Christmas Table Toppers

Two similar table toppers, two different looks!  I finished the Snowman table topper last Christmas, but never blogged about it.

The snowmen were appliqued, and the quilt was machine quilted on my mid-arm.  The blue area was a feather design, and the snowmen were a x'd spiral pattern.

The second one was finished this week, I may still do some more detail on the trees, but it's on the table. When I compare the two, I can see how my quilting has progressed, from feathers to more detailed designs.

Trees were appliqued using fabric from my Christmas stash, the background was quilted in a feather circle design, with cross hatching, dots, and stippling in between the trees.

Lots of fun to make! Merry Christmas!

Mary

Black Dahlia Holiday Quilt

I wasn't sure which way to word the title of this blog, It's a black quilt with a holiday dahlia -- not a black dahlia!  Anyway, this was a "practice" quilt for me.  I've never done a giant dahlia pattern, ribbon border, or a black quilt.  I wanted to make something pretty for the holidays, just in case it turned out ok!

The dahlia pattern was a bit of a challenge, once I got the hang of it, it was much easier.  There is a way to make a secondary pattern so that you see  the "petals" that I want to try next time -- hint:  light, medium, dark one direction, single colors the other direction.  Can you figure it out?

The ribbon border was fun and easy, and sewing with black thread on black fabric wasn't as hard to see as I feared!  The detail is hard to see here, but I did circles on either side of the ribbon, then straight lines 1/4" apart in the rest of the border.  The lighter black towards the center has a meandering feather pattern in it, and for the dahlia, each colored row was sewn in a long feather.

Day in Downtown Arts & Crafts Festival Oct 26

If you are going to be in the Fuquay-Varina, NC area, stop by the "Day in Downtown" An Arts & Crafts Festival on Main Street

My quilts and other items will be for sale at Torrey Hill Inc, Handmade Arts & Crafts at 216 S Main Street.

Here are a few of my items you may see there.

Day in Downtown

Saturday, October 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Main Street in Historic Downtown Fuquay, NC.  

If you can't come to the festival, please visit my Etsy shop!

Mary

Getting out the Christmas - in September?

It seems so early, it's not even Halloween yet, but I'm getting my holiday items listed in my new Etsy store. This is my first year, so I'm a little nervous about how it's going to go!

Today I thought I'd show off my bed runners. For people who don't want to buy a large quilt, a bed runner is fun, decorative and festive!  Each bed runner is big enough to fit any size bed up to a king size.

Holiday Gifts has patchwork "gifts" with appliqued bows.  I quilted it in an allover holly pattern.

Holiday Squares has pretty green and red squares, quilted in feather designs and motifs.

Modern Stripes has offset stripes.  This was quilted in an allover spiral "ornament" design.

For more details, come visit me at http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaryMansonQuilts

Mary

Red Triangles is Finished!

In June, I blogged about my progress on the Red Triangles quilt ... it's finished!! 

I used a layer cake of Esprit de Noel by French General for Moda Fabrics, from the Fat Quarter Shop.   This was my first time using a layer cake, and I really liked it!  It was nice not to deal with big pieces of fabric, and not having to make so many cuts. The fabric is just beautiful, I'll definitely be buying more of some of the designs. 

Since it was Moda fabric, I went to The Moda Bake Shop and used their free pattern, The Dark Side...or Not Layer Cake Quilt  that I adapted for my quilt. I don't always like things to be evenly spaced, so I used fewer blocks and made the quilt design off center.  

I machine quilted feathers on the lighter areas, and a straight line pattern in each dark triangle.  I really like the final design. what do you think?

Mary

Beautiful Moda Fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop

I just received a layer cake from the Fat Quarter Shop of beautiful Esprit de Noel by French General for Moda Fabrics (whew, what a mouthful!). But aren't they pretty? The red, green and tan colors go perfectly in my living room. and I love all the designs!  I'm envisioning a winter/holiday lap quilt.

I've never worked with a layer cake before, I usually buy my yardage by the yard, so this will be a new thing for me. Forty-two 10" squares, in 35 fabrics is much more exciting than just one piece of yardage!

Do you use layer cakes, or other pre-cuts?


The Moda Bake Shop had a free pattern, The Dark Side...or Not Layer Cake Quilte Noel  that I adapted for my quilt. I used fewer blocks and the quilt design will be off center.  Here's a picture of my first layout on the design wall.

I'll keep posting as the quilt progresses!

For more info on this fabric, go to Esprit de Noel at Fat Quarter Shop. 

Mary

The Year in Review

It's been a busy year! December 31 seems like a great day to look back on the quilts I made this year.

(If you click on the pictures, it will take you to my Gallery of Quilts.)

 

I've made custom quilts, purses and decorative items for some wonderful customers and friends. This was my year to start making tee shirt quilts and remembrance quilts (out of children's clothes and Grandma's fabric). As you'll see at the bottom of my pictures, I also "branched out" and made purses, coffee cozies, coasters, and lots of other goodies. For the holidays, place mats, a table topper, coasters, window coverings, and on and on :)

This fall, I also started my web site MaryMansonQuilts.com and my Blog. What an adventure, learning the ins and outs of posting and blogging!

Holmes Fine Gifts invited me to be their Guest Artist at the November 4th Friday - Dicken's Holiday in downtown Fayetteville, NC. This was such a great opportunity for me to showcase my quilts, and offer my holiday items for sale.

 

This has been a wonderful year, and I'm looking forward to 2013!

Happy New Years!

Mary

 

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Straightening Up & Reorganizing My Quilt Studio

Instead of a New Year's Resolution -- I've set myself a goal to straighten up and re-organize my quilt studio by the end of the year!

Checked off the To Do list --

• Packed up all the Christmas fabric (well, almost done).  I was determined to use up my stash of Christmas fabric this year. After coasters, place mats  purses, bags, and several quilts and bed runners, it's about 1/2 what it was -- of course I had to buy some fabric on sale but I have a lot less! Take a look at my Quilt Gallery to see some of them!

• Organized all of my accessory, purse and bag making supplies. One of my discoveries this year was purses at thrift stores.  They are inexpensive, and I found new ones that had never been used.  The handles, zippers and trim can be used on my items which saved me a lot of money.

• Got rid of all of the plastic bags I was going to use "someday", and went through some OLD projects I was never going to finish, and either put them back into stash, or let them go.

• Now, to straighten up my stash!  I use shallow plastic bins, and have one for each color.  Some of the solids, and unusual items and multicolored florals go in their own bins.  The fabric on the table in front is new fabric I got for Christmas (love gift certificates!!)

I may do some furniture re-arranging too.  When I've gotten things all organized, I'll post a picture of the entire studio!

Happy Holidays - Painted, Quilted Window Coverings

I wanted to make some window coverings for the windows on either side of my front door.  (They're on the inside, don't let the wreath in the picture confuse you!)  It was time for something new -- so I decided to try painting some designs and then quilting them into 1 foot x 6 foot window coverings.

I found some pictures and traced them onto 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inch fabric, then painted them, using a combination of acrylic paints, Sharpie color markers for fabric, and fabric markers.  I used a Textile Medium in the acrylic paints, it made the paint go onto the fabric smoother, and kept from getting too stiff.

After painting, I put red and gold borders on, sewed it together and did some basic quilt-in-the-ditch.  I may go back after Christmas and put some more quilting in the pictures.

 This was a really fun project, and went pretty quickly.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Mary

Earbud Pouch - Tutorial

These earbud holders are a great last minute Christmas gift!  I made a couple, they are very simple to make. Here's the link to the tutorial Earbud Pouch Tutorial by Erin Erickson.

Finished Blue Christmas Quilt

The Blue Christmas quilt is finished, and I wanted to show it off!  It was a UFO (UnFinished Object) I'd had for a long time, the blue and silver fabric was so pretty I didn't want to cut it until I had the perfect pattern.  The design I used is was 4-Patch blocks alternating with Diamond in a Square. I thought it made such an interesting pattern.

It's currently offered for sale at the Holmes Fine Gifts (Holmes Electric) store in Fayetteville, NC

Blue and silver is a nice change for Christmas!  I machine quilted with a meandering feather pattern that I really like in the center, and a feather border.  The outside border was a meandering loop, I didn't want to distract from the pretty fabric.

My early New Year's resolution is to finish more of these UFO's!

Mary

Patchwork Quilt Using Scraps

I finished and delivered this queen sized gift quilt in time for Christmas!  It is made from the recipient's mother's quilt tops and niece and nephew's clothing -- a great remembrance quilt.

Using an all-over Rose and Leaf machine quilting worked well with the patchwork design. Here's a picture of the back so you can see the pattern.

Mary

Still busy making good stuff!

Between making several quilts for customers, and getting ready for the 4th Friday Dickens Holiday Celebration in downtown Fayetteville on November 23, I've been busy!

During the Dickens Holiday Celebration, I have been asked to be the featured guest aritst at Holmes Fine Gifts (Holmes Electric), where I will be displaying and talking about my quilts.  Quilts in different sizes and styles will be available for purchase, as well as decorative items and accessories.

Here are a few examples of the things I've been making.  Less than 2 weeks!

This bag is nice and large, with several outside & inside pockets.  It's quilted and reversible, using pretty Christmas fabrics. I'll also have other purses in different sizes and fabrics.

Coffee cup "cozies" and cosmetic bags are always useful and make great gifts.

Insulated curling iron/flat iron travel cases (some with matching cosmetic bags) will also be available.

These place mats with coordinating napkins are so pretty.  I quilted a holly pattern on the "ribbon" area, if you look closely you can see it in the photo.   Several sets in different fabrics.

I also have made a few Christmas bed runners,   They are about 30" wide, and fit almost any size bed.  Each bed runner is a different, unique design.

Back to the sewing machine!!

Busy Getting Ready for Christmas

To quilt or to blog?  That's the question -- not enough hours in the day!

Went to the Quilting in the Pines quilt show in Pinehurst.  The beautiful quilts inspired me to finish this Christmas Poinsettia quilt with machine quilted poinsettias, ferns and feathers.

My Mary Manson Quilts business is moving along -- I've made several custom quilts, tee shirt quilts and purses in the last couple of months.  This week I'm showing my quilts to a group in Fayetteville, NC.

Holmes Fine Gifts (Holmes Electric)  has invited me to be their guest artist at the 4th Friday celebration in downtown Fayetteville on November 23. If you're in the area, I hope you'll come visit!

Here are a few of the items -- quilts, bed runners, placemats, gift/bottle tags, coasters, coffee cup cozies, purses, and much more!!

Back to work!

Mary