From Mending to Making: A Festive Weekend in the Sewing Room

 This afternoon a colleague reached out asking for a bit of help. One of the residents’ patchwork quilts had come back from the laundry with some damage — a few of the patches were badly frayed and looking very sorry for themselves. The resident was understandably upset; the quilt was gifted to her years ago and she treasures it.

Of course I could help.

A quick dig through the greens drawer turned up the perfect replacement fabric. I carefully cut away the ragged remnants of the old patches, measured up, and stitched in fresh pieces. It didn’t take long at all to set them neatly into place. Before I knew it, the quilt was whole again and I had a satisfying little pile of threads to bury.

My stitching even ran right through the label — a reminder of how many hands and stories a quilt can carry.

And here it is now: repaired, refreshed, and ready to be loved again, its pretty tree blocks standing proud.

Can you spot the replacement pieces? There are four of them.

*

Still in repair mode, I pulled out a table runner that’s been waiting patiently for ages — just needing a very simple fix. The cream fabric had pulled away from the gold, fraying around my stitching and looking a bit forlorn.

One quick tweak of the stitch selector and I had exactly what I needed. I eased the fabric back into place, and in moments, the repair was done. It’s visible, yes — but happy. A little scar that says, “I’ve been used, I’ve been loved, and I’m still here.”

*

Enough repairs! Time to move on to creation.

I had spent the morning making foundation paper blocks with Christmas fabrics—scrappy, cheerful, and full of personality. Once the squares were joined, I whipped up two frankenbatts in just the right size. A bit of fast and basic quilting, and then a rummage through the binding scraps turned up a perfect black piece—just long enough. On it went.

Tony cooked tea—a beautifully done steak with coleslaw—so I was able to sit comfortably and sew while he cooked. After eating, I settled in to finish closing the binding, and before long, the stitching was done.

And here they are—complete, festive, and ready for Charmaine and Torstein to use tomorrow.

Let me see, what else has been happening?

My handmade ornaments have all arrived safely at their new homes, so I can finally share. This year I tried working with felt — a new material for me. Things didn’t turn out quite as amazing as I’d imagined, but I’m happy with my first efforts. 

They’re cheerful, handmade, and stitched with love.

And speaking of ornaments, Janice has been busy too. She made this beautiful hexie tree to hang on my Christmas tree — such thoughtful work, and so very me. 

Thank you, Janice. It’s absolutely beautiful.

The lovely Maria has also been creating, and this week her handmade card arrived in the post. Just look at this beauty — festive, elegant, and full of heart.

Thank you Maria. 

*

Last time I shared my completed cross stitch, it was waiting to be fully finished — something we could hang on the wall here at home.

This week, I popped it into a wooden embroidery hoop and backed it with a piece of soft felt. Now it’s all wrapped and tucked under the tree, ready for Tony. He hasn’t seen it yet, so it’ll be a surprise — and I think he’ll love it. He’s especially fond of cats, and always enjoys my stitching, so this little feline face will be right up his alley.

*

And that just about wraps up my Christmas preparations for the year. The shopping is done, with only one or two little things left to wrap. I’ve got two more shifts to work — Monday and Tuesday — and then I’ll be off duty for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. A lovely stretch of quiet days to look forward to.

But before all that, we have Charmaine and Torstein visiting tomorrow for Sunday lunch. The children will be excited to see the trees, and it feels like the perfect way to begin the festive week: good company, good food, and a home full of handmade things ready to be enjoyed.