Quick Advent Calendar

Our holiday season got a bit of a late start after the weather kept our house without power for five days. It was hard to come home from Thanksgiving holiday to a house without electricity, when all I wanted was to get life back on track. November and December are already busy months with all the extra things holiday related. I was not thrilled when the ice hit. Nevertheless we made it through it and now just have a yard of trees that have to be trimmed. ugh.

Now on to the reason I am writing. The advent calendar I made this year... I used a tree limb from one of the many we have picked up in our yard and will be picking up for quite some time. I just used a little hand saw to cut it.

I needed the advent calendar to come together quickly so that we could use it. Most of the decisions I made were based on time. I was about 7 days late but my oldest is still loving it and doesn't care too much that it wasn't there on day one. I picked up a few premade felt stockings, made a couple really quick fabric bags (maybe I will make a video tutorial on these) and used my silhouette to cut out some paper boxes, I even used a little jar that I had and some paper bags. Then I just tied them all up with bakers twine and this year the advent calendar is complete. 

I didn't number the bags simply because of lack of time. My son actually likes it this way because I have let him pick the one he wants to open that day. Kind of defeats the purpose of the "calendar" part if there isn't days on them but it still does it's job of getting him excited every morning when he gets to open a new package. The best part of Christmas to me is that childhood excitement. Re-living it through my children is one of the best things about Christmas time to me. 

Drawstring Mini Bag Tutorial

 .......and the video tutorial is finished and on my YouTube channel Katie Crafty Mom! That is a big accomplishment with a toddler around. He has been into everything that I have been doing. I had to shoot most of the video in the early morning while he slept but it was worth it. 

Click here to watch

Why do I quilt. Well there are several reasons right now. First, I love fabric and pretty designs. I have always been attracted to pretty patterns and after I got sucked into the quilting world I realized just how many cute fabric patterns are really out there. I love the traditional blocks but when it comes to sewing them myself I want to sew with fresh fun colors and cute little animal prints or gorgeous florals. I had no idea when I first started how many pretty fabrics there were and well now, there is a little less money in my pocket because I just love all the things.

The next reason I quilt is the obvious one, I want more quilts. I would love to have a quilt to get out for every holiday and maybe more than one. I have two boys and I want to make them quilts. I love the way handmade quilts look on the bed and want one for every room in my house. I also would love to give them as gift for close friends and family. There is such a long list of quilts that I want to make right now. I am sure for most quilters like myself the list just keeps growing because there is never enough time to make them all. I mean there is this thing called money that is a bit of a necessity so I have to find time to make some of that too. I still haven't found one of those trees that money grows on yet, but if I ever do and had all the time in the world to be crafty I would just be floating on cloud nine. In the mean time I will just steal all the extra minuets I have and cherish the treasures I get to make.

I am sure if I sat here long enough I could like of so many more reasons to quilt but the last one I am going to mention is the process of quilting. Some quilters really like piecing some really like quilting. I think for me it's every single bit. I love picking out the fabric matching up different designers prints together to get combinations I haven't seen together. Then there is the task of finding the perfect pattern to use to make those fabrics shine. Sometimes I hold onto fabric for quite some time waiting for the perfect way to use it. I have found that I tend to grab inspiration from many places and design it myself. 

The one pictured above however is from a pattern that I really loved and thought I would try. It's called Scottsdale pattern I got it at Fat Quarter shop.