Father Christmas and NTT

Welcome to a (slightly late) edition of Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I finished my pillow this week, and I love it so much.  Whether you call him Santa, Father Christmas, Papa Noel, or any one of the many names for him, he sure is cute!

This pillow measures 12" x 20" counting the binding width, and I'm loving the tall, narrow size.  In this photo, he is sitting on the bed for scale.  Here's another one propped up in an upholstered rocking chair.

I don't always opt for dense, detailed quilting, but for this little project, it was a must.  The quilting really brings him to life!

I used long lines and coordinating thread to add dimension to Santa's robes, skin, and belt, and a continuous spiraling line to give shape to the bag.  My very favorite parts though, are his beard and white fur trim.  I had a little bit of doubt that I would be able to make swirls that small, but I did it!  Those trim pieces on his cuffs and hat are only 1/2" wide, and even the wider center stripe is only one inch!  I kept the background simple with a dense stipple, so this entire pillow is covered in amazing texture.

I made an envelope closure on the back, using this fun holly swirl print that I had in my stash, and I had just enough of the red plaid fabric for the binding.  There are lots of different way to finish a pillow, but if you're unsure of how to do it, you can check out my tutorial HERE.

Okay, friends!  It's time to check out some of the amazing stuff from last week's party.  Maggie at Making a Lather linked up this fantastic scrappy quilt top-

Wow!  Look at this fun one from Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

This gorgeous green quilt is from Quilting by Dawn-

Okay, friends.  Since I'm already a little late, let's get down to business!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)