Mini Quilts, and Costumes Galore!

Recently mini-quilts have captured my attention. Thanks in large part to Kathie and Dawn, I have now made seven mini-tops in the past few months. I have quilted three of them so far.  This most recent mini flimsy finish used some scraps gleaned from the scrap tub at a now closed LQS. Whenever I saw holiday fabrics I snatched them up. The plaid and the holly fabrics were both from the scrap tub. I hadn't planned on using them together, but when it got right down to it, I like what they do for each other. I want to quilt a holly pattern on this, but I will need more FMQ practice to get those leaves to really look like holly. It may have to stay a flimsy for a while longer.

See the yellow chalk pencil lines?

But I did finally finish the binding on this little quilt that is currently in my header. A few of you had suggested straight line quilting and I liked that idea. I'm happy with the result. I  used the "double bubble" design for the outer border. I'm sure there were other designs that would have looked better, but I am very limited in my repertoire of quilting designs I am comfortable enough to use. This isn't perfect, by any means, but for my third FMQ piece, I am satisfied with it. One problem, though. I used a Fons and Porter yellow chalk pencil to mark the straight lines. I have used the white pencil on hand quilted pieces and on my last FMQ piece, and it rubbed off easily when I was finished. This yellow isn't coming off. Any suggestions? Does it just have to go through the wash? If you have any experience with this color chalk pencil and can give me some ideas, I would appreciate it.
For now this little quilt sits proudly beneath my German Pyramid Nativity. It fits the top of the cabinet perfectly!

And while I am on the subject of Nativities, I have to come clean. No, this isn't about my soap making! I have been teasing Subee about her pencil boxes and other forms of organization and OCD-ness. Well, I have skeletons in my closet of obsessions, too.

These photos were taken at our family party last Monday. This is the nativity that the little ones put on, and I have three grandchildren in the mix. The costumes are my obsession. It started years ago when we didn't have enough little ones to fill the roles and we started drafting adults in the parts. I felt like the bathrobes for shepherds and oversized men's white shirts draped with tinsel garland for angels and old brocade draperies for wise men that we had been using with the children didn't quite cut it for adults to wear. So I started making adult size costumes. For several years we put them to use. See below.

 But the new adult costumes made the children's costumes look shabby, so I had to make new ones for the kids. The problem was that I never knew when to quit. Each year it seemed there was someone I needed to costume that I couldn't fit and I would make a note to get a costume made that size for the next year (even though that person would probably not be that same size the next year--chances are someone would be). I just kept sewing and sewing--grabbing fabric at thrift stores and clearance sales--I could fit anyone from a 6'5" wise man to a 1'6" angel.  Then a few years ago I was in charge of the program for our church Christmas party. I decided that the children should do the Nativity scene accompanied by the songs they had been learning on the bell chimes. I didn't have costumes the right sizes for so many children that were similar heights--so I sewed some more!

Do you know anyone else who has three large Rubbermaid tubs filled with Nativity costumes? Even now I find myself fingering fabrics at the thrift store or clearance tables in JoAnn thinking, "That would make a great angel costume", or "What perfect fabric for a shepherd's robe." I still have a box of fabrics for potential costumes that I dip into now and then to make "just one more wise man this year."
So, my apologies, Subee. I have no room to tease. I may not have pencil boxes, but I have Rubbermaid tubs of costumes that are about to burst. May have to start a fourth one. : )

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, everyone!
Janet O.