Merry Christmas - 2014

Christmas - 2013

Mom's sister and brother-in-law came for Christmas from a few states away. They both have health problems and don't get to make the trip over very much, so it's a treat to have them. The Grandparents aren't really able to travel, and my family won't leave them by themselves, so we don't get to make the trip over to see this uncle and aunt very much either.

Last night we had a relaxing little Christmas Eve 'party', eating goodies, watching a Christmas movie, and just enjoying all being together.

Christmas morning started nice and slow, and pretty much stayed that way all day. I rode from our house up to The Grandparents' on my bicycle, and the cold Christmas morning was just about perfect. The frost on the hood of my uncle and aunt's van glittered like magic in the morning sun - this photo does nothing as far as doing it justice.

This year, our family (Dad, Mom, Trissy, and me) agreed to not buy each other presents, but instead use the money we'd planned to spend, to help purchase gifts for impoverished and vulnerable people through Samaritans Purse's Gift Catalog. We were all so glad that we did it that way! As it was, we still gave gifts to The Grandparents and Mom's sister and brother-in-law, and they to us. But they were simple, small, and/or meaningful things, and the 'commercial' side of Christmas has happily been awarded an even-tinier-than-usual place in our celebrations of the season.
All in all, it was a very nice Christmas. Different, but nice.

 

Christmas lasts for days at our house. Especially if we have guests/family over. My uncle and aunt are planning to stay until New Year's morning, and school is out for two weeks. So just work at the restaurant a few days a week for me, and work with the surveying company a few days a week for Dad. Otherwise, we've been enjoying each other's company, working puzzles, reading, listening to Christmas stories, eating [too many] goodies, and generally trying to not waste our little 'vacation'.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 97

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: Firefly

2. Hearing:

3. Smell: Candles

4. Taste:

5. Touch: Hand Hug

The stories behind the list:

1. During a slow spell at the restaurant, I was leaning on the ledge that goes around the inside of the front service area, looking out the window. When I glanced down, on the outside ledge there was a firefly walking along. I hadn't seen a firefly in such a long time.

2.

3. We have a gas cooking stove, and when the tank gets about empty, you can start to smell gas in the house a little bit. It's not dangerous, but the smell is pretty annoying, and makes Mom feel sick. The tank is getting low again, and there's been a nagging gas smell in the kitchen the past few days. So we lit some candles to help burn the gas smell off, and produce a countering nice candle smell!
I absolutely love the smell of candles. Even if they don't have a scent, the smell of the match after it's blown out, or the burning wick of the candle itself, gives me such a wonderful comfortable feeling. It makes me think of Fall, chilly weather, craft projects or reading inside while it rains outside, pumpkin pie, leaves on the ground, Thanksgiving Day. And then later in the year, scarves and gloves and hats and comfy coats, hot chocolate, Christmas music, Christmas decorations and lights, the central heating turned on in the house, standing over the floor vents warming bare toes, curling up on the couch on chilly mornings with a fleece blanket to read my Bible, Winter, Christmas traditions, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years. Memories, pictures, friends, family, warmth, love, laughter. All this from the smell of a candle being lit. Even in August.

4.

5. My S. ladies came by the restarant early Wednesday morning. Their big silver van was having some work done on it at the shop next door, and they saw my Tilly parked at the restaurant and stopped just to say hello to me! Before they left, Piper reached in through the window and showed me how to give a 'hand hug'.

The Christmas Story

The reason for Christmas. The reason for life. God almighty, Maker of the universe and all in it, coming to this poor sick world to be our Savior and Healer.
This is the story.

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

Luke 2:1-20

Merry Christmas.

Newsletter 2012

Below is a 'newsletter' of sorts I sent out to my friends and pen-pals this year, catching them up and filling them in on a few of the goings-on of my life in the past year. Much of it will mean little to most of you, but I included it here on my blog for those interested, and for my own record.

"
Dear friends,                                                                    Dec. 20, 2012

I thought when I finished college last fall that somehow I would have ‘time’ again. Time to pleasure-read, time to write letters, to journal, to go for walks, to craft to my heart’s content, to study subjects other than school requirements, etc. What a myth! While I have been freed from late-night studying for tests and from stacks of impossible homework assignments, all that ‘free time’ that was supposed to materialize never showed up :) . I say all that by way of hopeful explanation for the neglect I’m sure some of you feel for my long letter-writing silence, and to warn you that it may become regular for my letters to be very few and far between :/ . I usually don’t like the idea of a mass mail-out – though those letters are just as heart-felt, they somehow seem not quite as personal as receiving a hand-written note with your own name at the top. But, I am learning that if I put off writing until I can write a personal letter to each of my dear friends, none of them will get anything! So here I am, doing the end-of-the-year-newsletter mail-out. Please be assured though, that each of you are personally thought of and loved as I type :) . So, on to ‘news’.

2012 has been a year of learning for me. Come to think of it, I could truthfully say that of the two years before it, for I spent them in learning of not only a spiritual and personal, but also an academic sort. But in the spiritual category, 2012 has seemed to be the ‘final test’ at the end of the semester. Seems like all the Lord has taught me 2009-2011 has been put to the test. I myself have been put to the test. My trust in the Lord’s power, my faith in His wisdom, my hope in His unfailing love, and my submission to His plans have all been tried. I was given success, realized dreams, and answered prayers. I was also given betrayal, hurt, and tears. Trials I had prepared myself to face never showed up, and instead I was presented with a series of entirely unexpected situations that have shaken me brutally. But praise God for the lectures and repeated lessons of the years before, and because of them the test, though hard, was not impossible to take, and I believe I made a passing grade. The fact that the Teacher is always available certainly is the greatest comfort!

With the Lord’s help, I did finish junior college last December, and ‘officially’ graduated in May with a technical degree in Web Development. As of right now, I do not have any plans to go on to a university.

I continue to work as an after-school employee at Victory Road Christian Academy, the Christian private school started by Victory Rd. Baptist Church – the church I am a member of. There are good days and bad days, but I love these kids so much! I can see so much growth in them, and they have taught me so much as well. My prayer is that I can be a Godly influence and use my time with them in the best possible way – they are so alert and eager and soak up whatever is going on around them. I want to always keep good examples and wholesome options present before their amazingly observant eyes and ears.

In September I took another small job, working at a little restaurant owned by a couple in the church. It’s uncomfortable at times, as I work closely with others who are not Christians and act like they are not. But it is a great witnessing opportunity and I am trying to build friendships with them. Two of my co-workers came to church a couple of weeks ago, and I was so excited – it was a big step for them. I love the fact that I am in constant contact with other local people. Even if I don’t have an opportunity to talk with them very long, at least I get to smile and wish them a great afternoon or a Merry Christmas. People notice a smile, and I love when one of the many hard or sad faces that comes by asks why I’m so happy. To get to tell them about the One Who gives real joy is the ultimate satisfaction.

Twice this year I have had the opportunity to go on state-side mission/service trips with Victory Rd., and since another mission trip to Trinidad was out for this year, Trissy and I both went on these two. In January we went to [a neighboring state] to a children’s home and ranch near [the state's capitol city]. It was cold, but it was a great time of hard work and also of fellowship and bonding with the other church members who went. In June we went to Illinois and an area near Chicago to help a church there. Again, lots of hard work, and lots of wonderful memories of time spent with church family. This trip may very well be the highlight of my year. I had hopes and even expectations for it, but the Lord gave me abundantly above what I even imagined!

When school started back in the fall, I was asked to help teach the junior-high class at church on Wednesday nights. Not being much of a teacher, I was hesitant to jump in, but there was a need for more help in that area and even before I was asked, I felt like the Lord was encouraging me to consider getting involved. Besides, for years I’ve had a great love for teen-agers and desired to be able to minister to them somehow. This wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind, but it would be good to get out of my ‘comfort zone’ a little. It has been very different than I imagined, even to the point of discouragement. Several times I’ve thought, “What am I even doing here?” But sticking with it, the Lord has showed me at least one young thirteen-year-old reason I think He has me there, and I myself have begun receiving great blessing from it.

Speaking of teenagers and my desire to minister to them, one of the great joys and sorrows of this year has been a young friend in the church. Satan is trying – through discouragement, misunderstanding, and bad advice from so-called ‘friends’ – to destroy the spirit and testimony of one of the young people of Victory Rd. The desire to serve and please the Lord is there, but difficulties and struggles are hitting hard and fast, knocking down good intentions and belittling the efforts of others to help. The highs and lows and ups and downs – the past few months especially – have been exhausting and discouraging for those who love this dear young person. Please pray for all involved, at least now as you read, but continued prayers would be SO appreciated! Pray for courage and spiritual strength for the teenager, wisdom for those who are trying to help, and ultimate great victory over Satan’s evil plans – for the glory of God.

And if you would, as you pray, please pray for Victory Road Church as a whole. The Lord has been using us in great ways, and I guess Satan decided he wanted to get busy and mess things up. We have faced a lot of hardship this past year. Ridiculous but effective attacks from inside have been the most harmful and hurtful. Thank you for all prayers!

Well, my time is running out and so is my mental energy :) . I’m sure I have hardly scratched the surface as far as all the opportunities the Lord has given me and all the things I have been involved in this past year, but I’ve tried to catch you all up on a couple of the highlights that have been the most influential on my life :) . I have no big job or career, I’m not in college any more, and I’m not married – things that I think many, if not most, people measure a successful life by. But I find my life very fulfilling. I love my two little jobs, the people, and the opportunities involved in both. I love my church, the precious dear friends in it, and the opportunities and doors the Lord has opened to me through it. Of course there are things in my life that I am not happy with, but no one could appreciate perfection if there were no such thing as flaws. So, if my life was ‘just perfect’, meaning, ‘just as I’d have it if I could’, I’d soon begin taking it for granted, forgetting the God Who gave it to me, and growing soft and weak. I hope I learn from the difficulties in my life, grow closer to God because of them, and become stronger through the struggling.

A very Merry Christmas to all of you, dear friends! Thank you to those who have kindly continued to keep me updated on your own lives :) . I hope the Lord has been proving Himself as mightily to you, and more, as He so mercifully has to me.

Closing with a verse that has come to mean a great deal to me in recent months,

'Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.'

Joshua 1:9 

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Your friend,

-Kyrie<><
"

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 64

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: My Half-Card Matching Lindy's

2. Hearing: The Grandmother Playing The Piano

3. Smell: Earwarmer

4. Taste: Chicken Salad

5. Touch: Nicole Sticking A Bow In My Hair 

The stories behind the list:

1. At a church Christmas party Tuesday night, at the end of the evening, a basket was passed around full of Christmas cards cut in half. Each person took half a card, and when the basket was empty, everyone went around looking for the person who had the other half of their card. That would be your 'Prayer Partner' for the coming year. My half matched Lindy's, and we had a great conversation sharing prayer requests, needs, concerns, and blessings we could pray for each other about.

2. I was at The Grandparents' house yesterday and The Grandmother went into the living room and started playing the piano that had belonged to her mother. She was playing "Trust and Obey", probably from memory, and I stopped to appreciate her old-school style and the great words of the song. It's a privilege I won't have forever.

3. Months ago, Piper asked me to teach her to crochet and to knit. Long story short, we never could seem to work out our schedules so that we could get together and do that, so she began gathering knowledge from her grandmother and on her own, and basically taught herself to crochet. She is getting more and more creative with her skills, and I have been so proud of her determination and persistence. One Wednesday night, she had on a beautiful cranberry-colored earwarmer with a white snowflake embroidered on it. I noticed and mentally admired it at a distance, but when I got close to her and saw it was crochet, I realized she must have made it herself! I complemented her on it, and she said Joy was going to give her some yarn to make her one. I asked if I brought her yarn, would she make me one, and she said yes of course! So the next Sunday I took her some, and this past Wednesday she brought it to me. Sweet Piper! It's soft blue cotton thread, crocheted well - firm sturdy stitches, but loose enough to be limber and comfortable. I put it to my face, savoring the softness, and realized it smelled like Piper from being near her - a fresh, clean smell, like a spring breeze, rich with warmth and wildflowers.

4. One of the church ladies took chicken salad sandwiches to the Christmas party Tuesday night. I love chicken salad anyway, but that was some of the best I've ever had!

5. At the same Christmas party, Nicole (one of the college girls - I don't think I've ever mentioned her here), after the gift exchange, found a bow off a package and teasingly stuck it in my hair.
Nicole has always sort of seemed like her own person - not really a 'loner', but not really mixing alot with the rest of the college group. She's a mix of country and classy, sweet and saucy, aloof and friendly, and just 'Nicole'! There's really no other way to describe her - you'd just have to know her! She went to Trinidad in 2011 on the mission trip Trissy and I went on, and the three of us became pretty close on that trip. We've had a special friendship ever since.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 63

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: VRCA Christmas Program

2. Hearing: "The First Noel"

3. Smell: Breakfast

4. Taste: Cappuccino

5. Touch: Archer's iPhone

The stories behind the list:

1. Last night was the academy's Christmas program and they had it in Victory Rd.'s gym. It was a simple enactment of the Christmas story. The students who didn't have a character part made up a red-shirted choir that flanked the little 'set' on both sides and sang between 'scenes'. It was a heart-warming thing to witness - all those squeaky young voices singing lustily the dear old Christmas carols, or costumed little figures stumbling bravely through lines and motions and parts. It reminded me of a treasured story my family has a recording of, about another school's little Christmas play.

2. Joy has been taking violin lessons for about six weeks and is doing very well at it. At one point during the service Sunday morning, she played "The First Noel".
Except for that pure sweet melody, there was complete silence as the congregation sat watching and listening. I was in the choir, behind her, watching the lights among the decorative greenery and the quiet joy on the faces of those listening.
It was pure Christmas.

3. Thursday morning Trissy decided she was going to get up and make us all a little country breakfast, and enjoy one of her seemingly favorite hobbies - inventing recipes, or putting new 'spins' on existing ones. I began to smell it before I knew what she was doing. Home-made cheddar bay biscuits and scrambled eggs. The biscuits were the experiment. And a huge success!

4. Friday night was the night for the annual Christmas festival held at the local junior college, the same one I went to. A little bunch of us Victory Rd. folks ran a booth selling loaded baked potatoes, and a s'mores bar. We do a booth each year, and those that help run it divide up the money to use for mission trips, conferences, or other church activities. It's always a fun night of fellowship with the other Victory Rd. folks working, and a wholesome, fun, family-friendly Christmas event.
Abigail and Piper were two of the others working and Trissy and I had a nice time chatting and working with them, as always.
It's usually really cold, but this year's winter weather has been pretty much non-existent (Southern weather keeps you guessing) and people were out in light shirt-sleeves or t-shirts. But there was a booth selling cups of hot cappuccino, and in a thrill of Christmas spirit, Piper bought Trissy and me each a cup. Then Trissy bought her one, and we stood laughing at each other and sipping our hot, but very delicious, Christmas cappuccino.

5. Victory Rd.'s youth music group has been asked to lead the music at a camp in January, put on by the church The Grandparents attend. At music practice Tuesday night, we were getting started practicing for that. Archer had the list of potential songs we plan on doing in his phone and was passing it around for us to look over. I don't think I'd ever held an iPhone before :) . And it was warm from the hands that held it before me.

Christmas Door Star

I saw this branch star on Pinterest the other day, and thought I'd like to try to make a similar one for our front door. Tonight we're having some of the ladies from church over for a movie and Christmas snacks, and I asked Mom if I could try to make a star before they came. She was okay with it, but asked if I could make something that had some red and green in it :) .
So with only about a half-hour before I had to leave for work at the academy, I grabbed the clippers and dashed out to a nice hedge of bushes behind our chicken house and cut five thin switches that still had nice green leaves on them.

Back inside, and armed with Mom's trusty old die-hard glue gun and some newspaper to protect the counter, I laid out the twigs in the star shape I wanted, and started hot-gluing. I normally don't like to to use glue on things like fabric and wood projects, but I was in a hurry this time.

With Trissy's help, I glued both at the joints where the ends met, and at the places in the middle where the branches crossed each other to make it a little sturdier.

Trissy found a bright ribbon in the scrap bag, and voila!

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 61

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: First Christmas Lights Of The Season

2. Hearing: Noel's Concern

3. Smell: Plaid Shirt

4. Taste:

5. Touch: Peeling almonds (sat.)

The stories behind the list:

1. On my way to Justice and Noel's house for the college supper and fellowship Sunday night, I passed a house decorated tastefully for Christmas with strings of twinkling lights. The first lights of the season, and I felt a happy rush of the Christmas spirit.

2. In Sunday School I must have been a little more quiet than usual, because during a lull Noel suddenly looked at me and asked, "Are you okay?"
I was a little surprised, for of all recent Sundays, this day my heart was more at peace about things than usual, and all my thoughts were restful ones. But I told her laughingly that I guessed I was fine. She shrugged, almost self-consciously, and said I just didn't seem to be smiling much.
Her friendly concern warmed my heart.

3. I got out a plaid shirt to wear Wednesday night that I hadn't worn since I went with the church group to the children's ranch in January for that mission trip. The shirt still smelled like the washing detergent we used on our clothes there, and as I put it on the scent washed me back to those wonderful memories.

4.

5. Am I the only weird person out there who likes to put almonds in their mouth, and try to peel the brown skin off with just their teeth and tongue? I've enjoyed doing that since I was a little kid, and Saturday I wanted a healthy snack that would take my mind off of how much I wanted an unhealthy one. So I went and got a mouthful of almonds and spent the next hour or so peeling them as I went about my Saturday afternoon/evening routine.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 14

Note: Let me begin by apologizing for not having an item for each category. Often I do notice something but am not able to write it down immediately, and so forget by time to write the "5 Small Things Friday" post. From now on, if I have neglected to record something for a category, I will simply leave it blank. But I AM trying to do better about recording my Small Things as soon as I notice them :) !

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight:

2. Hearing: Mom Singing "Jesus Messiah"

3. Smell:

4. Taste:

5. Touch: Morning Devotional Under My Fleece 'Eagle' Blanket


The stories behind the list:

1.

2. We are people who are not really big on 'Contemporary Christian' music. However, here and there we find a song that becomes a favorite, for an assortment of reasons. "Jesus Messiah" is one of those songs. The words and harmony are gorgeous. It was part of our Christmas Cantata at church, and the other day I heard Mom singing it as she did things around the house. It made me smile :) !

3.

4.

5. We have a dear friend who was a nurse at the same hospital Mom was years ago, and has kept close to our family all these years. She and her husband live out of state, but came here to attend my high school graduation. At the time, she was into making the reversible fleece blankets - the kind that are tied together along the sides. So, when they came over, she brought two panels of fleece and we made Trissy a blanket. A couple of years later, they came back for Trissy's high school graduation, and brought two pieces for me a blanket! Whenever we use those blankets now, it brings back good memories of us all working together, tying them up. She knows I am very patriotic, and the fleece she brought for mine was one piece with flags and eagles on it, and a piece that was solid dark blue. In the winter I put it on my bed at night, and it's as warm as a quilt. So when I get up early in the morning to have my devotional, I pull it off the bed and take it with me to the living room to cover with. Even if it's very cold, I stay warm and cozy under that blanket!

Merry Christmas - 2011

A Christmas Tag

Ok, on a blog I just discovered recently, and am really enjoying, the young lady who authors it requested a Christmas tag. I've been wanting to do a tag for a while, so this is a good excuse! Hope this fulfills your 'want' Lucy!

1. What is your favorite Christmas memory?

2. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

3. Do you do Christmas baking? If so, post one of your recipes.

4. Do you send out Christmas cards? If so, are they store-bought, or home-made? Do you like to use 'cute' ones, 'inspirational' ones, 'elegant' ones, or combinations?

5. What is your favorite Christmas song or carol, and why?

6. Do you go somewhere for Christmas or stay home?

7. Do you usually have guests for Christmas?

8. Do you do volunteer or charity work of some kind at Christmas? If so, tell what, and some of the lessons or memories you've gotten from the experience.

9. Do you give gifts at Christmas? If so, are they store-bought, home-made, or a combination? Which do you like to give best? Which would you rather receive? Why?

10. Do you use a Christmas tree as part of your decorating? Why or why not (give specifics)?

11. Do you get snow where you live? If so, what are your favorite snow-related activities? Why? If not, what do you imagine your favorites would be, and why?

12. What is your favorite Christmas story? Please post it if you have access to a copy.

13. Is your birthday also in December? Do you know someone who's birthday is in December? If so, is an effort made to make it special and seperate from the Christmas celebrations? If so, what are some of the ways you/they accomplish this?

14. What are your favorite Christmas/Winter color combinations? (Ex.: Red and Green, Red and Black and White, Red and Gold, Green and Gold, White and Silver, etc.)

15. Are there some special ways you focus on Christ at Christmas?


Ok, I may keep adding to this tag - I had fun coming up with it, and hopefully it will be a challenge, as well as an enjoyment to all who participate! I will try to publish my own answers later.
I tag
Lucy of course,
Cora,
Grace,
Jenna
and anyone else who wants to do it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Summer in December

Well, we had an absolutely beautiful summer day here today! Seventy-five degrees, a cheerful sun shining, and a wonderfully lovely breeze. The only problem is, this is DECEMBER 22! For crying out loud!
Ah well, such are the oddities of living in my beloved Dixie. Any of y'all northerners want to send us some SNOW?! ;D

50 Free Christmas Cards From Shutterfly!

I read on Emily's blog about a wonderful promotion Shutterfly is doing this Christmas! They will send 50 Christmas cards FREE to anyone who will blog about the offer! How can you beat that?! My cousin uses Shutterfly frequently to create unique and meaningful gifts. They always turn out great, and each item has such a nice personal feel - not as if you just went out and picked something random up for the occasion, but something with meaning and thoughtfulness. I've never used Shutterfly personally, but I've been impressed with what I've seen of their work.

They have a wide variety of gift ideas to choose from, - calendars, stationery, mugs, albums, canvases, even mousepads - as well as invitations, and of course, they offer picture development.
They have such a large and varied selection of Christmas cards, it was hard to choose just a few of my favorites! I love the Family Wall card, the Red Revamped card, and the Snow Flurries Cocoa card, and that's just the first page! There are Elegant Cards, Fun Cards, and a nice selection of Religious and Christian Cards (where my most favorites are)!

If you're interested in participating in this great offer, click HERE to learn more! And be sure to look around at their other great Christmas gift options while you're there!

Thanks Shutterfly!

'An Old-Fashioned Christmas' Event - Week 2 - Fabric

{Visit Grace's blog here to learn more about the 'Old-Fasioned Christmas' Event!}

Note: This is week two of Grace's Old-Fashioned Christmas event, and I am excited, because this week's topic is FABRIC! I have found so many great tutorials, besides personal experiences of my own. Because uploading pictures takes time, I may be adding to this post even after the week is over. But for starters, here are some of my fabric crafting inspirations ;) !



Satin Flowers







Felt Hearts



The link I posted above is to the blog post where I found these hearts. The post had nothing about these hearts except the picture; but as soon as I saw them, I was like, "Oh my! I've got to make some of those!!" :D
So please pardon the lack of quality of my photos - I was taking them in a hurry - and hopefully you can enjoy your own jar of wonderful little felt hearts, or do like I'm going to, and drop one in a loved one's stocking with a note reminding them how much they are loved!

First select the felt you are going to use. I got this value pack at Wal*Mart, and it has a nice color variety (the colors are much more vibrant than in the photo - sorry y'all!). If you want a Christmas theme, then obviously the red and green and white would be a nice choice.



Next decide on the size heart you want, and draw out a pattern. You wouldn't believe the time it took me to get mine just right! I wanted mine a little lopsided, to give it sort of a folk-artsy look, but I didn't want it to look totally sloppy! (If you want yours shaped evenly, try folding a little piece of paper in half, then cut out half a heart on the fold. Unfold it, and you've got a perfectly shaped heart.)



Cut out two hearts from the felt you want to use.





Go through your embroidery thread stash (or if you don't have one, go to Wal*Mart or Hobby Lobby ;) ) and pick the color that you think suits your heart.



Find a needle that has a nice large eye, but that isn't too thick and chunky to go through the felt easily.



Take your embroidery thread, pick out three strands, and carefully separate it down. You want approximately 12-16 inches of the three-strand thread for one heart. I pull the strand until it has pulled from the full length of the skein. Hope that makes sense. If you want, you can just pull and cut the entire thickness of thread (six strands), then separate it and save the other three-strand section for another heart.







Put your two hearts together ...



... and start your stitching with a double-stitch to serve as a knot.











Make sense?

When you get almost around the heart, take a tiny amount of quilt batting or fiberfill, and stick inside to give the heart a little thickness. I save quilt batting trimmings from my quilting projects, and a pinch of that works perfectly.







Finish stitching around the heart, repeat the knot, pull in your tail (I use the needle, and pull it back into the heart itself), and your done!


Some more tutorials and/or resources involving fabric (Note: I cannot vouch for the appropriateness of the entire content of each site, only the pages I've linked to below):

Fabric Labels made using transfer paper:



Fabric Postcards:





Gifts:

Gift Card Cozy:



Scrappy Fabric Rose:



Ruffle Flower:



Felt Rose:



Big Felt Flower:



Cotton Flower:



Wool Flower:



Fabric Flower:



Composition Book Cover:



Thumbtacks:



Felt Toy Truck:



Toy Pasta:



Doll House Party Banner:



Ruffle Pillow:



Burp Cloths:



Embellished Knit Shirt (Applique):



Embellished Knit Shirt (Flag):



Embellished Knit Shirt (Flowers):



Ebellished Knit Shirt (Ruffled Neck):



Re-purposed Sweater Purse:



Camera Strap Cover:




Decorations:

Stocking:



Ornament:


Snowflake Pillows:



Snowflake Table Runner:



More Sewing Project Ideas!