It's a Patchwork Christmas

This Christmas was a bit different for our family that most. My husband works in a network support role at a high profile company which meant he was in the office Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. He's also working New Year's Day.  It's rather unusual in a country that goes into a great hot shutdown for several weeks at this time of year. We don't mind though as it means others in his office will get to spend time with their families, and we'll get days in lieu later for quiet adventure when airline prices and accommodation return to shades of normal.

That's a very long winded way of saying that I'm spending the holidays alone. I decided to put that time to good use and in the spirit of giving, I'm working on quilt tops which I'll donate to be quilted for a worthy charity in 2014.

The first one that I finished took slightly longer than I expected drifting from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day.  On the morning of Christmas Eve, I saw Rachel of Stitched in Color's Red Red Stars quilt and loved it. I took it as inspiration for the first quilt. I had no red solids, but did have an intense bubblegum pink that a young girl might like. Thank you, Rachel for the morning inspiration.

Next up, I turned to the cupboard of unfinished projects... of which there are far too many.  Dialling the way back machine I found these bee blocks which were made in 2009 and 2010 by my very first quilt bee group, Around the Block. 

I had grandiose plans that never materialized which meant I held onto them unsewn for nearly four years.  I think they look great together without the hoopla and hopefully I can get some sort of border for them before I hand them off.  The suggestion box is open for a charity or group to donate these and other quilt tops that I've amassed.

What I like most about them is seeing the types of fabrics that I was drawn to when I first started sewing. Apparently in a short time, I had amassed the world's biggest collection of basic geometrics and quirky animals. Who knew? A huge thank you to the girls who made the blocks. Hopefully they bring a big smile to someone who really needs it in 2014.

I've got a few more quilts cut and on the table to get me through Boxing Day and New Year's Day.  It's not your "normal" Christmas, but I feel quite good about how I spent it.

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As an aside:  it is a very long shot, but if anyone needs a housesitter or petsitter in the VIC any time between Jan 3 and Jan 23, please let me know.   I'm running solo next month while Craig's away for work, and wouldn't mind spending that time in the wider Melbourne or VIC area.