Mini Pink Christmas Tree

Can you tell I have daughters?  I got this cute mini 4 foot tall pink Christmas tree on sale at Kohl's last month and we've had it up in the living room ever since.  In the past, I've ordered lots of custom personalized ornaments for my girls, but now that I stay home, I'm looking to save some $.  So, I made these two cute ornaments for the arrival of Veronica (hopefully this month--she better not get here in 2011!)  Anyway, they were so easy to make--just to go Michael's, buy the resin or glass ornaments, buy a Sharpie paint pen, and get writin'!  I practiced a little on some old newspaper first.  Make sure you have a thick layer or you will write with permanent paint on your dining room table.  Luckily if you catch it fast enough (as I did), you can scrape it off with your fingernail leaving hardly a trace:)

 

 

I also did a little new free motion quilting on a tree skirt I made for their tree--stars.  I think they turned out pretty good for a novice.  It wasn't too hard to do and it looks festive.  I tried some metallic thread at first, but my machine just tore it to shreds, so I just used the same green I was using in the bobbin.  I actually haven't put the binding on yet, but maybe tonight?  Then I can share the finished product along with a room makeover I just finished in time for baby girl #3 to arrive.  There was no pattern involved in this one. Remember that old newspaper I used to practice writing for the ornaments?  I just cut out a wedge from that and then evened everything up once I'd put it together by just folding and cutting.  I'm planning to bind in a candycane stripe.  I've already got the strips cut out!

Fall Tabletopper

I just finished a cute little fall tabletopper about a week ago--just in time to enjoy it for a few days and then put it away for next year:)  We always do our Christmas tree and decorating on the day after Thanksgiving.

The blocks are made of a linen fabric that I bought as a HUGE tablecloth on clearance at Kmart about 3 years ago.  I loved the colors in the tablecloth, but we are not a tablecloth using family and it wasn't the right size for our dining room table.  I finally got around to cutting out some blocks and making it into something usable.  I still have tons of blocks and probably 2 yards of fabric left, so I may make a tablerunner, too, at some point.  I love how the tabletopper turned out to look like a windowpane and all the leaves falling past the window.  I bought the brown fabric on sale for $1 a yard at JoAnns.  I normally don't like the fabric there, but this is even the Stonehill line of fabric they sell, which I think is supposed to be the higher end fabric they carry.  I like it.

I've got a couple other projects, namely Christmas ones, in the works.

Getting in the holiday spirit

I have been busy gearing up for a craft show that was today.  It was phenomenal!  I sold a lot and came home with a lot less than I carried in, which is always good.  Here is a close-up of some of the quilted items I had:

I wanted to show you what my sister has been working on.  She is a part-time chicken farmer.