Hello all, Mary Ellen here.

Ever since I was a girl the approach of the holidays has meant crafting. I mean crafting in high gear, not the relaxed now and then crafting that goes on year round. I’m talking assembly line, 10 or 12 at a time kind of crafting. We would make ornaments for the tree, wreaths for the doors, and gifts for everybody-neighbors, friends, teachers, the mailman, etc., etc., etc. I still approach the holidays with the same crafty spirit. It’s part of the fun for me-the making of the craft as much as the giving. Right now I’m looking for pre-made muslin bags for some homemade lavender sachet. I’ll have to decorate the bags in some way…I suppose I could make my own bags as well, but there is a limit!

I like to make my own Christmas cards too.  Here’s a clever idea for using some of your scraps to make retro looking (which makes it modern these days) holiday trees on your cards. Great for your quilty buddies. click here. It certainly would be easy enough to change the outline to other simple shapes like bells, holly, ornaments so that you could have some variety in your cards. I think this would be a fun project for the kids to help with.

Karen G., a member of our guild, has had one of her landscape quilts posted on the website of Karen Eckmeier. Check it out here.

What are you up to in your holiday craft room?