The Finishing is Done

I started working on finishing all these Christmas things on Tuesday but, just ran out of steam.  I had picked up some fabric a month ago at a quilt store.  It is really awesome fabric.  Civil War reproduction material that is very nice muted colors.  As you can tell, there are stars too.  I love stars.  

I Believe in Santa was done on fabric overdyed by Lori at Notfogotten Farm.  My husband says, "It's dirty."  I told him, "Yeah, and I bought it that way."  The backing fabric was a deep red pretty much matching the red floss.  

I really didn't do too much to doll it up more.  I think I just liked it plain.  

 I finished this JCS LHN piece pretty much like it was done in the catalog.  It was hard finding felt that was close in color.  I couldn't find a navy blue felt.  I checked at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's and Michaels.  Then I was digging around in my craft closet in the basement looking for more interfacing and found some old felt in a bag I used to make some little snow people years ago.  It matched even better than what I had bought to finish it.  

Another view a little closer up.  I had the buttons from my MIL rescued tins.  They were perfect.  The ric rac was hand dyed since I couldn't find the kind used on the model in the magazine.  I could have ordered it but, I figured it would be fine if I dyed it.  I dyed more which you will see in a few pictures down.  

 This is a pattern from Notforgotten Farm on that "dirty" fabric.  I had another color of the stars a bit more reddish and it really matched the piece quite well.  I don't know that I finished it exactly like the pattern but it worked out really well.  I did do a door pocket.  I lined the inside and used pretty heavy interfacing.  I am surprised the sewing machine needle went through the whole thing.

I was going to use some ribbon to make the hanger but, it was too red and not really rust.  I had picked up some homespun plaids when I was at JoAnn Fabrics a month or so ago just to have available for finishing.  I thought if I striped it, it would be more rustic and a better match.  I sewed it on the side of the pocket with wooden buttons.  I really like how this turned out.  

I didn't have a before picture of this little guy.  I used the same fabric as the other house.  There is some continuity and the colors in the two pieces were very similar.  They will look better in a basket when it is on display next year.  

The little basket looks very cute.

 Did companion pieces for the BBD sewing box I made for Katy.  I got this fabric at the Quilt store too.  I often buy backing fabric at quilt stores since there is such a variety and gorgeous colors.  I usually only need to buy a little bit.  It goes a long way.

 I finished the pincushion as it was finished in the book.  It really wasn't that hard.  I used a light fusible interfacing and then stitched the ric rac on the finished (right) side then added the backing and stitched over the  same seam, turned it right side out and filled with lizard litter/crushed walnut shells.  I am especially pleased with how it turned out.

 Here is the trio.  I will be adding a little felt to the inside of the needle book as I stitch a little seam up the middle so it folds well.

I used a little hand dyed chenille around the scissor fob to pretty it up just a little.  

 That was how I spend Saturday afternoon.  I am really pleased with how they turned out and glad they are all finished.  I have a few things in the basement that really need to be framed.

Hope you are having a productive weekend.  We finished watching Season 1 of Downton Abby on streaming Netflix.  We called the local video store and they had Season 2.  Bob has been enjoying it, "Its like watching a train wreck."  We have the first two DVD's and they will call when the third one comes back.  We have been DVR'ing the new season to watch when we are done with Season 2.  I love the scenery and costumes.

Thanks for all the great comments.  Buster is doing just fine with the cone of shame.  It is slowing him down a little bit but otherwise he isn't fighting it.  He is bumping into the back of one's legs all the time.    His stitches come out January 22.

Keep on Stitching
Monica