A School of Christmas Fish and a Heron too!

Christmas is coming faster than projects are getting finished!  

So what else is new.... A school of fish went from 3 to 5 but they are so fun to make that when they multiplied overnight I didn't mind.  It just means I get to keep one of them.

 Some of the fabric was in the stash already and gosh darn, I had to buy new for a couple of them!  My favorite quilt store actually had a 30% off sale on all fabric.  This is the first time I have ever seen that happen and so I just had to buy some!  

Okay back to the fish.  It is all done with fusible applique.  One of the pieces was of large pointsettas and the other was from a paisely print that was fussy cut to make the fins and tail.

 The fins are outlined with gold metalic thread which is a real pain to sew with.  The strips on the fish are also done with the gold metalic with a blanket stitch.  

Yes, all the fish are blind and are waiting for their eyes.  Top stitching is becoming such an important part of quilting that if you don't have access to a long arm machine or know someone who has one and is really good and cheap then you have to resort to doing your own.

A secret that I have picked up and use on small wall hangings is using parchment paper to draw your design on (if it is simple) then pinning the paper to the quilt.

Worked fine with this fish....

I am not the only one here who is creative.  Bill has been working on a new design on the post out front.  The old sign was getting pretty ratty looking.  So lets take a look at what he has done.

 Designed by Bill, laser cut by a friend of a friend, and colored by Bill.  Isn't he the talented one!  This has been a work in progress for a couple of months.  

 

 

 Doesn't it look grand!  

Happy Holidays.