'Think Christmas' Blog Hop

Welcome to my presentation of the Think Christmas blog hop.  Thank you, Lesley, for organizing the recruits for this blog hop and especially for all your  techie help behind the scenes!  Thank you, Madame Samm, for being the cheerleading squadress (is that a new word?).  Now that I've gotten my acceptance speech complete.....  on with the show.  (grin)

My first quilting love is paper piecing, so I am unable to toss out ANY  bits of fabric.  As if  wanting to inspire you wasn't enough of a challenge, I had to toss in a  'new-to-me'  technique for a personal challenge.  So,  I started creating crumb blocks. I approached this process 'willy-nilly', no specific instruction and I quite enjoyed it!  Oh no!! another reason not to toss out those bits and pieces.

Here is my first block. Crumb piecing is in the green rectangles and a paper pieced ball ornament was transformed into an applique motif.  This block measures 12-1/2" sq.

Here is another block with a new motif.  This little stocking was paper pieced from a pattern at http://www.circleofcrafters.com/irisfolding/christmas.html.  Coloring book pages is another good resourse for motifs.  I left the top edge of the stocking unstitched, to insert some christmas trinkets.  Here is how I made the stocking into an applique motif.

Here is my third block.  The bells are made from red crumbs and stitched down with gold trims.  What red, green and white christmas doesn't warrant a touch of gold?  How did that scrap of red get stitched in with the greens?

Hmmm, does my parade of blocks look like a pre-planned set?  LOL  Okay, I confess, I had a hard time making a block without a purpose. I sewed them together, added a narrow border stripe and a triangle finish, and quilted it into a door banner.  If you put a triangle finish on both ends, you would have a great table runner. I hope you were inspired with my christmas blocks using fabric scraps.

Here is one more 12-1/2" christmas block. It was  made with the little twister template and 5 inch squares.

THANK YOU !   for visiting me today.  Yes, Virginia,  there    IS    a   Santa Claus.   Just write  a comment  and you'll be entered in the drawing  to win this set of 5 fabric christmas cards with envelopes.  They are blank inside,  leaving a place for you to write a personal message.  The drawing will take place at the end of the hop, on Monday, Aug 6th.

Here are more Think Christmas bloggers ready to welcome you today:

Tuesday, July 31 

 Jane's Fabrics and Quilts

Quilting Fiesta

Scrapbox Quilts

From This to That 

Buzzing and Bumbling

No Loose Threads

Deborah B 

Judith Handmade Treasures

Gran-Knot-Y Embroidery Lady

Mrs. Pickles

Susie's World

and just so you don't miss a beat, here is the schedule of participating bloggers for the entire 7-day hop.  Have fun and Think Christmas!

http://lesleythecuddlequilter.blogspot.ca/2012/07/think-christmas-blog-hop-schedule.html