Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to say Thank you for being here and support my trip through the Wonderful World of Quilting.
I wish everyone out there a joy filled holiday!
This is one of my recent coasters I finished just a few days before Christmas.

  Have a beautiful week, my dears!

Lovely Stocking Pattern for our gifts

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one starting the to-do sewing list for Christmas gifts.
If you are like me, you give so much attention to the gifts you are sewing, that almost always the time left for thinking about how to pack them is so limited that you end up making a last minute improvisation. Sometimes it turns out well but only sometimes, not always.
That's why this year I added on the list, next to each gift project, a very brief description of how I will pack it and I am trying to prepare ahead all I need for packaging.

Here is one project that could serve both as a gift and as a package to host a gift.

For those of you loving the folk style and wanting a fresh look for your traditional projects,  I listed again the Granny Stocking Pattern in my Etsy shop.
It will be listed for a limited time. So, if you like it and need it,  just take this opportunity.
If you want to learn more about the Granny Stocking Pattern, you might find useful this post.

Enjoy!
Have only beautiful sewing days, my dears!
Thank you for your support!

Free printable for Christmas

I was preparing gifts for Christmas when I realized that I need paper tags or cards to attach on each one. As my printer just said to me that the color ink is low, instead of using plain pieces of paper to write my words, I quickly drew a template for 10 simple cards/tags that require only black ink.
And because sharing is caring, I am sharing them with you, my readers, as a little Thank you for the support that you have given to me throughout 2015.

I wrote "Happy Holidays" trying to enlarge the recipients circle.

Right click on the photo, choose Save As, save it in your computer and print it. I suggest you to use the " Scale to paper size" feature. Cut out the rectangles.
To use them as tags, use a paper punch to make a hole with, for the ribbon.
This free printable image is for personal use only!

A short reminder:
If you need to sew a quick project, my Granny Stocking pattern is still on sale until December 23!

Have a beautiful day!

I am linking to Linky Tuesday


  

Granny Stocking pattern - on sale!

Christmas is so close and we all have so much to do!
If you like making sewn gifts for your loved ones, I give you a helping hand:

During 19 - 23 December I will offer my Granny Stocking pattern at a reduced price. 

You can purchase it by going to my Etsy Shop.

As you may see, Granny Stocking has an original shape - inspired by Romanian traditional footwear.
It is a last-minute project, an ideal choice when your "to do list" is still long but the time is short.

For Granny Stocking you need only a few materials:
*Fabrics: 
-2 pieces of 11" x 15" for stocking body
-about 12" x 12" for cuff and shoe
*Tear-away stabilizer for cuff embroidery
*A piece of ribbon for the loop
*Coordinating threads  

You might also sew your stockings from modern fabrics to give a chic look, or using seasonal prints and no embroidery, or just a few assorted fabric scraps. Your imagination is the limit. Whatever your choice, one thing is sure: your stockings made using my Granny Stocking pattern will immediately distinguish, warming up the hearts to all who will receive them, no matter how small would be their content!

Have only beautiful sewing days, my dears!

Granny Stocking - pattern release

Just in time for the holidays!

This is a fast and easy Stocking pattern! 

Granny Stocking is 14" tall and 10" wide (from toe to heel), but you can make it larger or smaller only by printing at different scales the templates you will find at the end of the pattern.

The templates include seam allowances, so you only have to cut on markings.

The pattern has 14 pages. The instructions are clear and easy, illustrated by 28 images. 

 The little story of this Stocking is this:

Initially, I only wanted to make a Christmas Stocking using someone's pattern. I did not planned to make my own design. I started to look on the Internet but the huge number of Stockings I found overwhelmed me. Even so, I didn't find a stocking shape that I truly liked.

As usual the first thought was: So, I can't decide what to chose. How about to make my own design?

And again as usual, I did some research into my preferred source of inspiration: Romanian traditional clothing.

This time I aimed traditional winter footwear both for women and men. I noticed the shapes, colors and a few more defining details. I made a few sketches. I chose the fabrics. Only two: classical deep-red and bone-white. Cotton. Consequently, using white cross-stitch embroidery as embellishment came so naturally that I didn't need to think about alternatives.

  

For Granny Stocking you need only a few materials:
*Fabrics: 
-2 pieces of 11" x 15" for stocking body
-about 12" x 12" for cuff and shoe
*Tear-away stabilizer for cuff embroidery
*A piece of ribbon for the loop
*Coordinating threads 

For my stocking I chose the simplest way to beautify it: embroidery using sewing machine's decorative stitches. 
If you don't have decorative stitches on your sewing machine you could use utility stitches as decorative stitches by simply changing the length and width of stitches. Look bellow at my sample:

  

Utility stitches

It is preferable to use stabilizer for the embroidered section mainly to obtain a well formed stitch.

If you don't have stabilizer you might use a piece of lightweight interfacing, but you need to reinforce the whole cuff wrong side not only the embroidered area in order to have the same thickness of the fabric allover the cuff.

 

Granny Stocking might be even a graceful decoration long after the Christmas holidays are over. Of course, if the chosen fabrics will not betrayed this!

If you want more for your stocking, giving it a deeper traditional accent, you might add crossed ribbon or cord over the stocking body. Like here:

 

It can also be sewn with modern fabrics to give a chic look. 

I designed Granny Stocking to be graceful but also to be easily sewn and to give endless possibilities to show your creativity.

Look how gorgeous is Silvia's test-stocking with her personal twist:

Thank you, Silvia and Geta for your reviews and suggestions!

If you'd like to refresh your Christmas stockings look  - I think they would make great Christmas presents too- you are welcome on my Etsy Shop.

I'm offering all my patterns at a discounted  price for a limited time. 

Have a beautiful day! 

 

Christmas Is Here!

I wish you my friends, to have the most dear moments together with your family and friends!

Merry Christmas! / Craciun fericit!

Christmas on the horizon / Craciunul la orizont

I wanted to see how is it to use for quilting the twin needle (double needle).
The pretext was a quick table runner for the upcoming holiday.

The tests are continuing but for now I can tell you that for quilting too, the twin needle may be used for straight stitches, zig-zag and some decorative stitches.

How I combined the stitching techniques for quilting the Christmas table runner

A wile ago I used it also with the free-motion foot, but I don't have photos. These days I will give it another try quilting curves and using different colors threads and I will tale you how it worked.

One thing is very important: when you chose the quilting design you must be aware that when stitching with twin needle you can't sew around a corner with the needle down. You must lift up both the needle and the machine foot, arrange the fabric trying not to pull the thread and then continue on.

That's all for now.

Have a beautiful day!

I'm linking to Finished up Friday.

Another one! / Inca una!

My second doll is ready.
Ready for Winter Holidays.
Look how bright is the little Star!

Now, what do you think? This new doll is a She or a He?

I'm waiting for your opinion. Really!
I need some help to improve the design of my dolls.
I would appreciate your messages very much!

Thank you from now!
and
Have a beautiful day!

My Doll / Papusa mea

Iat-o, in sfarsit!

Desi abia am trecut de jumatatea lui noiembrie, a insistat sa aiba costumatia de Sarbatori.
Repeta de zor Colinde!
Acum ma ocup de fratii si surorile ei.
Ca si ea, deocamdata, vor decora fie fete de perna, fie sacose, fie....alte lucruri utile.

Nu m-am decis inca ce nume va avea fiecare si nici ce nume va avea familia lor.
Aveti sugestii, in sensul asta? Mi-ar prinde bine o mana de ajutor! Sau mai bine-zis, o idee de ajutor....
Zilele astea vremea a fost asa de mohorata si lumina asa de slaba, incat cu greu am reusit sa fac niste poze cat de cat prezentabile.
Ceva-ceva insa, se distinge, nu-i asa?

 Ii place sa se ascunda printre celelalte fete de perna pe care le-am lucrat!

Astept cu nerabdare, impresiile voastre!

Have a beautiful week!

A Little Star Rehearsal / Repetitie pentru o Steluta

With a delay of more than a month towards my friends, Ela, Ortansa and Silvia, I show you my star. My Little Star. But it's only the trial for the paper piecing exercise. And it is a little one. About 15 cm (6 inches).

The final one will be made from other fabrics, two of them beeing a common agreement, and I intend to keep these dimensions.

 

 

With my deepest apologies for you, my dears, here is My First Triple 6ray Star. 

And, yes, my side-ruler on my sewing machine extension is in cm, not in inches, as I said.

Sorry! ;)

 

Your quick eyes will observe the mistake I made when I assembled the two main blocks.

No mistakes on the final Star!

I promise!   

As you can see, I put on hand the fabrics for the winter holidays projects. 

Back to work, then!

 

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

 

 

Every day is Christmas when you have the kind of mind...

.... said someone.
I don't know if I have this kind of mind but at least these days, I'm trying to bring its spirit in my home.
Outside the weather keeps spoiling us with late autumn temperatures and you could hardly believe that there are only 10 days until Christmas.
And I'm trying hard to realize that....
Anyway....I wanted some joy accents in my house and I began with my window.
I've got some fabric patches and made this:

Christmas Trees Garland

This is how you can make it:

For every tree, you need 2 fabric pieces. Dimensions - your choice.

With right sides together, fold them in half and cut along a diagonal line.

You have now the tree crown.

For the trunk, cut one strip of fabric, double the final length.

You can use the pinking cutter and this way the margins will not fray.You will sew right side out.

  

Sew together the crown pieces along the diagonal sides only.

Turn the crown triangle right sides out

Fold in half the trunk stripe, wrong sides together, and sew them along the two long sides.

It is easier to use again the pinking cutter for the crown base. This way you don't need to fold it inside when you will close it.

Place the trunk with the small unsewn side inside the crown (about 1cm/1/2 inch).

Close the crown base by sewing together the front and the back sides placing the trunk between them.

Take one string and sew the trees on it, by hand.

Now you may admire the most beeeeautiful Christmas garland!

I didn't have the same dimension for all the trees. I cut out them at random and I like that due to this it seems that my garland design a hill line and my trees are spread, not just aligned.

Have a beautiful day!

....jingle bells, jingle bells....

Asta e primul titlu care mi-a venit in cap.
Dupa data din calendar, ar fi potrivit.
Dupa vremea de afara......ar fi trebuit sa caut altul.
Dar mie imi plac clopoteii.
Si pentru ca am avut norocul sa gasesc unii cum imi doream demult, am inceput sa le gasesc cate un locsor pe cadourile de Craciun.
Astazi va prezint un obiect util, pe care l-am creeat in asa fel incat sa fie potrivit din toate punctele de vedere pentru perioada asta. Si nu numai:

Incepem sa-l desfacem:

...1...

...2...

...3...

...hocus-pocus-preparatus...

...traistuta cu ingeras ...

Cand v-am spus ca e foarte potrivita pentru perioada asta, iata la ce m-am gandit: 

* poate fi luata la cumparaturile de sezon ca sa gazduiasca viitoarele surprize de sub brad (are barete destul de lungi ca sa poata fi purtata si pe umar, fara insa a matura podeaua cu ea cand o purtam in mana), dar 

* poate inlocui si prea-obisnuitul ciorapel, pentru ca o putem oferi si pe ea odata cu continutul...

Dar stiti de fapt care e farmecul ei? 

Ca cel/cea care poarta traistuta asta pe umar, are ocazia sa abata gandurile triste ale celor pe langa care trece, sa le aduca zambete si un pic de caldura in suflete, pentru ca nasturelul ala auriu de deasupra ingerasului canta...adica clincane....adica face ceea ce stie sa faca un clopotel atunci cand este clatinat... pentru ca el nu este un simplu nasturel, el ESTE UN CLOPOTEL.

Ingerasul asta a zburat deja...cu clopotel cu tot...

Daca v-ar placea asa o traistuta, apasati butonul Email me, aflat deasupra pozei cateilor mei si dati-mi de veste.

Am reusit sa-mi fac un cont pe Breslo. Dar atat. N-am avut timp sa merg mai departe.

Mai am clopotei:...si argintii...si rosii...si albastri....si panza de bumbac netratata chimic(deci nu este perfect alba)... si panza de bumbac cu imprimeu adecvat sezonului...Asa ca si traistutele pot avea si alte culori si alte modele si tot felul de dimensiuni si forme....

Mai avem un pic de timp la dispozitie: eu sa le fac, iar voi sa ajutati la infiriparea magiei sarbatorilor de iarna, care, recunoasteti, nu poate exista fara clinchetul clopoteilor....Si parca un pic de incurajare reciproca n-ar strica in vremurile astea....Nu credeti?....

Sa aveti un sfarsit de saptamana frumos!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Merry Christmas!

Dear blog-visitors from allover the world,
Have a Wonderful Christmas, filled with happiness and love!

Have only beautiful days!

St. Nicholas/ De Sfântul Nicolae

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara (now on the southern coast of Turkey).

His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

In Romania, on the night of December 5th, boots are cleaned and carefully polished to be put by the door or on the windowsill to wait for St. Nicholas' (Sfantul Nicolae) visit. He is generous to adults as well as children, putting a little present in each boot. In some areas branches or thin twigs covered with silver or bronze are left as a warning that behavior needs to improve. On the sixth of December, gifts are given to friends, children, and those in need. It is one of the most important Romanian holidays.

More than 800,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on St. Nicholas day, December 6th. 815,453 persons are named Nicholas or devivations of the name, 530,089 men and 285,364 women. (stnicholascenter.org)

Sfantul Ierarh Nicolae s-a nascut in localitatea Patara din Asia Mica, in a doua jumatate a secolului al III lea. Participa in calitate de episcop la primul sinod ecumenic tinut la Niceea in anul 325. Sinodul a condamnat erezia lui Arie, conform careia Iisus Hristos nu este Fiul lui Dumnezeu, ci doar un om cu puteri supranaturale. La acest sinod este recunoscut drept un mare aparator al ortodoxiei. Atat de puternic a argumentat Nicolae si atat de incapatanat a fost Arie, incat, ingrijorat de ruptura care se putea face in Biserica, viitorul sfant i-a dat ereticului o palma in cadrul sinodului. De la palma Sfantului Nicolae a ramas obiceiul ca, in 5 decembrie, celor neascultatori sa li se dea o joarda in semn de avertisment. 

In colindele romanesti se canta, in plina iarna, despre florile dalbe, flori de mar. Daca ne intrebam de ce de mar, trebuie sa stim ca batranii nostri cunosteau ca acea joarda a Sfantului Nicolae trebuie sa fie una de mar, iar daca aceasta, pusa in apa, va inflori pana la Nasterea Domnului, insemna ca sfantul a mijlocit pentru iertarea celui caruia i-a dat crenguta cu flori albe.

Sfantul Nicolae a avut masura lucrurilor atat de buna, incat a stiut ca dupa mustrare se cere mangaiere si ca incercarile vietii pot fi pentru unii prea apasatoare. A daruit mult saracilor, a linistit pe intristati, a vindecat cu putere de la Dumnezeu pe bolnavi. (crestinortodox.ro)

So, I had a strong reason to continue making all kind of beautiful things. Maybe they will brighten some little spots of someone heart in the St. Nicholas Day or in the Christmas Day....

And I must tell you that I had in mind that the future owner of my little objects to make the best of it.

Asa ca, am avut motive serioase sa continui sa imaginez si sa "materializez" tot felul de lucruri frumoase, cu speranta ca vor lumina macar un coltisor din inima cuiva, fie de Mos Nicolae, fie in ziua de Craciun...

Oricum, cand le-am gandit, am avut in vedere ca ele sa poate fi folosite cat mai mult timp.

Daca va plac si vreti sa oferiti cuiva ceva asemanator, puteti sa-mi comunicati pe adresa de email. 

Here there are. My drawstring gift bags:

Iata. Saculeti pentru cadouri:

For the time being my photos are bad and they will be the same for a time...

Deocamdata calitatea pozelor mele stirbeste mult din estetica lucrusoarelor mele. 

La un moment-dat se va schimba ceva in bine si in privinta asta.....

I wish you St. Nicholas will put in your boots the dreamed presents!

Va doresc ca Mos Nicolae sa va lase in ghete un "ceva" cat de mic, din ceea ce va doriti! 

Have a beautiful day!

Sa aveti o zi frumoasa!