Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Christmas...the Perfect Time for Art!



Over the years, I have done several things related to Christmas. This quilt top has not yet been quilted. It's something for me to work on this next year. It was part of block exchange I did several years ago.  Each month we did a block for someone whose name was drawn out of a hat.  It took a while, but my turn finally came!  I chose the block pattern and sewed the middle appliqued center piece, and sewed a few of the blocks. But the ladies pieced the rest from their 'Christmas stash".

Christmas stockings are a must of course!  Since we don't have a mantel or fireplace, we cover my cubbyhole shelf that holds my fabric stash with a quilt.  For Christmas, we covered it in red cloth and set up our nativity scene and some of our stockings.

This is my daughter, Rebekah's stocking, and I have to say I cried tears on Christmas Eve the night I made this.  Paper-piecing is not something you want to do under pressure!!  I had only quilting a few months when I did this.
The other stockings showing were made when my two youngest boys were small.  I was running out of zip I'm afraid.  I ransacked the stash and made the pieced kitty-cat stocking and the Noah's ark for them.  I never even finished the seam on the Noah's ark one!  I don't have pix of my oldest son's patriotic stocking (He's a marine. ) or my second oldest son's Crazy Quilt in midnight blues stocking.




When I was 22 and not yet married, I had a rather boring job at UNT as secretary for a small maintenance shop and the guys did not mind me cross-stitching when there was nothing else to do.  I spent the whole year working on this snowman. He is so cute!  I gave him to my grandma for Christmas, and about ten years ago, when she passed away, I was given it back.  It makes me think of her so much, because it was always on her wall at Christmas time.  These things take time, but they eventually become family treasures..so they are worth it!

We've been enjoying my artistic endeavors for years now. Everyone asks me how I have time to do all this..well I use spare minutes..that's it. 30 minutes here and there can do wonders!  So turn off the TV and get started...You can always find some way to work art into the holidays!  Just check out my artist friend, Shona's blog, "An Artful Life"...she'll tell you all about it!

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