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| Find 'Mitten Weather" here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/mitten-weather-mug-rug/117179 |
"Wrapped and Ready" is one of my favorites. If you love Santa and his elves, this is a perfect project. This whimsical little elf resting after wrapping bunches of Christmas packages is sure to delight any child - or the child in any adult.
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| Get "Wrapped and Ready" here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/wrapped-and-ready-mug-rug/120846 |
I've blogged about the "Ice Skates" pattern twice in the past couple of weeks. This is the newest of my patterns and one of the most versatile. The pattern can be used to make a mug rug, a table topper or wall hanging, or even a pillow. Anyone who loves figure skating will appreciate this design.
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| Get "Ice Skates" here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/ice-skates-table-topper-or-mug-rug/154260 |
A couple of cardinal families live in the trees in my yard. They are so beautiful that I become mesmerized watching them. It's harder to see them when the trees are thick with leaves, but in the winter they stand out beautifully against the bare trees and the white snow. A while back I made a pattern, "Four Seasons", to showcase my birds, and cardinals were on the mug rug symbolizing winter. This isn't a new pattern, but it is one of my favorites.
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| "Four Seasons" is found here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/four-seasons-mug-rug-set/68227 |
Table Toppers:
Table decor can have a huge impact on the overall look of a room. Table toppers are small enough, too, that they make wonderful gifts that will be appreciated for years to come.
This square table topper is entirely pieced and contains no applique. "Shining Star" is easy for a beginner to piece, and since it would look fabulous in any number of color combinations, it doesn't have to be made specifically for a holiday.
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| Find "Shining Star" here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/shining-star-table-topper/119907 |
"Holiday Tabletop Trio" is the most traditional of my table decor patterns. I can't imagine preparing for Christmas without decking my house with poinsettias. Last year, in fact, I didn't have much time at all for decorating, so I put up the tree and filled the house with poinsettia plants. Nothing else seemed necessary. I used this table runner and matching place mats, and everything came together as a theme. The pattern is actually three patterns in one: a table runner, place mats, and a small table topper.
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| "Holiday Tabletop Trio" can be found here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/holiday-tabletop-trio/123210 |
"Snow Family Holiday" is another pattern that works on a tabletop, but I hung it on a wall. There is something warm and wonderful about a family preparing for Christmas together, but a family of snow people is both magical and fun.
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| "Snow Family Holiday" is available her: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/snow-family-holiday-wall-hanging/113625 |
Lap Quilt:
If you want something to snuggle up under on and cold and snowy day, "Snowball Fight" is just the thing. It can be made either in cotton quilting fabric or in flannel for extra warmth. Mine is flannel, and it's so warm and cuddly. Traditional snowball blocks make the pieced center, and colorful, wooly mittens are strung around the border like Christmas lights.
If you want something to snuggle up under on and cold and snowy day, "Snowball Fight" is just the thing. It can be made either in cotton quilting fabric or in flannel for extra warmth. Mine is flannel, and it's so warm and cuddly. Traditional snowball blocks make the pieced center, and colorful, wooly mittens are strung around the border like Christmas lights.
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| "Snowball Fight" is found here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/snowball-fight-lap-quilt/10810 |
Wishing you wonderful early holiday sewing successes!
