The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! Quick! Pick up this amazing book featuring designs by staffers at That Patchwork Place/Martingale and get ready in time for Christmas EVE (or more likely 4 a.m on Christmas morning right before all the little people come running downstairs to the tree all excited), or Hannukah or Thanksgiving. We’re so excited we’re breaking out in song…*clears throat*
Naturally Neutral Stocking
Stockings from sweaters and warm woolen mittens
Snow people on diamonds and star suspended
sweet Party Purses for holding lipstick and eyelashes
These are a few of my favorite things
Snowflake Pillows
Snowflakes on dupioni, paper chains gracing the table
Porcupines, racoons, mushrooms and snails
gracing the tree
These are a few of my favorite things!
Festival of Lights Table Runner
A little squee could be heard ’round the room when my quilterly eye beheld the Paper Chain Table Runner and I was flooded with memories of construction paper in red and green being cut into one-inch strips and then glued or stapled into interlocking rings and gracefully (ahem) hung on the tree. And then when I saw the Festival of Lights Table Runner, I remembered learning the dreidel song in public school. (It’s sooo cute! You have to see how buttons, felt and sweet quilting allows little ones to be involved in lighting the candles.)
While this book is titled Celebrate Christmas, it really is about the whole season–and all–of the holidays and traditions with inspiration specifically for quilters . It’s one of those great “there’s a little something here for just about everyone” kind of books.
Dotty for Christmas Tree Skirt
Of course in a blog hop there are other bloggers who keep things hopping. Here’s the full tour list for Martingale’s Celebrate Christmas. The bonus is that with each stop on the tour, you have a chance to win a little something–namely, a free ebook copy of Celebrate Christmas! How cool is that?
Thursday, June 26: Stitch This!
Friday, June 27: Pat Wys at Silver Thimble Talk
Saturday, June 28: Kim Brackett at Magnolia Bay Quilts
Monday, June 30: Rebecca Silbaugh at Ruby Blue Quilts
Tuesday, July 1: SewCalGal
Wednesday, July 2: Cindy Lammon at Hyacinth Quilt Designs
Thursday, July 3: Gen Q
Saturday, July 5: Cheryl Brown at Quilter Chic
Monday, July 7: Jen Eskridge at Reanna Lily Designs
Tuesday, July 8: Kathy Brown at The Teacher’s Pet
Wednesday, July 9: Amy Ellis at Amy’s Creative Side
So how do you get into the action here? Just comment on this post, answering the question: What is the strangest gift you’ve ever received. . .or given?
We’ll choose a winner on July 10, and post an update here on this blog post!
Now, do I smell Christmas cookies baking? *wanders off, humming*
COMMENT #1
Strangest gift given? Maybe not the strangest but the one someone had to work the most for– a whole sack full of peanuts still in the shell. BUT there were 2 that had been carefully opened and a $50 bill rolled up tightly, tucked inside and carefully glued back together. I could not even find it after it was finished. Poor kid had to open all 20 lbs worth of peanuts to find his present.
COMMENT #2
Our very first Christmas after we were married, I gave my husband a large lump of coal. He looks a lot like the jolly old man, and I figured it was an appropriate gag gift. I had to go down to the local coal burning power plant, convince them that I meant no harm, and all I wanted was a lump of coal for my husband’s stocking. Finally one of the security guards at the main gate went to the yard and brought me back a piece. We still have that lump in with our stockings.
COMMENT #3
I once gave a fully inflated Christmas tree, about 3′ high, as a Secret Santa present….. It was received with much hilarity and, no, they didn’t guess who!
This looks great – thanks for the opportunity!
COMMENT #4
The strangest gift I received was a Hawaiian Goddess of Fertility statue a few months before our wedding. After 3 children, I think it worked.
COMMENT #5
Not so sure this is strange, and it wasn’t a Christmas gift, but for my Brother-in-laws 50th birthday I started 6 months in advance by wrapping a $50 bill in a tiny ring box. Then proceeded to wrap that box in another, and that in another all the way to 25 boxes – each box wrapped in different paper! I couldn’t go any further or I’d of had to use large appliance boxes!!! Thanks so much for the chance to win!
COMMENT #6
The gift wasn’t so strange, actually. But instead of a Christmas card with the gift, I received a Thanksgiving card. I still don’t understand it!
COMMENT #7
Hello? No strange gifts really – but I did get a Christmas shirt on Christmas day – so I packed it up and wore it the next year!
COMMENT #
Make that “Hello!” Sorry!
COMMENT #8
My sister gave me the pattern and the fabric to make a quilt with……for her!
COMMENT #9
the strangest gift I ever got was a box of fancy crackers.
COMMENT #10
My oldest was a teen working part time for a plastics dinnerware for restaurants company & he took to rejected carafe inserts & glued them offset & told me it was an abstract dog because he knew I liked art. I still think its funny, but my husband never did.
COMMENT #11
not strange but no surprise there…when I was 7-8 years old my mom asked me and my brother what we want for Christmas …so we got what we wanted…..
COMMENT #12
Strangest gift I have ever received was a garage door opener.
Thanks for the chance to win.
:)Carol
COMMENT #13
The strangest gift I have every received was a jar of home made pickled carrots. I love pickled carrots, but it was strange. Thanks!
COMMENT #14
The strangest gift I ever received was a porcelain fish face soap holder
COMMENT #15
Oh gosh, I got THE absolute worst gift ever from my MIL the first year I was married to her son. Trust me, it all went downhill from there for ten years until I kicked his back end out. LOL The gift she gave? A turquoise feather duster. Yea, not a really nice one either. It was one of those fake feather things on the plastic handle you’d find at WalMart or Kmart that probably cost about $.50. Gee. Thanks so much. I know it’s the thought that counts, but come on…what kind of thought was behind that? I felt more sorry for my kids in later years though when the gifts they would get for Christmas or their birthdays still had the rummage sale tags on them and the clothes were dirty looking and toys not even all there.
COMMENT #16
I gave an Italian cookbook to my husband who doesn’t cook.
COMMENT #17
The strangest gift I’ve ever given was a can of Spam to my boyfriend. He kept telling me how much he loved Spam and that he hadn’t had any for ages so I put a can of Spam in his Christmas stocking. He loved it!
COMMENT #18
Strangest gift i ever received was an anchor for our sailboat.
COMMENT #19
I once received in a gift exchange a basket of candles and loose potpourri wrapped in cellophane. The potpourri seemed to be moving, and when I looked closer, it was full of moths!
COMMENT #20
It isn’t a strange gift, but my husband gave me a vacuum cleaner for Christmas one year. He did learn after that year that unless I ask for it specifically, do not give me appliances for Christmas. FYI – I received a beautiful necklace the following year!
COMMENT #
A box of Crackerjacks. My engagement ring was in there.
COMMENT #21
It was one of those fun Christmas parties – Spam on Rope.
COMMENT #22
DEAD FISH—-no really a smoked salmon for a friend who moved away from the Pacific Northwest.
COMMENT #23
Love That Patchwork Place for helping me start my holiday projects early enough to actually get finished in time!
COMMENT #24
The strangest gift I ever received was a septic tank. We were trying to get our place in the country ready to be able to spend more than just over night and the only day available for installation was my birthday. After paying the bill my husband said it might also become my anniversary and Christmas presents as well.
COMMENT #25
The strangest gift that comes to mind was an incredibly ugly teapot. I don’t use a teapot to begin with, but this one was just a bizarre design with awful colors. Of course, the giver thought it was lovely and I hope I was gracious in the receiving of the gift.
COMMENT #26
I once got a plastic plant in one of those glass dome covers from my great aunt, it was so tacky. I imagine she probably spent some money on it. I was a teenager, and lived in a different state, so she prob didn’t know what to get me.
COMMENT #27
A knitted leopard print jumper , two sizes too small, from my MIL
COMMENT #28
My mother once bought me knit it your self kit for a Jemima Puddleduck (Beatrix Potter character), she knew I couldn’t knit to save my life and this wasn’t even anything simple. Thanks for a great giveaway. x
COMMENT #29
The strangest gift I received for Christmas was a chow time triangle to call in all the ranch hands for dinner, only problem…we do not live on a farm!!
COMMENT #30
When my sister & I asked for dolls for Christmas in 1966, my Mother, who was due to deliver her 4th child in December of that year, told us that she would be providing us with a living doll for Christmas! My baby brother was born on December 31st. A little late for Christmas but we didn’t mind!
COMMENT #31
The first year my husband to-be and I were together I decided I would sew a shirt for him for Christmas. He is from a family of six boys, and a mother that does no needlework. Not surprising to us sewers, the shirt wasn’t finished in time. So I gathered up all the pieces, the pattern, the buttons, etc and gift wrapped the whole thing. I didn’t think there was anything strange or unusual about that (nor did my family that was used to getting UFOs from me). It was, however, all very strange to my future husband. He looked at the opened gift for a long time and then quietly asked, “Is this one of those do-it-yourself gifts?”
COMMENT #32
When I turned 40 my husband gave me a fart machine. I asked him if he had had a stroke and I promptly chucked the stupid fart machine in the garbage can. My 4 school aged children were laughing hysterically. Silence prevailed after I deep sixed it in the trash. A beautiful pair of earrings came my way a week later. Now that’s more like it.
COMMENT #33
A few years back, my husband handed me my present and said “Just what you’ve always wanted.” I had visions of airline tickets to Hawaii or a gift certificate to my favorite fabric store. But when I opened it, I found a water filtration pitcher. Yes, I had mentioned wanting one, but not exactly up to the just what I’d ALWAYS wanted ideal.
COMMENT #34
The strangest gift I have ever been given was when I was a child. A friend of mine gave me a stick insect. She shall remain nameless, but she knows who she is ! Man I hate those things, they really freak me out !
COMMENT #35
The strangest gift I ever received—a spider picker upper” —-I didn’t know what it was. The strangest gift I have given—a bench vise—-it is what my husband really wanted. Unfortunately I dropped this gift on my big toe a couple of days before Christmas and had a hard time explaining why I was injured and couldn’t wear shoes or snow boots. Six months later the toenail fell off and I fainted. The bench vise will be a gift that will never be forgotten. Thanks for offering the book giveaway.
COMMENT #36
I don’t remember many strange gifts really. I did get a crystal bowl that had something tucked inside that seemed an awful lot like a favor from a bridal shower so I figure the bowl was a re-gift. I didn’t really mind, it is a pretty bowl.
COMMENT #37
The strangest gift I’ve ever received was at a white elephant exchange, and I received a door knocker… we didn’t even live in our own place at the time!! And they all thought our package of tennis balls was strange lol!
~Brandy
COMMENT #38
toilet paper (for my DD at college)
COMMENT #39
The strangest gift I ever received was from my stepmother – a “bedazzled” computer mouse. And it wasn’t meant to be a funny or ‘white elephant’ kind of gift either.
COMMENT #40
A vacuum cleaner…how festive!