A retrospective look at some RL Christmas needlework

I saw a pattern for a really lovely quilt in a magazine a few years ago and must chase it up.  Of course  it will be for decorative purposes only because a quilt is the last thing one needs in Australia at Christmas time usually.  But there's still ways of doing patchwork for the festive season.  In 2005 I decided to make some Christmas presents for both of our daughters and for our grandchildren.  At the time we had three.

First I made each of the girls a wallhanging, featuring a rustic 12 Days of Christmas.  It was printed on a panel, and it is padded, backed and quilted then bound.  On the backing I used my embroidery machine to do the label, stating who it was for, from whom, who made it, and the date.  This was added after the quilting - just like i do with full size quilts.

This is a strange angle for the photo because it is draped over a couch here, but it's the best I have.  It has a nice wire hanger to hang it from, of course.

For Cameron (Kylie's only child at the time) and for James and Grace (Kirstie's children then) I made two Advent Calendar wall hangings.  Again, these were based on a fabric panel, padded and quilted.  Then I sewed buttons on the spots indicated and hung the ornaments that I had also cut out and backed from them.

The children love adding the ornaments day by day in December on these calendars and I think their mothers love them even more vbg.  Again, they are hung on the decorative hangers.

The final thing I did was a Christmas tree skirt.  Here is the skirt in full:

 Here is a closer view of the machine embroidery I did at the front.  I bought the designs especially for this project and I think they are perfect for it. The colours show up particularly well against the background which has a self-patterned contrast to it, and they blend well with the gold in the border fabrics.

And here is a closer view of the fabrics in the border.  I selected a number of fabrics that I really liked and repeated them around the border.. You might guess from the Town Square 'O Christmas Tree' in the previous blog that I really love red and gold for Christmas, so it will be no surprise to see red and gold here.

Both the Christmas tree skirts and the Advent Calendars have the embroidered labels on the back as well - I do them for all the quilted projects I do, having had the necessity to do so drilled in to my head by the teacher of the class I was attending at the time.

I have a half-made Christmas tree skirt for us as well, and here it is five years later and I had forgotten all about it - it's still not done lol!  As I sort out my sewing and patchwork, that will definitely be on the 'must finish' list.  Oh for a few more hours in each day!

So that is a retrospective peek at some of my Christmas patchwork.