Christmas sewing and decorating…

I have been creating little vignettes around my house this past week.  I’m finding that as I get older and accumulate more Xmas decorations, it seems I have too many and to display them all at once just looks cluttered!  But then I feel guilty putting any back in their box for another year of darkness when their sole purpose is to delight the household for just one season each year!  Do you find yourself doing the same?  I think it’s the way my generation (and those before me) grew up… not wasting anything and having a purpose for almost everything!  It seems wrong not to do so.

I always purchase a new ornament every year and this lit-up cottage in its cloche was snapped up as soon as I saw it.  I usually wait for the sales but I knew there wouldn’t be any of these left with a reduced price tag on!  I purchased it from Bed, Bath & Table.  The red gingham and glass baubles in the background were last years’ treat, and I made a simple hessian (burlap) table runner for them all to sit upon.

Like most of my friends, I love op-shopping!  I collect glass domes and cake stands whenever I come across them.  I placed a Xmas candle beneath one and a tree ornament, sat upon a crocheted doily, in the other.  The cardboard reindeer in the background were cheapies from Spotlight and I think they look great as they are atop the hessian.  I had originally planned to adhere fabric scraps to them both… maybe next year!!

Some country-style soft ornaments come out every season – they have been friends of ours for the past twelve years or so… I think there’d be a few shouts of “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” if these were left in the box!!

Another glass dome with a model pine tree that rises to the tippy-top… surrounded by Ganz Cottage miniature teddy bears.  My Rosie loves playing with these!

My favourite nook in the lounge room sees Frosty the Snowman wishing upon a star… I wonder if he’s dreaming of a white Christmas?

Another hessian runner is yet to be made for our dining table.  My collection of vintage doilies has come in handy.  Do you collect them too?  I think this is a first for me to use them for what they were actually intended for!!

I’m working on a magazine project at the moment… log cabin blocks made from Lynette Anderson’s ‘Scandinavian Christmas’ range.  The stitchery designs have been completed, wish I could show you more, but this one is for next year.  Sometimes the design process for me is weird.  I worked on something for two weeks, tweaking… liking the result but feeling it wasn’t really ‘me’.  then when I started looking for fabrics I came up with something else on the spot, scrapped my old idea, and had the new one fully designed and half-made within the day.

I will, however, be sharing something else with you this coming week.  A tutorial for making a hessian Christmas wreath.  There are so many lovely ones on the Net, but I have some surplus supplies at home that I want to use up which call for something a wee bit different to what I’ve seen.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!  What are you up to?  Sewing?  Christmas decorating?  Shopping?!  Whatever it is – enjoy!

See you next week!

Vikki xo

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