Our little Christmas tree…
It is a table top version & I love the train that runs around it… and my honey has added a few of his vintage train pieces to the decor as well 🙂 I took someone’s tip and while we regrow our ornament stash (we lost all the precious ornaments we had in a house fire) … and am using Christmas cards we have received for decoration too! Nice to see all those families we pray & keep up with on our tree!
Here is a close up of the puzzle pic behind the tree.. we did this several years ago.. just after that fire and hang it every year now..
it is the only Santa thing in our decor anymore now 🙂 Isn’t it FUN!!
On the quilting front
I have been moving along on the hand quilting on Wish Upon a Vintage Star wall hanging…
I am still using the hoop successfully as you can see by the large hoop mark in the pic 🙂 … although there are parts coming up I will not use the hoop and I haven’t decided how I will do the borders.. hoop or hoopless 🙂
This is all that I have left of the white space too…
But I have these stencils that came in this week for the borders!!! Yippee 🙂
so I am ready to do them when I get there!
For the borders I will be using a pounce pad probably in white.
But for these swirly creamy spots on this wall hanging I have used graphite (similar to a soft lead pencil) to mark the specific design in each area … for this I marked BEFORE I layered .. but the pounce is done AFTER layering your quilt top 🙂
I wanted to share a recipe I just got for removing pencil & graphite marks from quilt tops before washing them …
- 1/4 c water
- 3/4 c rubbing alcohol
- 7 – 8 drops Palmolive dish soap.
Dawn will NOT work. Mix together and apply with a soft toothbrush
I have a spray bottle I plan to put mine in once mixed together then shake before each use. I will scrub with a soft cloth to remove then wash formally when finished.
There is a product available that works well.. just looking to save money and make my own… would love feedback on this recipe if you mark with pencil or graphite and get heavy handed at times and need to remove before that final washing… 🙂
Linking this Christmas time post with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching here! She is taking time to slow down today and slow stitch some.. are you busy with last minute holiday plans? Why not take a few seconds to leave me a holiday comment… then put in a few stitches of your own 🙂
Until my next post…
Designoriginalsbykc Blog 
Your wall hanging is really coming right along! I'll have to make a note of that marking pencil removing spray. I have only had trouble with removing the black Sewline marking pencil lead when I got too heavy handed. Since then I try not to get too heavy handed and I use the pink lead (it shows up on both lights and darks … unless I use pink fabric, which is not very likely). But it will be nice to have something ready to go – just in case. 😉
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cute little tree on the table – I didn't know you had been a victim of a house fire! sorry for that must have been horrible. Now you can make new memories can't you. Good luck with the pencil remover, I bought a bottle of something once that is supposed to work but I rarely mark in pencil so I don't even remember if it worked.
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This project is coming along nicely!
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I just love that stencil you are using on the white. You will be to the border by Monday I am sure. Blessings my friend.
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Wish Upon a Vintage star is beautiful. Your tree is cute and I like the idea of using cards to supplement your ornaments. It is sad to lose treasured items to a fire, but you are making new happy memories.
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You are really doing well with quilting this project! That stencil looks perfect!
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