Handmade Christmas

Hey there! As a Maker do you always want to give handmade gifts? I do. I want to give my family gifts that are well made and are meaningful. I want them to last for more than a weekend. This year I made 3 Overnight Duffel bags. This pattern is by Purl Soho and you can find it HERE. It is a great, simple pattern that lends itself well to making pieced sides or just quilting like I did. For these bags I loaded up my long arm with enough fabric for 4 bags, traced all the pattern pieces onto the white fabric (which is a heavy weight cotton from Ikea) and quilted them piece by piece with white thread. I used my new favorite batting which is Quilters Dream Cotton in Supreme loft. It is super thick and squishy.

This bag turned out to be my favorite. I meant it to go to my mom, but I am afraid I wrote my little sisters name on it. Oh well, they can swap if they like.

This inside has a clever little pocket. I did not add binding to all the inside seams. I just used my #13 switch on my Bernina (it looks like a serger stitch). I LOVE how these bags turned out and I can't wait to make one for myself. I have been saving some Suzuko Koseki fabric for just a project like this.

The two bags meant for my sister have the contour lines quilted into them. But in a way they kinda look like big white brains. Oh well both my sisters are wickedly brilliant so brain bags is fine too.

Everyone also got a zip pouch too. I took a Craftsy quilting class (I know...I am totally a quilter already...but a little professional development is an awesome thing) The Secrets of Free Motion Quilting with Christina Cameli and learned this super cute texture.

A simple Wood grain

and a topography quilting. This is seriously the most fun and quick quilting design in my arsenal at the moment. I want to quilt everything with it.

These little pouches are my own little pattern. If anyone wants I can whip up a tutorial. They are crazy fast to make. The rick rack makes them silly.

My little nephew is growing up and instead of the typical monster man doll I made him a little leather  zip wallet. A little man bag. I put Money in it for him to spend at Disney World.

Then these two quilt for my own kiddos. Yes, I am aware I have 3 children. My youngest likes to design his own quilts, so I will give him an invitation to work with me in the design of his own with free reign of my stash.

This first one is for my oldest son. It is made entirely of Carolyn Friendlander's new fabric line Doe and the rest of my Kona Snow (Doe Snow it rhymes!). I bought a fat quarter stack from Heather over at House a la mode by some sorcery she got the fabric before it was released and was willing to part with it!!!!! Isn't this wonderful? Needless to say as soon as it arrived in my studio I cut into it and had immediately change my idea because I hated it. I was making Farmers Daughter blocks...I thought they would be great. But turns out block piecing was hurting my mind. SO I broke free and just went improv and I am SOOOOOOO much happier with it.

I saved the HST (half Square triangle) pieces from the Farmers Daughter blocks to make some cute little hour glass blocks. I think they are my favorite parts of the quilt.

For the rest of the Improv I cut strips. Some I sewed together then subcut to create interest. This was really fun to work on and was a great reset to my mind.

I LOVE Carolyn Friedlander's new line. The scale it so good for small scale piecing and large scale as well. The colors are fabulous as well. So so so good!

This is the first quilt I tried the Topography quilting on. The best way to describe it is a very loose stipple that you echo. It is awesome! The thick cotton batting shrank up quite a bit after it's trip through the dryer. but I love it.

This beauty was one I made quite a while ago out of my all time favorite fabrics and it sat waiting to be bound for several months. I figured I should get it bound so I could list it in my shop and sell it since I have a zillion and twelve quilts in my house. So many that we trip over them. Well...disaster struck while this quilt was folded safely out of the way. Someone bled on it. I have no idea why someone would want to mark up my pretty quilt with a big plop of blood, but they did. I bound it and sent it through the wash with high hopes...but nope. The blood was well set. Soon....now it is a gift for my daughter!

The quilting was fun on it. hills, wild feathers, swirls and crop circles.

Some random pieced blocks in among the half square triangles

And a great striped back!

So that is my handmade holiday. Hope yours is even more productive. I am shifting operations to the kitchen. We are doing a Beef Wellington for Christmas Dinner. We have been watching too much Gordon Ramsay.

Happiness and Joy to you and yours!

XO,
The Curtis Family