The Holly Bazaar Has Come and Gone

Well, another Holly Bazaar is now in the books bringing the recent flurry of quilting and baking to a very festive end.

Two more table toppers were wrapped up with the six that I showed you last time, the placemats and the pot holders, along with a big bundle of baking, and it was time for the show. This Moda Love topper had been sewn last year around this time but never quite made it to the finish line, so it was nice to get it quilted and put into use.

The story of my sewing for this year's bazaar seems to be all about 'using it up'. There was just enough of the bottom of these three gold prints to back it with and to squeak out the binding - I had a 10" piece left over, that's it. This is one of two that the gals liked enough to put into the Silent Auction.

The second runner started out with three orphan star blocks that I inherited from Jane (remember that Linda used four of them in the adorable Country Cabins quilt that she made for her grandson?).

I chose to use blacks and red with the stars and quite liked the end result but wondered when it was finished how many people's tastes it would be. Turns out I didn't have to worry too much - it wasn't on the craft table two minutes and one of the volunteers bought it; another gal is considering having me make a second similar one for a gift for one of her daughters-in-law.

I liked working on this one and particularly like the way the quilting on it turned out.

I'm glad that my sewing was wrapped up early this year as lately its been all about getting things ready for the bake table. I always think that I'll try new recipes but chicken out in the end because I don't know how they will turn out, so there were Orange Cranberry Loaves and Plum Loaves...

and four different types of cookies - Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread (a favourite)...

Gingerbread Men (it is a Holly Bazaar after all)...

Toblerone Shortbreads (another fave) and the White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan cookies (also known as Hootycakes) that were shown above.

At the last minute I decided to make up packets of gift tags to put on the craft table. I ended up with 10 packs of 6 and I think that they went over well so next year maybe I'll start on those a little earlier.

We hosted a great crowd that enjoyed a delicious ham and scalloped potato luncheon and finding tasty treats and hand crafted treasures to take home with them. And so tonight its time to exhale and put up my feet. There's no deadline on the horizon and the only thing I really need to tend to is the mess on my kitchen table. Tomorrow....M