Marg Low Designs

kits & christmas

Right now I can't decide if I should be focussing on preparations for the Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair in June or working on the projects for the Christmas in July workshop at Avonleigh.

Receiving an order of buttons from Barb made the decision of what to do easy.

Yes, Simple Pleasures Kits. The fun bit is chosing the fabrics and threads and then it resembles and feels like a production line!

I've been fitting in a few minutes here and there on one of the workshop projects. I'm very excited about it and as you can see it combines the things I love - a little stitching and crazy patchwork in my favourite colour!

Christmas tradition

Just like a particular salad and desserts have become part of our Christmas tradition, so has the making of a  red & white quilt. Well it is more mine, since I'm sure my girls only pretend an interest to please me.

Apart from maintaining this tradition it is so good to have one less unfinished project in the house. (I know it still has to be quilted and the binding sewn on, but it's finished enough for me.)

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

 

Marg

 

presents & a quilt to finish

Every year I find myself wishing I'd started making the Christmas presents a bit earlier. You'd think I'd have worked it out by now.  Even the quickest of gifts take time when you do them in multiples.

I never get tired of making these. The great thing is they're all different and once the fabrics, decoration and threads are picked, I can stop thinking. I could almost make them them in my sleep. You will find kits for Ralph here.

Something different for a friend whose received gifts with Barb's buttons the past two years. The pattern for How Many Sleeps? is here.

The Ho Ho Ho kit can be found here.

And because I don't have enough to do I'd like to finish (top only) this quilt started about 18 months ago. The Friday Girls had a lovely day sewing at Sue-Anne's  on Thursday and I'm inspired. 

 

final class for 2011

The girls in my final class for 2011 got into the Christmas spirit with these hearts.

Can you see how perfectly, Kylie, Leonie and Deb fussy cut their fabrics? They look great and only needed to complete the glove stitch around the edge. I'm never sure who is more excited when things are so close to finished, them or me. 

The pattern is Festive Trinkets and the buttons are Barb's.

bits of this and that

There's a reason why things should be put away in their proper place.

So you don't waste valuable time looking for them. I knew they were where they weren't supposed to be but could I remember where that was!

Michelle wasted no time last Friday, starting and finishing this decoration, and with time to start a second.

Considering the Friday Girls usually start late, chat and laugh a lot, have lunch with nibbles either side, this is very impressive.

Here's hoping tomorrow I have a chance to do some more stitching with these Aurifil threads.

I've always stitched with DMC threads but decided to try these after seeing them at the AQM. They're lovely to stitch with and it's a pleasant change not having to separate the strands.

the christmas beetle & a 2nd chance

I feel very fortunate to have my pick of lovely patchwork shops within easy driving distance so what could be better than that? A shop totally devoted to Christmas, that's what!

I knew Michelle had opened The Christmas Beetle but it took me a little while to venture inside  - sometimes it's best to avoid temptation. There were gorgeous decorations everywhere but I was focussed on looking for a new tree. Not to big and not too small.

This one was perfect  - the size and arrangement of branches was just what I was after, the base was sturdy making it ideal for displays (you don't want your tree toppling over on a customer) but not that attractive.

So what to do. Something to cover it up. With thoughts and ideas for a new tree skirt buzzing around in my head I remembered the one I started last year and tossed aside when it didn't work first time.

I thought I would give it a second chance, easier and quicker to see if it was fixable than design and make a new one from scratch. With so many segments there is no room for error, 100% accuracy was essential and I was just a fraction out. A fraction out on a segment here and there meant the skirt didn't sit flat. Feeling disappointed it was set aside. Every so often I would come across it in the work basket and there it sat, unloved  until today. With little care, I sewed a few seams a fraction wider and it looked a bit better. Deciding it would be 'good enough' I ironed a piece of pellon to the back which eased more fullness out of it. Then I cut out a back, made continuous binding and finished it!

I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. It took me ages to choose the fabrics, they're all favourites and it would have been such a waste of materials, time and effort to have 'binned' it.

Do you have something in the cupboard that deserves a second chance?

white santa & co.

Ages ago I asked Barb if there was any chance of having a white Santa to work with, so needless to say I was very excited when she showed me her 'White Santa & Co. pieces.  Even better it was the large Santa and the tree I use on my Festive Trinkets pattern.

Arriving home from Melbourne on Monday, the first thing I did was head to the Post Office to see if my parcel was there.

There were other things I'd planned to do this week but you know what it's like, it's always more fun to play with something new.

Of course I had to try the tree and because I made it in next to no time at all, I decided to make another heart with the Everyday Angel button.

My favourite fabrics and buttons, a little stitching, - finished projects - what more could a girl ask for!

something quick and simple

Around this time of the year if I'm visiting friends or relatives I like to make a little gift for them. Something quick and simple as it's often a spur of the moment decision.

A Christmas decoration was the obvious choice; something tried and tested to take the guess work out of it. A Simple Pleasures decoration using one of Barb's  hand painted buttons was just the thing. 

Feeling very pleased with how quickly the first one came together I decided to make a house warming present for my daughter. I do like Barb's 'Moggy' decoration and Jess owns a black cat or should that be the other way around.....

It looks very cute hanging on her front door, out of the weather. 

a little christmas sewing

After the last class I came home and started doodling. It wasn't long before I was cutting out felt and fabric, adding a few stitches and thinking this year's Christmas presents. Simple and quick - just the sort of thing I love to make. 

Now I could hardly finish them off at Friday Sewing and I couldn't just sit there with nothing to do, so I made the Stitched Heart from the Festive Trinkets pattern.

I prepared it at home, stitched the front at sewing and finished it off in front of the TV. This is for a non sewing friend, who still has some things I made for her many years ago (things that make me blush when I look at them).

It would make a charming addition to your own collection of decorations or a special friends.

Tempted - you can purchase the kit for the Stitched Heart here.

a new look for an old favourite

For sometime now I've been wanting to try out one of my earlier patterns, Christmas Trimmings, in the new felts I have. I'd originally thought I would remake them in similar colours, but it didn't work out that way.

It was purely by chance I decided to make the first bauble with the straw coloured felt and it just flowed from there. This is such a pretty and fresh look compared to the more traditional colours I originally used. 

 
 
 I'd also forgotten just how easy and nice they were to make. 

I even stitched a couple while listening to the AFL grand final on Saturday. It helped relieve some of the tension I was feeling as the lead kept changing. A great game with the final score not reflecting how close it was for the first three quarters. The final quarter was a joy to watch especially if you are a Cats supporter like me!  

You'll find the kit for the Tree Topper Bird and 6 Baubles in these pretty colours on my website.