It’s July. Time to forget that it’s 95 degrees with 95% humidity. Time to think about Christmas.

Especially if you plan on creating your Christmas gifts and decor.

I would like to make TWO Christmas quilts. Will this actually happen? Outlook doubtful. But I’m being optimistic. I have goals!

I WILL make TWO Christmas quilts. And I’ve already started.

And now here’s a little story….

I joined Blueprint last year. They gave me a FREE quilt kit and a great introductory price. In addition, I could take all the classes I wanted for free and no shipping charges for my orders. I took at least three classes. Maybe more. I ordered fabric several times plus that quilt kit that I posted about last week. Although I had made use of the offer, I didn’t really think that I would take more classes in the coming year and I can order fabric from other places for free shipping without paying for the membership. Much like the ribbon club that I belonged to two years ago, I didn’t think I would use the benefits enough this year so I didn’t rejoin.

But I did jump right into another membership program. (I can’t help myself!) Mostly because I wanted to make this mystery Christmas quilt. (Don’t you love a mystery?)

Oh wait, it’s not a mystery anymore. I’m way behind the rest of the members and they already released the final instructions for the quilt before I joined. Which makes it all the better because I know what it will look like and I think it is looking like a GREAT wall hanging!

There are other perks to the membership, like free patterns every month. (But I really joined just to get the Christmas quilt instructions!)

I’ve actually started the quilt with the first row of embroidered hearts. I plan to use fabric in my stash to finish the quilt. (I might have way too much fabric in my stash!)

I made this quilt a few years ago with Jacquelynne Steves free I Love Home BOM.

Her instructions are very clear and I learned several new quilting techniques when I made the quilt. That was the year I gave all the kids Christmas quilts and Darin got this one.

Back to The Art of Home Club. Jacquelynne Steves opens membership to the Art of Home Club periodically but she also offers many free projects and one BOM quilt every year on her blog, JacquelynneSteves.com. It’s not too late to sign up for this quilt and the first block will come out on August 8th.

I plan to make two of them. (And you say, another two quilts? I didn’t say when I would actually get them finished!) One will have a Christmas theme. (That’s the second Christmas quilt that I referred to way back at the beginning of this very long post) Number two of my Happy Little Things quilt will have solid colors and very low volume prints because it is a very busy quilt. The picture above does not show that there are flower appliqué patterns available for the middle of each block. Yes, I am doing those. ‘Cause I love appliqués!

Since yesterday was a rainy day and there wasn’t much going on outside, I pulled out all my Christmas fabrics.

And I have to admit that I bought two new holiday prints a few weeks ago at our little quilt shop in Crystal River, Beyond the Stitches. (Every year I say I’m going to use my Christmas fabric up before I buy new! But it was their first year anniversary sale! I had to do it!)

And then I got busy sorting all the pretty pieces.

Oh look, two candy cane prints in pink and red! Think I feel a color theme!

And here is the fabric that I plan to use for the Christmas version of the Happy Little Things BOM. Pink and Red! How much fun is that???

Not sure what I’ll be using this for.

But I love the red and gray prints with the tree theme. It’s from Henry Glass and I saw that there was another version on Fabric.com this year. (OH NO, I will not buy more holiday fabric!) I’m not sure where the red print fabric on the right is from but I used it for the binding on the I Love Home BOM. I think it goes really well with the other two prints. A couple more grays would really look great with the theme. (I will not buy more holiday fabric! Evil laughter ensues.)

The remainder of the Christmas pieces will go into hostess gifts and gift bags. (I will use it all!)

Anyhow, that’s what I’m up to. (Along with another quilt that is spread all over the grandkids’ bedroom floor that’s awaiting for some solid gray fabric to arrive!)

And I’m going to drag you through every step of the way! Next Thursday. An update on all those unachievable quilty goals!