Crystals to the Rescue!

I ripped out the lights in the Stonehendge Christmas tree panel----they just do not did not work for me. Lightbulb moment! Hot-Fix crystals to the rescue!  Leftover from another crystal project.

Stonehendge Tree Panel- Not Merry!

I finished one of the Stonehendge Light-Up Christmas tree panels yesterday. This is one of three I had, (had being the key word) ---planned to do.  I'm hoping some of my blog readers can offer me encouragement and some better ideas about these panels as right now I'm not Cheery-Merry over this project!

The quilting went well. That's not the issue. I cut off the top and bottom snow flake fabric that bordered the panel as there isn't much of it to be of any use, and not enough lights to light up the larger snow flakes.

I used silver metallic thread to free motion quilt the panel. I have never used metallic thread on "Polly", but she handled it well.  If ("if" is the other key word)---I do the other two panels, I won't spend a lot of time outlining the snowflakes though---it's just not worth it because no one can really notice the quilting on this fabric. It's too busy. A simple meander will do.

The problems started after I finished the quilting, and it has to do with the Lights that come with the panel.

First, there are probably not enough lights for all the stars motifs in the panel. That said it's more about the "Wires" that protrude all over the back of the quilt once you attempt to hang it on the wall. They are stiff wires and criss cross the back of the panel. Attempting to have it hang flat on a wall is almost useless.  I resorted to taping some of the wires against the backing fabric in an effort to reduce the bumps and bulges on the front of the quilt panel the wires created. What a mess.

I created eyelet buttonholes on the sewing machine and used a punch afterwards to make the holes in the fabric eyelets and pushed the little lights into the fabric. Then another problem arose.  The light tips are larger than the actual lights which are approx. 1/4 on an inch long. So the entire light wants to go squeeze through the holes and droop down on the front of the panel. Not attractive.  I wrapped tape around each shaft of the lights so that helped.  Now only the light tip shows on the front of the panel. 

Should I proceed---? oh well you should know the whole story. 

The panel looks pretty in the day time lit up.  

At night, turn on the lights and that is all you can see. Lights. Not the quilted panel. The fabric is so dark it recedes into the darkness of the room. 

 I took these pictures this a.m. so you won't see that effect. But, trust me. All you will see is the lights at night. Not the tree, not the quilting. 

 Lit up in the daylight hours. It's O.K.

Better yet with no lights on.

I have a red panel and a green panel to complete. Not sure it's worth it. Maybe no lights is better.?

In-the-Hoop

If you own a sewing machine that also does embroidery do try some of the wonderful "In-the-Hoop" projects. This is one of the designs from Embroidery Garden.  Our daughter requested a padded case for her portable hard drive---this measures 4-3/4 x 6-3/4 when completed.
Everything is done in the hoop! ---including the zipper.  This took approx. an hour to make. I added the snap ring.

Flag-Veteran's Day

We finished the new flag pole just in time to raise the Flag in honor of all the Veteran's today. Thank you for your service to our country. God Bless.