Well, hello there!

And welcome back to my blog.  :)

  I know that traditional Christmas is past, but we carry on until January 6, so this is still timely for me (not to mention, I didn't have internet access for 15 days!) 

I made this (and three other) wreaths out of the cuttings from our too-big tree, dollar store finds and a hot glue gun, and BSP asked why in the world we buy wreaths every year when I can make them for less than $20.  But my crafting wasn't limited to wreaths - I made quilts and quilted products too... 

First, I needed a tree skirt for the tree that goes in our basement bar.  I had planned to make one based on (I think it was) Crazy Mom's tree skirt - a square that a friend made and I loved her version.  But when it came down to actually making it, I found myself going more traditional and making a round one. 

(Excuse the threads on the floor of my sewing room - the photos were taken pre-vacumn.)  It's made with white linen, a "best quality quilting cotton" (that phrase always makes me laugh for some reason), gold crushed velvet and some taupe dupioni silk scraps from my wedding dress. 

Here it is in "action", so to speak:

Once I'd done that, I decided that our keyboard (which lives across from the tree on the other wall) must have a matching cover

(I was quite pleased with how it turned out). 

So, this break of mine was kind of interesting (if you're me, that is). I was experiencing a slight depression and so didn't want to create anything at all.  I made these five pieces (three wreaths, the tree skirt and the cover) the first weekend in December and then never entered my sewing room again until Boxing Day. 

During my time away, I thought about what it is, exactly I'm trying to do with my quilts.  I know, that may sound odd to some of you, but I've been feeling as if I ought/I am being driven or pulled by something more than just "wanting to make what I see in my head" and I wanted to sit quietly for awhile and figure out what's what. I've figured it out, but more on that in a later post.

After I'd "figured it out" (at least, what my inital direction will be) I suddenly wanted to spend time in the sewing room again, so I finished a queen sized quilt for my oldest son, and am "wrapping up" another queen sized quilt for my youngest son.

I'll post one (or both) of them next time, but in the meantime, this is what the quilting on the tree skirt looked like:

Thanks for your patience while I was away - I'm looking forward to spending time with you again in the new year, when I should be back to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule of posts. 

See you soon.  (I promise!)

Kit