It's a Christmas Miracle!

We don't hate Christmas Ribbons anymore (although we continue to believe the pattern name is a misnomer). After taking it to the shop, Jan recommended adding this green 5" border. What a difference it makes! It's our own little Christmas miracle.


The shop will finish it and use it in a Christmas display, then sell it at the end of the year during the sample sale.

Some of you were so interested in sparing Momcat's feelings that you were hesitant to come up with some humorous labels. Other than mine (which are the best ones, of course), I must say that I love Jennifer's "Ho Ho Uh-Oh" as well as Mockenrue's "I Can't Hear You Over This Quilt." (BTW, Mockenrue is Philip, Linda's son).

We thought with this top done we'd be able to start working again on some of our personal projects, or at least start cutting the scraps necessary for Bonnie Hunter's workshop (Momcat is attending two of them in Indianapolis this month!)

But then this happened.


The Christmas fabrics and Triangles on a Roll are for another shop sample which needs to be a finished top by the end of this week at the latest. Good thing Momcat's off work on Tuesday and Thursday this week. And wait until you see the name of the pattern that she's using.....



Don't you love it when God laughs! This "Christmas Ribbons" pattern was written by Jan Doench, the owner of Best Friends Quilt Shoppe. I'm certain we'll be very happy with this top from the get-go.

Piecefully yours,
Pi

(s)Crappy Christmas Quilt - Part Deux

I'd like to thank you all for your advice and words of encouragement about the (s)Crappy Christmas Quilt. As you can see, my team has been working to make it salvageable. But alas, I think it's a lost cause.


Butch and Sundance just aren't big enough to cover it up as much as it needs to be. They did manage to run away and play with some of the blocks, but Momcat retrieved them and put them in the wrong place. By that point she'd lost heart so much that she didn't even change them back.

Tried two borders. Yuck. Tried one black border at 4.5" which is what the pattern calls for. Yuck. Think we're sticking with the current 2.5" black border.

I'm doubtful that this quilt will find its way onto the shop's wall. Momcat was considering donating it to Project Linus but then thought, haven't those kids suffered enough? Perhaps a home for the blind???

This quilt can best be viewed from a hill in Missouri if you're standing in Finland.

Momcat and I have been mewling about what to call it. As in the previous post, Figgy Pudding Explosion is one thought. Here's a few more:

• Yuletide Muckabout
• Christmas Gone Awry
• Was I Bad?
• Santa's Angry
• When Elves Go Wrong
• Noel NOOOOOO!
• Cruel Yule
• You'll Poke Your Eye Out!
• Clean Up in Aisle Four
  

Feel free to submit some of your own labels for it here. I think it would be some fun reading!

I took a close-up of Butch and Sundance using the Pi-cam. Butch's ears are laid back. He just can't rest on a quilt this ugly.



Yours,
Piwacket

The (S)Crappy Christmas Quilt

Ever have a project with a pattern that you loved, fabrics that you loved, a process that you loved and then you started putting the blocks together and stopped to say "Holy crap!" That's the way we're feeling right about now with this quilt.

Meet the (S)Crappy Christmas Quilt AKA Christmas Ribbons.


Momcat Linda took it to the shop's design wall for some help. A committee developed to look at it and compare it to the pattern. Everything was done according to plan, the fabrics are adorable, but it's just not coming together.

Linda: I'm not feeling it. I can't even see it anymore. I don't know how to fix it.

Jan: You did everything right, and the pattern in the book is very scrappy with all different colors.

Jessica: Maybe it will look better with the border.

Linda: You really think so?

Jan: I don't see the ribbon. In fact, I don't see a ribbon design in the book either.

Linda: I think it must be just after the kids have destroyed all the presents that Santa left them. This is the mess under the tree waiting for Mommy to clean it up.

Jessica: Maybe it will look better with the border.

Linda: I hope so. But I'm not sure.

Jan: It's a big quilt.

Linda: I don't think we should call it Christmas Ribbons. Maybe Figgy Pudding Explosion.

Jessica: I think it will look better with the border.

Jan: Use two borders. Use a thin solid black or navy inner border. And then your print outer border. And you have to miter your borders. I think it will look very cheerful when it's completed (grimacing in pain as these words come out of her mouth).

Linda: Aarrgh!!!


Today I've avoided the sewing room. Momcat is not to be trifled with. She just finished sewing all the rows together and realized that one block is turned the wrong way. Let the unsewing begin!

Maggie is doing her best to hold Momcat's place in the book. Maybe it's her fault for covering up the directions. Yeah, let's go with that.



Hiding under the bed until the storm passes,
Pi