Time to make a new stocking!

The family's stockings interspersed with those of their local family members.  You can see that the crocheted stockings are third, sixth, seventh, and ninth in line.

 Some years ago, I crocheted some stockings for a few of the grandkids that we had at the time.  I didn't really expect these to become their actual Christmas stockings -- I just thought it would be fun to make them some personalized decorative stockings and had a crochet stocking pattern I wanted to try.  However, one of the families -- our daughter, son-in-law and family who live in the West -- has made them their default Christmas stockings.  I'm tickled about that!

Cream with dark red trim and a green tag

They just had a new baby in June, and so I am getting ready to crochet another stocking.  I'm thankful that they sent the picture of their stockings hanging from their local parents/grandparents' mantel, because I couldn't remember just what color combinations I had already used.  I've been trying to keep it to the same 3 colors -- dark red, dark green, and cream -- but just using them in varying combinations.  The photo at top will help me decide what to use this time around.

Dark green with dark red trim and a white tag

I'll be starting this project soon.  It will be fun to crochet another stocking!

2013 Christmas Cards

Small vintage card from my personal collection

 My Christmas cards for this year have arrived!  Yes, I ordered them early.  I can usually find cards I like in Wal*mart, but it involves getting into the Christmas aisles nice and early and browsing through design after design.  Sometimes I find a card where I love the design,  but I'm not as pleased with the message or the particular Scripture they chose for it.  As I said, I nearly always find something (though sometimes I have to visit more than one Wal*Mart), but it can be a hassle, and the cards seem to become more expensive each year.

So on a whim, when I was ordering some fun school supplies for my granddaughters from Dayspring, I decided to see what they had for clearance Christmas cards.  And they had some I was very pleased with!  The designs are beautiful with a bit of a vintage feel, the quality is high, the message heartfelt, and the KJV Scripture verses used are a bit different from the usual "Christmas verses".  Here are the designs I chose:

Photo from Dayspring.com

O Holy Night cards</>

Photo from Dayspring.com

Christmas Brings to Light cards</>
 I checked the site today and these are still available.  Plus, there are two other similar designs which are very pretty.  These come in boxes of 18 cards and sell for $4.99.  If you haven't purchased your Christmas cards yet, you might like to check out the Dayspring site!

I'm dreaming ....

Photo by The Stitchery

... of cross-stitching this gorgeous Snowy Village Table Runner.
 
This week, I received a catalog from The Stitchery, a place where I have spent many dollars in years past.  I glanced through it while eating lunch and found it to be a place where I could still spend time and money, given the opportunity.

I completely fell in love with this table runner, which is a Stitchery Exclusive ... meaning it is not sold elsewhere.  (Incidentally, there is a tablecloth with a similar design -- the village motif is on all four sides.  But a table runner works better for our table.)  I showed the picture to my husband.  I will give Mr. T credit; he did not blanch at the price.  But he did mention he thought it would be a time-consuming project; I believe his comment was something along the line of "it would take you the rest of your life to finish that."

I know he's right, but still I find myself dreaming of a Snowy Village.

Making a list ...

From my collection of vintage cards

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day.  I sat out on the patio and worked in my Christmas notebook.  I've had a tentative Christmas list in progress since January, and a list of handcrafted gifts in a document on the computer.  Yesterday I put them all together.  There are still a few people I'm undecided about what to get or make for, but probably three-quarters of my list is done.

I made out timelines to set dates I want to have certain gifts finished by.  Some of the handcrafted gifts are for birthdays, and some of the recipients (for both birthdays and Christmas) are several time zones away, so I will need to make sure those items are sent out in plenty of time to arrive in a timely manner.

Yes, there is more planning to be done.  But what a great feeling to have accomplished so much!  Now to get started on the first item ... my first deadline is September 15 for a Sept. 28 birthday.  I'm off to get busy!

A finished* UFO

  The adorable Digital Washi Tape  may be found at A Typical English Home.  She also has a nifty polka dot assortment.

 * that is not completely "finished" -- because it still needs a frame.

(I apologize mightily for the quality of this photo.  My husband had been using the camera previously (to take pictures of flowers, at my request) and I'm assuming some of his settings, or the time of day, might have made a difference to the pics I tried to take with it afterward.  I promise, I will get a better picture when we get it framed.)

This embroidered winter scene had been started by a friend many years ago.  She had completed the snowman and the children around him, and I think part of the barn, but that was all.  Later she was cleaning out her needlework stash because her eyesight wasn't conducive to it anymore, and gave me a lot of things, including this just-begun winter scene.  I had always wanted to make something like this, so it worked out well.

I'm thankful to have it finished at last.  Now my hubby wants to make a frame for it.  Really, I think any wooden frame would do, but his sister suggested a birch log frame, so that is what he is planning to do. 

The birch log frame in this picture is the type he wants to make to frame the embroidery.

 He's very busy, so I think we will be doing well if he gets it completed in time for us to hang the picture on the wall this winter.

Interestingly, this design is called "Snow Angels".  What's funny is that my other major UFO is a cross stitch (on 18 count Aida; yikes!)
 
and it is also called "Snow Angels"!