I'm back......

I had a quiet, one on one Christmas exchange yesterday with my dear friend, Kathy. This is one of the gifts that she got me, a collection of Marie Osmond's fabric line of fat quarters. I just love them! These will be used in a quilt contest sponsored by Janome and Marie Osmond. I can't wait to design my project then cut into these beauties!

I finished my Christmas gifts today! Christmas Eve, and I'm just now finishing them. I'm never this late with my gifts but I usually don't make most of them. I'm one of those people that hates to be around crowds so I don't like to shop once December arrives. This year, I had finished buying my "store" gifts months ago, but had too many hand crafts to complete. Well, the timing all worked out and I'm ready for Christmas Day!

This is the fleece blanket that I just finished. I really love the way it turned out. It is the warmest, thickest fleece blanket that I've ever wrapped around myself. It has two layers, throughout. I used a pattern for this, Simplicity #4745, in case you are interested in making one for yourself. Although the pattern was very simple and easy, it was quite difficult to maneuver so much fabric bulk around the corners. It was worth the struggle to get the mitered corners. They make such a nice finished, border.


I didn't spread it out for you to see the whole thing as it would then be covered with cat hairs. As it was, I had to use a ton of masking tape to de-hair it after I finished sewing. I'd like to make one of these blankets for myself, but I certainly wouldn't use black fleece! Whatever I choose must be cat hair resistant!


I had a small strip of the Yoda fleece leftover and made a nice, warm scarf out of it. There weren't any Yoda faces on the strip, but the Star Wars logo looks nice. I think it makes a nice bonus gift.

So now I can officially relax! The gifts are done, the weather is better, and life is good!