I know that it has been a while since I posted last. It has been a busy summer and I have been taking classes at several places. I have learned so much! 

The big news is that I am getting a new quilting and sewing studio! We have decided to close in our garage and create a new space for me! I will have to share it a bit with a sleeper sofa for guests but it is a very large space. The work begins next week and I am very excited. The company is owned by a man who takes piano lessons from the same teacher that I use. As an aside, he is also a burgeoning musician and singer. As he is from Mexico, his songs are in Spanish and I translate his lyrics to English. That is really a fun job. And now he is going to give me a dream studio!

As we are cleaning out the garage, I have found some memories in the boxes and drawers. I found an envelope full of pictures of my quilts that have been made and gifted over the years. I began in 1994 so it has been quite a journey. As I look at some of the photos I can see how many things that I could have done better. Isn't it strange how we always look at the flaws rather than the delights? So I have "re looked" at some of the pictures and would like to share them here. Do you keep a photo record of your work? I have tried over the years but I am sure that I have missed some. I know that I should but I have been lax sometimes.

The three pictures at the top represent some of my 1990's work. I had completely forgotten about the pink and blue courthouse steps. This was a baby quilt for the sixth grade band teacher's first child. I just adored that tie dye giraffe batik. I still have a small piece in my stash. I remember using the Eleanor Burns book for that pattern. I was so excited to finish it and gift it. That baby is already in her late twenties! Yikes! Time has flown!

The middle wall hanging is a fabric interpretation of my nephew's painting. It was probably the first time that I did anything like that. I think that it was my entry into realizing that you can "paint" with fabric. I love to do this now.

The quilt on the right is one that I made for a raffle for a fundraiser for heart disease for kids. My friend's daughter passed away at nine months from ventricular failure so they wanted to have an event. She asked me to make something and I made butterflies. Quilts are not always for the happiest occasions but they are comforting in all times in my opinion. She was gifted the quilt in the end by the winner. 

On the left is Hearts of Gold that was made for a scholarship fundraiser in memory of my husband's colleague who left us too soon. Her name was Gail Gold so I had to make hearts of gold! They raised $1100 from the quilt sales and the winner gifted it back to her husband. People really are generous!

The last two pictures are of quilts made for my kids. The Broncos quilt was for my son, Kevin, who adores the Broncos to this day. I learned so much from that piece as I made so many different sampler blocks. Steve is standing in front of his green quilt. He chose those green fabrics and I pieced it. It was one of those stack and shift patterns with black in between. I learned a big fabric lesson from this quilt. Buy the absolute best fabric that you can afford. I got the black at a discount store and it shredded after washing several times. But he loved it for a long time.  

​Here is Kevin (well part of him anyway) with a wall hanging that I made for the holidays. I did it using a reverse applique technique but wow! I have learned so much since then. I would never have done it that way now. There is this marvelous thing called CLOVER fusible bias tape! I did learn a lot about batting too. I used the wrong batting as it was too lofty and should have been flatter. Lessons learned!

So, what is the quilt that you want to make but have never actually gotten around to? This is the center of the Lily of the Valley/ Rose of Sharon quilt that is very common in Amish and Mennonite quilts. I saw it at the Kutztown Folk Festival circa 1998. I just think that the simplicity of the design is beautiful. It is still on my list but I intend to modernize it some with color and shapes. 

I am excited to keep digging in those boxes as I clean out the garage. Who knows what else I will come across? What do you have lying around that speaks to your quilting journey? Perhaps you will take a stroll down that path soon too!

Piecefully,
Trisha

It has been a while since I have added anything here. The last six weeks have brought some sadness to our house as we said goodbye to our beloved greyhound, Bugsy. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have seen countless pictures of her and some videos too. She was as bright as a button still but suffering in pain from arthritis. My dad used to say that the "ritis" brothers were bad but Art was the worst! LOL It certainly was for her. She was almost 13 years old which is a long greyhound life and we had her for almost 11 1/2 years of that time. We were blessed. Miss her so much and I wanted to do something to remember as I had our grey, Fonzi. It has taken this long to get there. 

I don't know about you but I like to draw and sketch some of my own designs. I am not a trained artist but I play. Hope you do too! :) So I had an idea for Bugsy's World. I was a passenger in a car and I always have a pad of paper with me. I started to draw a whimsical Bugsy which I had done before. And I added all of her favorite things!

I like to keep a pad with me whenever I travel in a car so that I can keep ideas from escaping. This was pretty sketchy but it captured her love of food, car trips, walks, bones, etc. 

​When I found the perfect paw print background fabric, I started to bring her favs to life. 

​I believe all dogs love to walk so  a leash was easy. I used some folded grosgrain pink ribbon to mimic her pink leash. My husband contributed the hook for her leash from his tackle box. It is some kind of swivel for a fishing rod. Tennis balls that squeaked were her all time favorite toy. A bit of thick pearl cotton created the lines on the tennis balls. The dog bone got a bit of extra batting to give it some texture. Now on to the Chick Fil A bubble.

Some dogs learn to give paw, sit, beg, speak, etc. but our greyhound learned to eat her favorite snack, grilled Chick Fil A nuggets, from a fork! She could smell that restaurant as we pulled into the drive thru and she knew what treat was on its way. She gladly ate more chicken! This sign came from a mini stuffed Chick Fil A toy cow that I have had for years. You never know what you have in your closet!

From sketch to fabric! Her name and dates will be added. I am going to use big stitch quilting when I am done appliqueing the pieces. For my applique I like to use silk thread as it simply melts into the fabric. I use light or medium to dark grey if I do not have a particular color and it never shows (if I am careful, of course). I also like to use thread in a Super Bob donut from Superior Thread. The bobbin holds a rainbow of colors in brights or pastels, whichever you wish. Click here for the website link. You will almost always have the right color at your fingertips. They also make Microquilter polyester that works like the silk thread. It is your preference that is most important.

A final note about Bugsy is her collar. I had made a pink collar to represent her own  and my husband brought me her real collar. He wanted me to add it to the tribute to her. I took the ribbon off the heavy webbing on the piece that I cut but left the piece underneath in front so that it would have some dimension. He was right. It is hers forever. 

This project has helped me to focus on the happier moments spent with her. It has been very therapeutic. I think that any creative activity that allows you to immerse yourself in those creative flows will ease whatever needs to be eased. My piano teacher says that music will heal you if you allow it. Perhaps quilting and crafting and gardening and cooking and whatever you love will do the same. 


Would you share any tribute quilts with me? I love to see what ideas others use to remember someone or some event, etc. I am @mollerpatricia at Instagram or Patricia Moller at Facebook. 

Until next time, 
Trisha

  A few weeks ago my husband and I took a trip to the towns where my nana and pop pop grew up in western Pennsylvania. During Covid time, I had been researching my nana's teaching background. She was a student in a normal school in Marklesburg, PA in the summer of 1905. (Although why they were called normal schools, I have no idea?) While there,  the students in that term were asked to sign a pillow top and someone embroidered all of the names on to the pillow top. In the photo I had found on the internet, I could only see Flora which was her first name. I was sure it was her. So I called the museum and the young lady was kind enough to go photograph the whole pillow and text it text it to me and sure enough it was my nana, Flora M. Cramer. I was determined to see this 118 year old pillow in person. I finally got there this month. 

Turned out that the young lady with whom I had spoken was our tour guide that day. She remembered me. Who else but a crazy sewist would chase down a 118 year old pillow? When we finally got to the section that was set up as a school room I saw it. She said that I could even pick it up to photograph it. I found another surprise on that pillow top. There was another signature of a name that I recognized. The signature belonged to my pop pop's sister who was in her class. Her future sister in law was a fellow student. My nana's signature is the bottom photograph.

I was overwhelmed to be holding something that was so precious. When I read the marker with the pillow, I learned that it has been donated in memory of a lady whose maiden name was Morningstar. We also have that name running through my maternal side. Perhaps another link to the past!

After the museum, we did some graveyard "tours" and I found descendants that fought for the Union in the Civil war. I have always felt a strong link to my past and it has strengthened as I have gotten older. Guess that is normal?

As we stopped to  grab drinks at a mini market, we talked to local people. One young woman asked what I was doing in the area and I explained. She had some of my family names in her tree. Six degrees of separation perhaps?
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Here is a photograph of my grandparents just after their wedding on December 24, 1912 in the parsonage. My nana's hat just slays me! It reminds me of the famous farmer and wife photo with the pitchfork. So solemn. They definitely had another side as we all do. 

So this is my next project. I am going to transfer this photograph to fabric. With the help of the fabulous artist and teacher, Leni Wiener, I have the pattern to design this piece. 

I have learned so much from her about this process and I am anxious to get started. I have been delaying it but now I am ready to start. Leni's great magic pattern maker gives me the tool to start. If you have not seen her work, I strongly suggest that you check out her site: leniwiener.com She is an amazing artist and person. She is a wonderful teacher. There are online classes that you can take. Her page will have information.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this message. We quilters, textile artists and all crafters have links to the past. I have had so much enjoyment chasing this bit of my family history. Perhaps you can find your own path to pursue soon.

Piecefully yours, 
​Trisha

So, I stepped WAY outside my comfort zone to try this technique from Karen Eckmeier. When I lived in NY, she used to teach but I never seemed to be able to get into her classes since they were and still are very popular. I got the book, Happy Villages, at a second time around sale at my guild. It sat on my night table and I would keep looking and thinking about it. In January 2023, I took the plunge at my modern guild retreat. I really wanted to make a Christmas themed village but decided to follow the pattern she created in order to familiarize myself better with the technique. The above photo shows my completed village. 

I decided to add some extra embellishments to my village that Karen did not add. I did it mostly because I do like to add something to make it more mine. Buttons and bells to add a small touch. I covered it in royal blue tulle after auditioning some other colors such as grey and cream. The blue adds a bit of shimmer that the camera does not allow the viewer to see. I used a variegated thread in primary colors to stitch on top of the tulle.

The pictures below show my process for the project. I loved being able to set my machine aside for a bit and concentrate on scissors and fabric only with a spot of glue. Karen gives you a blueprint to follow for cutting and if you wish to make a template for it, you may. Or just cut with measured abandon. It became more and more liberating as I went along. I did start by trying a makeshift template, but then I just used the picture to roughly cut the pieces. I did use more colors and squares to begin because I wanted more variety in the piece. I also cut pieces to my own liking as I added them.

The pictures below show the process that I used from left to right on both rows.
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I could have gone on and on adding, subtracting and changing pieces of fabrics. It is similar to a collage type of quilting. I experimented with different shapes and colors in different places. I learned a lot from this experiment too. The next time, I would add a sky. I added stars but my husband asked why they were on the buildings. Fair question, I had to admit. I think that some skinny rick rack would be a great addition under some of the rooflines. Perhaps some other kinds of trim in small quantities around the quilt. What would you add?

I am very excited because I have the opportunity to finally take that class with Karen this summer at the Mid-Appalachian Quilt retreat in July in Gettysburg, PA. This is a wonderful place to take classes from what I have heard and this will be my first time attending. If you are interested, there may some classes still open for you. Click the link here.

There are so many amazing teachers out there and I was able to meet one of my favorites in person at QUILTCON this February in Atlanta. I was able to spend a few minutes speaking with Sarah Goer as we were crossing paths in the Westin hotel attached to the Atlanta Conference Center. She gave a Zoom class during COVID on her design All About Angles. What a fun idea and a great class. She is one of the best Zoom teachers that I have come across. As a teacher myself, I know firsthand how difficult it is to be remote from your students. Sarah was just one of the many talented people teaching at QUILTCON this year. I love how her hair matches her top!

iIf you would like to see the wonderful quilts at the show, there will be a magazine released with some of the quilts that were displayed. There will also be a book made of all of the quilts. If you are Modern Quilt Guild member, there is a digital link for all of the quilts. If you are not a member, I highly recommend it even if you are not particularly a modern quilter. So many resources, class opportunities, connections to be made, etc. 

I will leave you with a photograph taken of some members of our modern guild where I live. We are standing in front of the community quilt made by our guild members. We had a choice of cool or warm colors and the challenge was color shift. We chose the warm pink ranges. It was designed by a member in her computer quilt program and then many hands took part in the cutting, sewing, sandwiching, quilting and binding. Sadly, there is no photo of the back of the quilt, but one member pieced it from the leftovers. It is as beautiful as the front. 

Well, that is all for now. I hope that you are enjoying whatever you are working on right now. I am working on a modern rose quilt for a class that I will be teaching in June. Enjoy the time change and the promise of spring around the corner!

Piecefully,
Trisha

I hope that you are having a lovely Valentine's Day however you choose to spend it! Hopefully there will be a few stitching or crafting moments. This day was almost my birthday but I did not make my arrival until the 15th in a snowstorm. Just as well though. Two gifts to one! 

I think that one of the most favorite patterns in any crafting method is the heart. I have always wondered how we came upon this traditional shape considering the one that keeps us all living and breathing is anything but that shape. So as we all tend to do these days, I went to Google. I don't have an Alexa in my house. 

According to artandobject.com, the heart shape may originate from the ivy, fig or water lily leaves. These were all used in heraldry on family crests, shields, tapestries. etc. The ivy leaf was often used as a symbol of fidelity. It is possible that the shape of the leaf came around to our modern shape and the faithful at heart. There are a variety of other theories that range from the more erotic to the mundane, but I like the connection between that ivy leaf's fidelity symbol. 

In the French tradition, there is a 1250's manuscript in which a man is holding up a vaguely pine coned shape heart to his lady love. In the 14th century, the heart was shown upside down from today. By the 15th century, the shape was changed to resemble what our playing cards have today. And currently,  it is the most used emoji on our handheld devices. It has definitely had staying power. 

As far as quilting goes, I have seen so many different designs every year and never two the same. I just opened a package for a Valentine's swap on Instagram. My partner made me the most lovely scrappy heart placemats. I was so happy to see them as I have made a lot of placemats but I always make them for others.  

As it is Valentine's Day and my birthday tomorrow, I am adding a gift to you. There is a link below to a pattern that I designed to "stack" hearts. If you would like to make them, please share a picture of them at my email [email protected]. I have taught this as a table runner class and I love to see all the different fabrics used to make hearts. 

The above pattern is in a power point format with color photos. I hope you like it!

So, have a lovely hearts day and may you find joy in your crafting as winter comes to a close and another spring begins. 

Until next time,
Trisha

Happy new year! I cannot believe that it is already January 18, 2023. It seems that the holidays were right around the bend and now they are in the rearview mirror. Like many crafters, I have arranged my plan for the new year. I am trying to finish some 2022 projects first but there are so many new ideas out there. I have already started something new. You too? 

What are your plans for the 2023 quilting and crafting season? How are you getting ready? If you are like me, you already have that list of new techniques to try and new colors to add to your work and new fabrics as well. 

Here  are some things that are on my list in no particular order:
1. I really want to make pillowcases for our new pallet village that was built for the homeless population near me. I think that it would be nice to have a cheery fabric greet them in their temporary homes. I am hoping to enlist some of my quilting guild friends in this endeavor. 
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2. I went to a retreat recently and saw something that I decided that I must have. A friend had made these wheels for a chair in a hotel. Most ballrooms have four legged chairs that are not very comfortable and do not move well. Her husband made these so that her chair would glide across the carpet and give a big of added height. 

You will need four of the leg dollies and four tennis balls. The balls are cross cut and bolted to the leg dolly. You can even be a bit more stylish than I was and order tennis balls of all colors and patterns. I found tiger striped, cheetah, zebra striped, etc. Who knew? They don't use those at Wimbledon!

3. I picked up a book by Karen Eckmeier at a craft sale called Happy Villages. I know that this book and pattern was released in 2007 but I had never tried it. I have done other fabric collage techniques but never one of these. So as my first official start of 2023, I embarked on the "happy village". Needless to say, my first village was not very happy. There is a learning curve to this process but I persevered. My first attempt is on the left and my second is on the right.

The one on the left was overwhelmed by the dots. I thought that the texture of the grunge fabric would be great but the dots were definitely not working for me. So I scrapped it and started over with solids which is what she had done along with some batiks. I was much happier with the result on the right. I did this last week at retreat. It was very liberating to use only my scissors and a glue baste bottle as well as my imagination. It was like being in elementary art class with lots of bits of colored construction paper. If you keep looking, you will see little details that I have added. I am not done as I want to add a few more surprises. This was a fun project. When it is finished, I will share the photograph. 

4. My third goal is to really use my stash of fabrics. I am sure that we say that every year and I really do make a run at it. I am hoping to do better this year. Although I have received gift cards for my local quilt stores and I live so close to Lancaster, PA that it is very difficult. :) To do this, I am hoping to step outside the box a bit and try something really different. Any suggestions?

​5. Finally, I am hoping to share more of my patterns with all of you. I am in the process of formatting them better. A new laptop will definitely assist in that. 

So, what are you goals for the 2023 sewing season? I am getting in shape by cleaning my sewing space a bit and stretching my imagination. Please leave a comment to let me know what you are prepping for this season. 

Until next time,

Trisha

So, another Christmas Eve has come and I am sitting at the computer in my son's office in Georgia keeping Mozzarella company. Mozz (as he is fondly called) is a lovely cat. We are visiting for the holidays and it is pretty cold outside for this far south so I was thinking of things that keep me warm. 

I am very much into Christmas swapping on Instagram. I got started a few years ago with a lovely lady from England. It was a 12 days of Christmas swap. The task was to create 12 gifts for an assigned partner. I was given some clues into their likes and dislikes which would make it fun to create and buy some gifts. This was completely new to me but I thought it would be fun to do something different. Little did I know the amazing world network of friends it would open to me.

My first partner was someone in California but she was from my home state of NY. It was such fun to try to search her posts to find the clues to the gifts that I would make. I got to wrap them and write a little clue and send them off in time for opening day. While that opportunity opened a swap friend, it has become so much more. She encouraged me to pick up the cracker swap last year and that has been a blessing as well. We continue to keep in touch and while we have not met in person, we have shared some life events, both happy and sad. It would not have happened without the first swap.

The organizer of that first swap has become a good friend even though we are so far apart in miles. Several years ago my husband and I traveled to the UK and spent the day with her and her family. It was such a blessing to be able to meet face to face. We continue to communicate often and share a swap at Christmas. 

While in the UK, I was able to spend time with another IG friend. We met through postings and messaging as I was up late and so was she. Turns out our birthdays are one day apart. We took the train up to her home and spent a day with her and her family. I was so happy to be able to see her as well. She is an amzing cross stitcher and has tried to encourage to try it. I have tried but I do not have her patience and talent for that craft. I have a cross stitch of our greyhound, Bugsy that she did. (see photo below)  I have found true friends.

Another IG friend has encouraged me to try knitting (I am trying) and it is fun too. We share a love of dachshunds as well as sewing and crafting. Would not have met except for the swap as she lives a thousand miles away. Another blessing!

I could flood the page with pictures of the lovely and thoughtfully made gifts that I have received. This year has brought another batch and now friends from Scotland and Norway to go with Germany and Canada and the US. The gifts are amazing but the real gift for me is carried in my heart. Especially during COVID, I was blessed to be able to have these friends to share with, commiserate with and celebrate with. There are so many others that I have been blessed by through other swaps all year long. 

Do you like swapping? Have you ever tried to do it? Do you organize one? I know that not every swap is perfect. Peoples' lives are all different and we experience different events. But I have found that the adage  "tis better to give than receive" rings true. 

This past Monday, I worked with some lovely crafters at the Milton Art League in Milton, DE. We made the angels and the Danish stars that you see above. These are two of my most favorite ornaments to make at Christmas.

Ornament making has been a big part of Christmas for me since my kids were very small. Every year we would make ornaments together and hang them on the tree. Later as my sons grew, I made them and they each got a new ornament to add to their private collections. They are now living in their own homes and those ornaments live in upstate NY and Georgia now. Some of the ornaments that we made are below. The hexie was from a Quiltmaker magazine and the cork reindeer was just imagination and a lot of wine LOL! The Santa's list was something that I did later and I printed the list so that my sons' names were on it! The snowman came out of lots of frozen juice can lids. I had saved them and used them as the foundation. 

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I certainly miss those days but there are so many crafters that want to learn to make new ornaments and I have been able to share and learn from them. The angel and danish star directions are included at the end of this paragraph if you would like to give them a try. I promise that you will want to make more than one of each. They make great additions to Christmas gift packages also. By altering the fabrics, they can be made for any celebration. Birthday angels! Anniversary or Valentine angels! Stars for Easter, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July! The possibilities are endless. 
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Over the years I have been gifted many ornaments but I do have a favorite. I belonged to a quilt guild in upstate NY many years ago and there was a lovely lady named Enid. She was a German lady who was an avid quilter and crafter even as she aged into her 90s. One year she made 25 knapsacks for her daughter's kindergarten class so that all of the children had one. Just an amazing human being. But I digress.

One year the guild did an ornament exchange. If you brought a wrapped ornament, you got one. I chose this small squishy package and I was so happy when I saw the little teddy bear inside.

Enid had hand sewn each part of the bear. She carefully stuffed each limb and the body and the head. Even the little ears had some stuffing! She put a silver floss hanger and a silver bow tie. I could not have asked for a better ornament. That was circa 2002 and every year the boys would tussle over who would hang the bear on the tree. When I hang it now, I remember Enid fondly. She passed away just a few months after my own mom in 2012. The bear reminds me about her big heart and how she put a lot of her love into this little bear. What is the story of your favorite ornament? 

Well, that's all for this time. I do hope that you are enjoying your holiday preparations no matter what holiday you celebrate. I am getting ready to bake and wrap some gifts. Still have a bit of shopping to do and a few gifts to finish sewing. I know I had all year but I guess I like the bustle of finishing in December.

Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Happy Kwanzaa! 

Peacefully,
Trisha

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I find that this year I am grateful for so many things as always. I remember also that I need to be thankful daily and not just tomorrow.

​As a quilter and crafter, I have several new events in my life that are very exciting to me. I am very thankful for these.

I have been a Spanish teacher all of my adult life until recently. Once a teacher, always a teacher. So, I have been looking for a way to continue to teach but now to teach my passion: quilting and crafting. And now after some patience (which is difficult for me) my dream is coming true. 

I was given the opportunity by a dear new friend that owns a local quilt shop. She has had me teach several classes and they have gone very well. I am very grateful for her confidence in me as a "new" quilting teacher. Thank you, Nancy! 
Here are some photos of the table runners made at one of the classes from my new pattern.
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In addition to continuing to teach from Nancy's shop, I have been contracted to teach from a lovely shop across the bay in Annapolis, MD called The Crabby Quilter. I will be teaching in January, February and March 2023 once a month. I am excited because I will be teaching my own patterns for two of the classes. Cathy has given me a tremendous opportunity to meet people from the other side of the bridge. (The Bay Bridge is not my favorite but I will brave it for this!)

In March 2023, I will also be doing a lecture/ trunk show for the Valley Forge Quilt Guild. I am new at this in the quilting world, but used to speaking in a group so I am very grateful for this opportunity to share my ideas and almost thirty year journey in the quilting world. 

I was also given an opportunity to do make something that I had never made before. I was given a very large burgundy colored terry cloth bathrobe from a gentleman who had passed away. She wanted to have three baby bathrobes made from it. There really was not enough fabric in it to do that so I suggested a baby towel wrap with a hood. I had no pattern but I thought that it is just a couple of squares, right? I added some grey terry cloth to be able to make them big enough and backed them with flannel with a flannel hood. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to work with terry cloth. Although my machine needed a good cleaning! 
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Most of all I am grateful for my family. Tomorrow I will be in NY visiting my son and daughter in law and her family as well. It will be a lovely day. I am already receiving celebration pics from the Atlanta kids and visiting family there.

I hope that you are finding the kind of opportunities that you are seeking whether teaching, crafting, quilting or whatever your passion is.  

I hope that you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving however and wherever you celebrate. 

Until next time.
Piecefully,
Trisha

Hello everyone! Can you believe that today is the last day of October? Halloween is here again which means that Thanksgiving is just around the bend and Christmas and Hannukah are waiting in the wings. 

At this point I am always looking for some last minute gifts to make.  So this blog is dedicated to some of my favorite "quicker" gift options. 

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I love my sixty degree ruler from Missouri Star quilting. I use this all the time to make quick and pretty placemats. All you need is two different fabrics, backing and a piece of batting. I cut three of each fabric and do a quick turn. I quilt them around the triangles since you can do it in one turn without stopping and starting again. I also like to finish the edge with a 1/8 " seam allowance to catch the opening. 
I have also made these two-sided. You can make one holiday/season on one side and another on the flip side. The possibilities are endless. And you can make some napkins with some rectangles of leftover fabrics. Sew them right sides together and quick turn. Sew around the edge to close. 
I love these placemats. I finally made some for us this year LOL.

This is a wallet pattern by Jessica VanDenburgh of sewmanycreationsny.com. I met Jessica many years ago as she was a vendor at our quilt show. She was just getting started and this wallet caught my eye immediately. It is a lovely gift and now she has several versions that are smaller and bigger. 
One of the best parts of this pattern is that it requires only 2 fat quarters although you can always add more. It does need some Pellon Decor bond and a closure. I have also made a different closure out of need. 
I was meeting my son's girlfriend for the first time in NYC very near to Christmas and I wanted to bring her something. So I started to make this the night before. It really only takes about an hour to sew once all of the pieces are cut. (I have made many of them so you may need a bit more to start.) When I started to put the wallet closure on, I quickly realized that it was too small. I had ordered some frames on line and they were 1/2 inch too short. So, that was the night that I got acquainted with my new machine's button hole attachment. Necessity is the mother of invention after all. She never knew till now LOL. 

Another 2 FQ gift! This is the Runaround bag by lazygirldesigns.com and can be made very quickly. I have made a hundred of these over the years and is one of my go to patterns when I need a fast finish. A nine inch zipper to match and some extra decorations if you wish are the other ingredients. The pattern maker has asked you to create a very skinny strap and I have changed that. I buy the cotton strapping and cover it with fabric to match the bag. If I can purchase the color strapping to match, then I just use that. If I have the one inch strapping, I cut a 3 inch wide strip and wrap it around the cotton strapping and stitch it down. 
When I am looking to save time, I feel like a river looking for the path of least resistance! Do you do that too?
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Last but not least...the ten minute table runner! Two pieces of coordinating fabrics sliced across the width of fabric. I like to slice mine at 18 inches wide x WOF and 12 inches x WOF. With right sides together, sew the length of the runner fabrics. Then turn it right sides out and press. Fold the unit lengthwise with the backing to the inside. Sew a 1/2 inch seam at each end. Press the seam open, turn it to create a triangle at each end. Add a button or decoration to hold the triangle down. VOILA!  The first ones may not be ten minutes, but you will speed up with each one. I made 25 of these for school gifts for secretaries, etc. 
You tube is filled with videos to help you along. Here is just one.
​ www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi4Qgq0KKJQ

So that's it for now. I hope that I have been able to give you a few ideas to spark your creating for the holidays. If you have a great idea that you love to make as a quick gift, I do hope that you will share it!

Piecefully,
Trisha