Christmas Countdown Cheer

Greetings friends - I'm so happy you are visiting with me during the holiday season! Today, I am back with more creative Christmas inspiration - I am sharing more of my recent creations for the Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown Challenge (in case you missed my first post, here is a link). A few details: Poppie Cotton created a very fun word prompt list beginning on December 1st - each day, you can use the word as a prompt to create something and post an image(s), tagging them for a chance to win prizes - you can participate as little or as often as you like. You can visit their Instagram page post for all the details...and visit their website for a downloadable list, a coloring page and Santa templates! I have been participating on most days and have enjoyed my time creating holiday projects - it is helping me get in the Christmas spirit, while I am still under the weather and bogged down with work catch-up. 

Here are five more days of Christmas Countdown creativity....

Day 8 - Snowman

I *had to* post "Flurry Friends," one of my favorite original winter cross stitch designs. You can find the pattern (which has the larger focal design and two bonus single snowman designs) in both paper format and digital format in my Etsy shop. 

Day 10 - Candy Cane

I created these sweet ornaments...fabric birdies each holding their own candy cane, using fabric from the Goose Creek Gardens collection - they make me happy!! I have had quite a few requests, so may write a pattern for creating these sweet birds...

Day 11 - Christmas Tree

I couldn't decide between two of my creative projects - so I will share both. First is my classic cross stitch design "Just Add Tinsel"...a wrapped present needlebook, star pinkeep, and scissor fob ~ along with a unique stitched tree, completely made of linen (with stitched sides, bottom and interior, as well) to hold them! This classic design with complete finishing instructions is available in my Etsy Shop in both paper format and digital format.

My second share for the prompt Christmas tree - a couple needlebooks I created using the Farmhouse Favorites fabric collections, hand-dyed trims from Lady Dot Creates, mini buttons and star pins. These were made playing around in my studio without a pattern or a plan...🎄

Day 13 - Christmas Chicken

I'm not really a "chicken person" but wanted to challenge myself, so I made this cheerful Christmas chicken mini quilt, using the Betsy's Sewing Kit collection along with hand-dyed trims from Lady Dot Creates (her chenille and rick rack were perfection for this project). Again, this was created playing around in my studio without a pattern or a plan...🐓🧣🎄

Day 14 - Neighbor Gift

One of my favorite gifts I created for a neighbor is a oven mitt set with wooden spoons and a dish towel. These oven mitts were made from the Daisy Mae collection and were paired with a large wooden spoon, two tasting spoons and a flour sack towel...all tied with a ribbon….

I hope these creative ideas will get you in the holiday mood and provide some inspiration and Christmas cheer! I have more posts up my sleeve for the coming days leading up to Christmas, so look for those on my social media pages...

For now, it is back to work - I am feeling quite overwhelmed with client orders after my time away in New Zealand and recovering from a terrible case of the flu (I am much better, but yes, I still have a nasty cough!)...so I am busy from morning until night in the studio. Today, I made some updates to my website - I am so proud of my new website that I built (completely from scratch, by myself) this year - if you haven't visited, please take a look! I also had a pile of paperwork and computer work to get done this afternoon - the list is never-ending right now. I'll be back again soon to share some of the projects that have been on my work table...

Thank you for spending a little time with me - I hope you are finding some joy this holiday season!

Apple Patch

Hello friends - I am so happy you stopped by for a visit! Today, I thought I would share a recent quilt finish...a small wall hanging quilt I made for my momma. This lovely little quilt pattern has been in my stash for quite some time...I purchased it specifically to create for my mom...and her recent birthday was the perfect occasion to pull some fabrics and start sewing. While this design looks a little complicated, it is actually a paper foundation pattern - Apple Patch by MH Designs. Foundation paper piecing is a quilting technique done by sewing fabric to a printed paper foundation - this method is great when working with tiny pieces and can be used to create extremely precise points and shapes. The finished size of this quilt is 8.75" x 14", so as you can imagine, some of the pieces can be quite tiny. MH Designs has a fabulous selection of paper foundation patterns, that range from beginner to advanced and the instructions are wonderful! I have a small pile of these patterns in my library, several earmarked for specific recipients. The fabrics used in this quilt were all scraps and fat quarters found in my stash - all different collections - just fabrics I thought would work well together for this project. I truly enjoyed working on these quilted apples...and I'm pretty sure my mom was happy with it too! 💗

A day or two after this little quilt was delivered, I had a delivery myself...a gorgeous holiday flower arrangement from my mom...thanking me for the package. It was the perfect arrival at the perfect time. There has not been a lot of Christmas spirit in the new house, especially with being far away from our family and friends...and with my husband working insane hours, holiday excitement is pretty much non-existent. I know, every year, I say I am going to get a tree...but that still hasn't happened....and yes, I know, I have designed and stitched over 100 ornaments and I could easily fill a tree with handmade pieces...so I am not sure what is holding me back (the expense is part of it). I even went as far as measuring the height of the ceiling in our new living room (well, my husband did - who knew we had 9' ceilings?!)...and we looked online at TONS of trees (I knew I wanted a really natural looking tree with white lights)...but in the end, I din't order one (I know, insert eye roll here)...but I did take notes on a few that I liked. However, thanks to my mom and her flower delivery, I have a "mini tree" - it consists of carnations (my favorite), daisies, lilies, and lots of pine...and most importantly, it smells fabulous!! I have moved it around the house three or four times, trying to keep it in my vision at all times. 😊

So, that is my holiday excitement. I do have most of my (minimal) shopping complete...and I have belted out a few Christmas carols while working in my studio...oh, and I have managed to watch a couple Christmas movies/specials on my studio television while working. I'll get myself into the holiday spirit sooner or later...😄

I still have lots of finishing, sewing and quilting orders to complete...so I am spending my days in my happy place...or should I says "nights" - my husband has been working crazy mixed up hours and I tend to keep the same sleep schedule he does. I have also been formatting a few fresh cross stitch designs and researching printing companies in our new area...while my studio is clean, my desk is a complete MESS (I could barely find my keyboard to type this update)!

I'll be back soon with some more gorgeous needlework finishing photos to share with you...until then, I hope you find beauty and joy in the season....

A Tree Made For Me

I am actually giggling as I write this post...
Many of my close friends and family...and my faithful blog followers know my biggest "dirty little secret"....even though I have designed well over 100 Christmas ornaments, I have never had a tree. Every year, I say the same thing, I *have to* get a Christmas tree....I have hundreds of stitched ornaments to fill one. Well, I finally found a wonderful tree - I know it is a little unconventional, but it is so "me". I have quite a bit of Longaberger wrought iron furniture and wrought iron candle sconces leading up my staircase and over my fireplace - this tree (although not Longaberger) works perfectly!! I knew right when I saw it, it was coming home with me (at a great after-holiday price too)...and last night my husband assembled it to make sure all the pieces and parts were there. I want to decorate it right now...isn't it fun?! I know it isn't the best photo and it looks a little bare with out decoration, but it really is fabulous....it is 88" tall and looks like it will hold multitudes of ornaments - so next Christmas look for my first blog post with a decorated tree...

And on another cross stitch Christmas ornament note - I am excited to share I have been invited to design an ornament for the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue...along with one for the Ornament Preview Issue...so next winter I will have two more ornaments to add to my new tree!