Wow — little cupcake bunny is sure feeling the love — Thank You! I’m thinking maybe there will have to be a two-bunny giveaway. Don’t forget, if you want a chance to win a bunny, leave a comment on my blogaversary post by tomorrow (Wednesday) night, midnight eastern standard time and I’ll throw your name in the hat.
I didn’t make very many Christmas gifts this year, but I did manage to make some Christmas quilts.
I’d been thinking about making Christmas quilts for my family for several years, so last year, when CrazyMom posted her Christmas quilt for a friend, I knew it was just the ticket. I filed that idea away and this fall, I shamelessly copied her. I made four quilt tops: 1) MeMum and BigDaddy, 2) MyDadLovesMeBestSister and CrazyBIL, 3) TheFirstChild and SweetiePie, and 4) one for us. I only got three of them quilted and bound, so I’ll finish the one for us soon. (Ha! I’m getting quite a stack of UFOs from when I make a gift and make one for me at the same time — somehow I never have time to finish mine LOL!)
The pattern is the Happy Hour pattern from Atkinson Designs. It’s a fairly quick pattern — especially if you’re only making one. I’m kind of surprised that I like this pattern, as I’m a fairly traditional quilter. But, I do love it — maybe my tastes are changing a little?
I don’t know if my giftees have noticed yet, but I sloppily quilted “Merry Christmas 2008” into the quilting. Have I ever told you that I really don’t like stippling? Yeah, I really don’t like stippling. Someday, maybe Santa will bring me a fancy longarm to put an end to my suffering. In the meantime, I can’t really think of any quilting method that’s as quick as stippling when you need a bevy of gifts.
I backed all the quilts in flannel ’cause I love the weight and comfy factor that flannel adds to a quilt. SweetiePie got the polka dot background ’cause she’s a polkie girl. The other two got flannel with Christmas wishes on them. Our quilt will be a combo of the two backings, and since I’m short on both of them, I’ll probably have to take the flannel shirt off of TheManoftheHouse’s back and throw that in too, ala Fons and Porter.
I would say, if you don’t know CrazyMom, you should run over and visit her. But who am I kidding? EVERYone knows CrazyMom! She’s Crazy. Her quilt output is A-MAZING!
And to you, dear CrazyMom (do you like how I talk about you as if you’re not in the room LOL?) — Thank you SO much for your daily inspiration! You might have days when you wonder if all this quilting and blogging is worth it, but all you have to do is look around blogland and see your footprint. Everybody loves you, CrazyMom…especially Me!
XOXO,
Anna
What a lucky family you have! Beautiful quilts!
Hi Anna! How are you? I hope your holidays turned out great! Your quilts turned out amazing! What wonderful gifts! =)
I love those quilts! I’m impressed four quilts! I made two quilts for family this year. They were both 75″ square and I pretty much did ditch stitching. The quilting was a lot of work. I’m wondering if it might have been easier to stipple the quilts.
Lovely colors to those gorgeous quilts. I know you don’t like stippling but couldn’t you share your techinque with us, please?
Well, hate it or love it the stippled quilts look very nice. I’m sure they will be treasured until they are threadbare!
Love,
TattingChic (not TC) ;)
It’s all that fun happy fabric that makes these Christmas quilts extra stunning and the stippling makes them warm and cozy looking. What a special gift! I love giving quilts away when I can.
These are great! So very fun and colorful! I would leave mine out all year!
Can I just say how much I love your blog. I wish I could meet you. I LOVE the quilts I actually made one very similiar last Christmas. I’ll have to take a picture and send it. I scalloped the borders and it turned out super cute. I can’t believe you quilted all those on your machine. You definetly need a long arm, I’d quilt for you if you were closer :). Thanks for the post about nanette I’ve tried several years to get my Christmas act together and have fallen short each year, maybe this will be the year…sigh…take care, go to sleep there’s much to be done tomorrow.
Your quilts are beautiful!. The colors are very fun and I’m sure that they will be treasured for many years;)
Great quilts Miss Thimble. I really like that fabric. Lucky family members you’ve got there. Flannel backing……..perfect.
Those quilts look so “merry and bright!” And I didn’t even get the Christmas place mats I wanted to make finished! You speedy quilter you! I started a comment on your last post, but it started getting unwieldy to the point that I thought “heck, if I have this much to blather on about, make it a post!” Coming soon—between hospital visits—yes, again!
What beautiful quilts! I love the Christmas of them. :) I’m still making quilts, trying to catch up on all the ones I did not get made in time for Christmas!
I love your Christmas quilts!!!
You wrote a great tribute to Crazymom Amandajean!!
She’s a huge inspiration indeed!!
I love quilts! And I love yours. I think it’s so cute you sewed a Christmas message into them. When our comforter goes, Ben and I want to get a quilt. He knows a place in East Texas where these little ladies sew quilts all day long. They’re expensive, but handmade and gorgeous.
Hey Miss AnnaLou – I love them!!! Great choice of pattern and fabrics! xoxox
The quilts are wonderful!!! Love them!
I only made one quilt for Christmas this year, and I’m putting the binding on today because I’ll see the recipient on Friday. I’m so impressed that you got so many made and quilted…without a longarm! What are you planning to make next?
Anna, Those quilts are fantastic! What a fantastic idea, I am sure they will be well loved. By the way, your quilting is great and the Merry Christmas is a nice touch. Who knows, maybe that last quilt will be a winner in my giveaway and will be quilted on a longarm for real. Good luck in the giveaway!
Anna, your fam is so lucky to have you as a member! I’m so jealous! Your quilts look amazing as always.
I like the way stippling looks, but I didn’t like trying to actually quilt it. The one time I tried it, everything was going good until I started running out of room on my tiny sewing machine to really move the fabric around and then an edge somehow got into the section I was quilting and I had to cut out all these stitches and…well, you get the point…it was kinda messy. I figured it was for a child, though, and they’d probably mess the quilt up anyways, so that was that. The kid loved it at least? :)
Anna….I love the quilts! So colorful and it is so funny because I just bought that book at the quilt shop Saturday. You get so much done it amazes me. kisskiss jewels
What beautiful quilts Anna!! I can’t believe you made four!!!!
I love the look of stippling but have never managed to get to grips with it – maybe we all need longarm quilters!
Those Christmas presents will be loved and cherished for ever :-)
xxx
Anna those quilts are just wonderful. You are so talented, How do you find the time to do all of this?
kimx
FOUR gorgeous quilts! As I quilt by hand, this would have taken me all year. I am speechless with awe.
Anna I just love all those Happy Christmas Quilts…lucky,lucky family.
What great christmas gifts! You have a lucky family. They are beautiful. And I don’t know “Crazy Mom”. Looks like I have to pop over and read her blog for inspiration!
Jen
Edit to my last post… I DO know Crazy Mom! She does beautiful work. I don’t know how she finds the time to get all the quilts done. Seems like she gets one done a week!
Jen
Those are great! I have a bunch of Christmas fabric that I need to use… I may have to steal your ideas. Alas, I have two other quilts to complete first… the girls need matching bed quilts!
Love the colors in your quilts. Those are great gifts.
Wonderful! Yes, that “CrazyMom” sure is a winner!
Just beautiful, it “almost” makes me want to quilt ;-) xoxoxo Clarice
Oh Anna! Those quilts are absolutely fabulous! And I really like the design too, and the colours, and the quilting, and the backing and……………!
Brilliant gifts! But I don’t think you can really say you didn’t make many Christmas gifts!
Lucy xxx
Anna ! O.K. totally coveting, drooling, jealous, anxiety, coveting, drooling. Oh, you probably get the picture. LOL. Those are FABULOUS !!! LoVe them. I love Crazy Mom too. Thanks for sharin! ooxx`jod
These quilts are amazing! And the colors are perfect! It looks like you made each one a little different – how fun!
Anna. Anna. Anna. Anna. YOU TAUNT ME SO! I absolutely love the quilts, love the fabs, love why you made them. I too am drawn to Happy Hour. Not my style either, but there’s just something about it. I’ve seen it done in all kinds of fabrics – and love them all, but hands down I love yours the best. Love you, love Amanda. Between the two of you Inspiration Queens – I get nothing done because you both make me want to drop everything and do what you do!
Love, love the quilts, Anna! I just love that Happy Hour pattern, too. Love crazymom,too. You are all such inspirations. Do you use regular batting and then flannel for a backing? Just curious.
I just love your christmas quilts!
OH Yes a TWO bunny give-away!!! Anna those quilts are so cute!! You were quite the busy quilter this Christmas weren’t you? I do the same thing when I make stuff for people…start one for me and put in the ufo pile. Either that or I keep the first one ’cause it didn’t quite turn out right…that happens a lot actually lol!!!
Well everything around here looks just super fance! I just caught up on your posts and it’s all so glam – I love that shawl, these quilts are lovely, those crescent roll deals look delish and a blogaversary?
HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY! (or however you spell it)
Those quilts are amazing!!!! I love it how our tastes change and evolve as time goes by. This has happened to me too. I’m going to look up that pattern. I made one christmas quilt this year for my sister, and she was thrilled with it. Got to love the flannel.
Gee Anna you are amazing! They are a delight to look at! I have a problem finishing the things for our house too.
Well, Miss Good Cheer…I love these. I love the bright Christmas colors, I love your stippling, and I love the thought you put into them for your family. Yup. Love.
Oh, my, Anna! How beautiful they are!!
You are so talented. :)
Oh Anna, those quilts are beautiful. They are so happy and cheerful. Amandajean is an inspiration and so are you. I’ve just about finished my ragged squares inspired by crazymom.
Your family must be really delighted to have gotten such happy Christmas quilts…I love them, the fabrics are wonderful.
I hope Santa was very good to you as you were a very good girl in getting all those quilts done! A wonderful present that will be loved for amay years.
Oh what wonderful Christmas gifts! Your work is just beautiful! And yes, crazy mom is an awesome inspiration ! Thanks for sharing!
oh, you are so sweet!!!!!!!!! thanks for the shout out. and you made 4 christmas quilts??? you are amazing. i love love love love them! and i’m sure that the recipients did, too. make sure to finish yours up-because after all that hard work, you should be able to enjoy one for yourself. i’m SO impressed!!!
Hey did you start in January 2008 to do your quilts or are you an experienced whizz who whipped them up quickly towards the end of the year? I just love your names for family in thimleanna land. Hope bunny is still on offer as I not sure how to calculate world time. If too late, I’m glad I found your blog anyway!
your christmas quilts are gorgeous. will you marry me? i’m going to be a quilting lunatic like amandajean when i grow up. it’s great that you stitched christmas 2008 into the stippling. i’m not a huge stippling fan either, but then again, there are some pretty “all-over” long arm stitches that make me wanna hurl as well…. your family is so lucky that you spend so much time making them these lovely gifts!!!
:applauds you fervently
i’m going to make that quilt when i grow up.
Anna, they’re beautiful! I love the fabric choices too.
They are absolutely gorgeous and such good Christmas fabric too. I’m very much the traditionalist with my Christmas colours – red and green all the way. I am very, very impressed!!!!
Your Christmas quilts are gorgeous and a wonderful idea that I, in turn, am going to shamelessly copy to make, too. I admit I don’t know CrazyMom but I’m going to pop over and learn about her. Thanks!
Aren’t they all so lucky…They are darling and your photography is beautiful!
Love the new banner :o)
WOW!!!! If only I could quilt like that….those are beautiful. I did check out CrazyMom’s blog and another WOW! You ladies sure do inspire me.
I love this quilt, too and have had it on my list to make. Your all came out beautifully. It gives me hope! I’ve never quilted before but I think I can wrangle the crafty daughter into helping.
I love this quilt, too and have had it on my list to make. Yours all came out beautifully. It gives me hope! I’ve never quilted before but I think I can wrangle the crafty daughter into helping.
I really really love your Christmas Quilts! Thanks for showing. I’ve been collecting fabrics to make ME one. I love Amandajean also, she is great!
I really like this quilt pattern. It’s simple and yet could leave room for more creativity….a little embroidery here or there perhaps.
I like your stippling –it’s not fussy and I’m not fussy so……
Jody
Just found your blog ~ love your quilts! I am also getting ready to copy CrazyMom’s Christmas quilt (an now yours!) except I’m calling mine a winter quilt!
I absolutely love all of these quilts. Now I need to get my hands on some Christmas fabric!
Love your quilts! That pattern is too fast not to love :)
LOVE LOVE LOVE ok one more LOVE these quilts. Boy I wouldn’t say that you didn’t get many gifties made – WOW I bet the family loved these quilts and will think of you every time they snuggle underneath it. You know it’s one thing to think about make something, it’s another thing to remember it for next year LOL, you rock sister friend.
Hugs – Karen
Uh, wow, I feel like in awe…I know how much pain I went through to finish one quilt. Did you quilt these by hand? The quilting is kind of free form, I love that. I am not giving up on quilting even though I almost lot my finger to my rotary cutter – I thought I would need stitches but managed to not need any. I really enjoyed piecing my quilt together.
They are completely beautiful!!!
I love your Christmas quilts, what a great, quick pattern idea. Your quilting is gorgeous too, especially the cute Christmas message!
I love that pattern, too. I made a baby quilt using that pattern, and I’ve started a fall quilt.
Your quilts are beautiful!
LOVE the Christmas quilts Anna! I totally relate to the stippling thing, I don’t enjoy it either!
I love your Christmas quilts, I’ll bet that the people who received them did too. And lucky you getting that beautiful shawl, it really is exquisite.
LOVE that you put the messages in with the stippling. Very sweet. Beautiful quilts.
Your quilts are gorgeous! I love your choice of fabrics and colors, not to mention your photos. Finishing three of them is quite an accomplishment. You definitely deserve a finished fourth one.
Lovely quilts! So bright and cheerful! Thanks for sharing!
Those quilts are so fab! I backed my zigzag quilt in flannel, too. Glad to know I’m not a freak in doing so. I thought the kiddo might like to cuddle up to it in winter.
Anna, I love your Christmas quilts. I love the quilting, what is stippling? How do you do it. with your regular sewing maching? I really like it.Beautiful quilts. Hugs, Tracey
Those quilts are amazing! Quilting is something I’ve wanted to learn to do for quite some time. I would love to be able to make them for my family.
Your quilts are beautiful – your family is lucky to have you, but I know they realize that. I am still hoping to get adopted by you, or maybe I’ll adopt you! I didn’t care for that quilt when I first saw it, but I love what you and CrazyMom did with that pattern. I’m going to have to make a few of my own – what a lovely idea, Anna! I am probably one of the few bloggers who doesn’t know CrazyMom, but I visited her blog, and she is AMAZING! Thank you for the introduction to such a talented lady.
I love your Christmas quilts … beautiful fabric. Your family were very lucky to receive them as gifts.
Christine