Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Christmas wreath

So many of you have made such wonderful Christmas quilts and decorations. I always think I really should get to work and add one piece every year as a tradition but December is really too late to be thinking about that isn't it? I should start in July... But I never do. I have lots of little Christmas ornaments, many of them hand made but I only have three small Christmas quilts for my walls. I thought I showed this before but I can't find it in my blog so maybe not.

Here is another quilt without a date on it so I don't know when I made it but it was at least 5 years ago. Maybe 10. One summer I bought the book Quick Watercolor Quilts and decided to try my hand at the techniques introduced there using fusible interfacing. I made three or four of these little quilts but only kept this Christmas one. I found some pink poinsettia fabric with metallic outline and cut it up into 2" squares. I also found some light pink striped fabric and cut that up likewise. Then it was only a matter of arranging the squares on the fusible interfacing (I'd drawn a grid) fusing and then sewing.

But... It all seemed too squared off and too many corners so I started cutting out the leaves and flowers from the poinsettia fabric and fusing them to the pink fabric. It turned out to be a long~~ process but I'm glad I did it. After fusing, the interfacing is just folded and sewn so it really is a quick process if one doesn't get carried away like I did. I especially liked the way the striped fabric made a woven effect. Finally I hand quilted with metallic thread around all the flowers and leaves (getting carried away again).

Since this quilt is in pink it doesn't look quite so Christmassy so it stays up on the wall until nearly Valentine's Day! It doesn't go with the red, white and green of the rest of the house but that's the best I can do right now. Maybe I can make another one in more traditional colors next year... Next year... NEXT YEAR!!!

10 comments:

Caron said...

Tanya, that is a VERY pretty quilt! You should be very proud of it. Lovely!

Have a Blessed Christmas!

G'G'ma said...

Love your quilt. About 5 years ago I purchased a kit to make a watercolor quilt. Thanks for reminding me that I have the kit stuck away someplace!! I should put that on my to-do list for 2009.

Julie said...

Beautiful!! And that you can use it until St. Valentine's Day is a plus!! I used that technique for my Santa wallhanging that I posted on my blog a few days ago.

Shasta said...

It is pretty. I bought the book, but unfortunately never did anything about it. I didn't realize you could use just one fabric - I thought you had to find more than one - a bigger and a smaller flower, etc., and that would have required a shopping trip I wasn't willing to make at the time. Now that I have a bigger stash, I could probably find something right at home.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

I'm just like you... don't get going on Christmas things until way too late... certainly too late to begin a quilt; and why would I want to work on one in July? Your wreath wallhanging is stunning!

Mart Bright said...

Is that a cat on top of a printer, or some other piece of electronics?? Honestly, these people who let their cats get on everything. I just don't understand them... Hee hee

Chocolate Cat said...

Next year!!!! I've already got a very long list!! Love this quilt.

Linda said...

I love, love, love the wallhanging! It is absolutely beautiful and well worth the work you put into it!
Lurking Linda

Lindah said...

That is a beautiful wreath quilt!
--Another lurking Linda

BrendaLou said...

Tanya, I made a very similar wreath using the same fabrics! It was, I'm sure about 10 years ago. I, too was not happy with the squared wreath and added a lot of iron-on applique pieces to make it more rounded. I gave mine to one of my daughters.
I put together a package for you, but didn't have time to send it before I left for Minn. so I'll send it after Christmas.