Another Advent calendar FINISHED!

Yeah! I am so happy! I was worried because of course there was a time issue. 

I have written this before but here is it in a nutshell again. After all, all three are totally different. Each one is special.

It's a third Advent Calendar of this kind I made for my church St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA. The church ladies (ECW) is going to raffle it off. I think 1 ticket is $5 or 3 tickets are $10. 

Every day you choose one Chrismon to add for the day starting December 1. I think it is a German thing because I grew up with having an advent calendar every December.  It's the count down to Christmas. In my childhood time of course it was just a paper one with little doors to see a picture behind.

The cross-stitched Chrismons were all stitched by my sister-in-law Jane in Windsor, England. Great big Thank-You to her!

Each Chrismon has its explanation on the back. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season! The idea is that each family member can have a turn to pick the one for the day. May be there can be even a little discussion about the meaning of it?

Want a ticket? 

And now on to the next thing on the to-do-list!!!

Church Raffle 2019

Yes, another one. Did you see THIS ONE from 2017?

Here is this years!

There is more info on my quilt and lace blog HERE! 

And yes, I shared the cross-stitch patterns of the Chrismons there and a lot of how-to. I hope you enjoy it.

The Making of the Cross-Stitch Chrismon Adventcalendar

My sister-in-law Jane has stitched the most beautiful things in the 40 years I am married to her brother ... but not lately. When I asked her about it (with a certain thought in my mind) she told me that she only likes to do it with a purpose, not just for the sake of stitching. No need to hang anything on her walls any more. I asked her whether she would stitch something for me.
James is one of five and the siblings had arranged to meet in Windsor England (their hometown) in January 2015. I assembled a "kit" and sent it with him. I had cut the little AIDA squares and it only needs three different DMC colors. I had found 15 different Chrismon patterns in these books:

In May Jane came to visit and it was an opportunity to stitch the rest of the Chrismons.

I designed 9 so there would be the 24 needed for the Adventcalendar. I had to hurry to stay ahead of Jane. I will share my design here later too (have to make nice drawings first).

After Jane's work was done, it was my turn. I borrowed last year's raffle wallhanging from the lucky winner to test the size, discovering that this design would not work.

But I had bought a pattern which I thought would work and went to work.

At that time I was not very familiar with paperpiecing so I cut the pieces ...

... numbered the fabrics I was going to use

... and cut the pieces with the 1/4 inch seam allowances. I used 505 spray basting on the back of the paper pattern so it wouldn't slip on the fabric. It worked really well.

Trying out the size. I think it will work well.

I bought 24 of the little round frames at a craft store. Ladies at an ECW workshop cut out 24 circles from quilting batting the size of the white backs and also the numbers drawn mirror image on the back of the cream fabric prepared with iron-on material.

The green circle got running stitches all around.

This part was easy: green fabric circle good side down, batting, white back, pull tight and knot. Iron on the numbers.
The layering: frame front down, clear plastic circle, stitching face down (cut into a circle by using one of the clear circles for fussy cutting and drawing around it), a circle of batting and the back. Since I made a booklet with the explanations I had to be sure to put the correct number with the Chrismon.
Still laying face down I pressed the back down and dripped super glue all around but carefully and sparingly.

The finished wall quilt. My husband is holding it up.
It can be used year-round without the Chrismons.

Advent calendars are originally a German custom. Ornaments are numbered from 1 to 24 which means you turn # 1 over on the 1st of December (#2 on 2nd of December etc) to reveal (in this case) a Chrismon, a symbol which reminds us of the real meaning of Christmas.

On the back is a pocket with a little booklet explaining each day's symbol.

This is the ECW (Episcopal Church Women) of St Martin's 2015 raffle. For a donation of $5 you get 1 chance to win this treasure (yes, I am very happy with the results) or for $10 you get 3 tickets.
The money raised is for a good cause and ... you could win it. Somebody will go home with it (or gets it mailed) !!! If you would like to have a try, you could mail a check to:
St Martin's Episcopal Church
Attn: Christa
9000 St Martin's Lane
Richmond, VA 23294
I promise I will take care of it and your ticket(s) will be in the box. The drawing is on Sunday November 15.

If you would like to make one for yourselves and have a question, feel free to contact me.

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A Christmas project

You know that one of my passions are Chrismons. At the beginning of this year I started the "Chrismons in Lace series". Here is the first page published in the Heartland Lace Guild newsletter.

Brigitte Bellon liked my idea and was incredibly generous with her patterns. She gave us permission to publish them and is supporting us/me in many ways.

My problem was how best to show-case the Chrismons. And here is what I came up with!

One German tradition is the Advent calendar. I found a picture of this quilted wallhanging on the Internet. No copyright violation because it is a free pattern.

I printed it large and calculated ... the size of the Chrismons ... the size of the squares ... how many squares and half squares needed. I placed dots and numbered them 1to 24.

It took quite a long time to decide how to handle the advent calendar "doors". I will not go into details of the ideas I had contemplated and discarded.

The wallhanging is finally done. I attached faceted crystal beads to hang the circles. They look a little like dew. That way it could be hanging year-round.

I even made a little one for the church bazaar.

Finally all the circles are done and December 1st arrived.

December 1st = The Crown

December 2nd = The Dove of Peace

December 3rd = The Latin Cross

December 4th = The Rooster

December 5th = Star of David

December 6th = Butterfly

December 7th = Descending Dove

December 8th = Wheat

December 9th =
Soooooorry. This is how far I got.

There is one on the pillow and almost done. I also still have several patterns from Brigitte Bellon, so no shortage there. And I have several ideas too. All I need is some time. Don't think it will be completed this year.

I think it is pretty good looking so far anyway.

I can't say it "loud" enough: THANK YOU to Brigitte Bellon in Germany for all the wonderful patterns. She was and is always so generous sharing her patterns. All the above designs are featured in the Heartland Lace Guild newsletter Pillow Talk. And I still have some more. I love her designs in the clear and elegant forms.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Brigitte.

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