SNOW? ICE? and Striped Christmas Stars

Striped Christmas Stars

Hey y'all, I'm waiting for this weekend's upcoming weather system: snow-ice-sleet-rain (Snowmageddon or Icepocalypse). Our forecasters can't decide between 24” of snow or 1/2” of ice but they do know it will be very cold for several days.

I figured a Christmas themed quilt for today's blog might bring on some simple snow. I am still catching up on projects that I cut out in 2024 before our move. This one I finished in early December 2025 and displayed on our bed during the holidays.

Red dots, teal print, and a coordinating plaid look nice with natural muslin. This pretty die from Blue Wren is called Eight Point Star of Stripes. Even though it looks complicated, it is very easy to sew. It was fun to design in EQ8. I added plaid sashing and a perky border of half-square triangles.

Quilting was done with cream thread using a utility zig-zag stitch in vertical lines every 2 inches. A bright teal blender for the backing and binding finish it off beautifully. Striped Christmas Stars is 48” square.

Whether we get record breaking snow or dangerous ice remains to be seen. Nashville's record snow was 17.2” in 1892, more recently 8” in 2016. The most I've ever seen is 10-12” in 1964. Cookeville's record is 15” (1966) and the county had 17” (1993).

The Tennessee weather forecasters and the internet have people in a panic, emptying grocery shelves of bread, milk, eggs, cheese, and lunch meat three days before the event. We have food and water and will be fine. At least I have hundreds of quilts to keep us warm if the power goes out. Plus, a Singer with a hand crank so I can sew by lamplight if necessary.

Dies used:

Blue Wren
    6466 Eight Point Star of Stripes 12” finished

Accuquilt
    55021 Value die 2” HST, square
    55017 Strips 2”

Evergreen Palm

Here's another pretty test block that was hiding in my sample box. It's perfect for a pillow cover, and looks great on my couch.

The palm die and some cream & green fat quarters made a lovely combination. I put a layer of cotton flannel on the back of the 16” block, then quilted using scallop stitch and creamy white thread.

White on natural print fabric was perfect for the pillow envelope back. Quick and done!

Die used:
Blue Wren 6359 The Palm 8” finished

Wishing everyone

a very happy Christmas

and a wonderful New Year. 

I'm taking the rest of 2024 off

...see you in 2025!

Christmas Challenge

Another UFO turned into a practical item!  During my recent closet cleanout, I found an experimental block that I created several years ago using chisels and parallelograms. Stored in the ziplock bag with it I found scraps and more cut shapes. This, my friends, was like a challenge to me. I just had to make something out of it.

Back and front view of Christmas Challenge placemats

I decided to whip up a couple of holiday place mats for our kitchen bar. Adding 2" strip borders made the blocks the right size. A rose and holly print remnant was found in my stash for backing.  I used champagne colored thread with an eyelash serpentine stitch for quilting across the blocks diagonally.

Christmas Challenge place mats finished out at 15” square. I enjoyed playing with fabric, used another piece of material, and eliminated one of my unfinished objects. What could be better on a December day?

Remembering Naomi

Remembering Naomi

I made this special quilt for a friend, from fabric that his sweet mom gave to me when she moved to assisted living. Sadly, she passed this year, and I thought he would like a remembrance quilt.

The design of squares and rectangles is simple but the colors of navy, hunter green, and dark red coordinate well. I added a few squares of my own fabric as a personal touch.

Quilting was done with green thread, using both straight and serpentine stitches. Remembering Naomi is 56” square. I used my restored Singer 127 (Mary Margaret, a machine gifted to me by another friend) to piece the blocks.

One of the best parts of Christmas is giving. Over the past few years I've been given lots of fabric. I believe in paying it forward, so I've used yards of that material to sew quilts which I've donated to local assisted living and senior living homes.

I got a lovely thank you note from one little lady who said, “It was like the heavens opened up and rained down pretty quilts for us.”

So, to everyone who has provided the materials that made this possible: You are appreciated!

Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope that you can experience the magic and joy of giving all year long.

Puzzle For Santa

Puzzle For Santa

Here's another quickie Christmas table mat, made up with red, green, and gray prints.

After arranging and sewing the blocks, I added a 2” border. I quilted a straight stitch with red thread down the center of each ribbon.  The backing is a modern coordinating print. Final size is 21" square. 

This 4” Washington's Puzzle die has little pieces, but I really like it. I want to use them in a border, then try a scrappy version lap quilt. It should be fun.

Oh, and I must confess: I took advantage of the Black Friday sale and bought a few new dies. They are meant to be part of my Christmas, but I had to open and test them out, right? Just to make sure they cut properly and all. I guess I got carried away and cut a few extra sets of this one. Does that count as naughty? 

Accuquilt dies used:
55602 Washington's Puzzle 4” finished
55017 Strips 2½”

Merry & Bright

Merry & Bright

I love decorating with quilts for Christmas, only I don't start until after Thanksgiving is over. Pulling out all my holiday quilts and deciding where to display them really gets me in the Christmas spirit.

Of course, I always make one or two new ones to add into the mix. This happy little wall hanging is my latest. One of my friends gave me this fabric, including the colorful Christmas tree print used for the borders and backing.

Red, green, aqua, lime, and pink dots make lovely Chinese Lantern blocks that look a lot like ornaments. Quilting was done using white thread in serpentine and straight stitches. Merry & Bright is 32” square.

Accuquilt dies used:
55599 Chinese Lanterns 8” block
55054 Strips 4½”
55017 Strips 2½”

 

Diamonds For Christmas

Diamonds For Christmas

How's that for the name of my annual Christmas design? No, I'm not talking about jewelry, but fabric diamonds instead. 

I love pretty Christmas quilts and use them all over the house for decoration.

Jolly red and green prints are combined with black, gray, and white for a scrappy holiday quilt. I used Blue Wren's diamond in a rectangle die, then added two sizes of half square triangles on the long and short sides to make a square block.

For quilting, I chose a zig-zag utility stitch with white thread on the front and dark gray in the bobbin. A cute Christmas light fabric is perfect for backing and binding. A slightly wider binding frames the quilt nicely. Diamonds For Christmas finished at 53" square. 

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6381 Diamond in Rectangle 3” x 6” finished

Accuquilt
55147 Half square triangle 2¼” finished
55397 Half Square Triangle 4½” finished
55032 Strip 3½” for binding

Wishing everyone 

a happy, safe, 

and relaxing Christmas! 

Petting Zoo & Christmas Donation

This darling quilt is constructed with animal themed fabrics, most given to me by a friend, some picked up at estate sales. Cats, dogs, lions, owls, rabbits, llamas and other critters frolic with coordinating prints.

I used the snowball block, with black weave on the corners. Piecing was done on Elizabeth, my vintage Singer 404. Petting Zoo is 48” square. I quilted with white thread, adding straight and serpentine stitches across the center of the blocks.

Petting Zoo

Accuquilt dies used:
55330 Snowball 6” finished
55017 Strip 2½”

🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄

Christmas donation 

This was one of a group of quilts that I donated to a local senior living facility. The ladies were so surprised when this Santa's helper dropped by. It was lovely to see those smiles as they unwrapped their gifts.

Spread some

J O Y

this Christmas

 

Wild Crimson

Wild Crimson

Let's start December with a classic red quilt. I cut a variety of red prints into quarter square triangles and started stitching light and dark ones together.

I juggled the blocks around on my design wall till I was satisfied with the arrangement. After adding 2” black weave and 4” red dot borders, Wild Crimson measures 48” square.

A serpentine stitch with red thread across the seams makes a lovely pattern. I especially enjoyed making this lap quilt because I added it to my Christmas donation stack. I'll tell you more about that project later this month.

Accuquilt dies used:
55002 Quarter Square Triangles 6” finished
55017 Strip 2½” (border 1 and binding)
55054 Strip 4½” (border 2)

CHRISTMAS

IS DOING A LITTLE

SOMETHING EXTRA

FOR SOMEONE

~ Charles M. Schultz

Christmas Past

This quilt has a story, although I don't know much of it. I found a box of beautiful hand stitched quilt blocks at an estate sale earlier this year. The fabrics are soft and look old, probably feed sacks and repurposed clothing. Each 9” block contains four 4½” LeMoyne Stars around a center square.  I can't imagine hand stitching all those tiny points with such precision!

Interestingly, these lovely blocks had once been in a quilt, then taken apart. There is cotton batting fuzz on the backs and tiny holes around the edges from picked out stitching. I'm guessing that the red material bled onto the original sashing, since a few look slightly faded. I don't know happened to it, but someone took that quilt apart to salvage those blocks, and meant to finish it. I guess now that someone is me.

There were 37 blocks total. I chose sixteen that had some green coloring to make a Christmas wall hanging. I added narrow green sashing after doing a couple of repairs and squaring up blocks. Considering they were hand cut and hand stitched, most were nearly perfect.

Christmas Past vintage quilt rescue, 2021

To keep the vintage look, the backing is natural muslin and binding is a green mini check. I used a machine stitch that looks like handwork for quilting with cream thread. My hand stitches are not that pretty. Christmas Past finished out at 42” square.

I'm so pleased that I rescued vintage blocks that someone felt were important enough to carefully pick a whole quilt apart. Now they'll live on in at least two projects. And that's a happy ending in my book.

Merry Christmas to all,

and to all a good night!

Starry Snowmen

Today I'm unveiling my second Christmas quilt project. The cute snowman print and wine/cream fabric came from this year's estate sale bonanza.

The block, Shooting Star, is a vintage 1934 Nancy Cabot design. Using Blue Wren's Sliced Square die made quick work for cutting and stitching.

Starry Snowmen

Natural muslin sashing frames the blocks. I quilted with cream thread using serpentine stitch. Starry Snowmen is 54“ square.

The backing is a large wine and cream snowflake and feathered star fabric that my mama gave me years ago. Nice memory...today would have been her birthday and I miss her.

Note: Thanks to those who asked if we were affected by Saturday's awful tornadoes and storms. We are fine, only had one small tree down. There was lots of damage in nearby towns, and unbelievable devastation in Kentucky. Please keep those folks in your thoughts.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6600 Sliced Square 6”
6015 1½” Strips

Accuquilt 
55017 Strip 2½”

Festive Flair

I can't believe it's December! I've just finished decorating for Christmas with simple touches in each room. Nothing fancy, mostly quilts mixed in with our favorite holiday items.

This new quilt is a modern design using red, teal and pale gray colors. The alternating 8” blocks, four-patch and mill wheel, have been around for a long time. I think the same layout done with scraps and white would look more traditional, so I may try that later.

Quick and easy to sew, Festive Flair is 48” square. I quilted in rows 2” apart with light gray thread. Backing is a red on red print. I used the teal squiggle print for binding.

More Christmas quilting is underway, so check back next Monday for additional bits of holiday cheer.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6865 Mill Wheel 8” finished
Accuquilt
55018 Value die Square 4” finished
55059 Square 2½” multiple
55017 Strip 2½”

Relish every moment

 

Peppermint Snowballs

Merry Christmas y'all...here's a sweet and easy small project that should make Santa happy.

Medium red fabric with tiny white dots, plus a red/white diagonal stripe and a black and white weave pattern contrast sharply with crisp solid white broadcloth. I alternated nine-patch and snowball blocks. Designed in EQ8 and cut with Accuquilt, Peppermint Snowballs is 30” square.

For quilting I used a wide decorative stitch with white thread diagonally across the nine-patch blocks. Then I changed to a straight stitch, sewing twice across each snowball. Binding with the striped fabric frames it perfectly.

Peppermint Snowballs

I've sewed this simple block combination before, and each quilt looks different due to color changes and placement. That's one of the things I enjoy about quilting!


Accuquilt Dies used:
55017 2½” Strip
55330 Snowball 6” finished
55059 2½” Square multiples

Here's wishing everyone

a peaceful and relaxing holiday!

Joyous

I bet you wouldn't guess that I use quilts for holiday decorations. I sewed this quick project last week.

I designed it in EQ8 to get the layout just right. Four Periwinkle blocks and five square in a square blocks go together nicely. I didn't have the right size dies to make the five squares, so I rotary cut those, added larger triangles and trimmed to fit.

Joyous is 30” square, in dark red, teal, black, gray, and white fabrics. I quilted straight stitch rows 3/4” apart with medium gray thread.

This year I haven't gone all out with Christmas decorations. I pulled out only my favorites, adding a few pieces to each room along with my quilts. It's low key but still festive.

I have made snacks, especially Chex mix, my mama's favorite! I miss her; yesterday was her birthday so I wore a leopard print shirt in her honor.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6077 Periwinkle 10” block
Accuquilt 55017 2½” strip

Festive Pillows

Blazing Star pillow

I have a confession to make. These pillows are made with dies that are Christmas gifts. During Accuquilt's Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, my sweetheart of a husband suggested that I order dies for my presents. So I did. He's the best Santa.  

When they arrived, I had to check to make sure they cut properly, right? Of course, they worked perfectly so I wrapped them with our other gifts. But then I had test pieces lying around. What to do? Make pillows!

I've wanted Blazing Star (55051) for a while and it sews up beautifully. Red, cream, black and gray for high contrast shows off the design with a holiday flair. I added a border, and what a pretty pillow cover it makes.

The second die is Snowball (55330). I sewed two 6" blocks in red and aqua, then added matching nine-patch blocks made from 2 ½” squares. I'm calling this pillow Vintage Charm.

You'll see more of both these dies in larger projects once I get to open them on Christmas Day.  

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes...as a child I was sneaky and sometimes peeked at my presents before Santa came.  

Hope everyone has a peaceful, happy holiday.

Merry Trees

This small Christmas quilt is so cute! Diamond shapes and triangles are arranged to form rows of little trees.

I used Hattie's Choice Accuquilt die again to cut the red and green shapes, then added half square rectangles on each side. A bright border of red with green dots just sets it off. 

Backing is a holiday print of nested squares. Using green thread, I quilted in serpentine stitch horizontally and vertically.  Nice for a wall hanging or table mat, Merry Trees is 23” x 35” in size.

Accuquilt dies used:  

Hattie's Choice 55220

3 ½” x 6 ½” half rectangle triangle 55411 

I'm enjoying a simple, quiet Christmas season. No parties, no nonsense, no drama. We haven't wanted to shop (except a bit online), so we avoided the pressure to buy just for the sake of a sale. It's empowering to ignore others' expectations and satisfying to do what you like.

Remember, it's your Christmas,

so march to the beat

of your own little drummer boy

Christmas Surprise

I just got one of the coolest surprise gifts ever! A little background: my husband is a radio and electronic enthusiast. He loves them as much as I love sewing.

This vintage Buttons 'n Bows thread cabinet AM/FM tube radio was made December 23, 1965 by the Guild Radio & Television Company in California. It's in perfect condition and sounds fabulous. Decorated with spools, buttons, tape measure, scissors and pincushion, the knobs are little spools and thimbles. It is adorable!

Last year he bought a Guild Spice Chest AM kitchen radio. They manufactured several novelty radios disguised as other objects: lantern, old fashioned wall telephone, treasure chest, hurdy-gurdy, and more. Some are common, others more rare. He had been looking for this one for a while.

Don't you just love presents with a personal touch? I've been a little under the weather and this one made my day!

Hope y'all have a merry Christmas!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

With only a week until Christmas, I couldn't resist posting one last holiday quilt. It's a fun one made to hang on the wall or use as a door decoration. The 20” x 30” size made it quick to put together; I finished it in an afternoon. 

I used white on white print scraps for the letters, with a bright red tiny print as background. Crisp black and white gingham frames it nicely. I stitched with white thread in straight lines just under an inch apart.

Just a few more items on my to do list, including pecan pies to bake, and Chex mix to make.

Santa's coming soon, so be good, relax, and enjoy the holidays!

Giving Christmas Cheer

My Christmas project will be ready to deliver this week. 

I have been sewing brightly colored napkins for my county's Meals on Wheels program. Their volunteers will add these to food deliveries for the holiday, and bring a bit of extra cheer to over 100 people.

How cool is that?  I spent time doing something I love and people I don't even know get a small surprise for Christmas.  

It's a great feeling to help others, so I challenge you to do something extra this season. Share your time, your talent, or your money to make someone's Christmas a little merrier.

Christmas is doing
a little something extra
for someone.
~Charles M. Schulz

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a 

joyful

Christmas

filled with

happiness and fun