Christmas Stitching

While my sewing machine is in the shop I decided to do something different. I took out my old Prairie Schooler patterns and thought I'd work on a little bit of cross stitch for a change. This always happens around the holidays. Every December I spend a couple of hours looking through all the Christmas designs I've collected over the years, thinking about all the lovely pieces I'd like to stitch. Occasionally, I even make something. Duh, it would never occur to me to start in July, when there'd be a better chance I'd actually finish something by Christmas. Oh well. 

Then, I pulled out some of my other unfinished Christmas items, like these Christmas tree mug rugs I started last year but never seemed to complete.

These are just too cute not to finish so I know I'll do that at least, if I get my machine back soon. And so I started cutting pieces for a few more. This is a free pattern on my website and in the small quilt group Files, by the way. 

For the December challenge in my small quilt groups (Yahoo and Facebook - see blog sidebar for links), we're making red & white quilts again. I realized I had to start thinking about what I want to make. If you don't have time to make a whole quilt, it's okay to simply make a mug mat or coaster. We're having a showing of the quilts on Facebook and Yahoo on December 30 so I've got plenty of time. I cut these pieces for one quilt and now have decided I'll probably make a different one instead. 

In addition to dreaming of all sorts of creative, Christmasy things I could be making, I started my Christmas shopping. Some of you are probably already finished. I just can't get into it if it's not cold or snowing. Well, we've now got the cold so out I went . . . .

Wishing you a happy December and may all your stitching dreams come true. Make a wish that some of mine come true too. I've been feeling pretty tired and lazy lately and since it takes me a lot of time and energy to write blog posts, I promise I'll finish writing the ones about making scrappy quilts after the holidays. In the meantime, make something cute and show me a picture of it in my Facebook small quilt group. 

Oh yeah, one more cute little stitching project I started and really need to finish . . . .