WIP: Deckade the Halls Blocks 1-5

I recently read a really good article about keeping things simple at Christmas time when you have young children (read it HERE).  This year I ended up choosing to take a break from making gifts, which freed me up to spend my sewing time sewing for ME.  It's been amazing.  After so much focus on my Etsy shop, I needed to sew something for myself.
Our trip to Las Vegas (see previous post HERE) was awesome!  While the hubby went to his training, I spent my days entering WAY too many giveaways for Sew Mama Sew giveaway day, and I made a lot of progress on my Deck the Halls quilt.

Here is the first block, Gingerbread Men:

I really love the fabrics I've been using, but some of them are a tad busy.  I've ended up using this yellow in every single block so far, just to try to balance the busyness out.

 Here I am all set up in the hotel room.  :)  It's a good thing the cleaning lady didn't come while I was gone for lunch.  That could have been a disaster.

SO much cutting!  I spent almost the whole first day cutting background pieces for the entire quilt.  I wanted to make sure I was going to have enough, and I barely made it - I did have to piece together a few scraps to get the last few tiny squares.  This isn't even all of it:

Progress shot.  I was having lots of fun!

 I finished the gingerbread men and these stars while still at the hotel.  I was about half way through with the ornaments too.  However, I came to realize that my "scant quarter inch" wasn't quite as scant as it was supposed to be.   All my blocks were coming out just barely too small!  Even though I have tested my quarter inch seam before and I use a quarter inch foot.  I've decided it was a combination of not being diligent enough with the quarter inch foot, using a soft padded ironing board in the hotel room, and using thicker thread than normal (oh yeah, and having to use 1 1/2 inch squares that were pieced together from scraps).  I've been working on it, and my blocks are getting better and better.  Whew!

Here are the ornament blocks I finished at home:

And the stocking blocks.  I bought the white mug fabric before I settled on a background fabric and originally decided not to use it at all in my quilt, but something made me change my mind.  I hope it doesn't stick out too badly!

And the present blocks.  Love the fabrics!

Here are all the blocks together so far.  Only three more to go!  

Note:  All of these blocks are from Fat Quarter Shop's Deckade the Halls quilt along that took place earlier this year. 

Linking up: