Getting Festive!

This weekend I've been working on a table runner from the Mrs Moen pattern I won. I've been having fun doing some Santa appliques and setting the circular pictures into the background. First I cut out and fused the santa designs. Then added buttonhole stitch and a fancy satin stitch around the edges of the pieces. I'll add the eyes and nose when I quilt.I used 2 strips of fabric to make the backgound cut across the width of the fabric. In the picture above I was deciding where to place the pictures.

  It got a little scary when I had to cut a hole in the background - yikes!!

It does make it easy to place the picture just right and looks really neat when it's fused in place.

I've satin stitched around the inset circle:

I did start quilting but I've had enough machining for today so I'll continue tomorrow - good thing it's a day off work for me!

Martin decided to add some extra loft insulation yesterday and while he was up there he brought the Christmas decoration boxes down. He was shocked when I started unpacking and putting things out - Bah Humbug!!! The only things he likes about Christmas are mince pies!  He thinks we should put things out on Christmas Eve and take them down Boxing Day!

I put up our tiny tree and stacking ornaments with a silver reindeer candle holder we bought in Copenhagen this year. I wish we could have got two but they were pretty expensive!

We wont have a big tree this year - we'll have 4 dogs here at Christmas so it wouldn't survive! Can you see the Robin at the top of the tree? We bought that a long time ago, at least 25 years and he's been on our Chriistmas tree every year since.

I also got out our Russian Doll ornaments we bought in the tourist market in St Petersberg.

Well, that's a start. I'll be sneakily adding more aound the house when Mr Grumpy isn't looking!