The twinkle lights are up! The girls surprised us with this beautiful display. Our snowy village gets moved around from year to year. I think I like this location the best so far. It runs the entire length of the cabinet units and is lit with twinkle lights that are poked in through the back of the houses to make them light up from the inside. The red wall in the background creates a truly magical effect! (Our village was made from a Martha Stewart kit a few years ago and is no longer available as such, but a tutorial and template can be found here.)
As the days grow shorter and darker, and much cooler, there is a change in the rhythm of our routine. The soup pot is on a perpetual simmer again; today it's turkey stock, as I render every last bit of goodness from the vestiges of a fine Thanksgiving feast. A feast that was enjoyed by all who gathered with us around our table. We find ourselves grateful for so many things, but mostly for each other. And...of course, pie! Gobble.
There's a Christmas tree farm just around the corner from our house, and as luck would have it, a break in the storm has provided an opportunity to take a walk down the back road for a look around. The air smells of citrus and pine. So many beautiful trees, await their fate!
B-r-r-r. It was a chilly 37 degrees this morning. Still acclimating. Back inside, where it's warm, I have made a bit of progress on the quilt. This is the first time I've quilted using embroidery floss. I am still trying to decide if I like it. I do like that it was faster than traditional hand-quilting. Way faster. But even having marked it out with guide lines, the stitches don't line up as neatly as I would like. Hmmm. Am I making too much of this, should I just keep going, or rip and start over?
In the meantime, while I ponder that stitching dilemma, there are many things that are making me happy these days. That are perfect in their own lovely way. Such as the long-awaited HoneyCrisp and Mandarines that have just arrived at our local food co-op. YUM. And, how I LOVE these printed papers (from issue #70 of MollieMakes). I am going to slip these into acrylic box frames and hang them on the wall. When the season is over I can easily replace them with others. If you can't get your hands on a magazine, you can visit the artist Victoria Johnson on her beautiful website.
'Tis the Season!
The lighted village is so cute! And what a pretty pie. Those printed papers look very Turkey Feathers. Have a wonderful holiday!
Jane
Posted by: Jane | December 02, 2016 at 01:22 PM
Thanks Jane, have a super week!
Posted by: vicki haninger | December 05, 2016 at 09:02 AM
I like the way the "big stitch" quilting looks. I learned to quilt with perle cotton last summer. It took awhile to get used to using a larger needle and heavier thread, but my stitches improved with time. Of course, I do like neat, small quilting stitches, too!
Posted by: Debra | December 05, 2016 at 04:14 PM
Your village is wonderful!! Your quilt is beautiful and your big stitch looks perfect to me. Love the yellow squares amongst all the red!
Posted by: Little Penpen | December 08, 2016 at 04:11 AM
I love the way your quilt looks. I wouldn't change a thing. I hope you and your family had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was spent with family, which is always a joy.
Your little village looks like it belongs on the bookshelf. Such a warm glow. Have a great day!
Posted by: Velma | December 13, 2016 at 08:02 AM
Yes, I think the big stitches are growing on me. The perle cotton would probably have been a better choice than the strand floss. I will remember that in the future...thanks for mentioning that!
Posted by: vicki haninger | December 14, 2016 at 08:29 AM
Thank you! We are enjoying the season with all its finery.
Posted by: vicki haninger | December 14, 2016 at 08:30 AM
I'm glad you had a good Thanksgiving with family. That village will probably outlast Christmas--it is a joy!
Posted by: vicki haninger | December 14, 2016 at 08:32 AM