Christmas Table Topper

Have I ever told you how much I love finishing a project? I love finishing a project, even if it is small.

I made this table topper for my sister and brother-in-law who just bought their first house. I really like the way the top came out. The quilting is OK. I just need to practice more.

I made it from a charm pack that a local quilt shop put together from the different Christmas fabrics they had in their store this year.

The outer border was a bit of a trial. This was the third or fourth border I tried. I just couldn't seem to get it right, but I finally got it right with the red pieced border.

Sorry the picture is a little blurry, but this is no longer in my possession so I can't take a better picture.

My First Foray Into Free Motion Quilting

This was my first foray into free motion quilting. The best thing I can say about it is IT'S DONE! I practiced A LOT before doing it, and I was terrified of doing it. So terrified that I came up with an alternate plan. I was going to quilt a grid pattern, and I did. But I didn't like it. So, I unpicked it and practiced free motion a bit more. I finally got brave enough to just do it. And now it's done. It's not great, but it's not horrible either considering how bad I was when I started practicing.
This is another Moda Bake Shop project. The braid fabric is Gobble Gobble by Sandy Gervais for Moda and the main fabric is Harvest by Timeless Treasures (I previously posted the main fabric was by Northcott. Sorry for the confusion.)

Machine Quilting

My friend Kathy is amazingly talented and I admire so much about her (not just her crafting style, but today's post is about quilting). She is a great decorator, and has the cutest house. She is so creative and is always making the cutest stuff. Just today she showed me the most ADORABLE tote bag she made. The last week has been a real eye opener as to how talented she really is.

This last week I have been trying to teach myself to machine quilt. It is not easy! I ended up buying THIS BOOK and it has been very helpful. It's still not easy. I am making progress, but not as quickly as I would like. It is an understatement to say that I am not patient, but this learning process has highlighted how truly impatient I am.

Kathy on the other hand is so good at machine quilting! I wish I had some pictures of stuff she has quilted so you could see it. I will see if I can get some pictures of her quilting next time I see her.