Christmas Card--Sixth Finish 4th Quarter Finish A Long 2018

Piecing and trimming complete

View from the front

Finished card

My friend, Martha, had a kit in a small plastic bag to make this card. It reminded me of her. I wondered if she planned to gift the kit, give the card and/or make a bunch of cards. I won't know the actual answer since she died last July. I've had it sitting on my sewing table since early September. It is paper piecing, a technique that she loved. I am not as adept at it as she was. Perhaps, that was one reason why I procrastinated with stitching the project. Before I started, I made a copy of the paper pieced pattern and I noted the dimensions of the fabrics in the kit in case that I decided to stitch more.

With six pieces to stitch, it didn't take long to stitch the piece together. I cut out the pieced block on the dotted line. Then I removed the paper. Using an Elmer glue stick, I liberally glued the opening of the card. I placed the pieced tree in the opening. I cut another piece of card stock and glued that in place. Covering the back of the piecing made for a more finished look to the card. To ensure the glue activated, I pressed the paper.

I like how it turned out. If I were to make more, I would need to purchase card stock that either had the center cut into a circle or an oval--there were patterns for both--or figure out how to cut the card stock myself. I doubt that I take on that project. . .but, then again, you never know!

It took me about an hour to make this card. It was goal number 15 on my 4th Quarter Finish A Long list. This is my sixth finish for the quarter. I stitched it Christmas morning.  I plan to gift it next year!

While I stitched the card, I thought about Christmases past. When I was a kid, my brothers and I would wake up early. Mom's and Dad's rule was that you had to stay in bed until it was light. Waiting for the sun to rise was hard! Once we were up, we could open our stockings. We used to bring our stockings into Mom's and Dad's room and open the stockings there. The guise was that Mom and Dad could rest a bit more! Of course, once we were there, Dad would kick us out of their room so they could get dressed. I think it was Dad's way of making the day last longer. Oh, the anticipation I had to see what Santa had left in my stocking!!!

When we picked up our stockings, there often was other evidence under the tree that Santa had been there. . .my brother received a lego toy train one year; I received a doll that was about as big as me complete with dresses that were just like mine; my youngest brother once received a hot wheels set complete with a track. My dad died two years ago on Christmas Eve. He was the one that put together the train and the hot wheels track. It must have taken him hours. He probably had just gone to bed when we were ready to open stockings! I still miss him.

No other packages were opened until my mom's parents arrived. They would arrive soon after the sun had risen. They were laden with packages, appetizers and side dishes for breakfast and for dinner. It was a big deal to me to share the morning festivities with them and then have them hang out with us until after Christmas dinner. It was a part of the holiday that I looked forward to each year. My grandmother would have knitted us mittens and caps and often there was another gift that she had stitched.

She and my grandpa said that they liked to see our faces as we opened gifts. It was always a fun day. So each Christmas, I think of those days. I hope that today brings you much joy and that many happy memories are made.

Merry Christmas!