Christmas Roses

OK--so I haven't finished any kind of a quilt in the last few months. It's been busy at work. The holidays were hectic. I had other stuff to make and finish, none of it particularly artistic. But--since I've done a little bit of floral design, I thought I'd make a centerpiece for my Dickens Christmas party this last Saturday.

Since the Dickensians were really into roses, I got gorgeous red roses from my friend Monique, owner of Rose's Flowers in Wauwaotsa, WI (http://www.rosesflowershop.net/ --a shameless plug...) along with some ornamental cedar branches. I also used a few pheasant feathers, ostrich feathers, pine cones and faux berries that I had lying around.

So, this is how it came out:

This was atop a four-foot tall glass tower that I put in the center of the table. I wanted something spectacular that didn't take up any room on the table, as we were serving dinner family style and needed the table space. I like the way it turned out. Maybe a new career for me??

Christmas Wallhanging Contest

One of the nice quilters at the Quilts Your Way forum mentioned this website and their Christmas contest. Since this is generally for traditional quilters, and I have a lot of traditional quilts laying around, I thought I'd enter. http://www.quiltinggallery.com/ I also have their logo here on my blog.
The small wallhanging I entered was one I made last year during the fall Reedsburg retreat. I found the pattern and fabric at one of my favorite shops, Homespun Fabrics in Endeavor, Wisconsin. http://www.homespunfabrics.net/
It's a very cool place in a small outbuilding next to a big barn on a working farm. The owner and her daughter design patterns under the name "Contrary Wife Designs". I found the most gorgeous and elegant Christmas fabrics there--way nicer than anything I've found here in the "big city".
Its one of the few times I've ever bought a pattern and fabrics all at the same time, and actually followed the pattern! It was paper pieced, and the pieces were sewn together in pie fashion. It's the first time I've ever done that as well, and I have new-found respect to those who do kaleidoscope and Lonestar quilts. I confess I had to beat the middle into submission with my iron...having all those seams coming together was a real challenge. So--I looked at that as a "design opportunity", and added the jewel embellishment.