Christmas sewing - Part One

I don't love sewing under time deadlines, especially when I feel some level of obligation to finish (self-imposed, of course!).  I could never have my own Etsy shop!  Christmas 2011 taught me that overdoing the Christmas sewing just isn't for me.  I made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to do that again.  So this Christmas I kept my sewing super simple.  I mean that!  In the first three weeks of December, I made one, yes only one, gift to be given away.  A whole cloth quilt for my parents.

I made Indigo a velveteen quilt for her 4th birthday and it's my all-time favorite blanket ever.  I love it so much, in fact, that last Christmas Ind wrapped it up and gave it to me!  I couldn't accept it - I made it for her, after all.  But I definitely took her up on her offer to share... and it does end up on my bed more often than I might care to admit.

For my parents' version, I started with 1.5 yards each of this and this velveteen.  In between the two velveteen layers, I sandwiched some cotton batting, for a heavy-duty, extra cozy quilt.  (My folks do live in Wisconsin!).  I tried spray basting for the first time and it rocked my world.  It is a million times easier and more effective than pin basting.  I'm a convert!  Then, to keep things simple, I tied each of the velveteen circles with embroidery floss.

I bound the quilt with Anna's Maria Horner's Mixed Signals using this zigzag binding tutorial.  I had always been rather traditional about hand sewing my bindings, but this was much faster and I'll bet more durable, too.  The zigzag stitch gave the quilt a fun look.  I was really happy with that method and will definitely use it again. 

I couldn't send a quilt without a label, could I?  Nope, I couldn't.

I did manage to get in a few more projects, just in time for Christmas, and at a relaxed pace.  I'll be back with those soon.