Holiday Quilt

For the second year in a row, Nancy gave me a "Quilt Retreat Weekend" for my birthday. We did this last year and had a great time, and I think (and hope) it has become an annual event. This year I decided to make a Holiday Quilt to grace our wall as we host our families and friends for various celebrations this December. I found the Santa blocks some time ago and built the quilt around them. The one along the bottom row says "'Twas the week before Christmas and there in the woods/St Nick was knitting as fast as he could./St Nick would give them all stockings full of good cheer/For the animals had all been so kind that year." I could hardly resist building a quilt around a motif of St Nick madly knitting socks the week before Christmas! (Not that I can relate.) I had no pattern for this quilt - just kind of made it up as I went along. I've realized that quilting can be a very organic process for me as long as I trust what's happening and am prepared to have a few roadblocks along the way. The other key for me is that the quilt needs to have meaning. I chose blocks that I felt reflected the meaning of the season. The top left corner has a little image of animals with the saying "The spirit of giving shall warm thy heart" and the banner across the top reads "Joy to all great and small." The large-ish red and cream block on the left is called Hearth and Home which seemed appropriate for the season, and the text in the middle reads "Peace on Earth." There's a Five-Pointed Guiding Star in the middle and another Santa block with the words "Starry Night" above the animals. The bottom row features a block which, to me, looks like stockings over a fireplace beside the Knitting Santa block. Beside that is a holly motif in the centre of a Log Cabin block, and beside that is a Tree Everlasting. There were definitely some moments where I wondered how it was going to turn out, but the great thing about creating this sort of thing at the quilt retreat is that there is lots of expertise around to help out when needed. It all came together in the end, and I got the bulk of it done at the retreat itself (it's always amazing to me how much a person can get done when you don't have to worry about anything else) and just finished quilting it at home. It's a very festive addition to our home over this holiday season, and I hope the wishes for love and gratitude and peace spill out of the quilt into our home, and beyond - to the whole world.

Hugh's Knightly Costume

It seems kind of crazy to be making another costume so soon after Hallowe'en, but when Hugh and I decided to go to Medieval Times on our weekend away in early December, it only seemed right that he have a knight costume to wear. A few years ago Aunty Rachel had given Hugh a set of pyjamas which look like a knight's costume, and these were dearly loved and often worn. As Hugh grew, however, they had to be retired to the hand-me-down box (I know Rory will enjoy them in a year or two) so there were no knight costumes on hand. I found this pattern and whipped this fancy shirt up in no time, since Hugh was threatening to pull out the too-small pyjamas and wear them. Hugh loved the shirt and requested a matching shield, so we faked our way through that one. And now we're all set for our knightly adventure!
Pattern: Simplicity 5520
Fabric: cotton, fleece and shiny knit ends

Apron

It has recently become clear to me that the use of an apron while baking is going to really help me appear less slovenly and may also reduce the amount of laundry I do. I like this "girlier" apron pattern - not too frou-frou, but still feminine. I used some cotton I had bought at the Goderich quilt shop this summer just a few weeks before the tornado went through, and used a complimentary fabric I found at Fabricland for the flounce. Since the holiday baking season is fast approaching, I expect it will get lots of use, and I plan to feel fabulous while wearing it.
Pattern: Butterick 5125
Fabric: cottons from Quilters by the Square and Fabricland