First finish of 2012

It looks like everyone has been busy stitching!  I love seeing all the things my bloggy friends are working on.  It gives me too many new ideas, though! ! !

I have been busy, too.  I finished the Temecula Quilt Co. 12 Days of Christmas mystery.  It turned out really cute, IMHO. 

I used some of my Fresh Off the Farm fabrics to make this.  I made my borders a little different than they did, but I just followed where the fabric led me.  I like this better than the way their directions said.  It finished at 17 1/2" X 21", a nice little size.  This one I machine quilted in the ditch around the blocks.  Each block is 3" square.  I tried using one of the decorative stitches that my machine does in three of the sashing strips.  It worked OK, but I don't think I will do that again.  Maybe on the flimsy before it is quilted but not through all the layers.  It is a bit wonky.  This was a great little project to start off the year, a fun mystery and a quick finish.
Next, I have a finished flimsy.  This is for the Quilt of the Month challenge by Kathy Tracy of The Sentimental Quilter for her Small Quilt Talk group.  Each month Kathy will choose a quilt from one of her books for the group to make.  For January she chose the Crosses Mourning quilt. 

This will finish at about 17" square.  All of the fabric that I used is from my stash.  I like that, I am going to try to use up some of my scraps this year.  I hope to have this one quilted before the end of the month.

I am still making progress on the red and white quilt.  I have one full row and about eight blocks in the other two rows to quilt.  Then I need to decide what to do with the red border.  I can't wait to get to the flying geese border, that will be fun and it will mean I am almost done. 


Here is another fun little project I made.  We were invited to dinner at our friends home the week after Christmas.  I saw this on someones blog, sorry I don't remember where, and thought it would make a great host gift.  They are "rein-beer" ! ! !

It takes some pipe cleaners, jiggly eyes and pom-poms.  Just glue them onto the bottle!  We used beer for the adults, these can also be made with root beer for kids.  The couple we went to see had just remodeled their kitchen, so she got some new dish towels and hot pads.  They were impressed!

I am anxious to see all the fun things everyone else is working on!