Silent Night

Silent Night... All is calm, all is bright... 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

We’ve been without internet for days, so I’ve missed several themes in My Cozy Winter Home. 

Today we’ll just go ahead and wrap up with 
‘Sparkle,’ 

...some ‘Tradition,’ 

...‘Nativity,’ 

and ‘Stockings’ all at once!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas with your loved ones!

Fuzzy Chickens Made to Roost

Our grandprincess loves the funky ceramic chickens perched on the top of the hutch in our kitchen, and always wishes she could get her hands on them. 

Thanks to the stuffed chicken pattern I found on aokcorral.com, she’ll soon have some to carry around! 

I used fleece, and did stitched eyes to replace the buttons and fused sportweight fabrics for the beak, comb, and waddle instead of felt to make these kid-friendly and washable.

Trees, Trees, and More Trees

I can post my 2nd tree quilt of the season, since my daughter and son-in-law received and opened it today! 

I wanted to do a different look for this one using the same pieced trees as in the one I posted earlier this month in These Trees are Off the Wall!










This quilt is more modern, I think, with the wide stripes, no border, and edge-to-edge machine quilting (free-handed waves done while using the Brother Dream Machine's Muvit walking foot). This was a much faster quilting technique than hooping and quilting with embroidery designs, and I think it's just as attractive, just different.  I love it.  

Most quilters run their quilting lines much closer together.  But as long as I knew I was within the spacing specifications required by the batting I used,  I decided to invoke artistic license.  I felt these wider lines were in keeping with the scale of the overall design.

I used a flannel sheet as backing for some cozy cuddling.

Make This

Day 17 of My Cozy Winter Home: Make This.

I made these holiday pillow covers (and the table runner you can see in posts on Day 3 and Day 9) using kitchen towels and tablecloths I found at a discount department store, and cut into pieces, as needed. 

This gave me more yardage and in a good variety for less money than I would’ve spent at the fabric store, and included some embellishments, like embroidery and appliqué I would’ve had to add myself. 

If you’re at all hesitant about combining prints, using an already-coordinated set, like the towels, can give you a good start. I’ve sewn for years, but the runner and these pillows would be very beginner friendly with their straight seams and quick result. 


My favorite pillow is the one with the lettering. I closed that one with a zipper partly camouflaged in the plaid on the back. For others I used an even easier method... The backs are in 2 pieces, each about 2/3 the size of the back, set so they overlap. The pillow slips in, then the overlap keeps the pillow inside with no extra closure necessary.

Layered

This is the first time in 32 years of marriage that I’ve thought to change up our bedroom for Christmas. 

Also, I’m new at layering, but I like it and would like to be better at it. Nowhere to go but up from this beginner’s effort. 

Day 16 of My Cozy Winter Home: Layered.

Christmas Tree

My Cozy Winter Home, Day 15, is supposed to be “Christmas Tree.” 

Since I prematurely showed our actual Christmas tree on “Evergreen” day, it seemed right to share this vintage 1985 tree I made for my in-laws... the partner to the fabric wreath I posted on “Wreath” day.

This Ornament Flew in to Surprise Me

Ornament. 
Day 14 of My Cozy Winter Home. 

I had planned to share antique ornaments that had belonged to my grandparents, until this guy appeared on our tree. 

My maternal grandmother loved hummingbirds. After she was gone, they were my mom’s favorite, too. After my mom passed away and it was becoming evident our dad couldn’t stay in their home, my sister was helping him into the car to go visit a retirement center he and my mom had visited when planning for future needs. Both were feeling sad, and neither were comfortable with this step they were taking. But a hummingbird suddenly flew in and looped around above their heads. 

 - In the garage. 

 - And at a time of year hummingbirds weren’t seen. 

They felt this couldn’t have been just a coincidence. 

As Christians we don’t believe it was my mom in the form of a bird, or anything like that. But we do believe the Lord knows us, knows what we need, and sends comfort to us in many forms, and this was perfect for my dad and sister in that moment. A reminder that God was with us every step of the way, and that the love of, and for, my mom went with my dad, wherever he lived. 

My daughter snuck this beautiful hummingbird onto my tree this week, knowing how I’d love to see something that represented the spirit of Grandma in our Christmas. Being together at the holidays was so important to her.

It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

IDHTBPTBB:  It Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful. 
Day 13 of My Cozy Winter Home. 

A piece of last year’s wrapping paper serves as our tree skirt. 

Long ago, kittens took their claw sharpening exercises out on my beloved ruby chairs, which have faded into more orange than ruby in places. 

The hand-me-down loveseat has become the picture of ‘threadbare.’ The picture of hard, big-family use on a tight budget. 

That’s how it’s always been here...But appreciated for the life lived in it, and all dolled up for Christmas (admittedly, from a polite distance)... Beautiful.

Wreath

My Cozy Winter Home, Day 12... Wreath. 

I made this wreath for my in-laws the first Christmas we were married (1985). Sadly, they haven’t been here to enjoy it, or us them, for several years, and I’ve had it back. 

This year I decided to hang it. A quick vacuuming took care of the 3 decades of dust, that for some reason, I couldn’t figure out how to be rid of in the previous few years. 

I guess it was all about timing. This was the year to let it join our Christmas again.

One Step (Stitch) Back

Un-sewing seams is definitely not my favorite activity, but it’s much improved with the accompaniment of Christmas music and my homemade version of a pumpkin-eggnog latte in a hefty, cheery, holiday mug. 

The quilt will look better with a different fabric in this spot.  Some things in life are worth taking the time for a 'do-over.'  But don't beat yourself up over those, and give yourself a little treat to make it pleasant!

These Trees are Off the Wall!

You might remember the view on my design wall... the beginning sprouts of these trees I shared in October in Growing Christmas.

After each hooping, I could have the machine do a scan
so that I could place each design correctly.  I could
move, pivot, and even resize the design, as needed.

I’d wanted this gift to be wrapped around its recipient by Thanksgiving weekend to be used all through the holidays. I’m happy it’s now ready to send, though, and I had the best time making it! 

It was quilted in the hoop, and it was truly my decades-long dream to create my own designs in order to do so. The ‘snow drifts’ and some of the tree fills were free-handed on the screen, and for some, I combined and/or altered built-in shapes from the Stamp page and others in the machine's Design Center. 

Just a sampling of the fill designs I created
and saved on the machine. 

I was even able to include a personal note on one of the trees in my own handwriting, and create a cat outline, so his kitty would feel welcome to cuddle. So fun!! 


This Dream Machine 2 truly is AMAZING. And so is my tool-and technology-loving hubby for knowing how much it would help me create and talking me into it. 

Vintage in My Cozy Winter Home

Day 10 of My Cozy Winter Home with The Nester ... Vintage.

These shelves of vintage items help set the homey tone in our kitchen, year-around.

These pieces from their respective kitchens also bring in my grandmas, mom, and mother-in-law to be with us everyday.

Quirky

“Quirky.” Day 9 of My Cozy Winter Home. 




I love quirky and whimsical (and metal art), which is why I couldn’t resist this guy, and look forward to seeing him every Christmas. (He rocks back and forth and his poles move as he skis.) 






He’s vintagey and cheerful, and is a nod to my dad’s delight in fun, moving toys, which he shared with us and his grandkids. It’s like seeing a bit of him in my winter decor.

My Cozy Winter Home Quote

I love this verse. It frees me from a lot of things I tend to worry about that this Scripture reminds me isn’t my business to fret over! 

I’m not in charge. It allows me instead to focus on love, thankfulness, and all things much more positive.

My Cozy Winter Home, thanks to The Nester, Day 8: Quote.
I have no fireplace, so had to skip Day 7!

Shelfie

Day 6 of My Cozy Winter Home with the Nester: “Shelfie.” 

I regret the lack of foresight regarding open shelving when I designed our home, and the resulting lack of decorative shelves! We have 3. 

• One has photos of our grandparents 
• Oe has ceramic art by one of our daughters
• The 3rd I’ll share on “Vintage” day

Nothing could have more meaning than what those shelves hold, so I don’t change them seasonally. 

That means this one is the shelf I’ll be focusing most on this winter! 

My Cozy Winter Kitchen

My Cozy Winter Home (with @thenester ), Day 5: Kitchen! 

--My favorite and warmest room in our house. 




















It’s lovely and serene when clean and quiet, but full and bustling is even better!

Evergreen

My Cozy Winter Home with @thenester, Day 4: Evergreen.

The smell, the textures, the GREEN. 


We are blessed to live in area where, not only do we have fresh evergreen trees, boughs, and wreaths readily and affordably available for Christmas, but, also, to have year-round views of evergreens surrounding us. (I think my stairway garland still needs work!)

Minimal

Day 3 of My Cozy Winter Home (via The Nester) : Minimal. 

I like to allow architectural details and materials to make a strong statement, like the woodwork milled from trees cut to clear for our house, and the ‘tile rug’ in our entry. I like to see tabletops and window trim (and window views). 






With 8 kiddos and multiple pets, I never wanted to add to clutter, or to increase dusting and laundry, so my decorating style can be a bit simple and bare. Today we’ll call it “minimal!” 

Cozy!

Only day 2 of @thenester ‘s My Cozy Winter Home virtual home tours and I almost forgot! Today’s theme: Cozy. It’s difficult to choose one shot of this theme, but here is someone who always knows how to make herself cozy, and with that fluff, she can’t help but be it herself. A shelf full of books (built by Hubby) and Prince CuddleBunny doing his schoolwork are part of a cozy home for me.

My Cozy Winter Home

I am joining The Nester (and many, many others) as we host our own virtual open houses. Photos posted on Instagram for the first 24 days of this month will exhibit different aspects of My Cozy Winter Home.  (I'll share here, too.)  Mine is far from perfect, and I’m trying some things that are new for me, so come along and share yours, too!