What I'm Makin'

Leaving behind some slow moving projects, I've jumped into some new Christmas crafts. So much more fun. First is the wreath. The idea came from the pomander tutorial of Betz White. She really comes up with the best ideas for using felted sweaters.

My really big great idea, though, is an advent village. I'm so excited about this idea. I can't say I've ever seen something like this before, but I'm sure there must be something like it somewhere. It will be made up of 3D patchwork houses with numbered windows and doors that have pockets behind them with things in them. I've made the first and biggest house already. It took a lot of brain twisting to figure it all out, but I love the way it looks so far. In the picture you can see one of the pockets on the roof. That will have a chimney over it and a Santa will come out on the 24th. Ha Ha! I think the snowman will come out of this house also. So will a Christmas tree and decorations and more. Do you see the apple pie cuties looking out the windows and doors? I had to make the whole house scaled to their size to make that look right. I've had that fabric forever, and never knew what to do with it. Another house will be a rustic cottage and out of that will come the squirrel and garden gnome and more. I had to learn a whole new craft, needle felting, in order to execute all the ideas for this village. There will also be a church with the Holy family in the pockets and a barn with reindeer and other seasonal animal and barn stuff. Wooo!

OK there are a lot more ideas as far as this project goes and I really have to get a grip on my Christmas shopping and stuff, so there is no way it will be done before Christmas. I'll just add it to the rotation of large long term projects I'm working on like the quilted chair, and the hand quilted twin quilt for Maria and the log cabin quilt. They are all more done than not. Really and truly these will all be in their completed glory one day real soon. I just need to stop adding to the list.