Order from the chaos...

I recently had a huge mess down in the quilt cave...these two pictures are for everyone who thinks (based on my past Stash Manicure posts) that my sewing area is always neat as a pin.  Sometimes creativity demands a messy canvas!  OK, OK, it does drive me nuts when the process continues for more than a couple of days...I can only handle complete chaos for so long!

When I am grooving on a scrappy project (a.k.a. "making my own fabric"), I have to have everything out where I can see it, touch it, choose and reject it.

I've been working on casserole dish "rugs"  or hot dish mats - I really tried making them based on a couple of tutorials I found, but I ended up having to put my own spin on them.  (Hey...it's me!)  I couldn't get them to work nicely without binding them, so now I'm on a binding frenzy.  I have managed to finish a few.  In honor of her new book (out today, I think!!!!!), I experimented some more with Tonya's free-pieced letters (Word Play Quilts, by Tonya Ricucci of Lazy Gal Quilting).  You've GOT TO check out her book and making these amazing letters...if I can make them, anyone can!  They add such a personal, wonky touch to any project.  I put a fun border on this "Wickedly Liberated" quilt using her method:

Back to the casserole mats...I layered the pieced little top with Insul-Brite and muslin, machine quilted that, then added a piece of batting and a nice backing.  Then I pinned all that together and applied binding, which I finished by hand.

 I've gotten ribbons for my hand quilting, but you'd NEVER know it looking at my feeble attempts at machine quilting!  Every time I try this I am in awe of all you fabulous machine quilters.

I wish I could have gotten them to look good by putting right sides together, stitching, and turning and top-stitching.  There were just too many layers with the batting, top, backing and Insul-Brite.  So my plan B called for my favorite thing...binding...crap!  Oh well, ho-ho-ho!

 

I did manage to get the main Christmas tree decorated with my daughter's help.

And my sneaky husband managed to catch me and the Weasley beast cat nappin' Thanksgiving weekend after our company left...zzzz!  We were plum tuckered out!

Have a blessed December...remember to pause for yourself while you are doing things for others.

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)