I think maybe most people wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for the winter holidays, right? Maybe after Halloween if they are really excited?
Early Christmas decorators get a lot of flack for overlooking other holidays, but I just always think “these people must not sew, otherwise they would have started prepping in July.”
While I didn’t actually start in the summer this year, I did sketch out some plans for what I wanted to stitch up for holiday gifts, and I made a note to come up with a little bedroom set for Cora’s room this year. We are trying not to do as many gifts so that we focus on the more important parts of the Christmas holiday, but I still wanted December to feel fun, and festive, and special. I knew that I needed some super sweet winter prints and a few different ways to use them, and the new Oh What Fun line from Hawthorne Threads is PERFECT for what I wanted to do!
After lots of cutting and sewing and hand tying (using those skills I learned from the older quilters at church back when I was 12), I ended up with circle bunting, a festive word banner, a pieced cathedral pillow, a sweet (if somewhat wonky) stuffed tree, and a light whole cloth quilt (perfect for our relatively warm winters!)
Like a lot of Hawthorne Threads’ lines, Oh What Fun has the best balance between sweet and whimsy, with out being cheesy and cartoon-ish. I mean, if novelty prints are your jam then more power to you! I just really love that this line is something that she isn’t going to outgrow any time soon.
I mean, those animals faces were just begging to be fussy cut, right?? Major heart eyes over here for this print.
The circle bunting was so easy, and the way the colors get all punchy against the white wool felt was exactly what I hoped for!
The quilt was dead easy too–it is a 2 yard piece of backing (the Christmas ball print) and two layers of cotton gauze. I bought a 4 yard cut and just folded it over, pinned, tied with coordinating Aurifil floss and embroidery thread from my stash, bound and BAM. Super soft, cuddly winter throw. I think that this may have been my favorite piece. If you have never hand tied a quilt before, I think this is a super easy and more modern way to try it out. My only advice would be to pin the gauze way more than you think you need too because that stuff stretched like crazy!
I can’t wait for Cora to come home and see her spiffed up room today–she is going to be so excited (and I wont point out that it isn’t quite December yet!)
Do you want to get your hands on some of this gorgeous line? I know that you do–so how about a giveaway for THREE YARDS of this goodness?!
To enter, leave a comment and tell me what you would make with the fabric if you win! For a bonus entry, go check out the line HERE and leave a second comment with your favorite print from the line!
***WINNER: Jessica Schunke! Check your email!***
