Christmas
Flutter
The Quilted Fish
I love Christmas. It is the best time of the year. I love decorating my house and I love buying secret presents for my friends and family. I love having people gather in my home to laugh and share special times and fun memories. This year I really wanted to set the stage (my home) in a fabulous way. I thought it would be fun and challenging to pull in Flutter, my new not-at-all-Christmas-related fabric line. I love the colors in Flutter and I used it as the basis for all of my decorating. I usually use lots and lots of colors, but this year I trimmed that down to three. I love the way that it unified all of my decorating and I really love that it played well with my love for vintage and antique items. I am excited to show you my dĂŠcor and even more excited to show you the fabulous projects the team and my very special guest made to share with you. We hope you find inspiration in these pages. We wish you the most merry of Christmases, and a new year full of lots of time for sewing, crafting and creating!
Hugs and Fishes, Amanda All images and text copyright 2012 The Quilted Fish
I will honor Christmas
in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. -Charles Dickens
Contributors
Amanda Herring The Quilted Fish
Projects: All decor and decoupaged houses
Stephanie Peterson Projects: Peek-a-boo gift bag, Merry and bright wall hanging blog: Peasinapod.typepad.com
blog: TheQuiltedFish.typepad.com
Sally Keller
Candice Doyle
Projects: Pajama pants and ornaments
Projects: Placemats
blog: sallysangelworks.typepad.com
blog: madewithlove-candice.blogspot.com
Jackie White
Jana Kigin
Projects: Drawstring gift bag
Projects: Apron
blog: www.jabotquilt.blogspot.com
blog: crossstitchdramaqueen.blogspot.com
Brooke Sellmann
Connie Atkisson
Projects: Table runner, Christmas stocking
Projects: Ruffled tote bag
blog: sillymamaquilts-sillymama.blogspot.com
blog:
Special thanks To my photographer, Kristen Pack of Shade Tree Studios, for the amazing photos To Joyce Brock for quilting the placemats To Bella Degn and Kristen Hickman for modeling
New pajamas and Christmas eve go together like cookies and milk. You just can’t have one without the other.
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads
Favorite Traditions I love traditions. They are what the holidays are all about. I am always looking for new traditions to add to our holidays. My favorite tradition is a new one that we just started last year. We do a white elephant exchange with my family. Each person draws the name of one person to give to. Then we search for the most perfect, most hilarious gift we can find. It is great fun and we all laugh until it hurts to laugh any more! Here are some of the traditions of the team members: While Candice was growing up, her parents had her pick out an ornament every year so that when she left home she would have a complete tree. Brooke’s favorite tradition is decorating Christmas cookies. Jana loves cutting down their own Christmas tree. Sally’s family sings carols around the piano while her husband plays each Christmas eve. Stephanie has always loved decorating the tree with her parents. She and her father always put the lights on together, then the whole family would put the lights on. Her dad was very particular about the tinsel, only two or three strands per branch! Jackie has many things she loves... Going to the farm Eating rasin pudding Candy canes and hot chocolate Big family dinners Lots of decorating Present opening Wide eyed wonder Total excitement for Santa Cookies and milk Loved ones arriving White snow Red ribbons and green trees.
Favorite Movies Love them or hate them, Christmas movies are a big part of the season. Here are some team favorites.... Amanda: Muppet’s Christmas Carol Jana and Brooke: White Chrismtas Sally: Elf and White Christmas Stephanie: Walton’s Christmas movie
Cookies for
Santa
Pattern for the placemats is available in “An Apple A Day�, available at TheQuiltedFishPatterns.com
The Art of Giving
Whatever the gift, those who consider gift giving an art would never give their heart felt offering without fabulous packaging. Here are a couple of lovely little bags to tuck treats or other wonderful surprises in.
Special guest
Connie Atkisson I invited my dear friend, quilter and all around amazing person to contribute to this edition because she is so very talented. I was so excited when she came up with the idea for a bag. With ruffles. Two of my favorite things! I asked Connie what her favorite tradition is. You better write this one down, because it might be your newest tradition! “My favorite Christmas tradition is definitely “Elfing,” which is a twist on traditional caroling. We dress like Santa’s elves, sing a Christmas song and then we have a checklist to check for Christmas spirit. We check to see if Christmas music is playing, they have a decorated tree, cookies out for Santa, a nativity scene displayed, etc and present them with a treat if we deem they have enough Christmas spirit.”
Everyone needs a bit, or a bunch, of ruffles in their life. This apron makes a great hostess gift and you will look amazing in one when you host your own parties!
Find the tutorial here: http://thequiltedfish.typepad.com/files/ruffle-apron-tutorial.pdf
Trim the Tree
Set the Table
Paper mache houses decoupaged with fabric look sweet and inviting tucked into the Christmas tree.
I love to put things in jars. I love the way it creates a little world inside of them, almost like you could play inside of them.