I kept all of my sewing/embroidery/quilting machines very busy in December………and forgot to take photos of some of the projects. The final quilting project of the year is a quilt assembled from blocks I won at HAW (Hands Across the Water – an annual gathering of quilters from several guilds in our general geographic region) in 2024. Because I recently purchased a magnetic hoop for my Bernina 790, I’ve been wanting to try it out and this quilt gave me the opportunity. The hoop was definitely worth getting and with having a Bernina discount and a gift card I didn’t cringe too much at the price lol.
2025/12/31 – Community quilt FMQ and embroidered motif 48.5″ x 60″2025/12/31 – Community quilt FMQ and embroidered motif 48.5″ x 60″2025/12/31 – Community quilt FMQ and embroidered motif 48.5″ x 60″2025/12/31 – Community quilt FMQ and embroidered motif 48.5″ x 60″2025/12/31 – Community quilt FMQ and embroidered motif 48.5″ x 60″2025/12/21 – 10″ bowl cozies Christmas gifts for all my favourite ladies!2025/12/11 – Christmas gift card holder/tree ornament. There is a pocket on the back to hold a gift card. The front has space on which a name could be added. Machine embroidered on my Bernina 790+ Approx. 4″ x 4″2025/12/11 – Christmas gift card holder/tree ornament. There is a pocket on the back to hold a gift card. The front has space on which a name could be added. Machine embroidered on my Bernina 790+ Approx. 4″ x 4″2025/12/11 – Christmas gift card holder/tree ornament. There is a pocket on the back to hold a gift card. The front has space on which a name could be added. Machine embroidered on my Bernina 790+ Approx. 4″ x 4″2025/12/11 – Christmas gift card holder/tree ornament. There is a pocket on the back to hold a gift card. The front has space on which a name could be added. Machine embroidered on my Bernina 790+ Approx. 4″ x 4″2025/12/07 – Trivet A free design available here: https://janinebabichdesigns.com/product/snowman-trivet/ 8″ x 8″
2023/12/07 How many of your projects begin with a trip down the dark hole that is Pinterest? That’s where I got the inspiration for my most recent quilt. Several years ago I saw this photo on Pinterest and above all, loved the design and texture of the quilting. There was no pattern but I did the math and created and quilted a test block and decided it had to go on my ‘must make’ list. Well, a few years and more than a few quilts got in the way but this year I finally made it and it’s on our bed!
I didn’t even know there was a name for this style of quilt pattern until one of our most knowledgeable Guild members enlightened me; it’s called tessellations. According to Christine Porter, who literally wrote the book on the subject (“Tessellation Quilts”), “a tessellated pattern is one that interlocks, creating identical positive and negative spaces that can go on indefinitely. It is of particular interest to the quilter because once pieced together the design often looks like a quilting impossibility and it takes time to work out how it was done.” Her book is available on Amazon, by the way.
2023/12/05-pieced by me and free motion quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen. Size: 96″ x 96″.2023/12/05-quilt is pieced by me and free motion, hand guided quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen. Size is: 96″ x 96″.2023/12/05-reverse side of the quilt.2023/12/05-pieced by me and free motion quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen. Size: 96″ x 96″.
But that’s not all I’ve been working on since gardening time transitioned to quilting time this fall. There are at least as many appealing embroidery designs as there are appealing quilt patterns so I have to make time for both. Recently a sweet little great-niece (to us) was born on hubby’s side of the family and I’d seen the cutest little stuffie project on the Sweet Pea Machine embroidery Facebook site just begging to be made; Patch the dog. All components are stitched in the hoop and then sewn together after. And as usual, I far underestimated the time it would take me to complete it! I was sewing it together into the wee hours the day before it was to be delivered lol. It’s soft & squishy & cuddly & I might have to make one for myself.
At our Guild’s Christmas party, we raffle off gift baskets every year with the proceeds going to local charities. Either individuals or groups can contribute a basket to the raffle and we’ve raised considerable sums from our efforts. Most baskets will have a theme and this year our Tuesday stitching group is making one with a gnome theme. So of course my contribution is the wine bag with a machine embroidered gnome. And yes, of course, there’s a bottle of wine to go with it lol. And then there’s the embroidered Christmas cards….I even found black card stock this year. The design is from OESD.
2023/11/23 – Patch the Dog in-the-hoop design by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery Designs. Size: 6″ x 10″2023/12/04 – wine bottle carrying bag. The embroidery design is Gnome for Spring from Embroidery Library.2023/11/06-Embroidered on card stock. OESD design.
I’ve also been catching up on the backlog of Community Quilts that were sitting here waiting for me to return from our three month cross Canada trip. I got those quilted too (I did not piece them, only quilted)! I had the most fun with the first one I did called Intertwined; I graffiti quilted it. The other three I used an all over design inspired by Stitched by Susan, a free motion long arm quilter whose YouTube videos I enjoy watching. It’s both quick and easy to do and now the quilts are all ready to go out to those in need in our community.
2023/12/03-pieced by one of our Guild members and free motion quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen.2023/12/03-back of the Community Quilt. Free motion quilted on my Sweet Sixteen. Design inspired by Stitched by Susan.2023/11/07-Community Quilt pieced by one of our Guild members and free motion quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen.2023/11/07-quilting design inspired by Stitched by Susan and free motion quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen.2023/11/13-pieced by one of our Guild members and free motion quilted by me. Quilting design inspired by Stitched by Susan.2023/10/31-pattern and pieced blocks donated to our Guild for a Community Quilt. I assembled the blocks and free motion quilted it on my Sweet Sixteen.2023/10/31-Back of the Intertwined quilt. Free motion graffiti quilted by me on my Sweet Sixteen.
Oh what fun I’ve been having…….I find machine embroidery designs on sale and what am I to do? Yes, well, you can guess I’ll bet.
Before Christmas I was looking for something to make for a 10 month old adorable cherub and found this delightful ITH (In The Hoop) bib pattern so quickly stitched it up. His mom tells me it got used! So after Christmas I stitched up another one just to have on hand for another Christmas when I need a baby gift again. I back them with rip stop nylon so however wet the front of the bib becomes, baby’s clothes underneath stay dry.
The design is the Rudolph Christmas Bib from Sweet Pea Embroidery Designs. Their designs are well digitized and stitch out beautifully. In addition, detailed well written instructions are included with every project. Even I hardly ever make a mistake lol.
Last year my daughter, who enjoys pottery, gifted me two lovely little vases she’d made. During the summer I had no problem keeping them full of blooms, but they’ve been empty so far this winter. I decided machine embroidery could come to the rescue so off I went searching for the perfect flowers. I found a beautiful Floral Lace Bouquet at OESD. So far I’ve only stitched two of the flowers but there will be more to come! Again, another site marketing well digitized designs and excellent instructions.
And then if that wasn’t enough machine embroidery I moved on to the Sweet Pea Sew Along project for February. I think I’ve mentioned before that Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery has a monthly sew along group on Facebook. At the beginning of each month they produce a new design for the sew along and discount the price 30% for that month. You post your finished project by the month end and it’s judged and the lucky winners (and there are many) may win free or discounted designs. I’ve entered a couple of times, won nothing yet, but keep trying. Considering they have entries from all over the world, it might be a long wait! February’s project is the Half Square Flare Quilt and my little quilt is a table topper that measures about 31.5″ x 31.5″…….or maybe it will be a wall hanging; who knows!
2022/02/24 – Table centre piece
– machine embroidered/quilted
– 31.5″ x 31.5″
– pattern is Half Square Flare by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery2022/02/23 – Table centre piece
– machine embroidered/quilted
– 31.5″ x 31.5″
– pattern is Half Square Flare by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery2022/02/23 – Table centre piece
– machine embroidered/quilted
– 31.5″ x 31.5″
– pattern is Half Square Flare by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery
So tonight I’m off to one of our Guild’s demos on hand embroidery to see if I can learn something new. I’ll take along my little fabric pieces, needle and scissors but I’m not going to get hooked on any other hobby……really…….
This is the last poinsettia wall hanging I’m going to quilt this year! They have been so much fun to do but I have to move on to something else lol. This last one is for one my sisters-in-law and I’m sure I was doing a happy dance today when the nice people at Canada Post took it out of my hands and started it on its way to her. Each one has been slightly different in the quilting; I’ve added a little more detail and a little more bling in each one. The trouble is each one is a little nicer than than the one before and now I’m sending away the one I like best! One problem with the photography is that the sparkle from the metallic and holograph threads simply does not show well in the photos, so you’ll just have to imagine it! This, as the others, measures about 42″ x 42″ finished. The custom quilting is all hand guided by me on my HQ Sweet Sixteen sit down long arm. I used a variety of Sulky metallic and holograph thread, Sulky rayon thread and Wonderfil invisifil thread. I used two layers of batting: one of 80/20 and one of Hobbs washable wool; that’s what give this wall quilt its texture. The panel is a Hoffman Dream Big Holiday panel.
2021/12/05 -Hoffman Dream Big Holiday Panel #3
Approximately 42″ x 42″2021/12/05 -Hoffman Dream Big Holiday Panel #3
Approximately 42″ x 42″2021/12/05 -Hoffman Dream Big Holiday Panel #3
Approximately 42″ x 42″2021/12/05 -Hoffman Dream Big Holiday Panel #3
Approximately 42″ x 42″
In a fairly recent post I mentioned Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery and their Sew Along in which I’d participated. Well wouldn’t you just know that their design for the November Sew Along would be irresistible and I’d have to purchase it too (30% off helps to make the decision). So the deadline to have this one submitted for consideration in their monthly awards was half an hour ago and I got mine in one hour before that (doing my happy dance lol)! And now I have another Christmas wall hanging; win, win! I used glow in the dark thread (Wonderfil’s Ahrora™) on some of the elements in these designs. Oh yeah, the snow on the roof shines after the lights goes out lol. These nine individually stitched designs use up an incredible amount of thread. I must have used 8-10 bobbins! This project was stitched on my Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond using mostly Sulky thread. Its size is approximately 23″ x 23″. Hmm… I wonder what December’s design for the Sew Along will be….. And I’ve started quilting another Dream Big Holiday panel…
2021/11/25 – Christmas Village Machine Embroidery. Approx. 23″ x 23″2021/00/25-November Sew Along – glow in the dark thread.2021/11/24 – Just started quilting another Dream Big Holiday panel.
Does it count as a UFO if you’ve never started? While digging through my Christmas fabric I discovered this little Advent calendar panel. I can only think that when I found and bought several of an assorted selection of Advent calendar panels (on sale of course) at a quilt shop several years ago that I didn’t make this last one. Any way, now it’s done and it counts as one more completed item and one less piece of fabric in my stash! Yay me!
Just finished in time to hang and fill the little pockets for December 1.
Approx. 22.25″w x 23.5″h
$25 (SOLD)
myrtBquilting 