Alex's Holiday Lights Quilt

[Norma H.]

Good job, Rosemary. It looks as pretty converted as it did before. Renata, that must mean that you did a fantastic job :lol:

[Charae H.]

I want to do Alex's holiday lights but with a dark background and multi coloured trees, where can I find a picture please?
Anne

Anne~ I just goggled "holiday lights quilt pattern alex anderson" and got the colored image that appears on her pattern. I will try to paste the address here:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CE8Q9QEwBQ

[ANNE E.]

Thanks Charae,
It worked! I hope at some stage to make this quilt but I have been sewing a cross stich for a friend and it has taken ages, one thread over 28 count evenweave. I didn't do any patchwork in this time but today I have started again.....I thought I had lost my mojo but it's coming back. No more large cross stitches for me just small items.
Thanks again
Have a nice weekend I hope it's warmer in your neck of the woods....I've got my thermals out
Anne

[Charae H.]

Great, Anne~ Glad it worked. 28 count even weave is smaller than I can do these days. I still cross-stitch about a dozen Christmas ornaments every year -- one thread over 22 count-- and that's small enough for me! I haven't done a big cross stitch project in over 10 years! It is a nice 73 degree day in San Jose although it rained buckets yesterday. Rain is our snow. If it doesn't rain we have to start thinking about letting our lawns die next summer and we begin to consider the hideous prospect of showering with friends to conserve water. LOL! Sorry, bad joke. Anyway we were more than happy to see RAIN!
Stay warm.

[Hannelore N.]

Charae, I loooove any type of counted thread hand-embroidery, but I'm also kind to my eyes, so normally use light fabrics that have a thread count of 25, and then work over 2 threads. That way I don't (yet) need to use a magnifier, and can even do bigger projects, and it's still relaxing.

[Charae H.]

Lorchen~ I always use light fabrics, but I've never worked over 2 threads. I'll have to give that a try because I do love counted cross stitch and hand embroidery. I have a fancy magnifier on a stand in anticipation of my eyesight getting worse. My real problem is that I get so caught up in the relaxation of needle up/needle down that I lose track of time and forget to look up and get up once in a while! BUT I really need to do more than the little Christmas ornaments pictured~if only to use up several thousands of miles of DMC floss! Thanks!

[Norma H.]

Charae, what beautiful ornaments you posted. Great work

[Charae H.]

ops: Thanks, Norma. I shouldn't have posted here and started another misdirection. I got caught up in my explanation to Lorchen when I decided to post the only size of cross stitch I do these days! Back on topic!

[Norma H.]

You know some of us loves to wander a bit around :lol:

[E.M. T.]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Hannelore N.]

Charae, those ornaments are gorgeous!!

[Renata L.]

Charae, your ornaments are so beautiful!

Finally, my Holiday Lights quilt is finished! I chickened out and let my sister quilt it on her HQ16 (when I got on her machine, I stopped breathing and could not move my feet over to continue the panto :lol: ; I guess it takes some practice...). I originally was going to use a variegated (gold-silver-teal-red) metallic thread by Superior Threads and we found, much to my surprise, that King Tut De Nile, a brilliant turquoise colored thread looked stunning and connected back to the lights in the border as well as made the panto design stand out a bit more. The panto is of snowflakes. The border is simple: the lights are outlined with Bottom Line thread and the piano key border is stitched in the ditch. Nothing more was needed.

And here it is:



A close-up of the panto design:

[Beverly C.]

Oh, Renata, what a treasure you have made! I'm going to be very lucky to get mine finished by Christmas - but if I don't, I'm way ahead of the game for next year!!!! Your quilt is just absolutely beautiful. Isn't it interesting how quilting thread can make a quilt sparkle in a special way! Thanks for your inspiration!

[Rita C.]

I love everything about it Renata! And you still have time to make another one before Christmas :lol: All your choices have worked out perfectly, even down to the binding. Congratulations. Let the Christmas celebrations begin.

[Renata L.]

Thank you, Rita and Beverly! I am so excited, it is done and I actually like it!!! :lol: Now to find wall space...