A sleigh of Santas for a Slow Sunday..,

Hello  - well as I suspected  it would, last week filled up fast with places to go and things to do but I did make a little progress on the Christmas decor I want done for this year...and in the process I learned what you call a group of Santas... you call it a sleigh... and I certainly have a sleigh  load of Santas going on this year. 

Monday was my most productive day as I  kinda FFO'd  5 little pillows...

and in the spirit of total transparency... they aren't totally FFO'd...

but they are tucked into displays and perhaps I'll get them sealed up this week.  I'm thinking of doing a bunch of candy canes like I did with the PS Santas last year... a festive touch!

I thought about changing up the wall quilt in the living room but just went with the GIANT  Ho Ho Ho Santa... he's such a friendly guy...

this started life as a quilt kit from Moda where you were suppose to make a bajillion log cabin blocks for the background and then cover up 75% of them with Santa... which I thought was a waste of time. So I ditched the log cabin blocks and then just machine appliqued Santa to a background of minty green Grunge....the Ho Ho Ho's came from the pattern Jingle Jangle by Seamed to Be... and in searching the blog I realize I made this in 2018... time flies... 

Now the tier tray is loaded up with Santa's... 

Up top, the needlepoint one is going on 35 years old... damn time flies... I made a bunch of these but he's my favorite because he reminds me of the costumes in the finale of the  movie White Christmas... which is my FAVORITE movie... the 3 Santas from Prairie Schooler No. 135 Good Saint Nick... and you can't even tell they aren't totally finished...LOL

and below I have some Debbie Mumm Santas and a freebie from With Thy Needle & Thread called Merry & Minty... 

and then there is little  boy holding a train needlepoint tree topper I made 39 years ago ... again time flies... and a sleigh of Debbie Mumm Santas... this is the result of that foray over to eBay last month where almost  vintage Debbie Mumm salt & pepper shakers and cream and sugar pieces kept jumping into the cart... for chubby guys they are quite agile, dontcha know...LOL   

and on a stack of Christmas quilts I have the LARGE Debbie Mumm Santa in a Sleigh... I got him several years ago and I don't remember what I paid but I checked him out over on eBay and he's going for anywhere from $20 to $63, yikes... you gotta watch those prices on ebay... and if I knew what was good for me (and I do but I ignore it) I 'd stay off of eBay... but it sure is fun!

And I hung my Wonky Christmas Trees quilt over the back of the couch...

and yes it quite a vivid olive green which I am totally infatuated with...even though some of my family and friends think I'm nuts... but if I didn't do it now, when would I do it?  I ain't getting any younger because time flies...sigh

On the front door I have my Christmas ornament wreath... and I LOVE  LOVE  LOVE this wreath... 

it wasn't as hard to make as I thought and this video by Retro Renovation was super helpful...it takes a ton of glue sticks... I went through 20 of the long ones but in the 7 years since I made this wreath only 2 small ornaments have fallen off and I glued them back on.  I keep thinking I'll make another one. I have a stash of gold and silver ornaments in the basement... someday... and then I saw this today on IG on the account magpieethel...OMG... she has SO MUCH STUFF!!!  She makes you feel okay with however much you have...

That garland of vintage ornaments over the door has me entranced. She explained that she starts with some vintage white fake pine garland and hangs each ornament individually... and it has me walking around my house thinking where could I do this... definitely something for next year... need to start looking for white fake pine garland 

Next to the wreath on the front door I have my Lizzie Kate Jingles...

this another one of my long samplers which got truncated because I mis-counted how long the linen should be (a mistake I have made several times in my stitching life... sigh ) ... but I'm happy with it as if it was any longer it wouldn't have fit that wood back from Hobby Lobby. 

Outside on the sunroom porch everything is in the pink... and it all started with this wreath ...

hard to take a pic as the sun is coming through the storm door but while it is white it gives off a pink-ish glow....

And here the little green shelf ...

Up top I have Lizzie Kate's Christmas ABC's and the needlepoint tree topper angel I made 40 years ago... OMG  how could it have been that long ago??? Time, time, time...what has become of me??? Sorry for that little fit, but this year I am feeling OLD... and when I realize how long ago I made a lot of these things it really hits home... sigh.... okay let's move on...

Middle shelf has Barbara Ana's Christmas Joy and the tree from Emily Call's Quilted Christmas... and on the bottom Lizzie Kate's Tiny Tidings XXI...

I like to cover my chair out here with a quilt and this one is Quilty Stars ... I've made this pattern twice...once for Nick in greens and blues... you can see it here... and once in Christmas fabrics for me which you can see on my bed here. 

On the wall by the front door on the porch is the Twas the Night Before Christmas from Prairie Schooler No. 63 Christmas Samplers... 

As I sit here out on the sunroom porch typing this and looking at this piece it occurs to be that the bottom portion of this with Santa and the reindeer would make a cute pillow... I'm happy with the one I made this year and I have another little pillow with Santa and the reindeer flying over a yellow house... so a third would make a collection and I'm ALL into collections!!

And I had a handful of stuff left over when I was decorating the porch... and it was cold that day... so I just tucked them up here on the window ledge... the crosstitch is a Lizzie Kate but I don't remember the name of it...

So it is now Saturday afternoon... and I'm thinking about the week ahead... not a lot scheduled yet but I'm sure it will fill up.. I need to do Christmas cards, which I think about starting in July but always drag my feet about in December... and I did start a snowman cross stitch piece ... I'll show a pic next week... and I want to do some sewing... but it is so nice to just sit here on the sunroom porch  and watch the birds at my feeders and knit... I'm working on a scrappy sock and that is mindless knitting... 

This is the week in December where I always wish I had more time... but then there's a good chance I'd fritter it away... oh well...

I'll link up with Kathy's Quilts ... I hope that your week ahead has plenty of time to get done what needs to be done... gotta pick up a gift card or two ... and some fixing for appetizers at Costco for our Christmas Day celebration... and drop off a couple of gifts... oh and make the pillow cases for Elliott's presents... I found some Transformers fabric and he LOVES Transformers... he's so excited about Christmas this year... he's driving his parents bonkers... he knows exactly what he wants... and he is going to get those gifts... lucky boy...

happy stitching-

carol fun