Saturday, December 15, 2018

The Tomte Village

My local quilt group - not a guild, just a group of quilty good friends - has a December tradition of having a gift exchange.  The kind where everyone brings something, and we choose a gift to unwrap or we steal something from someone else who has unwrapped it first.  I'm sure you have a name for this kind of gift exchange - I'm not sure what to call it - but it is fun and there is always lots of laughter involved!

I decided I would sew up my little tomte blocks from the Moss and Lotus Tomte SAL into a pillow to give in our gift exchange.

I turned each of the blocks I had made into a 6.5 inch block, and then added some coordinating fabric to make a giant 9 patch.



I've followed Crazy Mom Quilts' tutorial for making an envelope backed pillow ever since I started making them a few years back, and I did the same this time.

I quilted the top to a piece of batting - 


Made the envelope backing out of a yard I had left of Crazy Mom's Good Neighbors fabric - because it reminds me of candy canes!


Here is the finished pillow, and a friend I found to go along with it!


The pillow was popular at our gift exchange, and even got stolen once!  The best question I was asked about it was, "Did you really make this completely out of your stash?"  Yes I did!  :)

Sharing at Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

Also sharing at mmmquilts for Sandra's December DrEAMi link-up - because this was a squirrel project that turned into a gift, which made me happy to do!







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22 comments:

  1. Libby in TNDecember 16, 2018 at 4:36 AM

    Around here the game is called Dirty Santa. I hate that name and despise the game almost as much. Your pillow was definitely worth stealing!

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  2. LouiseDecember 16, 2018 at 6:54 AM

    We call it the White Elephant game. But maybe it should be called Steal the Tomte :) Super cute pillow! Are you a little sad that the Tomtes are leaving for a new home?

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  3. JayneDecember 16, 2018 at 7:15 AM

    This pillow is adorable! Whoever ended up with it is one lucky lady!! Well done! We play 'Dirty Santa' at our guild but with fabric. It isn't really dirty as everyone brings great fabric for the game! It's fun, until someone takes your fabric!

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  4. Karen - Quilts...etc.December 16, 2018 at 7:23 AM

    I love that pillow - I really need to make a couple Xmas pillows to slip over the ones on the couch at this time of year - I'm tired of the ones I have but the pillows themselves are still good. I need to look at the tutorial I have her on my reader - too bad she is not going to blog anymore but glad she will be keeping it up

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  5. gayleDecember 16, 2018 at 8:06 AM

    Your tomte pillow is adorable! (Have you started one for yourself yet? You should have one, too!)

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  6. Sylvia@TreadlestitchesDecember 16, 2018 at 8:34 AM

    What a great gift for someone! Your pillow is so whimsical and cute. I love the fresh color scheme.
    Cheers,
    Sylvia@Treadlestitches

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  7. Barb NeiwertDecember 16, 2018 at 9:17 AM

    I would have stolen your pillow, no seconds thought about it! It turned out so cute!

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  8. The Joyful QuilterDecember 16, 2018 at 9:40 AM

    I'm surprised that your adorable pillow only got stolen ONCE!!!

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  9. piecefulwendyDecember 16, 2018 at 10:22 AM

    What a fun pillow -- I'd have stolen it if I had been in your group! Our group has an annual "left-right" story, written by one of the ladies in the group. Each time "right" or "left" is mentioned in the story, you hand your gift that direction. Whatever you end up with at the end of the story is your gift. It's pretty fun. Nice job on the tomte pillow -- time to make one for yourself!

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  10. Cynthia Brunz DesignsDecember 16, 2018 at 10:25 AM

    Your pillow is adorable! Definitely"steal" worthy. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

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  11. Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork AppliquéDecember 16, 2018 at 12:43 PM

    I love your pillow, would love to have been the "stealer" 😉

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  12. PaulaB quiltsDecember 16, 2018 at 12:54 PM

    A charming pillow, Diann. What is a tomte?

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  13. LindaDecember 16, 2018 at 1:08 PM

    Oh it turned out so, so cute! I would totally have stolen it! :) Your group sounds like a lot of fun and fellowship.
    We used to call it White Elephant at our church staff parties, and I swear it always made me belly laugh. I still laugh remembering a fight over a chia pet, of all things - lol!

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  14. Vicki in MNDecember 16, 2018 at 5:45 PM

    The most adorable Christmas pillow!! I sure would have stolen it!!

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  15. Siouxzq64@gmail.comDecember 16, 2018 at 7:00 PM

    Oh your pillow turned out fabulous. The back is great too.

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  16. Linda @ kokaquiltsDecember 16, 2018 at 9:51 PM

    I haven't heard of that game before... but your pillow & santa are very very cute!

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  17. PreetiDecember 17, 2018 at 12:01 PM

    The pillow is so cute. These tomte figures are popping up everywhere these days. There were three in my co-worker's cube last week.
    I have some fabric from that Good Neighbors line but not the red/white. It sure looks like candy cane.

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  18. chrisknitsDecember 17, 2018 at 7:42 PM

    It's perfect! I would have stolen it for sure.

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  19. KateDecember 18, 2018 at 4:54 AM

    Only stolen once? There must have been a lot of fun gifts given during the dirty Santa game. It turned out so cute, as did the original table runner. I would have a hard time giving up either.

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  20. Home Sewn By UsDecember 29, 2018 at 5:15 PM

    Hi Diann! What a cute and fabulous DrEAMi project! I am a bit partial to the little tomte since Wendy shared her version last year. Happy Happy New Year to you and your family. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  21. JanineMarieJanuary 2, 2019 at 9:00 AM

    So cute! I can see why it was stolen. Every year I see the tomte blocks, and want to make them. It was perfect for your DREAMi. (Do you think it’s okay for me to plan a DrEAMi tomte for this year? Ha!)

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  22. Sandra WalkerJanuary 7, 2019 at 4:43 PM

    I'm with Janine; I was about to write gosh I NEED to join in with the Tomte SAL this year, as they're so adorable! I love your pillow, and I can certainly see why it was stolen. You did a very creative sewing together of all the blocks, just wonderful. Maybe Janine and I will have a DrEAMi Tomte together ha!

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