CHOO CHOO, GET ON BOARD BECAUSE STANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!!

My two oldest grandsons are just now discovering Christmas so I thought I would make them a hand towel with this Santa on it.

I had forgotten how big this Santa is, 12 x 12, by fat cat patterns.

I should have waited and gotten a bath towel...Oh well..

Are you wondering why I have that washable stabilizer on it?  I was having issues with my blanket stitch, they were looking like triangles.  I took my stitches out twice.  

Then I had an a ha moment.

If the stabilizer for towels works with the embroidery machine it will work for me.

And it did......doing the little happy dance here.

Now at the risk of repeating my self...Sewer's aid had brought new meaning to my life.  If you only knew the frustrations I was having with my thread breaking with my embroidery machine.

So much so that I haven't used my machine in ages.  Last week after getting the sewer's aid I decided to try it on my threads....  I am in HEAVEN!!!

Made three more of these today.

The outline looks so much better than on the first one I did.

Can you see my Oops in the one below???  I am leaving it.

     I just love these and am so glad I decided to keep going.  All of you gave good advice and I am taking you up on all of it.  Thanks so very very much.

The weather here in Texas is fantastic.....around 40's at night and in the morning you get the chill in the air, by lunch it is warm but not hot.  Just love it.

WHAT DOES "FAT CAT PATTERNS" AND ISLAND BATIK HAVE IN COMMON????

CHICKENS!!!

                                                 LOTS AND LOTS OF CHICKENS!!!

          If you have read any previous post, I am doing a (secret) chicken quilt for my husband)

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Hence the bad quality photos, had a piece of material to throw over them in case he came in.

 Which he did while writing this post...causing me a heart attack.....not good when one is over fifty....

Some of them need eyes but I so love them.  I love using the Island Batik fabrics (of course you do Barbara, of course you do......smiling shamefully here).  Here is the link to Fat Cat Patterns, she has a lot of free patterns that You will totally love.

I have been doing these after he goes to bed, make sure he is snoring, and then I drown myself in my Island Batik Scrap bin.  It takes more time prepping these chickens than it does to blanket stitch around them.

Seven more to go.....  Probably won't have these done by his birthday in a few weeks but that is ok.....

SHHHH!!!! IT IS A SECRET!!!!

I am pretty sure that the two people I am making these for do not read my blog but to be safe I am not naming who the first quilt is for.

Using my Accuquilt go doggie die and Island Batik Fabric  I am making a doggie quilt.

Now I know that my husband does not read my blog so I am making him a chicken quilt.

I got these from FAT Cat patterns, love love Sindy's patterns, using Island Batik Fabrics except for the background fabric.  I had purchased this fabric a long time ago with the intention of making another Chicken quilt.  

This is such a small picture but here is a chicken quilt I did in Amerika Samoa.

The hard part about this is I have to hide what I am doing from my husband.  He is always interested in what I am doing so when he slips off to bed I pull his quilt out.  I only have two ready to stitch so who know how long this will take.

Once again I have my grandson.  He really is pretty good about staying out of things.  I showed him the iron and said HOT HOT and ironed something and then after it cooled a second, still wanted it warm, put it up to his cheek so he would understand.  So while he was playing I got the doggie squares ready.