Happy New Year 2011!

Happy New Year, blogger friends. I've been away for awhile due to sickness, but I hope to be back in a few days with more sewing and ideas. I wish you all a Happy, Healthy 2011 with many Blessings!

The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come...

Hello! Today I am linking to the Spirit of Christmas Party at SewNSo's Sewing Journal. Today's theme is sharing projects we have planned for future Christmases. My project has been 17 years in the making!

 

I made 2 red velveteen Christmas stockings for Hubby and me in 1993, the year we got married. They are very simple, lined with a Christmas print. I cut out 6 stockings altogether and stored the unfinished ones with our Christmas decorations. Every year that a new baby joined our family, I stitched another one together (usually at the last minute!). When Davy was born, I couldn't find the last stocking, so I made another one from red velveteen. Since then, I found the last one, which I still need to put together for Andy.

Maybe you are wondering why this is an unfinished project? Because my original intention was to make each person a custom cuff. Each stocking would showcase a different technique on the cuff: smocking, quilting, heirloom lace band, embroidery, etc.

As you can see, I have yet to complete even one cuff!! Each year, I think that I'll leave this out after Christmasand do them in the summer. Maybe this will be the year!! Now the plain stockings seem like the tradition, but I think it would be really nice for each person to have a special, unique stocking...next year.

I finally managed to finish Andy's overalls, literally 30 minutes before we went to have pictures done on Friday night. It was worth it! The pictures came out great and I had cards made, which will go out today...in plenty of time to arrive before Christmas! I'll try to post a closeup of the embroidery later. One of the girls kissed him and got some lip gloss on the overalls, so they are in the wash.

Speaking of My Dad...

Last week, I shared my Mom's 3 Wise Men Banners from the 1970s. I mentioned that my Dad is also very creative. When I was a kid, my parents both dabbled in different hobbies and crafts. For my Dad, these included: wood-working, wine-making, clock making, and even stained glass. My Dad is also great at home repair and construction projects and still works full-time in government security. I am really grateful that my parents gave me a heritage of creativity. So, today I want to tell you about the stained glass nativity set my Dad made in the early 1980s.

My Dad took a stained glass making class with a friend. It was a community education class and it must have been around Christmas time. I remember him working with the different sheets of brightly colored glass and the beautiful glass beads (see the blue turban). I was impressed that the cutter had a diamond tip to score the glass. My Dad made a Tiffany-type lamp shade and a few other things, but this nativity set is the thing that has become a Christmas tradition in my parents' house. My Dad said he felt impressed that it turned out so well. I also have a beautiful baby sled that we made together, which I will share soon. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and getting a lot done!