A Christmas CQ Swap

NickiLee and I had a summer 1:1 cq swap last year, and had so much fun, we decided to do a Christmas one. This time we made the squares for one another, and then embellished them.
I told Nickilee I was going to use the stash of Christmas fabrics I've been gathering and saving over several years, for when I had time to make an embellished table runner. There were traditional fabrics, such as holly,
red berries, red, white and green stripes, and some not-so-traditional designs, such as black cotton with gold gift boxes. I laid them out, mixed them up, changed them around, and came up with several nice possibilities. But for some reason, I just couldn't make a start.

Hmmm. Then I realized why I was blocked.

Anyone who knows NickiLee even just a wee bit, knows that she loves the colour blue. Aha!
I rummaged through all my fabric stash, and came up with blue fabrics I hoped she'd like. I had so much fun doing her Christmas square in blues, white and silver.
This is the square I sent to Nickilee:

 It's certainly blue! I flirted with the thought of a "Blue Christmas' theme, then with a theme of Angels singing 'Glory Glory', but in the end decided to keep it simpler.







Most of the seam treatments are done with beads and either lace or ribbon.

 There are fire-polished crystals added to this strip of pale blue lace.

 ribbons, decorative thread, and beads..... and bead hearts on a strip of navy beadweaving.
















the fabric gift boxes are outlined and tied with metallic and decorative threads, On the right side you can see a bit of one of the tatted garlands I made to drape on the tree. They proved to be too heavy looking for the lace and ribbon-yarn I used, so I placed them  as borders and decorative strips, instead.

White 'cats-eye' beads adorn the pale blue lace with strips of white and silver beads. There are blue star beads, and a ribbon of tatted, metallic garland .                                                                                       


















                                                                                               I'm so happy that NickiLee likes her blue Christmas square!        

I am eagerly waiting to discover just what wonderful creation NickiLee has made me! I'm off to check the mail box!











Gee, what shall we do for 2011?

Hope there are wonderful discoveries in your mail box!


Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz