Christmas is here

Don't you love the season. The last package is wrapped. The baking big time begins tomorrow for the last minute gifts. Then "Chill out" on Wednesday with the family. Go to church Wednesday night. Go look at lights after church. The kids will open packages Christmas morning. This is the first year we have ever opened packages on Christmas morning. A new tradition has begun. After the kids open packages we are having a very untraditional Christmas lunch. In fact, when I was growing up the meal we are having Christmas day is the meal we had the day after Christmas. So what are the Crowells having? Red beans, ham, corn bread and french fries. Because Thomas thinks every holiday meal should include Grandmother's deviled eggs we will have them as well. Thursday should be a beautiful day here in Texas to enjoy just chilling out after the rush of the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas family and friends.

Friday I plan on working on the presewing part of the New Year's Eve mystery quilt that I will be doing with others on several yahoo quilt groups on New Years Eve. What fun. I just have to decide what fabric to use for the mystery quilt.

Moda Fabricmatcher tool

Have you visited the Moda website lately and checked under fun stuff lately? I check out the Moda website often to see what new fun things are available. The FabricMatcher tool is a interactive program that lets you create a project by loading your fabric and a pattern into the program to get an idea how a project will appear. Check out the Fabricmatcher tool at http://moda.fabricmatcher.com/ and start creating. How about checking out the new arrivals at www.SuzzettsFabric.com to see what fun project you can create using the FabricMatcher tool.

Spring Fabrics

Now that it is so cold outside, even here in north Texas, it is time to warm up to some beautiful spring floral quilts. The Hill Country Spring fabric line by Sentimental Studios for Moda has some beautiful floral prints that would be perfect for a quilt pattern that uses a floral focus print in the pattern. I think that either Walk About or Love That Print quilt patterns by Grizzly Gulch Gallery would be great for this line.

Christmas Countdown

It is not too late to start a project for Christmas gifts.
Check out the new fabrics that have arrived. Heavenly Hollyhocks by Lain Stowe, Hill Country Spring from Moda and Nature's Chorus from April Cornell are all in stock. Additionally check out the New Arrival Links for links to new products from the International Quilt Market in Houston this year. Links are available on the Suzzett's Fabric link to the left.

Bunco Man

Check out this "Winter Welcome" snowman wallhanging from Quilters World Dec 2007, I call Bunco Man. The name Bunco Man is the result of him being my Bunco gift for the Christmas exchange for the Bunco party last night. I used a Royal Holiday Charm Pack, various fabrics for the applique, various creams and tans for the snowman body (crazy quilt style) and a bit over a yard for the blue background binding and backing. This is a fun project for a quick Christmas "homemade" gift that can be used all winter. Question for you quilters....How in the heck do you miter the corners that are greater than 90 degree angles? The angles at the bottom of the wall hanging are more like a 120 degree angle.

Merry & Bright Reversible Wallhanging

Merry & Bright fabric by Sandy Gervias for Moda was my inspiration for my Christmas project this year. I love the little coupe cars on the streets today and think the coupe in the main panel of the fabric line is just great for a wall hanging. With the panel as my inspiration and the desire to "create" using Charm Packs, I took a Moda Charm pattern, opened two Charm Packs and started playing. Since I had just a few left over charm squares left after completing the wall hanging front, I decided to piece the back of the wall hanging instead of having to cut more fabric for the backing. For the back I used one of the panel blocks, all but one of my charm squares, the rest of my red from the front border and just a bit of three other fabrics. Wow what a saving in fabric to piece the back. Piecing the back is certainly nothing new. One of my favorite old quilts made in the 20's by my grandmother's family used old trousers for both the front and back. I use this old 20's quilt for my Christmas tree skirt every year just to remind me of how special my grandmother was to me. I hope you all had a time to reflect on family and friends this Thanksgiving and enjoy the Christmas season this year. Remember the Christmas season is not about snow, Christmas trees, house decorating and shopping but instead celebration of the birth of Christ.

Clearly Perfect Angles

At Houston Quilt Market, I saw a demo of the Clearly Perfect Angles template that clings to your sewing surface to help you sew accurate 45 degree angles. WOW it works. I have always took the time to mark a diagonal on my small squares when making my flying geese units. No more marking is needed with this easy template guide which is so easy and fast to use. Check it out in the notions section of the SuzzettsFabric link. Here is a picture of the template installed on my sewing machine. As a bonus, the template includes 1/4 inch and 5/8 inch seam guides.

Gilda's Club North Texas Quilts

This Saturday I had the opportunity to attend a conference at Gilda's Club of North Texas on the topic on Hereditary Colon Cancer. The conference was quite informative about both FAP and Lynch Syndrome. I so enjoyed walking around Gilda's Club and seeing all the art work created by those impacted by cancer either as a patient or as a loved one. There were several quilts that had been created to express the hope that many cancer patients feel which was very encouraging. I am glad that I know that several of the fabrics that I have purchased this year have contributions that go directly to the Gilda's Club foundation. Collection for a Cause Heritage 1846 from Moda and Inspiration III from Blank Quilting are two fabric lines for which financial support goes to the Gilda's Club.

The Udder Cowboy Fabric by Sew Treasured for Moda

The Udder Cowboy fabric by Sew Treasured for Moda will make a treasured crib set for that little wrangler. Check out the Cows on the Range print for this line. The fabric is now available in yardage as well as fat quarter pack of 28, 2 1/2 inch strip sets and fat eight packs of 28. Check out the New Arrivals section in the Suzzett's Fabric Link.

Christmas shopping on a budget. My daughter loves the Moda Home Market Bags. It is amazing how much girl stuff these market bags will hold. The bags have very sturdy handles and have a wipe clean surface. Check out the link for the Moda Home Market Bags to the left.

Slipper Cuties

I actually had a chance to complete a project today. Using the Slipper Cutie pattern from Fig Tree & Co., I made a pair of child house slippers. This is a way quick project if you use prequilted fabric and quite economical because you can make a pair of small slippers with just a 1/4 yard of prequilted fabric and about a yard of 2 inch binding. Here is the link to the kit for the child slipper kit. http://www.suzzettsfabric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ShoeKit&Category_Code=KITS

The Slipper Cuties includes instructions for enlarging the slippers up to a size 10 ladies per Joanna Figuora. I had an opportunity to take a class from Joanna, the designer of Fig Tree & Co., while at market. Joanna has a fun personality and has come out with some great new patterns. Check out my website under the patterns link for Fig Tree & Co. patterns.

Quilt Market Houston 2008

Recovery from Quilt Market in Houston is still ongoing. I still have not posted all of my goodies but have ordered several new fabrics for next spring including the new I Love Lucy fabric from Quilting Treasures. Northcott has a beautiful new line by Lain Stowe called Heavenly Hollyhocks. Lain Stowe has created several patterns for her line that showcase the large print from the Heavenly Hollyhocks line but will work well with any large print.

Above is a sneak peak of the I Love Lucy fabric and the Heavenly Hollyhock fabrics from Quilt market.

I also picked up at market a few new notions, books and patterns. I will be posting these new goodies soon.

Use the Suzzett's Fabric website link on the left to see new sales posted every Wednesday as well as new products being added often.

Good morning

Good morning to all. This is the first of many messages to come.

Have you got your quilting projects all lined out for the gifting season ahead? It is so easy to start a new project without completing another. My favorites folder is full of "possible projects" and "way cute" ideas all from creative folks who offer free project ideas. Someday I will be in someones favorites folder but for now I need to finish those Christmas, baby gifts, wedding gift projects that are already on my to do list.

Have a great day.

Suzzett