Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Mini Tree Skirt Swap and Other Stuff

It's been more than a week now since I found a package on my front door step. I was filled with excitement because I knew there was a special gift inside. An online group to which I belong does a gift exchange each year. Last year we swapped quilted Christmas stocking and this year we decided on tree skirts for small Christmas trees, along with three ornaments and some sort of a treat.




I was a very lucky girl! Kristie (Quilt Harvest) had my name this year and she made the above tree skirt using the Thimbleberries Wild Goose Chase pattern. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that Kristie had actually cut into her all time favorite Thimbleberries fabric to make my gift. It's the red fabric from the Holly Hill line. See the Christmas tin? It's filled with red and green M&Ms. Kristie knows that I love to snack on M&Ms and drink diet Coke while I sew. She told me that she actually had a diet Coke packed inside a plastic bag and had planned to send it too, but her DH told her that was a bad idea. That's okay...I have diet Coke here at home! LOL!


One of the ornaments that Kristie sent was a little frame with a picture of the two of us at our first Main Street Cotton Shop retreat in Hutchinson, MN. That's me on the right and Kristie on the left. I think that was way back in 2002 or 2003, but Kristie will correct me if I'm wrong.
Above is the tree skirt that I made for my friend, Erica, who lives in Alberta, Canada. I shrunk the Buggy Barn tree skirt pattern from the Stir Crazy book. I was able to get two mini tree skirts from the eight FQs that I used. I still need to finish the one for me.

Here's another picture from my home. Look...there's me and Kristie again! The Trip Around the World quilt is one of the first quilts that I made and is the only one that I have hand quilted. The quilt was actually made from scraps that were left over from a log cabin quilt that I made for my brother's family. I used a free pattern from Connecting Threads that is no longer available (although there is a similar one that is throw sized).
Friday was the 9th grade night dance at the junior high. Blondie (left) and her friend got together early to take a few pictures. These two have been best friends since birth...really! Their birthdays are eight days apart. Although they're both very busy, they spend a lot of their spare time together hanging out with friends in the neighborhood and riding their longboards.
On Saturday the Ballerina (center) invited two of her best friends to Clara's Tea Party. They had a great time eating finger sandwhiches and cookies and listening to the story of The Nutcracker. This Friday and Saturday the Ballerina will be dancing in four performances of The Nutcracker as a soldier. I'm sure there'll be more pictures to come. lol!

16 comments:

  1. Kairle:
    I love that tree skirt you made??
    Whew, those stars and pointed edge.
    Love it all. Thanks for posting all
    the neat things you do.
    Diane in Idaho

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  2. I really love the tree skirt you received as a present it is just beautiful, perfect colors too in mho.
    the star tree skirt is just sooo AWESOME!
    Oh I am going to see if I can work that out.
    I have that book so hopefully I can shrink it to make it work too!
    was it hard to do the binding?
    Kathie

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  3. I love Erica's Tree Skirt. You did a great job. I really enjoy 1/2 sizing patterns. Your quilting is neat too.

    Linda Z

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  4. Fun presents in the mail, a great mini-quilt on the wall and great daughters who are enjoying their friends. Does it get any better than this?

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  5. Love your tree skirt and that Buggy Barn one you made......OMG that is way cute. You did a great job on that. Your girls are adorable!!!

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  6. What a joyful post! Those mini tree skirts are beyond adorable. Very, very cute!

    Your DD's are such cutie patooties!

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  7. Such lovely gifts . . . what a great gift swap *s*

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  8. What great little tree skirts. I really love the one that you made -- what a fun idea to shrink the original pattern!

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  9. Aw, I love seeing my little sisters being cute! I can't wait to go shopping with you when I get home so that I can have an amazing dress, too! Love you a lot!

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  10. Love the tree skirts - what a great idea for a swap! Your little wall quilt is very pretty, too.
    Your girls are so adorable - thanks for sharing pics of them. Seeing them always makes me smile!

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  11. Kairle, your trip around the world is so cute. I love your arragement in front of it. So Chrismasy. Glad to he hear that you've hand quilted one quilt. Try for two.

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  12. Eileen cracks me up--I can just hear her saying that! LOL! Hey, I think you have you and Kristie mixed up--aren't you the one on the LEFT? Or did I read that wrong? Doesn't matter really since I've met both the "originals"--ROFLOL! Loved seeing the photos of your girls and, of course, the quilts!

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  13. You've shared so much quilty goodness with us. I especially liked the tree skirt that you made.

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  14. Cute quilts and beautiful girls. I hope the Ballerina had fun performing. I was a ballerina for 10 years and I LOVED being on stage. :)

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  15. Would you be willing to share the pattern for the mini Christmas tree skirt quilt. I'm new at quilting and am still "holding hands" with more seasoned quilters. E-mail address is aroy@hallstromconstruction.com

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  16. I really like the pictures you posted of the miniature tree skirts. I'd love to make a couple for myself but have not been able to find any patterns. Would you know of any sites where I might be able to purchase a miniature tree skirt pattern. Also, would you be willing to send me the dimensions or possibly the directions for making the one with the stars. Looking forward to hearing from you soon as I need to get them made in the next couple weeks. Thanks, Sandy E

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