Is it Christmas Yet?

My daughter asked me if I was ever going to blog again. She kept checking here to see what I had been up to and kept seeing the same old entry. I really don't have any valid excuses as to why I have been AWOL. My life is no busier than usual, no big events taking my time, no crisis. Quite possible it is sheer laziness. I have often composed some blog entries in my head but I never took the time to type them in. So I hereby repent of my non-bloginess (like that word?) and will try to give her and you something to read.

I finished quilting my Christmas tree quilt near the end of May. So I am either really early or really late but since I didn't start it until April I like to think I am really early. I think this is a first.

This design is my own, sort of. I was inspired by several quilts I have seen here and there, especially the border applique. That I saw on a Piece 'O Cake quilt many years ago. I liked the border but not the center. The tree shape came from my Electric Quilt block library. I used Misty Fuse for the fusible applique and King Tut thread for the button-hole stitching around all the applique.

I quilted small loops around the lights to echo the twisting and turning of the string of lights.

I wanted a feeling of motion around the trees so I did what is called McTavishing in the longarm world. It is my first stab at that. I learned a lot and improved as I quilted along. I don't think I ruined it.

On the trees I used a variegated King Tut thread to quilt small loops to look like strings of lights.

The backing I bought (at 50% off) is absolutely perfect. It makes me smile when I look at it.

Now I just need to wait until Christmas so I can hang it in my front entry hall. The way time has been flying by that will be all too soon.