Merry Day #17....

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Merry Day #17

Well today is Friday....

and I've rushed around beating the bush all week long and GUESS what?! I'm taking a Vonna day today! That means I am NOT cooking, I am NOT cleaning....well I might run the swiffer through real quick - I have a cleanliness problem - I am sort of OCD. I am going to sit on my rump and cross stitch. It seems like my cross stitching has been few and far between this year. I have kept myself so busy that I just haven't had time for much of anything. 

Today I want to talk about the tradition of stockings....

Do you hang stockings? When I was a little girl, I always wanted to hang a stocking at my house. We had great big stockings at my Granny's house, but never at our house. When I got married and had children (well Katie) I decided that YEP I was doing stockings. 

You'd think....

Since I'm a cross stitcher that I'd have cross stitched stockings, right?

Yeah....no......

This week I was doing a last minute....

- "I got my husband's stocking done will you finish it and get it back to me by Christmas" and it was a Shepherd's Bush stocking. My client sent me a photo of all her other stockings that she had finished so I could do it the same. That photo... oh. my. word. while I was finishing her stocking I kept thinking about that picture. 

Here it is: 

Here is the one I finished for her this week: 

You know it takes a good 2-3 hours to finish one of these properly without mistakes, they are fully lined, handmade piping, hanger - the whole works. And I make my piping on the bias, which is the correct way to make it. I see other stockings from other finishers posted on the web and I can tell they are not using bias cut piping and it looks sloppy. Maybe to other eyes it doesn't stick out, but it sure stands out like a sore thumb to me when I see it. (and P.S. how I finish my stockings AND how to make bias piping is on a video tutorial of mine. I give it all away, FREE! Every secret, every tip. FREE!) Which that doesn't happen much anymore I guess, I am not on Patreon, I don't ask for a "coffee"(what in the heck is that?! anyway. Someone asked me if they could buy me a coffee and where my link was?) WHAT?! No, don't buy me a coffee - you know what I want? Kindness. Spread Kindness and while you are doing it think about being happy spreading it. And that I'm a nice person too and love all people and give freely and lavishly with my heart. TO ALL. What happened about just sharing among friends. Why has their been this mentality, that seems to be cropping up, to sell every little thing that you hold in your head. I just don't get it. Just be my friend. Be a nice human. Anyhooo, I digress. 

So while the time I was finishing this stocking.....

I kept thinking about her mantle photo. My heavens to mercy it was a gorgeous! My stockings are not cross stitch and while they are sweet and my babies have had them since, well they were babies. They are part of our tradition. Here is a pic of them: 

But her stockings....

I kept thinking and thinking and thinking....

I've finished, literally hundreds of these stockings over the last 16 years. 

Then I started thinking about my goals in 2022.

 Because you know, one thing leads to another....What are my goals stitching wise? Last year I toyed with 2021 being Christmas all year long. I love Christmas. I'd like some more ornaments (I know it's a sickness as I literally have upwards of 300 stitched ornaments) and I already talked about a Snowman Tree and my family is growing by adding new family members....

and wouldn't it look sweet having all the same type of stockings hanging? 

SO......

I made a call to Ogden, Utah today and bought myself and Keith a stocking.

I purchased Lois' Stocking for me and Oliver's Stocking for Keith. 

Here is Lois' Stocking (which will be mine) I liked her hat and her body is like mine (HA HA HA), she has a frosty friend and look at that tree loaded with ornaments! Well I think they were channeling me when they designed this!:

and here is Oliver's (which will be Keith's) He's the king in our family so...fitting:

I told them to send the whole shebang...18 ct. linen, pearl cottons, charms, pattern - whole deal. Gave them my CC# and hung up.

I don't even know how much that it is going to cost, but I don't care - whatever - it's just money, right? 

I say that and Keith rolls his eyes and shakes his head. 

So....

I'm thinking besides one or two projects that are long term that I'm planning on doing that isn't Christmas related -  I am going to focus on Christmas pieces - stockings, large pieces (I have Santa of the Forest to finish) and ornaments. 

I have a couple of weeks to think about it.....

and make my final decision. 

So what do you think of this idea? Keep the spirit of Christmas alive in my heart all year long....

I like the sound of it. 

So that does it for today....

Merry Day #17

Merry Christmas!

All my love, 

Vonna xxxx