WRAPPING XMAS GIFTS IN OCTOBER!

 There are Christmas ads and merchandise on display already and it's not even Halloween!  Oh PLEASE.....let's just enjoy the upcoming events first.

However, throughout the year I've gathered numerous Xmas gifts which are now rattling around in my sewing room.  So, with a pause in my art quilt projects, I pulled out some Christmas fabrics and set about making fabric gift bags.  I've been gift giving enclosed in fabric bags for years and find it a fun and practical way to present a gift.

Paper tags I've made are another personal touch. Fabric bags are especially helpful for those who mail gifts.  They are lighter and generally easy to pack.  Okay now back to creating wall art!!

MARY'S GOLDEN RULE - USE ONLY FABRIC FROM MY STASH!

 When one's chosen print style fabric has run out, but you need to enlarge an in-process piece.........what do you do? I audition options after shopping in my stash.

I haven't purchased fabric in years...yes, really. This had led me to developing my designs far more creatively. However, if work begins looking like I shopped in a dumpster and threw it against my design wall.....I will break my golden rule and fess up! LOL

ONCE A PACKER FAN, ALWAYS A PACKER FAN

 Our niece is at Lambeau today for the Packer's home game.....wearing her Gilbert Brown jersey......what are the chances?  She's doing what most attendees are doing.... wandering the bars which are on every corner and in-between in Green Bay!  AND who is there????....YUP -  'THE GRAVEDIGGER'

Proud of her for approaching him and rewarded with a nice chat and autograph on her precious vintage jersey (which by the way, we gave to her many moons ago).

She's the darling Packer fan seen on the left taken at a game in 2008.

Sooty is sporting her jersey too.....GO PACK GO!!!!

ONE FINAL HOLIDAY MINI

My preparation for the Aristan Faire on Nov. 8th is nearly complete.   Though the urge for one more whimsy mini had to be satisfied.  Happily it has a forever home already.

                                     GO PACK GO - 14” x 14”

Commercial cottons raw edge fused 

appliqué, hand embroidery, & machine quilted.

PAPER FABRIC

 After nearly 18 years meeting with 6 like-minded bubbly drinking quilt pals we've experimented with just about every surface design technique you can imagine.  Some were one and done and others we revisited many times.

I shared the technique of creating paper fabric with 4 friends.  Basically one collages novelty paper napkins and tissue paper onto a base of fabric, adhered with diluted white glue.

Here are our results...the last one is my collage that I cut into pieces for notecards.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

 I used the last of my inventory of canvas covered frames on this final small holiday piece.  There are 5 remaining of the 7 I made, available now and at Heritage Placer Vineyard's Artisan Faire Nov. 8, 2025.

As always my work is one-of-a-kind, original design you will not see a duplicate.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT - 12” x 12”

$50

Commercial cottons & felted wool, raw edge fused 

appliqué, hand embroidery, & machine quilted.

 Secured to canvas covered frame. Ready to hang or display on a small easel.

SNOWBOARDING FUN

 I'm having such a jolly time creating these small holiday art quilts......this one is wrapped on a canvas covered frame with a fabric backing.  Holler if you are interested.

SNOWBOARDING FUN - 12” x 12”

$75

Commercial cottons & hand gelli printed cottons, raw edge fused appliqué, hand & machine quilted. Secured to canvas covered frame with a fabric backing.

MOEWY CHRISTMOUSE

 It's been so enjoyable creating these small holiday whimsy pieces.  The newest one is bound rather than on a canvas frame as my others have been.  It's available for purchase now. 

MEOWY CHRISTMOUSE

12” x 12”

Commercial cottons, Ultra-suede, felted wool, 

raw edge fused machine appliquéd, machine quilted.

A hanging sleeve is attached.

NEW KICKERS

 One should never be criticized for having too much team spirit.

"The husband' got new 'kickers' just in time for the game today.....

Still finding it weird to be watching a Packer game at 9:00 PST....Bloody Marys here we come.     

GO PACK GO..............

DESIGNING MY OWN FABRIC

 Recently I completed this small 12" x 12" holiday art quilt secured onto a canvas covered frame.

The holidays are filled with a riot of colors and patterns....so I decided to use some of my polka dot collection for trees.  In order to provide an apparent 'Christmas' theme.....one tree needed to stand out.  So I 'made' my own fabric!!

Here's how.....first I experimented with sizes and fonts of the word NOEL.....and printed it out for confirmation.  Next some red gelli print fabric was stabilized using a letter size adhesive label and run through my ink jet printer, printing the created text.

The adhesive label was removed and the fabric was then backed with a piece of Wonder-Under (which is still my 'go-to' fusible choice.)  Following my tree template, it was cut out.  

Before fusing to my project I added polka dots using Prisma Pencils.  It seemed sensible to do that prior to securing to the project in case I didn't care for the look.

I love the concept of creating 'fabric on demand'.

COLORS OF THE SEASON - 12" X 12"

AVAILABLE - Resonably priced