Christmas through the year It All Started out so Innocently

Two yards of wine label material, with the intention of making a few, just a few wine tote hostess gifts.

got it home and realized alas, how can I make the 4.5” wide parallel cuts and not fussy cut to get the entire label centered…Dang now I have a ton of wasted strips?

I’ll think of something…..Okay why not” Dish to Pass Carrier” Totes?…YEA, that’s the ticket…

So using EQ7 I designed a 10” finished square, and built the tote around it….Easier said than done I might add.

For the base, and to keep the bag open I inserted a sheet of plastic needle point canvas between the lining and outer bag,. (After first ironing the edges so I would know how to position it).

Stitched the outer edge creating a crisp outer edge and to keep the plastic sheet trapped inside.

Asked the guy at Loews to cut 10 12” pieces from doweling for five bags, and created a pocket to keep them in.

Used tabs of Velcro on either sideto be able to remove the wooden handles for washing.

Those two innocent yards became more like a month of planning and sewing…ending up as 7 wine totes and 5 carriers…Oy Vay.. But I do think they are going to make 5 great gifts...on to the next project.

Hey Anne do you recognize your pumpkin making material???

23 Tins of Tibbie's Famous Shortbread

Tibbie was this adorable little lady from Scotland who after her kids had grown, divorced her husband and answered an ad in her local paper to come to America and cook for a wealthy NYC couple living in the Dakota that famous building of John Lennon fame, and made immortal in the novel Time and Again. Tibbie ended up marrying into our family, and once while staying with us taught me the secrets of Scottish Short Bread. I've made 23 tins for my co-workers with the her recipe attached. Here it is if you'd like to try them.
Tibbie's Short Bread

Preheat 325°Using the butter wrappers from a LB of butter, grease large four sided cookie sheet. Cover pan with wax paper, and grease wax paper in the same manner.
Ingredients
1 LB butter (room temperature)

1 cup of sugar

5 cups of flour

1 cup rice flour (found in health food stores - you can use white or brown)

Cream sugar and butter

Transfer to an extra-large bowl. Add flour kneading with your hands until dough pulls away from the sides forming a ball. (10 minutes.)

Spread dough on prepared tray. Using the heels of your hand push evenly to all sides. Top with saran wrap or wax paper and smooth out with rolling pin. Remove top saran. Prick at even intervals with fork. Bake 325° oven for 40 minutes, or until lightly golden in color.

Secret: Cut in squares while still hot, cool completely before removing from tray. Wax paper will peel off from the bottom. Store in airtight container. If they become soft they can be put back into the oven for a few minutes.

Now Here's a Twist

Two Days ago I actually got a letter FROM the North Pole

Okay, well maybe not the real North Pole, but close enough. Nelson BC... Come on, Americans have never been that great in Geography... Sarcasm aside....my Christmas Sewing Workshop is officially closed. Merry Christmas

Christmas Day 1958

Sadly in April 1999 my sister and I had to sell our parent's beloved home.
In packing I found a remnant of the first curtains my mom made for her new 1956 kitchen. I tucked it away knowing someday I would surprise my sister with it in some fashion. Well , she’s about to be a grandmother, and this Christmas I’m surprising both my niece and sister with cookbooks with recipes and family stories covered in quilted fabric from our childhood kitchen. (Luckily no one in my family ever goes on my blog and PS I made one for myself and maybe a future granddaughter someday…) Merry Christmas Everyone.

ITouch Carriers... Done.. CHECK

I'm getting there, and hopefully by this weekend all sewing project gifts traveling long distances will be in the mail.
I loved the way these turned out and I actually made up a tutorial for the pattern but I can't figure out how to post a Word doc, and PDFs distort....Oh well, my intentions were good. If anyone wants the pattern I can email it to you.

Time to Quilt the Mead Notebooks.....

Brand new Mead Composition Notebooks are irresistible don't you think? So why not quilt covers for them?

I’ve been meaning to do that since a friend showed me an applique pattern she purchased making them out of blunt cut wool and hand blanket stitching.

I improvised and made a pattern traced onto a paper bag and printed labels on Printed Treasures fabric sheets, then machine quilted them.

Why are those Printed Treasure sheets so expensive now? Has anyone tried just running fabric through their printer ironed on to freezer paper? I keep thinking there is a chemical setting process after printing that I just don't want to deal with. Maybe they will set with a hot iron but that's a project for another day.

On to Iphone covers....I am so behind in my gift making this year.....

Two Quillows

Inspired by a pattern in the book Tis the Season, Quilts and Other comforts by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks, I made these two quillows to give as a gift for newlyweds with at passion for traveling. I thought they would be great to throw in the trunk of the car. After finishing them I must admit I prefer the original Christmas pattern and now have a hankering to make that as well.