ChristmasFlutter

The Quilted Fish

I love Christmas. It is the best time of the year. I love decorating my house and I love buying secret presents for my friends and fam-ily. I love having people gather in my home to laugh and share spe-cial times and fun memories. This year I really wanted to set the stage (my home) in a fabulous way. I thought it would be fun and chal-lenging to pull in Flutter, my new not-at-all-Christmas-related fabric line. I love the colors in Flutter and I used it as the basis for all of my decorating. I usually use lots and lots of colors, but this year I trimmed that down to three. I love the way that it unified all of my decorating and I really love that it played well with my love for vintage and antique items.

I am excited to show you my dé-cor and even more excited to show you the fabulous projects the team and my very special guest made to share with you. We hope you find inspiration in these pages.

We wish you the most merry of Christmases, and a new year full of lots of time for sewing, crafting and creating!

Hugs and Fishes,Amanda

All images and text copyright 2012The Quilted Fish

and try to keep it Christmas

I will honor

in my heart,all the year.

-Charles Dickens

Amanda HerringThe Quilted Fish

Projects: All decor and decoupaged houses

blog: TheQuiltedFish.typepad.com

Sally KellerProjects: Pajama pants and ornaments

blog: sallysangelworks.typepad.com

Candice DoyleProjects: Placemats

blog: madewithlove-candice.blogspot.com

Stephanie PetersonProjects: Peek-a-boo gift bag,

Merry and bright wall hanging

blog: Peasinapod.typepad.com

Contributors

Brooke SellmannProjects: Table runner, Christmas stocking

blog: sillymamaquilts-sillymama.blogspot.com

Jackie WhiteProjects: Drawstring gift bag

blog: www.jabotquilt.blogspot.com

Connie AtkissonProjects: Ruffled tote bag

blog:

Jana KiginProjects: Apron

blog: crossstitchdramaqueen.blogspot.com

Special thanksTo my photographer, Kristen Pack of Shade Tree Studios, for the amazing photosTo Joyce Brock for quilting the placematsTo Bella Degn and Kristen Hickman for modeling

New pajamas and Christmas eve go together like cookies and milk. You just can’t have one without the other.

While visions of sugar plum

s danced in their heads

I love traditions. They are what the holidays are all about. I am always looking for new traditions to add to our holidays. My favorite tradition is a new one that we just started last year. We do a white elephant ex-change with my family. Each person draws the name of one person to give to. Then we search for the most per-fect, most hilarious gift we can find. It is great fun and we all laugh until it hurts to laugh any more!

Here are some of the traditions of the team members:

While Candice was growing up, her parents had her pick out an orna-ment every year so that when she left home she would have a complete tree.

Brooke’s favorite tradition is decorat-ing Christmas cookies.

Jana loves cutting down their own Christmas tree.

Sally’s family sings carols around the piano while her husband plays each Christmas eve.

Stephanie has always loved decorat-ing the tree with her parents. She and her father always put the lights on together, then the whole family would put the lights on. Her dad was very particular about the tinsel, only two or three strands per branch!

Jackie has many things she loves...Going to the farmEating rasin puddingCandy canes and hot chocolateBig family dinnersLots of decoratingPresent openingWide eyed wonderTotal excitement for SantaCookies and milkLoved ones arrivingWhite snowRed ribbons and green trees.

TraditionsFavorite

Amanda: Muppet’s Christmas CarolJana and Brooke: White ChrismtasSally: Elf and White ChristmasStephanie: Walton’s Christmas movie

Love them or hate them, Christmas movies are a big part of the season. Here are some team favorites....

MoviesFavorite

Pattern for the placemats is available in “An Apple A Day”, available at TheQuiltedFishPatterns.com

Cookies for

Santa

The Art of Giving

Whatever the gift, those who consider gift giving an art would never give their heart felt offering without fabulous packaging. Here are a couple of

lovely little bags to tuck treats or other wonderful surprises in.

I invited my dear friend, quilter and all around amazing person to contribute to this edi-tion because she is so very talented. I was so excited when she came up with the idea for a bag. With ruffles. Two of my favorite things! I asked Connie what her favorite tradition is. You better write this one down, because it might be your newest tradition!

“My favorite Christmas tradition is definitely “Elfing,” which is a twist on traditional caroling. We dress like Santa’s elves, sing a Christmas song and then we have a checklist to check for Christmas spirit. We check to see if Christ-mas music is playing, they have a decorated tree, cookies out for Santa, a nativity scene displayed, etc and pres-ent them with a treat if we deem they have enough Christmas spirit.”

Special guestConnie Atkisson

Everyone needs a bit, or a bunch, of ruffles in their life. This apron makes a great hostess gift and you will look amazing in one when you host your own parties!

Find the tutorial here: http://thequiltedfish.typepad.com/files/ruffle-apron-tutorial.pdf

Trim

the T

ree

Set the T

able

Paper mache houses decoupaged with fabric look sweet and inviting tucked into the Christmas tree.

I love to put things in jars. I love the way it creates a little world inside of them, almost like you could play inside of them.