Is Anyone Cramming to Get a Quilt Finished for a Christmas Present?
 

Our anniversary is December 23, then there is Christmas, and next his birthday is January 9, so they are all together. I decided to make him a quilt for all three. We live apart now because of his job, and he's getting home tomorrow. I'm cramming hard to get it completed. Of course, today I had to rip out an entire row!

I've been working on a quilt for my DD, but got stopped by Thanksgiving and the making of Christmas presents. Now we have planned a funeral just before Christmas -- all of which will be at my house now. So, maybe my DD will get it for Valentine's Day.

Put the last label on the last quilt this afternoon. I made 8 quilts for presents this year.

Just finished four quilts that turned into 'cram' quilts. I planned to start quilting them in September, then got a sinus infection that wouldn't quit and destroyed my concentration. Finally, in November, started quilting the largest of the 3, a queen size. Went fine until the LAST row. I had to do that last row 4 times. That set me back quite a bit as I had to 'un-quilt' three times!

Then started a quilt for my grandson to be - that one went smoothly until - you guessed it - the last row. Only took 3 attempts, though, and it's a baby size quilt, so...

Then I started my nephews quilt. Another last row boondoggle! But I have learned from the two previous boondoggles, and it also only took 3 attempts, so finally got it done.

Then I got an 'add-on' quilt top that my sister sent. It's also a baby quilt for my grandson-to-be, but the blocks are pinwheels that my Mother (deceased) made and put aside. She put them aside for a reason. They are way out of shaped. My sister did some repair, but it just wasn't enough. Quilting went well until row 3 of 4, when I saw that the LAST row was going to have a huge pleat in it. Can't have that! So the quilt came off the frame, the third row of quilting was removed, as were both of the bottom borders. Then I took in a few pinwheels until it looked like the quilt might straighten out and quilt right. Put the borders back on, did what you have to do to get the batting and back lined up and re-mounted it on the frame. Thank God, it worked.

As a result, I am now always going to quilt the 'last' row first - I'll let you know if that helps - it can't get any worse. I hope. LOL:D

Yep, the seventh and last one is coming back from the quilter tomorrow, just have to bind, label and wrap.... I feel like I'm forgetting something.

Heck no. I don't have the tree up, haven't decorated or wrapped presents. Sure not sewing for anyone.

Tomorrow i put the binding on my grand flwr gdn out of 3/4" hexagons. Its cor my kitty for her throne. I t doesnt match a thing in my house annd alot of work, so i want to keep it in the family.

I got all my Christmas sewing and quilting done a couple of weeks ago. Having so much free time opened me up to trying some new projects. I came across a biscuit quilt that I was going to gift to my friend in November but life got in the way. I'm working on it and if I get it done I will gift it to my friend for Christmas. If I don't get it done I will be ahead of the game for her birthday next year!

Oh yes....have one t-shirt quilt started that doesn't have to be finished until Christmas eve. Also have to finish a set of crib bumpers and matching baby quilt for DD....thankfully have the quilt done down to a little bit of quilting and 4 bumpers are done. And somewhere in the next couple days I need to make cut out Christmas cookies....DH is being drafted to ice!

I got my gifts finished about two weeks ago. I am now going to clean and finish the wrapping and cooking. I am ready for Jesus' birthday and also My Grandson's on Jan 1. I am also read for family, fun, and Santa.

OMG LOL yes am crammmmmming for sure. Have to baby quilts mounted on long arm right now and one after that. Just finished making two cushion covers which I embroidered owls on (each took 78min to embroider). Still have my labels to embroider out and binding for the 2 of the 3 quilts to cut. Haven't even gotten any baking done, nor is the tree up or presents wrapped. Yep cramming, but funny I don't feel pressured...Not sure why but as of yet I don't. Oh well best to luck to all of us who are cramming.

I have 2 trying to finish and some rag alaphabets and numbers all for gds. Have been putting off the quilts because I really do not know what I am doing RE: basting with glue and how to quilt them the are motifid rag quilts. I finally got up the nerve to do the glue thing seems to be working that is while the are just laying on the floor and the dinning table LOL. We will see if the stay stuck when I try to quilt them.
yippie

I have most of my Christmas quilting done except for my SIL's quilt. I started it last year when I did quilts for all my DH's family. (Was enjoying being unemployed) But her's didn't get finished, so I said I'll have it for your birthday, in May. Didn't happen, went back to work. Now I have to have it by Christmas this year, but I just can't get motivated for that one. If it wasn't a gift she had already seen the center of, it would be a UFO. I keep telling myself, one day of piecing left, then one for quilting, but this one just isn't turning out much fun. Hope all of you are doing better.

Just finishing the binding on my GD quilt and it will be done. no one else is getting a quilt this year. Made a lot of wallhangings and table toppers but sold them all.

I, too, have been working on a "cram" quilt, but it's not "for Christmas." It's for a cancer patient who is very sick. I want to get it to her as soon as I can and it seems that the faster I go the behinder I get. This morning I'll pillowcase it to save time on binding. Should be tying it since it is a prayer quilt, but I think I'll cross hatch it instead.

Good luck to all of you in getting your projects done in time. Merry Christmas!

Yep, I'm cramming. Two quilts have already been sent out, two wreath quilts are just now finished and will be shipped tonight or tomorrow. That leaves a full wall quilt that needs some "fixing" (which I HOPE I can get in the mail tomorrow), and then one more that just plain won't be done in time. Grr!

I was stressing about getting a quilt done for 1 of the granddaughters. I've already finished 1 for her baby brother and crocheted an afghan for her little sister. I started a dress quilt from a Fons & Porter kit and just don't have time to finish it sooo I packaged it all up and will wrap it and tell her we will finish it together! She's 7 so this will be a treat for both of us!

Diannia

Got a quilt for my aunt that I tried to get done, but then had my best friend and her 3 kids come for the holidays. She'll also be getting married while she's here, and her fiance will be coming on Christmas Eve day, then his mom and his twin boys are coming the 26th and they'll also be staying here. Trying desperately to get my craft room cleared out (been doing doll clothes for my friend's two girls Christmas presents for what seems like forever) because I need the bed in there for the company still coming! Ay! I don't think my aunt will get it by Christmas. :-( I still have about 2/3 to quilt and then the binding.

Um yeah - I have 2 to bind before Friday plus 1 at the LAQ to bind (Will pick it up at noon) (that'll be 3) - those 3 are for office mate's... and a super queen size that we pulled out of the frame at the LAQ to put this last one in... i don't think the queen's going to get finished finished before Tuesday BUT I could be totally wrong... stranger things HAVE happened :)

Just finished the hand work on one last night. So happy to be done with it.

A very good friend of mine brought a shopping bag of T-shirts and asked me to make a quilt for her son. Fortunately the only timeline was Xmas. I was hesitant as I consider myself a newby and had never done a T-shirt quilt. I finished it last Sunday, got re-adjusted by the chiropractor Tuesday and everyone is happy.

I want to thank everyone on this board. Your comments encouraged and gave me the confidence to tackle a T-shirt quilt. My friend and her husband are ecstatic and asked if I would be willing to do one for their daughter's sorority Ts.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Me! I am doing my first quilts, just jelly roll race style with fleece backings. I have 3 to finish and am thinking they may end up as new years gifts instead since only 1 quilt top is done, 1 is about 80%, and the last still needs some strips cut before I can even start sewing it up.

Actually, I am trying to finish one for my 92 yr old FIL and I'm at a standstill with it right now while waiting for the flannel backing to arrive because DH had a definite idea what he wanted on the back and what I got wasn't it!! So, I hope Connecting Threads sends it fast because I want to ship it out after New Years' Day! I was upset at first until I realized...maybe I'll get to quilt it on my new sewing machine!! :-)

I have one that just needs binding for my DD. But seeing as how it's less than a week 'till Christmas I guess you could call that cramming. LOL!

I feel like I'm going crazy trying to get everything done. I've just started quilting about 2 months ago. I planned to make a quilt for my best friend as a Christmas gift. While making it my husband asked if I'd make one for his sister. Then I was just playing one night putting together all these blocks from a fabric sample book. I was going to make a pillow cover for a window seat for my cats. It came out so nice my husband thought it'd make a good quilt for his Dad so quilt #3 went on the list. I've so far finished the first two and I just got in the batting to work on the one for my FIL. I had been using polyester batting from Walmart as I didn't know better. The quilts I worked so hard on now have bearding happening so I insisted I wouldn't do another without better supplies. My husband is such a sweetheart he told me to buy an entire roll of cotton batting. Of course as I was getting the first two finished my husband asks me to make one for his Mother as well and oh by the way her birthday is the first week in January. I'm not sure I ever want to be committed to that many quilts in such a short time ever again. I will admit I'm enjoying learning and making them. I just want to go a bit slower with my next one.

Every year it seams I'm cramming to get the quilt gifts done. This year in Jan, I browsed through patterns, books, this board, and surfed the net getting ideas for Christmas this year. By the end of Jan, I had my list of recipients and patterns and then through Feb got the fabric and started a couple of them. By the first of September all were done! I loved not having the stress and plan on doing the same for 2013.

Like Feathers-N-Fur, I'm trying to finish a quilt that I "gave" last year! I had finished a pretty log cabin top in the fall of 2011, and when my sister and brother-in-law were here @ Christmas, I let them unwrap the top, with the promise that I would do the quilting and send it to California where they live. Well, they'll be back this year (I live in WI) and yep, I've only sewn my stabilizing seams...one of which bunched up right at the exact quilt center and had to get ripped out. Probably my fault; I don't think I had the layers taut enough when pinning, so doing SITD with a decorative stitch made everything wonky! Bleh. I kinda can't wait until it's done and gone, lol!

Ran out of time to do anything (too much going on in our life) -- will have to start working hard in January.

This is where I am right now. Sick and barely functioning.

yes I am must finish hand sewing a binding on one and another to pin baste today quilt and bind by Monday I use my Bernina for quilting and with other things going will be some long hours 5 more days then we crash

Yesterday I finished hand quilting the batik sampler shown in my avatar. It took me five days to do all the SID. It came out great and is now hanging up in the hallway so I can see it every time I pass by. I did want it done this week.

I am trying to finish 2 quilts, one for SIL & one for GS. Also daughter decided I need to applique some pillow cases for GD. Not sure everything will get done, but I'm trying

OVERACHIEVER! lol. congratulations

"I'm Trying" is my new mantra. Lord I SWEAR I will plan better this year. . .

That is BEAUTIFUL! I would want it where I could admire my handywork also. That's some serious flying geese there. again, not my strong suit, no matter which method I try. any tips? please

Finished one late last night...checked my list and there's another I haven't even started. Yikes, I don't even have the fabric!

The one by "newestnana" above would be given to the one wanting it in a pretty package, pattern and fabric, with a handwritten promise for next year--and I would start on it the week after New Year's. I have a friend up the road who did just that last year (we quilt together and visit with each other off and on all through the year)--and she put it on the long arm and finished it about a week ago......done in time nevertheless. I can't do all those cute little smiley faces, etc. or I would put one here.

I quit... use to worry and push myself... now it is what it is. I would rather be late or substitute something else until I can get it done right

I am only on my second quilt, (though I have a couple of other quilt tops started), but I think I will not make any promises and therefore if I make something for someone it is a surprise and not a "half to" or a request. I think if someone requests a quilt it needs to be done any other time of the year beside Christmas. Between work, home, husband, children, grandchildren, and other commitments there just isn't enough time to please everyone! Just remember life is too short. If all else fails give the gift unfinished with a note that you will finish and get it to them asap!

I am getting one back from the quilters tomorrow, so I need to do the binding, hopefully before Christmas. Then there is the one at home that I need to bind, preferably for Christmas. May not happen. Days always seem to run out before the work is done.