Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I hope all of your holiday traditions have added peace and joy to your life. Mostly, I hope you laughed a lot. Family, friends, food, fabric and quilts -- what more could anyone ask for?

Merry Christmas.2003. 

Aleathia's Red Hat Quilt

Aleathia's intrepretation of the red hat quilt resulted in a beautiful applique quilt. This lady is ready for anything.

Charlotte's Red Hat Quilt

Charlotte's quilt displayed many variations of red hats. Each was beautifully embellished.

Bessie's Red Hat Quilt

Bessie's Red Hat Quilt shows chickens in all of their finery. This quilt is a hoot!

Fabric is Better Than Food

c. 2005

Christmas is all about traditions. My quilting Christmas tradition is my annual Fabric is Better Than Food Brunch held at my home each December. This tradition began after a group of eight quilters took a year long class to learn to make a quilt called Mother Earth in 1999. As the end of the class drew near, we became nostalgic and knew that we would really miss seeing each other. I proposed that we gather at my house for brunch and do a Show-and-Tell of our Mother Earth quilts.

“Brunch at your house!” they hooted. “You can’t even cook.”

“That’s okay,” I assured them. “We don’t really need food. Fabric is better than food. Just bring fabric to exchange.”

And so a tradition was born. Every year we gather for the much anticipated Fabric is Better Than Food Brunch and the good times roll. One member selects either a pattern or a challenge fabric for the upcoming year. The finished quilt is brought back the next year. Show and tell is fabulous, but the conversation! Ohmigod! I know the ears of every black man in American are burning during the brunch. Naturally, they are our favorite topic and my famous mimosas do loosen tongues.

But back to the quilts. The 2005 quilt had to contain red hat fabric that was distributed at last year’s brunch. As usual, the creativity was amazing! My quilt shown here is called Forever Young. Others are posted above.

Wondering about the food at that first brunch? It was simple. I made them cook!

Musical Christmas Star, 77 x 77 inches, 2002.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift: A Book Review

Do you read the Christmas Story to your children as part of your holiday tradition? Expand your tradition to include The Quiltmaker's Gift. It is the heartwarming story of a greedy king who learns the importance of giving from an old quiltmaker who only made quilts for the poor. The book is beautifully illustrated, and captures the reason most quilters make quilts. This book should definitely be part of your library.

For us quilters, there are two spin-off books to spark your creativity to make some of the quilts from The Quiltmaker's Gift. They are Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift and More Quilts From the Quiltmaker's Gift.

Reflect on the Reason for the Season

I love Christmas.

I love the shiny lights. I love the parties. I love the beautifully wrapped gifts. I love that it brings families and friends together. I love shopping. I love eating too much. I love Christmas songs. I love decorating the tree. I love stuffing stockings. I love hanging the wreaths. I love making Christmas quilts. I love the way Christmas smells – cookies, evergreen and cinnamon. I love waking up at dawn to open Christmas gifts. I love remembering how special my mother made Christmas. I love wearing clothes that sparkle. I love sneaking gifts into the house. I love having my quilting friends over for brunch. I love knowing my birthday is only a week away and the celebration continues. I love driving around and looking at the decorated houses. I love the mall at Christmas. I love going to the mail box and getting cards from old friends.

In the midst of your Christmas traditions, take a moment to reflect on why we have these wonderful traditions. God gave the greatest gift of all -- his son.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!