Sunday, December 5, 2010

Christmas Giveaway of the Cottony Kind

Well it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. We had our first measurable snow on Saturday and it was very well behaved snow-it covered the lawn and the trees but pretty much just melted on the roadways. And since it was Saturday no one in my house had to go out into it to go to work.

I've done a little decorating around the house and I cut out quite a bit of Christmas fabric for the quilt that I really don't have time to be playing with, but I will anyway! I figure that I need 121 5" squares for my quilt but I cut out more than twice that amount - over 250 5" squares! So I would like to share some Christmasy fabric goodness with you.


There are 27 different fabrics here and there are 6 squares of each. I think they'd make a great scrappy Christmas quilt or for you cross stitchers they would be great fabrics for the back of ornaments. I'm following the giveaway model I've seen on other blogs. If you leave a comment on this entry I'll put your name in the hat once, if you are a follower or become a follower I'll put your name in twice and if you mention it on your blog (and let me know) I'll put your name in three times. I'll pick a winner and post it next Sunday. Good luck!

As for stitching and decorating here is the mantle in our family room.



I have a little Debbie Mumm Santa quilt, peppermint candles and our needlepoint stockings. Before cross stitching, before quilting, I was into needlepoint. My first son was born in January and I got a wild hormonal fueled idea that I wanted needlepoint stockings to hang on the mantle for his first Christmas. And not only did I want one for him I wanted one for each of us. Now a more sensible person would have chosen less complex and smaller stockings but sensibility has never been one of my strong points.



This is the first one I stitched. I figured I would try out my ideas on one for my husband. Now these are really BIG stockings. They measure about 10" across the top and they are 22" long on 18count canvas. My mathematically inclined son estimates that there are over 75,000 stitches in each stocking - oh my goodness - I'm glad I didn't know that before I started. I used lots of different fibers and decorative stitches.

This one has blending filament combined with the wool for a sparkly snow effect. The tails on all the rodentia shown here is a 3 dimensional loopy stitch that you shear and contour with your scissors. I'll show another stocking each week until Christmas. The ones I made for the boys are the most elaborate and the one I made for myself is simplest. I stitched these over 20 years ago. They are handpainted canvases from a company called Strictly Christmas. Back then I think I paid about $75 to $80 for each stocking. I have no idea how much investment I had in the fibers but I know it was a sizeable amount. However I checked out these stockings the other day and found out that the handpainted canvas like these goes for $250 to over $350 -OMG - there is no way I could justify needlepoint at those prices. I still have a sizeable stash of hand painted needlepoint canvas from some well known designers. Hmmmmm...maybe I should figure out how to put them on ebay. Oh another job for another day...

Hope your holiday preparations are going well. I still have a tree to get decorated and lots of errands and shopping that need to be done but I am deluding myself that I still have lots of time to get everything done - hey its my reality not true reality.

Happy stitching -

carol fun

20 comments:

  1. Your fireplace looks so festive, and those needlepoint stockings are gorgeous!

    I would love a chance at your Christmas fabrics! I'm having a giveaway on my blog too :)

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  2. Ohh what a great giveaway,,,I am already a follower so please put my name into the drawing,,,
    Devon
    hanna_563@msn.com

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  3. I'm a new follower and I love Christmas. The fabric looks like lots of fun. And I love the Debbie Mumm wallhanging you did.
    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com

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  4. Wow, your mantle is lovely and the stockings are wonderful. I have yet to make my own stocking. I'd love a chance at the fabbies. They'd come in handy for backings. :) Thanks!

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  5. Gorgeous stockings .
    I'd love ot enter your giveaway please . I am a follower and will put it on my blog .X

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  6. OMG those stockings are absolutely gorgeous! A true labor of love!

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  7. Your mantle looks great! And I'd love to win some CHristmas fabric! Thanks for the chance! And of course I'm a follower too! :0)

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  8. Simply Stunning Stockings!! Your mantle is beautiful!

    I'd love to be entered in your give away - I'm a follower too!

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  9. I would love to be entered in your giveaway!! All of the fabrics are lovely!

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  10. I would love a chance to win your fabric Carol! I'm a follower now too.

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  11. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
    NEAT GIVEAWAY!

    jldouglas@wispwesst.net

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  12. It never ceases to amaze me each season you get your stuff back out it all looks new again! Maybe because you have a gazillion times more than me.

    Enter me in the giveaway please as I went back to JoAnn's and couldn't find some of the ones you have. Boy, did they sell out fast all of a sudden:)

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  13. The fireplace looks so welcoming! I love Christmas. :) I also follow you via gfc.
    Thanks for the giveaway
    havenera at gmail dot com

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  14. Those stockings are just gorgeous Carol. I can't wait to see your Christmas quilt. Those fabrics are so pretty and I would love to have a chance to win a few of them - my Christmas fabric stash is just about non existent.

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  15. Love your stockings!! And thank you for the great giveaway!

    SheilaC

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  16. It was great to meet you at the guild last night. Loved your scarf, and love your blog - and no, I'm not ready to start knitting yet!

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  17. I've had you listed on my blog sidebar since you started blogging so I'm constantly peeking over your shoulder. teehee! OK, I've become an 'official follower'. :-)

    Needlepoint stockings are beautiful.

    Those Christmas charm squares are delightful - fun.

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  18. Amazing stockings. 18count. I keep scrolling up to make sure I read that right. I think my eyeballs would explode.
    I'm a new follower

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  19. Looks beautiful! You are completely right about Needlepoint canvas prices. I'm a part-timer at a local Needlepoint shop and they are TOTALLY that expensive!

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