Last year I threatened to do a snowman post one day, and it looks like this is it. The weather is appropriate (several days of snow in our forecast). All but one of the chilly guys are wool.
Four years ago this month I took my first wool class. Lisa Bongean taught wool applique at the little shop over the mountain. We used one of the snowman blocks from her Warm Winter Blessings pattern. Not only was this my first wool experience, it was my first snowman as well. I was hooked (but I still haven't done anything with this particular block--I can't even find it).
Using the same snowman pattern, and a table runner pattern from Primitive Gatherings, I cobbled together this little snowman wall hanging.
Eventually I did make the whole Warm Winter Blessings, in the mini size, of course.
I had made one other block in the full size before switching to the mini. As you can see here, I turned that one into a pillow.
Other Primitive Gatherings snowman projects include this little candle mat, from an issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects a few years ago, which can now be found on the Primitive Gatherings website as Snowy Gathering.
And there is this larger candle mat, Winter Cabin, that I made in a class with Lisa at our state guild Quiltfest in 2015.
With Karen's help, I began making the 2015 Attic Heirloom ornaments of the month a couple of years ago. The first one was a snowman. I loved the little designs, but didn't like making them into the ornaments after stitching the design. So I gifted this one, and then started over again.
I made them into little quilt blocks, and after making 9 of them (3 snowmen) I decided I liked it as it was.
Snowball, from HeartToHand was finished up last year at this time.
Looks about the same outside right now as it did then, but I think we have more snow this year.
This jolly fellow was an adaptation of a patterned offered by Stacy at Buttermilk Basin a year or two ago. I used him to replace her last block in her free BOM last year. All of the blocks are finished, but I haven't decided if I will set them all together, or make small holiday banners with the holiday themed ones and put the others together into a smaller wall hanging.
The only snowman left is NOT wool. He is paper pieced from a free Carol Doak pattern. I reduced it a little (of course).
I made the nose on this little guy a bit too big. Maybe I should name him Jimmy Durante. : )
Have you built any snowmen lately? If you'd like to make these snowmen, say so in a comment and I will choose a name by my next post.
Until next time,
Janet O.
Just dabbling in this and that when I have a minute. Seems I can't focus lately.
This is something I have been wanting to make for a long time. Prepped the wool one evening and have been stitching in spare moments. Just have to finish going around the trees and then stitch it to the backing.
Designed by Lisa Bongean, this little mat is cut from a 12" square of wool. This blue wool came from a pair of slacks at a local thrift store. A lucky find.
The pattern is named Snowy Gathering, and is found in the Winter 2013 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects.
One of these days I might do a "snowman only" post. Can't believe how many of them I have stitched.
Before the holidays I had cut a bunch of purple and neutral scraps into HSTs for a long overdue project. Life got in the way and I didn't get anything finished as planned. So I stitched them together as leader/enders over the past few weeks. I toyed with different settings, but finally settled on these stars, that will finish at 3". The size of star was determined by the size of triangles I could cut from the scraps on hand.
The blocks for my youngest son's college T-shirt quilt all need coping strips in order to get them to a uniform size. Not my favorite task, so I am forcing myself to border a few blocks when I have a rare day at home. Ten down, twenty more to go!
It seems that when there is no holiday imminent, I don't have a non-seasonal runner for my hutch--at least not one I like.
So I grabbed a couple of Kansas Troubles mini charm packs, and some KT scraps, pulled out my trusty 2 1/2" tumbler template from MSQC, and went to town cutting tumblers. Kind of went overboard and cut many more than I will need.
Fun mail from New England, lately. I won a giveaway on Vic's blog and received these wonderful FQs, and a couple of her delightful, handmade lavender sachets. And Grace sent this fun quilt block calendar that is now hanging in my sewing room. I have had the delightful opportunity to meet both of these bloggers while in NH and I consider them good friends. Thanks, ladies!
I'll finish with this shot from my sewing room window. Love it when the sunset makes it look as if there is fire on the mountains.
Until next time, when maybe I will have finished something--anything!!
Janet O.
Four years ago this month I took my first wool class. Lisa Bongean taught wool applique at the little shop over the mountain. We used one of the snowman blocks from her Warm Winter Blessings pattern. Not only was this my first wool experience, it was my first snowman as well. I was hooked (but I still haven't done anything with this particular block--I can't even find it).
