Christmas Eve is Past, New Year’s Eve is Future

28 Dec 2010 1 Comment

by Quilted Melodies in quilting

This year, the week before Christmas included many hours of machine quilting. I had to get my Mom’s gift done! I had presented it to her on her 80th birthday in August – at that time it was only the top, without the appliques and embellishments. On Christmas Eve eve, I completed the machine quilting and embellishments, and applied the binding. All I had left was to sew the binding down. But, the quilt is big – 6.5 feet X 5.5 feet. I knew it would take me many hours. I was too tired to start then, so determined that Christmas Eve and Christmas morning would be enough time.

Our family gathers with friends and family every Christmas Eve morning at my brother and sister-in-law’s for a great pancake breakfast. My brother makes his pancakes from at least seven different grains and adds bananas and strawberries. And, of course, served with warm maple syrup and hot coffee and/or brandy alexander’s. On our drive out and back, I was focused on completing my mom’s gift, so I brought it in the car and worked on the binding as my husband drove. A funny thing happened after the breakfast that required my husband and I to drive my mom home! Oh, dear, the huge quilt was in our car and I had to “hide” it. Fortunately, she didn’t pay any attention to the huge purple blob of fabric in the back of our SUV.

For dinner, I made a pot of chili, as it’s one of the easiest, yet comforting, foods I know how to make, and I needed every minute to work on finishing the binding. I couldn’t miss our church’s Christmas Eve performance (even though I had already seen it the previous Sunday), so off to church at 7 PM  to see the “Toy Story Christmas” again! It was so fun and joyful! The toys learned the real meaning of Christmas as they traveled back in time to the birth of Jesus.

 

After church, I headed home to get the job done! At midnight on Christmas Eve, my gift to my mother was complete. Hand sewn binding accomplished with the help of my dear friend, Julia. She worked on one side, me on the other, and we met at the end as we watched old Christmas movies on TV! My mom was so impressed! She has chosen to put it on her bed, which is just where I thought it would look really beautiful.

I thank “P.S. I Quilt” for motivating me to get this blog done – even if I don’t win the prize from The Fat Quarter Shop!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR… it’s coming!

Advertisement