I've finally decided to get my Christmas presents, that I made, up on the blog. I had read on some one's blog that making pillowcases was a fast, easy, stress-free present to make, and I thought...that sounds just about perfect for me. Too bad for me, they were lying through their teeth. I'd like to state, for the record, that pillow-cases are frustrating, slow-going and stressful to make. Granted, I made a few changes that probably caused the majority of my headaches. I added applique and a french seam. The applique was a must...headache or no headache. The French seam was just more work than I needed to give myself. (for all those of you who are wondering what a French seam is--I just found out a few weeks before I made these pillowcases--they are seams that hide all of the raw edges. It looks really cool, but how cool do you need to look for a seam that nobody can see?) Still, I loved how they turned out. If enough time passes for me to forget the fact I wanted to tear them apart with my bare hands before I was finished with them...then I may decide to make some for my own clan next year. That's optimistic. Maybe the year after...

Craig & Robbyn's pillowcases


Jack & Tommy's pillowcases.


Lucy & Penny's pillowcases


And finally, Maggie's pillowcase. I really loved how this one turned out.


Here they are all stacked and ready to send...


Mom & Dad Jones got one too. Looking back, I should have done their letters in more noticeable colors. Sometimes you just don't wanna blend in.


And last, but not least, here is the quilt I made for Tonnette. I really loved the way the colors came together here. I was worried that my idea of a classy modern, contemporary quilt was going to end up too harsh but in the end, I loved the colors and materials of the bright oranges, aquas and yellows together. This was the first one that Robert told me to keep instead of sending off. He argued that Tonnette had no idea I had been making it for her, so she'd never know. Although he made a valid point, you just can't hold on to something when you have someone else in mind with each stitch. Silly Rob.


I used up a tone of my little scraps from the front to make the stripe on the back. I liked how it looked against the black background. The only disappointing part I felt about this quilt is the material I picked for the back. My options at the store were limited and in the end I trade the perfect pattern for the perfect texture. It is a trade I'm not going to make in the future. It's not worth giving up that soft silky feel for just the pattern. I wanted to rip it up and replace it with a flannel but I ran out of time and energy. I need to start planning my Christmas sooner next year...