Working my way through this holiday season. I've finished the the Maple Leaf table runner & I'm quite pleased to the way it turned out. Each one of those leaves were stitched back, creating a more pronounced point on the tips.
I thought it only appropriate to use the Canadian Centennial Maple Leaf Tartan for the backing.
Tom Cat loves to sleep, he's in the front window this morning.
Now for a Christmas Tour of memories of Christmas past & present...
An angel collection, they all plug in, some have been our tree toppers through the years.
The Twelve Days Wallhanging, this has won me ribbons over the years, it was all machine appliqued with matching thread. The five gold rings are hidden throughout the scenes, I borrowed 'The Lord of The Rings` - ring, to hang from The Partridge Tree. Letting my son know that it hangs for him, this will be his heirloom.
Wow, I was ambitious! this is ALL white buttons of different shapes & sizes sewn onto green wool background that I made into a pillow, with a red bow added. I put a white rabbit, roller skates, stars, many white things that the kids would see if they took the time with the pillow. Me I love the texture of all the white & making something with ordinary things, white buttons!
The parlour is getting ready for the neighbourhood party. My paper pieced tree hangs with nothing on it, you were to add bulbs, small trinkets, & decorate it yourself...next year maybe.
I LOVE these soldiers I made for Mitchell & Nicholas years ago. They were from a panel to be sewn into bolster pillows...I had another idea!
The bottoms were marked with ric-rack with the boys initials - the boys being around 3 & 4 that Christmas were told to fill them with `their things` & take them with them when we were out visiting friends & family. They were loaded with dinky cars (do people still say that term referring to small cars) small animals & cookies or treats!! by the time we were ready to go home.
I installed zippers around the top of the soldiers hat & lined them for durability. Every now & then I add embellishments to them. This year I`m going to hunt down brass buttons for their suit coats. Now they each house a empty wine container to keep them upright & are placed on each side of the fireplace.
This is a Family Christmas Photo, the year the boys Mitchell & Nicholas had those soldier containers. circa 1992. Wow those soldiers are 20 years old, everything was sewn, not glued so it stayed intact with their playing---they were a hand full, ALL of them. What I would do to slid back in time into that picture! Most of the decorations on our tree were hand made by many family members.
Christmas 1983. He passed away September 2000, I miss my dad so much. He was the wind beneath my wings & would smile today to see how I have soared with his love. I`m tearing...enough.
This is a hand sewn wool piece that I did a few years ago from a pattern Liz brought back for me from the Yukon. It was my 1st introduction to the artist Bonnie Sullivan---again those white buttons!
This pattern was hand appliqued & embellished with maple leaf buttons. Does the pattern look familiar to you...I`m dating myself but---it`s from the back of the old silver Canadian quarter!
I thought the person that put this pattern together was so clever & what a conversation piece of our Canadian history.
The mantel does not photograph well, it has so much sparkle & glitter...that you don`t see.
The grandfather clock had a tune up this year, 1st one in twenty years. The clock was a 5th anniversary gift (wood) from my husband---yes twenty years ago now. The chime sounded so sick so I called for service, it sounds so beautiful again. Did you know that wound clocks are to be serviced every five years, you learn something new everyday.
The nativity scene does not show what I was seeing, it`s from the Party Lite home shows. I buy mine from the thrift stores, for probably the amount the original owner paid in sales tax!
I enjoy the old St. Nicholas. I want to make one myself one year, I`ve had his glass head & hands for years, I think I purchased them when White Rose was going out of business.
My Christmas Ladies are ready for Christmas & dance their time in the clock, with my dad - he was cremated & the funeral home gave him back to me in a velvet bag...so I put him in the clock & talk to him every week when it`s time to wind it & give back time.
More beautiful Christmas Ladies to keep dad company.
Tea set that I use on Christmas Day.
Yes Coca-Cola started Santa Claus!! This one is a cookie jar.
Mitchell`s 1st Christmas blanket. We had a orange tabby cat at the time, named Egnaro ( orange spelled backwards) we had Egg`s for years. When I look at things I`ve done over the years I did quilt-at the time I just called it the baby`s blanket...it was quilting & I never acknowledged it as such.
A Christmas gift from my mother-in-law & father-in-law, many years ago. It`s a musical wind-up with movement, the little girl stirs, while the mother rolls the pastry, & the orange cat in the bucket under the table goes up & down. I love this piece.
The dining room is coming together nicely with the Christmas decor.
The downstairs bathroom has Christmas too!
The corner shelf - over the toilet, the guys will see this!
I brought out & washed all the Christmas dishes this morning to replace the winter dishes.
18 Days Till Christmas...
A cute find at the Thrift Store a few years ago.
Turkey Platter awaits the Christmas turkey.
The lounge has had a Christmas explosion!!
A Bargello workshop that I did with Heather Stewart. All the fabric has gold in it, the colours compliment the Canadian Tartan drapes quite nicely.
I'm going to paint the lounge after Christmas is put away. I'm going with a grey tone with white crown molding, ceiling, & trim. So far I've decided upon the second set, second colour of grey. I place them there to see them through the whole colour change of the day. I want a bright grey, not muddy.
How can one tame a bookcase, I've already done the edit thing...
To think that it was just last year that we all went cruising in the south, wow it seems like so long ago. Last year I purchased Santa scuba diving & a Gone to the Beach sand pail.
This has to be one of my best 'finds' at the Value Village, The Grinch moves all his limbs like my old Barbie dolls use to, well only her legs but this moves all limbs & his head!
More thrift finds, the church reminds me of time spent in The Myers Church & the barn reminds me of Julia B. & her cow stories & adventures that come out of having a barn. I'm the city girl learning the rural life- which I love.
Boris' Christmas pants...Bill's coming home from China tomorrow - lookout Boris! He likes to play dress-up with you!
A Fons & Porter table topper, I made several that year & managed to keep one!
My favourite wreate, I placed it around the horse this year. It's pewter & came from the Pugwash factory of Seagull Pewter. Bill gave me the choice that year back in the 90's - PEI or Pugwash. The rest is history.
Colourful wreathe going to the mudroom.
The mudroom is feeling Christmas too.
I found this primitive angel in the thrift shop this summer out east, she feels like leather & her arms more. on buttons.
Lucy is ready to greet you at the side door. We found this flag - Be Naughty - Save Santa a Trip!
Does the fabric look familiar Liz? Yes it's from the scraps you give me & wears beautifully through the rain & soon the snow. Lucy does look lovely. I Love Lucy.
The guardian gargoyle has his Santa hat on & flowers to brighten the chair.
Squirrel is really happy to have me home again & is always looking for his ''eatsy - treatsy"
His brownish/redish fur is now grey & white & very thick...is this going to be a long cold winter?
Tommy moving around the house with me.
I made these curtains from a table cloth a few years back. What a warm feeling when the light shines through the red fabric a very warm glow. The curtain rods are swing arms that I swing open when the sun is there. Today it's raining, so the warm glow works for me.
Chairs are filled with Christmas pillows.
The Tweleve Days Of Christmas is one of my most favourite scenes. I purchased this piece in Kansas in the early 1990's, it's a candle holder when the pieces are removed.
Another hand appliqued wool piece, the pennies to Santa's side say HO HO HO & the O's are white buttons...I may have a theme in buttons alone. LOL
The front of the house has been decorated too! the wreathes are hung by a plaid ribbon & I purchased a custom sleigh in Miramichi by a retired gentleman. To my surprise the plaid he put on the sled matched my wreathes plaid. Somethings are just meant to be!
Bill put the bulbs on the tree last weekend. This is a tree that he has been growing since it was a seedling, it really like being there. He now has another one & another seedling started, too many evergreens, spring we'll be moving some out.
This photo shows that I do live on a postage stamp! The windows are still being installed, the sashed on on the left is the new one. The other is to be installed at the end of next week, with the new patio door.
I have one of the 'larger' laneways. The vehicle looks straight because the eldest son, Donald backed it into the laneway the other night. I cannot back into a laneway to save my life, I do go straight going forward though! Nice supper out, thank you Donny.
Look what can be done to a piece of wood, he's so cute.
I thought I'd decorate for the youngest son Nicholas...I know he won't! but does appreciate any help though. I'm glad your home for Christmas Nick.
Here's my newest Christmas decoration, The Richardson sleigh.
Coordinating with the old wreathes. What a coincidence...or is it?when the window goes in
Thank you for the candles Doris, I've replaced the red bulbs with low watt flickering bulbs, can't wait to use it when I entertain this year.
This is a view through the new patio door with the wrong opening slide...it will be replaced when the upstairs window goes in(the original one was broke in two)things do happen in threes - the window that was installed had goop inbetween the sash, it too will be replaced with everything else next week. The window & door company belongs to McGraw & Hill- you know Faith Hill & Tim McGraw the country & western singers. They need to up the quality control on the windows & the owner measured the patio door, not the excellent installer.
Look at how wonderfully clear the new patio door will be! it's replacing a 22 year old patio door that had scratches & marks all over it. I just love the view of my Squirrel & his cage,the studio & arch to Nick's place...bring on the new one next week! Hope the weather is good, that`s a big whole in the wall to have opened while being installed. Burrrrrrr
Well I hope I set you in the Christmas Spirit to go sew, decorate, or just be thankful that it has not snowed yet. It's coming...just like Christmas in just 18 Days!
Well back to the eagle "Spirit" wall hanging. I'm such a procrastinator! Yes I know - Procrastination is the Thief of Time! Going to my Kyrotime!
Merry Christmas :-)
