"On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three french hens..."
Ok, so it's not the 3rd day of Christmas, but it is the 3rd day of QN's 12 Days of Best Christmas Quilts blog tour and while I don't have french hens, I do have calling birds!
And they are sew sweet - perfect for adorning your Christmas tree or to add a little something extra to a beautifully wrapped package! The pattern for my quick and easy ornaments can be found on page 24 of Quilters Newsletter's special issue Best Christmas Quilts 2012. Best Christmas Quilts 2012 is available now on newsstands and in bookstores and quilts shops. It's also available through www.quiltandsewshop.com in both hardcopy and digital editions.
Also featured in Best Christmas Quilts 2012 are my Let it Snow table runner and pillow.
I actually made the pillow version of Let it Snow first as a Christmas gift for my mother. When she opened her gift and started to laugh, I looked at the pillow and realized that I'd forgotten to give the snowmen arms. I was horrified, but it turns out that she was laughing because she had also made a snowman pillow for me - go figure. She didn't even notice that the snowmen didn't have arms! Needless to say, they have arms now!
I loved making the snowman panels for the pillows (yes, I made one for me!) so much that I decided to adapt the pattern into a table runner, something that I could keep out not just for Christmas, but for the rest of winter as well. Because of the hand work in the snowman panels, I decided to keep the patchwork in the center of the table runner simple. I chose homespuns because I think they instantly convey warmth, but these projects would be equally charming in any fabric that suits your taste or decor.
Here's a close-up of one of the snowmen. Isn't he cute! I made him out of felted wool and appliquéd him to the background using a whipstitch. Super simple and fast. But you can use whatever material and appliqué method you prefer. Change up the color of the hats, add whatever embellishments speak to you, and have fun -- just don't forget the arms!!
And now, the moment you've been waiting for (and thank you for your patience), your chance to win a fat quarter bundle and two panels from the Too Many Men collection from Red Rooster Fabrics.
Look close... closer... closer still... yes, that's right, snowman fabric! If only I knew of a pattern for say a table runner or even a pillow to make with snowman fabric, hmmm.
If you'd like a chance to win this adorable fabric and a copy of Best Christmas Quilts 2012 leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. MDT tonight (8/22/2012) by clicking on the word "comments" in the blue box below. I will draw one name at random (just please make sure I have your email address). Only one comment per person, please, and the contest is only open to those who haven't won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days.
Enjoy the rest of the blog tour and good luck!
Thank you for all of your comments. This contest is now closed.