Christmas in July Then & Now Blog Hop

/ quiltinggail

The Blog Hop

Carol from Just Let Me Quilt has organized this blog hop.  It is to feature quilts from “Then” or from “Now” or both.  Make sure you wander through the blogs and see how things have changed (or not) from Then and Now.

THEN

Years ago, I took a paper piecing class to do this quilt.  There was NOTHING said about needing prior paper piecing experience.    It’s not a large quilt, so I had hoped that it would be done in a couple of days.  The teacher laughed at me and said that even she couldn’t finish it in a couple of days.   It is a pretty complex pattern for a beginner!

And she was right – it took me several years (working on it in short bursts of time) to finish it.   The fabrics were in a kit and there was not enough of the background fabric, so I had to take out some of the piecing and replace it with a different fabric.  But it got done & I LOVE it!IMG_1256

NOW

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The snowman table runner was a free pattern from Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting.  and the towels were embroidered with free patterns from Little Santa and Redwork Snowman from Kreative Kiwi.

IMG_5841And yes, I did make the snowman previously with Island Batik fabrics and you can see it HERE.

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And I’ve already shown you my Island Batik “Christmas in July” project.  You can read more about it HERE.

Make sure you check out the other blogs that are participating in this blog hop!  There is LOTS of Christmas eye candy!  You will see mice, Santas, Christmas trees, stockings, quilts, FREE patterns, perhaps a give-away or two and more …. much much more!  Perhaps you’ll be inspired to start on something for Christmas.

July 27

July 28

July 29

July 30

July 31

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!   
Gail 

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54 thoughts on “Christmas in July Then & Now Blog Hop”

    • Hi Vicki! Thanks for stopping by! I absolutely LOVE your snowman topper!!! (Obviously, I’ve made it twice now!) It’s such a great pattern to follow with fantastic results! Thank you for sharing it!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

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  9. thank you for sharing today. i love your snowman table topper. thank you for sharing where we could find it. guess what i will be making LOL

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  10. Love your snowmen–both projects!!! (I’ve made that one, too!) That poinsettia is gorgeous!!! So was that your first paper piecing project? Because Wow!

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  14. It definitely takes a lot of patience and time to stitch out a project like the Poinsettia. The fact that you were a beginner taking on that project is major and that you stuck with it says a lot for you even tho it took you years to finish it. Better to take a few years and finish than never finish at all. It turned out beautiful as did your other projects. So happy you shared today.

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    • Thanks!
      I really think that the store that offered the pp Poinsettia should have specified “previous experience necessary.” I’m sure there were others in the class that did not finish their project!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

  16. Hi Gail! I am so impressed with your PP then project. WOW. I can’t imagine tackling that as a beginner – I hope your comment helped the teacher to mention in her description that it was a more advanced design. Good for you for finishing it! Your current snowmen topper and embroidered tea towels look so darn cute together. Nice job! I love the green as the background for the snowmen. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  18. Hi, Gail! Woo – what a great pattern to jump in on paper piecing! But you persevered and no wonder you love it! Gorgeous! Not to mention your investment of blood, sweat and tears. I’ll bet you became an expert by the time it was finished. Love all of your projects!

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    • Thanks for the kind words, Deonn!
      An expert a paper piecing? Not me! A friend taught me how to paper piece without sewing on the paper and I like that MUCH better. But not for complicated patterns!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

  19. Oh my goodness, what a beautiful paper piecing project! Your snowmen table topper and towels are adorable! Love the holiday embroidery on the towels. Thank you for the link to the patterns.

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  20. Gail, I love your paper pieced poinsettia quilt AND your snowman table topper and towels. Were the towel toppers done ITH? Very cute! Thanks for sharing.

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  21. That paper pieced poinsettias piece is amazing and so intricate. You were brave to take it on as a paper piecing project. It’s a treasure! Your snowman topper and embroidered towels are so cute and would make a great Christmas gift. Thank you for sharing your then and now with us!

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  22. I always love seeing what you are making. This hop is no different. I don’t like doing paper piecing, but I surely like your poinsettia quilt! Your snowmen are cute, too. That’s a great pattern.

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  25. Oh, I definitely would say that the Poinsettia paper piecing pattern was a little complex for a beginner. I would have been crying and running in fear. LOL!! It is certainly gorgeous. I love your snowman topper and towels. So cheery and bright!

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  26. What fun to see your then and now projects! Had to chuckle about your paper piecing experience, but how frustrating it is to get a kit, only to have less than enough fabric. Grr. Anyhoo, that pattern of Vicki’s is so cute, and your version is a very happy one!

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  27. I am so impressed that you finished that beautiful paper pieced poinsettia quilt. It is lovely. The snowmen are so sweet and I really need to give towels a try. I even have those designs from Kreative Kiwis. Yours may be just the incentive I need.

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