Secret Santa idea

Here is my version of a project in Handmade magazine Vol 23 no. 9. Each member of our EG group is making one for themselves and putting their name on it. At our November meeting we will do a Secret Santa draw. Each person will then have the challenge of finding a small gift, or making one, for the person they drew out. Then in December at the Christmas meeting, we will all see how well we know our fellow group members!! One of the ladies also suggested we make a few extra bags, to be filled with some little goodies for residents in aged care etc. We thought that was a lovely idea, so some people will donate the items for the bags while others get to work making the bags themselves. Christmas is now only 2 months away, wow, has the year flown by?

A Crazy Quilting Christmas project for the kids

This is my class sample for my kids' EG group last weekend. We pooled Christmas fabrics, and I brought along sequins, beads, laces, threads and ribbons for embellishing the raw edges of each patch. There are 3 boys in the group and the average age is 9. A couple of the older girls chose to do the alternate project of a yo-yo Christmas Tree ornament. I wish now I remembered to take the digital camera to class, I really must learn how to use it so I can post up photos of their actual work. The idea of the group is to learn about textiles and fibre so we stitch, weave, embellish, paint fabric and sometimes use glue where appropriate. We attempt a small project once a month, and they usually finish most of the project before they leave the meeting. I sometimes find it challenging finding an inspiration each month, but the results from the kids are the reward I think. We have to design a panel for a group banner for the upcoming EG major exhibition next October, and one child will be selected from our group to stitch it.

I also belong to AMEA in Sydney, although I am not very active at the moment. Here are two mini quilts I have attempted. The hexagon one was completed as part of an EG basic course in 2001, and measures
6" x 6 1/2" (15 x 17 cm) and was hand pieced over cardstock shapes based on an AUS 1c piece. The yo-yo quilt is a WIP and needs 220 puffs for a 1/12th scale double bed quilt. It is currently pinned onto a piece of styrofoam so I can move the colours around. Each puff starts out the size of a AUS 1c piece, then has a narrow hem and gathering stitched around before pulling into the shape. The pattern and the fabrics came in a kit although I have added some of my own favourites as well. There is no lining or backing so it drapes beautifully. I just need to finish the wooden bed kit, and the matress, pillow, sheets and blanket... Now don't send for the men in white coats just yet, this is a long term project and the enjoyment is in the journey, isn't that what they say ? We won't talk about the 200 plus stars and 150 plus hexagons I'm hand piecing for a full scale queen size quilt, or the new one I'm thinking of starting (called Pioneer Braid) which is a scrappy quilt, to use up the leftovers from the star quilt, will we? I do like to have several projects on the boil at any one time, then when I get "creative block" I can switch projects for a while. How many creative people do you know with only one WIP at a time, I ask you? Although I did hear recently of a WIP swap, where people bring theirs along to swap for someone else's. That sounds like fun to me, I could contribute several !!!

Miniatures