Quilty Stuffing

Each year, I send about 30-40 holiday greeting cards to friends and family. Nothing out-of-the-ordinary about that! What makes my greeting cards a bit unusual is that I include a small hand-made holiday ornament with the greeting card.

I started this little tradition a few years ago. And now, it has become somewhat of a highly anticipated event for my friends and family. The pressure is on when October turns into November and I haven't started the card-stuffing-creation-process. Sometime in Mid-November I typically bump into a neighbor who says something like, "I can't wait to see what you've done for your cards this year!" Nothing like a little added pressure during a crazy time of year.

This year, my plan was pretty easy. The Mini Scrap Grid (sorry, if you are tired of hearing about this!--but I must admit that I'm rather addicted to the stuff!) allowed me to create a whole miniature quilt to stuff into each of my holiday cards.

While the grid is designed to make 9-Patch blocks, there are plenty of ways to create 9-patch blocks that have a bit of an attitude! All using a grid requiring 1" squares!

I decided to make some itty-bitty half-square triangles. Well, I cheated! They really didn't start out all that itty-bitty. I used two holiday-themed 2" scrap squares from my ScrapTherapy bins. On one I drew a diagonal line, then placed them right sides together and sewed two seams. Cut them apart, pressed, them, then trimmed them down to 1" square using my 2-1/2" Bloc loc half-square triangle trimmer.

I was making a LOT of cards, so I needed a LOT of half-square triangles, leaving a LOT of holiday-themed 'confetti!'

I made a bunch of itty-bitty four-patches, too! These were strip-pieced with 3/4" wide fabric strips. You can get a lot of 3/4" by 5" fabric strips from a 5" scrap square (you got it, the scrap square came from the ScrapTherapy bin!).

I placed them on a section of the Mini Scrap Grid interfacing, one 9-patch at a time and fused them in place.

Sew. Cut apart. Press and trim.

I even 'furled' the seam intersections from the back, so my ornaments would be perfectly flat!

Then stacked up the blocks. Lotsa stacks of fancy 9-patches! Ready for borders.

Fused the batting in between the little quilt top and matching backing fabric. This is starting to look festive!

A little pinking around the edges and add a perle cotton loop for hanging . . . Repeat about 50 times to have enough for my list (after checking it twice)!

Now, all I have to do if find time to stuff my cards! . . . Any one know any unemployed elves who know how to lick an envelope?

Happy Stitching!


PS. While it might be a bit late to begin your ornament-making project for this year, I say, it's never too early to start thinking about next Christmas. Ask for a Taste of Nectar Ornament pack at your favorite quilt shop, or order one (or more) right here.