Christmas 2021

This Christmas was a little slow on the sewing front, but I managed a few things. Rachel & Kyle have a new (to them) house, and this was the first year they had a full-sized Christmas tree; they needed a tree skirt. They’re serious Potterheads and although the tree isn’t Harry Potter only, it’s definitely an underlying theme. I wanted something that looked good just as a tree skirt, fit in with their theme, but didn’t scream *Harry Potter*. I also didn’t have a huge amount of time. I found a beautiful dark green pre-quilted velour at Joanne’s (on sale!) and embroidered the Hogwarts castle on it in gold. Finally, when I had a 40% off coupon I found a lovely gold braid trim with a dark green ribbon woven into it. To complete the magic Christmas karma, there was just enough left on the bolt to go around both the inner and outer circles of the skirt.

I also made two adorable furry paw stockings for the cats, using a plush white faux sherpa and the same wool plaid for the cuffs and paw pads that I used for the quilted stockings I made for them last year (which I now see I didn’t post). Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos! Also forgot to take them when we visited and saw them hanging. Maybe next year…..

We got Rachel a chair that converts to a bed for her office at the hospital so she can nap when she’s on call and there’s nothing happening. The only color available for delivery before Christmas was gray which is a little boring, so I thought a quilt would add some color and also be great to use when it’s in its bed form. She loves penguins and I’ve been wanting to make Elizabeth Hartmann’s “Penguin Party” quilt for a while–I bought the pattern a long time ago. Last winter I began making one using the Vermont Flannel quilting squares I got for Christmas a couple of years ago, but didn’t get very far before spring came and penguins seemed beside the point. I decided to finish it for her. The boxed flannel squares are small — around 4″ but some not even quite that. The penguin bodies are all 7″ wide and range from 7″-9″ tall, so I had to piece them. I like the way that patchwork turned out, adding more visual interest and color, although I spent way too much time choosing plaid combinations. I backed it with flannel to make it cozy for sleeping. She loves it.

Materials and resources:

Hogwarts embroidery file: SondiSparkles Etsy shop
Gold thread: Wonderfil Spotlite Metallic Gold #6602 (they have several shades of gold!)

Black & white solid (penguins): Kona solids by Robert Kaufman
Background: Cloud Whites by Andover Fabrics, #9295-C (gray/blue)
Backing: FarmHouse Flannels II by Primitive Gatherings for Moda in graphite Stock #49105
Binding: Houndstooth Basics in Black by Henry Glass & Co
Batting: Quilter’s Dream Select
Quilting design file: Curly Edge to Edge by Christy Dillon