Tea & Coffee Series: October and November

 

Almost finished with this pretty little year-long series, available in this Etsy shop. I'm stitching mine with the recommended DMC, on 32 ct. Vintage Country Mocha.

October (There is a bonus Halloween cup I haven't stitched yet; you can see it at the link above.)

November

Click on the "tea" label at the end of this post to see my other finishes in this series. And I still haven't decided what to do with them. I've just been enjoying seeing what she comes up with each month and having a lovely, quick little project to look forward to.

It's Happening!

 

Another Christmas finishing project to share with y'all! 

Design available in this Etsy shop.

Fabric: 28 ct. Whitewashed Board by Fabric Flair, purchased from this shop.

Threads: GAST Carriage Black (2 skeins), GAST Bayberry, CC Cherry Cobbler (2 skeins, just in case)

Wooden frame: Hobby Lobby

Gotta get back to my sewing room. I'm up to my ears in Christmas in there and I'm finding it very absorbing, very soothing, amidst the stress of this year. I'm blazing away on my annual Christmas Open House, I've got some other Christmas finishing to do, and I've got a Christmas design that I've wanted to stitch forever that I'm having a fit to get started. And I need to decorate my sewing room. And this coming week I'm putting up the trees and decorating the house. It's happening, y'all!

Happy Stitching!

Get in, y'all. We're doin' Christmas.

 

I. Love. This. Stitch. 

This design  sums up my approach to the holidays to perfection. If you're new here and haven't read my posts on Choosing a Quiet Christmas, here's Part One and here's Part Two, to give you an idea of where I'm coming from. I am a big fan of turning off the "Christmas Machine" and making the holiday exactly what you want it to be. If you love the Christmas Machine, by all means, enjoy! But if the holidays are a dreaded source of stress and exhaustion, I do hope my ideas will help give you your own ideas about how to change that for the better. 

We normally wait until Thanksgiving weekend to do the Christmas decorating. I am not a Black Friday girl. I am a Chill Out and Decorate for Christmas Friday girl. We celebrate Thanksgiving and then we roll into Christmas. This year, though, I'm feeling I want Christmas to last longer. I want to enjoy the decorations longer. I want to listen to Christmas music longer. I just need more Christmas this year. It's been a rough year for us, as it has been for so many of you. A few weeks ago, I announced to Mr. Wonderful I wanted to put up Christmas decorations in mid-November this year. He's cool with it, of course. So that's what I'll be doing in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to it. This year calls for Christmas Therapy, I think.

Design & Finishing Info

Fabric: 28 ct. Muffin (flea market find; I don't know the manufacturer)

Threads: GAST Buckeye Scarlet & Otter Creek

Buttons: Jo-Ann Fabrics (gingerbread men; cookie assortment; micro minis)

Red trim: Hobby Lobby (home decor/upholstery section)

Rolling pin: Hobby Lobby

Wood plaque: Wal-Mart