Here we go again!

Last year I drew Kimie's name for Christmas and made her an advent calendar. This year Norie is my Christmas giftee and has asked for a calendar too. So far - so good. I don't have to worry about what to make her.
Now the problem gets a bit complicated ... living in a Japanese house, the wall space for hanging is limited. She gave me the size restrictions (and they were restricting) and I have drafted a pattern and begun the task of putting it in action. The little pockets have to each hold a decoration to place on the tree. If the pockets get too small, the decorations I will have to carve will be very small as well.
Since each pocket has a number, the size of the numbers was also quite limited and needle-turn applique was a bugger. I wanted to stop many times and begin over using paint or embroidery or anything else. Now I am quilting around each number and hoping they will be OK.

As soon as I get these little numbers taken care of, I will be able to sew those pockets on and then the tree and the border of one-inch Christmas fabrics.

Since this is an Advent calendar, it will have to be done by the end of November to be used. The little carved ornaments will take about a week so I guess it is time to stop blogging and get boogieing.

Advent Calendar 2009

With Kimie's name on my Christmas list and Naomi's quilt finished, I began to think of something I could make and decided on an Advent Calendar. Earlier ones had not held up well. Felt was mother-eaten and ornaments fallen apart. I decided to try carving wooden ones and making the hanging of cotton fabric from my stash. I pieced the border instead of using ribbon. The cotton numbers on the pockets were a bigger challenge than felt. They looked a bit better lined and quilted. The green and red fabric was a bit darker than I might have liked, but it was what I had enough of in my stash.



I cut the wooden pieces and carried them camping where wood chips didn't make such a mess. Half a paper clip was glued in for the hanging loop. Panted with acrylic colors and varnish.

Completed 11-25-09
17 1/2" x 36" (44.5 cm x 91cm)

One piece I made (the harp) broke so I decided to make a Mejiro for my tori-doshi kid.

I felt bad half-way through because Julie has asked me to make her one for the last 9 years, but she told me not to worry. I'm glad I finished the project.

Leia's Quilt 2008

After swearing off hexagons forever, here I am back going going crazy again. Norie liked the I Spy I had made for Julie's boys and I didn't have to do any fabric shopping thus an alphabet for the center. I thought it only fair to put the Hiragana around the edge.


The plans changed when Norie wanted the 1 inch pieces added because the border was now too small. Kato-san gave me some fabric out of her stash of a similar color and the 1-10 counting filled those areas along with name in the upper right and date of birth in the lower left.

Norie got the organic cotton backing. It is soft and shows off my crooked quilting. From a technical standpoint this is the worst quilt I ever made. I was ready to toss it at several points. I hope my darling granddaughter will look at the love and not the imperfections.

68" x 82.5" (173 cm x 210cm)

You can count on my love 2000