12 Days Of Christmas, Christmas Stockings, & The Manx

I love the 12 Days of Christmas song & I have got the 1st Canadain issue of quilter's connection magazine & that is how long I've wanted to make this wall hanging! It was not as big of a project but I just needed the time to do it.

Every year since the 2009 purchase of this magazine, I would look at it read the instructions but somehow I never got around to actually making it.

 Inside the magazine was the hanger that I thought would be 'just perfect' for the project.


Then I thought... 'if not now, when?'

 So I began it, the snow on the top of the pear tree had to be embroidered, I used the Glad Press & Seal technique, I  was very surprised & pleased with the outcome & ease of using it.

 My sewing chair has a quilted mat added to the top because Rexton sits on the top of my chair when I sew & has done a nice job piercing holes with her nails. It has the 12 Days of Christmas fabric & that gave me another idea.

 This fabric is probably older than the magazine & I still love it!

 From that fabric collection, I fussy cut out the pockets to hold the partridge & the eleven pears.

 It is a Three French Hen day today & the other pairs are in the proper pockets awaiting to be buttoned on the tree.

 Here's a close up of the first three pockets. I love that the fabric has shades of metallic paint on it.

 And with that, I sewed on gold jumbo jingle bells to the bottom tongues! I also used a gold thread on the wings of the partridge.

Home for Christmas

On Friday Bill, Nick, & Leslie will be home for Christmas. This is Leslie's first Christmas with us so I found it fitting to make her a Christmas stocking for Christmas morning.

 I made the rail fence stocking last year but was a bit challenged doing it today, maybe it was too early in the morning & not enough coffee. lol, the stocking turned out great!

 I had this sweet gingerbread button & sewed it to the top.

 Then I added three gold bells with satin ribbon.

 I had made Donald a stocking a few years back & Stephanie really liked it so I made her one as well.

 Her smile makes my day! And I love how she has made the house I once lived in a beautiful home.

The birds are going to get a surprise on Christmas morning too! Bill & I found this perfect birdhouse for our feathered friends.

 Rexton The Manx

 The Bostons Christmas scarf was being shredded with their playfulness then taken off.
Rexton likes wearing scarves so I put Bridget's on her.

Then I tried to do a photo shoot on her...

 She's been hanging out with Bridget too long! lol

 Her eyes look like glass buttons.

 Not impressed with me...

 Really?!

 Thank you for that pose Rexton!

The Manx takes five years to mature & Rexton will be 5 in August. Her body sure has the length now & her girth is solid. She does act more like a dog than a cat & is my shadow through the night letting me know when 6am is near & she needs to have a Temptation fix.

Here's an older pic of Rexton with Boris Loree, she was much smaller in size, she was always a sweet cat. I hope Baxter & Bridget stop wrestling with her but I think she likes the attention.

I received this sign in my birthday parcel from my girlfriend Sandy. I have it in my sewing room & laugh every time I read it! 

The snowman from my old neighbour Jackie S. now has a new nose & I found a tree in the Christmas box that looks good with it too.
I just love snowmen this time of year!
He's in the front foyer to meet & greet everyone entering or leaving.

Years back Bill & I were in England & my girlfriend Janine R. took me to a miniature shop to purchase miniatures, which I did but I spied this Christmas fairy & brought her back to Canada with me. She is on the foyer table with the large St. Nicholas to greet you!

Thank you for stopping in for a visit to see a bit of Christmas on the east coast.
Stay safe & healthy through this holiday season. Enjoy your time with friends & family, this year is almost over!

Merry Christmas,
Cynthia

Father Christmas Is Finished!

This Father Christmas is from a 1996 doll making magazine & I've wanted to do it for some time now. I started it months back tracing out all the pattern pieces & embroidering the face. I still had to find the hair material & could not... so I cut apart a corded bellpull & it worked beautifully!
I just love it when everything just goes together & the vision becomes a reality!

 His unique beard is made of shell buttons that I have saved up over the years & have been put to use in this creation of Father Christmas.

 The hat & gown foundation is made from leftover drapes from the lounge our London ON home many years ago. Prior, I had made swags for the new boardroom for Richardson Access Elevator, back in 1996. So this fabric has a personal & professional history.

 The photo doesn't do him justice as you can bearly see the crocheted dolly under the gold cross-hatching. The beige pearls are from Mrs. Jackson & some of the paint has lifted but adds interest to this nostalgic Father Christmas. There's also white pearl beads sewn on left over from the embellishing of my wedding dress back in 1987.

This has been a labour of love & memories & a piece I will cherish this time every year.

He looks at home with the primitive Christmas tree & the Spode plate from one of our England visits.
I've never made a doll quite like this one & it was a lot of work but I'm so pleased with the outcome.

And digging through Christmas past I came upon an album of the boys 1st Christmas & I had Bill's 1st Christmas hanging in Namama's tree. How cute are these three?!!

Bill asleep with his Namama, Mitchell with Santa Claus, & Nicholas with Santa Claus, oh the memories of Christmas past & the makings of new Christmas' our the future!

The Black & White Furbabies 

 Baxter & Bridget are trying so hard to be good for Santa Paws, they're just not liking the cold winter.

 This is the 'new to them' chair for sleeping & playing, not allowed on our furniture anymore.

 Mr. Boots is still in control of the Boston's & proves it by laying on their blanket in front of the firebox.

 Rexton is still the free-spirited one stretches out in the great room enjoying the warmth from the firebox.

 She can often be found just relaxing on her back. The Boston's still chase her around & under the furniture. She loves the attention but I think she misses Boris for the cuddling.

 Rexton the Manx is mean to Mr. Boots & heaven help her if that cat ever turns on her. Boots outweighs Rexton by 10 pounds!

 Today was the Boston's photo shoot with their new Christmas scarves on.

 Baxter was patiently waiting for it to be over to get his promised treats of chicken & a sausage.

 Bridget did very well keeping her tongue in!

And then she started to ignore or she got bored of me.

 And then I had an idea... treats!
 
 Yes, I held treats above the camera, it was working!

 And then it was not...

 Bridget is much more food driven than Baxter & had her eyes on the prize!

 This was my best shot of these two!

 Many photos were taken & many more deleted! lol

 Baxter was bored & Bridget was beginning to look like Yoda again, so that was the end of that shoot.
I did get some cute shots though.

 Pussycat in the chair was getting bored with no attention too, you can see the expression in those ears! lol

 A quick pat & reassuring words & she happy again. Rexton has worn this old buffalo scarf for three days now. She is more like a dog than a cat, it's said that the Manx is like that though.

 I'm so glad I got these photos because afterwards, the Boston's started playing & the plaid tartan around her scarf was pulled off & is now a frayed edge!

 It sure is hard to get a good photo of these two!

Baxter finally just did a lay down on the mat & Bridgets mouth was beginning to open again with tongue soon to follow.

I've been doing Christmas sewing for the family & they read my blog so photos will appear after Christmas is over.
And Christmas will be over in 26 days!!!

I'm off to cut out some patterns to make clothes. I enjoy sewing for the kids even though they are into much larger sizes than yesteryears.

Yes, Donny, I think of those 'Von Tropp  Days' when we all wore the same fabric from the bolts of fabric that I would buy at a 'good price'. lol

Thank you for stopping in for a visit & I hope you're feeling the spirit of Christmas too!
It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

Cynthia