I recently did one of those 100 things about me lists, and if I remember correctly one of the items was that I loved to decorate for Christmas. It's December 8 and the extent of my decorating includes these soft trees and these pillows.
It's not that I don't want to decorate, I do. I seem to be the only one here at Scrooge-ville who does. I've hinted, asked, reminded, suggested...everything short of begging and threatening my family members to help me out, to get the stuff down from the attic, a task I am unable to do. It ain't happenin' No one but me feels any sense of shame that our home reflects no holiday joy in the form of tacky icicle lights. No one else is sad that we don't have any stockings hung by the chimney with care. No Christmas tree, no Christmas tree, with artificial white branches. Oh wait, that isn't true. The sad little artificial white Christmas tree is standing in the living room, naked. Poor naked tree...
About the pillows, they took no time to make and cost less than 5 dollars each. They started life as placemats, purchased at WalMart for $2.88 a piece.
For the snow pillow I cut a slit in the back layer of fabric for inserting the stuffing. I stuffed it to a point where it was close to square (13 inches I think) then folded the top portion to the back. I did some blanket stitching across the top and stitched the folded sides down. (those very neat looking blanket stitches were on the placemat, mine are the wonky looking ones) To finish it off I added a button to the back (decoration only). Easy!
For the snowflake pillow, I cut one long end off to make it close to square. I had to add some fabric behind the snowflake cut-outs. I just used some Stitch Witchery to fuse the aqua fabric to the back side of the snowflake. Machine stitched the end closed leaving a small place for stuffing and turning. After it was stuffed I closed the opening with a blind stitch. Now one little corner of my home is beginning to look a little like Christmas, it's a start.
For the Gratitude list~
- Friends and a daughter who help me paint.
- PAINT, oh glorious MS Vintage Kitchen, how I love thee. I know, it's wrong to love a color so, but I do.
- Crafting with my girl. We're working on one of these. Alyssa's good with a blanket stitch, despite the fact I taught her. She's also working on a beaded tree inspired by this beautiful tree.
- Christmas music.
OK, as I'm typing this that crafty girl of mine has drug that naked tree across the living room and is shaping its unnatural white branches. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
