What Was In Your Stockings? And A Christmas Freebie

 

Do you remember these stockings sold in the department stores like Woolworth's long ago?

Photo from Pinterest. 

As kiddos come Christmas time, my sister and I would love to go to the local five and dime stores like Kuhns and Elmores. There, we would see these large, glorious,  red mesh stockings stuffed with candy, trinkets,  and cheap toys. Goodness, did we marvel at those magnificent Christmas goodies. LOL. 

Did we ever get one? Hmmm, I don't think so , but we did have  red felt stockings which were placed at the bottom of the tree for Santa to stuff.

 On Christmas morning, my sister and I would rush to the tree, and of course discover our stockings stuffed with an orange, crayons and a coloring book.  That reminds me... my aunt would gift us underwear - usually Days of the Week undies too. Remember those?  EEEK! Not a kids favorite gift but useful nonetheless. Hee! Hee!  LOL We really did appreciate our undies , but it is fun to laugh about it. 

Raise your hands if you got underwear or socks for Christmas? 😀

Aaw, such warm Christmas memories...  🤗❤

This year I did not hang  my girls' stockings on the mantle. Instead I hung a few of my redwork ornies. I wonder if my girls' will notice. I doubt it. 

  

Anywhoo... this brings me to my latest Speaking of Christmas stitch called "The Stockings". 

It is all nestled in the little dough bowl with the other pin pillows from the series. I will work on another one this evening. 

🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

A NO BAKE PIE RECIPE that may be on the Christmas Eve menu. 

GERMAN SWEET CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 package ( 8 oz. ) cream cheese softened

1 1/2 cups cold half and half  

1 package ( 4 serving size) of Jello Milk Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding/ Pie Filling

3 1/2 cups of whipped topping , thawed

1 package ( 4 oz.) Baker's German Sweet Chocolate , chopped

1 cup of honey roasted pecans or plain pecans, chopped

1 ready crust chocolate pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with mixer until smooth. 

2. Add half and half and beat at low speed until well mixed.  Add pie filling mix, beat until well blended, 1 minute. Fold in whipped topping, chocolate and pecans. Spoon into crust. 

3. Freeze until firm - 6 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer and let stand about 20 minutes to soften before serving. Store any leftovers in the freezer. 

🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅

Later this evening, I will fully finish my Mini Santa Sampler. Soon it will be ready to add to my Christmas display in time for ole' St. Nick. 

Well Sweeties, that is my Saturday rambles. I am curious. 

What was in your stockings as a kiddo?  Did you have any gifts that you hoped you would not get like undies? 

May your day be magical and full of joy sprinkled with candy cane kisses! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting

 y'all,

Melisa 

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care. " 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅 

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes- Early 2025 parade of home freebies.

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅 

Piecing Peppermint Pinwheels

 Howdy do, Honey Pies and a very Wonderful Wednesday to you! How are you doing on this lovely Fall day. Me? Well I am fine and dandy.  Do you know the ole' saying  "When the  cats away - the mice will play"? Well Mr. Pinker is out working so  I will have the whole day here to myself - quilting the day away . Imagine me with my arms filled with fabric as I swirl about in glee!  Though I will miss Mr. Pinker as he traipses out in the woods,  uninterrupted  quilting time is quite welcomed. 

                        

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

Yesterday I sat down to the sewing machine as Burl Ives serenaded me on the cd player .It was not long before he whisked me away to a winter wonderland filled with sleigh bells ringing and jingling, and the halls were being decked. 

Soon I was joined in-  singing "Fa la la la la la  la la la la..." as I cut my 2 1/2 strips.

Mr. Pinker broke my  concentration when he entered into the sewing room singing   "Fa La La La La ! La La La La!" in his booming voice. "  Whatcha' working on? " he asked

Tickled by his singing I chuckled  and then replied with a smile , " Well, I am whipping up a batch of Peppermint Pinwheels ."

"Hmmm sounds yummy! "  He looked down at my blocks that I had already laid out. "But that does not look like anything I would eat. Don't you already a gazillion  projects in the works? "

"I sure do! " I said merrily." What's wrong with a gazillion and one, " I reasoned.

"Not a thing, " he said as he smiled and  walked away humming a little Christmas diddy. "

 My Peppermint Pinwheels are going to measure 8 1/2" squared unfinished  ( 8 " finished). 

If you would like to make some of your own, here are the measurements I am using. ( I like to write them down here just in case I forget in the future. 🙄LOL)

CUTTING FOR 1 BLOCK

CUT 1- Red fabric  2 1/2" x 18 "

CUT 1- Green fabric  2 1/2" x 18 "

SEWING

1. Sew the red and green fabrics together using 1/4" seam allowance. Press. 

2. Subcut strips into 4 1/2" lengths. 

3. Layout block as shown  and piece. WAHLAH! A super simple block . 

If you are using scraps, just simply cut 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles for your block. You will need 4 of each color. 

                        

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

PEPPERMINT PINWHEELS RECIPE 
YIELDS : 18
 INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of softened butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons of baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of peppermint extract

1 teaspoon of red food coloring

DIRECTIONS: 

🍪 1. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy ( about 3 to 4 minutes) , stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs , one at a time  and continue beating well. Add extracts and beat. 

🍪 2. In a medium bowl, whisk, flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture , beating until well combined. Divide dough in half , beat food coloring into one half of the dough. Wrap the dough in portions in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

🍪 3. Roll each piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper to form a rectangle around 11"x 9" and 1/4 " thick. Remove top pieces of parchment and stack dough on top of each other. Roll layered dough to 12" x 10" trim edges . Starting at one long side, tightly roll dough into a log using the parchment paper to help roll. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

🍪 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 

🍪 5 . Unwrap dough . Trim ends. Using a serrated knife, cut log into 2/3 inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheet. 

🍪 6. Bake until set - about 12-15 minutes. Place on cooling rack. Cool completely. 

       

OK back to the sewing machine I go! I have  at least 10 more blocks to piece  for the day. 

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

May your day be filled with sugar sprinkles and peppermint kisses. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting,

 y'all

Melisa 

" You are the peppermint to my mocha. "- unknown 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who enjoyed baking sweets and treats.  I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃 

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes- Early 2025 parade of home freebies.

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

 I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needleworkers to meet. 

Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday  Wait Loss- Wednesday

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down- Thursday

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday- Thursday

TGIFF at Melva Loves Scraps for Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday- Friday

Nina at Creations, Quilts, Art , Whatever by Nina for Off the Wall Friday

Alycia's of Alycia's Quilts for Finished of Not Friday

Michelle  at From Bolt to Beauty for Beauty Pageant - Friday

Coca Cola Christmas

 Good afternoon, y'all . I am in the mood for an big iced cold glass of Coca Cola! I am a soda nut, but alas , I have not had cola in months. Boo Hoo!   So for now I will just enjoy a "Coca Cola Christmas " in my small foyer. 

 Yep, I decorated the small hall with the few Coca Cola items that I have.  The little tree is surrounded with crocks, tins and a carton of Cokes. 

The tree was simply decorated with candy garlands. The tree is topped with a Hands on Design and Priscilla Blain piece called "Chalk Full - Merry". 

There  is a mod podge of items on the old shelf. 

Including a wee white tree with a few Cola ornaments.  Not many Cola ornaments are there?😏 Oh  well, I will slowly acquire more. 

Old tins, bottles, salt and pepper shakers and one stitch are as snug as a bug in a rug in the Cola crate. Always Believe was a freebie I shared a couple of years ago. 

Pottery, Dollar Tree plates, Coca Cola postcards and tins fill the 2nd shelf.

Mistletoe Kisses was a freebie ,but for the life of me I can not remember the designer. Do you know? 

The bottom shelf is filled with just a few pieces of Watts pottery, an old door knob and a few treasures.  You may find a few dust bunnies too, but just ignore them. 😀👯👯👯

 Quilts, quilts, and more quilts. ! Can I squeeze one more quilt  in ?  Hee! Hee!  My favorite place to decorate is the thrifted shutters where I hang seasonal quilts. 

Front and center is  "Father Christmas " from the book Fast, Fun , Fabulous Quilts.

If you come to my house , you will find that every door is adorned with a quilt, wreath or some decoration. Come Christmas time, I decorate many of the doors with old red long johns and my girls' childhood Christmas dresses and gowns. They bring back fond memories. 🤗

Hanging among the dresses and gowns is With Thy Needle and Thread's  "Snow For Christmas". 

The bathroom door holds more long johns and dresses along with With Thy Needle and Thread's freebie called "Merry and Minty. This was a SAL with Brenda in 2020 . It is still available on her Facebook. 

Oh, I have never shown you any of my bathrooms. Let's go into this one. 

OOOPS! Excuse me, Santa . I did not realize this one was occupied. HEE! HEE! .  I bought this Santa at the thrift store and placed the fella here until I put him on the patio. Isn't he a hoot? 

The pink bathroom  is rarely used . I did not decorate it this year for Christmas except for Santa's short visit. LOL. 

These are a few of my vintage embroideries and crocheted laces displayed in the bathroom. I did put up one framed Christmas card and a small tree- so I was wrong there was a little Christmas in here.

Alrighty, y'all that's my foyer in a nutshell. Or should I say in a cola crate? Hee! Hee! 

 I will keep my eyes peeled for Coca Cola ornaments throughout the year. 

A darling 1990's stitch that I purchased years ago at the thrift store. 

Here is another super easy recipe that my family enjoyed during the Thanksgiving holiday. Again , I will be serving it as a Christmas side. 

SLOW COOKER RANCH MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb mushrooms whole

1 stick of butter

minced garlic

ranch dressing mix

DIRECTIONS:  Add ingredients to slow cooker. ( I added just a smidgen of water to the slow cooker. ) Cook for 4 hours on high or to your liking. 

Merry Christmas, Sweetie Pies!  Thank you for dropping by. 

 Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

Remember " You are awesome!" 

All you need is love . 

Gingerbread hugs and stitches!!!

Dedicated to my sweet sister , Amy who embraced the Christmas spirit. Love ya, Amo. 

Getting Ready for Christmas

Hello , sweet friends. Are you in running wide open with all of the Christmas preparations? Or are you on one of the lucky ones who has it all done and can now sit back and enjoy it all?    Me?  Well, I enjoy running around like a chicken with her head cut off.  Hee! Hee!  All will come together in the end though.       Family has arrived from out of town and now it is time for the festivities to begin!     First, Mr. Pinker and I have to go to Wally World and pick up some last minute things- oh bother! I bet it will be a mad house. 😜😛😂  🐔🐔

Later tonight we will be baking cookies and decorating them.  Oh what fun the grandsons will have. 

This past Thanksgiving I tried a new recipe . It was well received so it is back on the menu for Christmas. 

Ingredients for 5 Bean Salad

5 Bean Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of garbanzo beans , drained

1 can of kidney beans, drained

1 can of black beans, drained

1 can of green beans, drained

1 can of wax beans , drained

1/2 cup of chopped green pepper

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1/2 cup of chopped celery

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 c of vegetable oil   ( I used olive oil)

1/2 c of vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Combine beans, pepper, onion and celery in large bowl. Toss. In  a separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until sugar is dissolved. Pour over bean mixture. Mix. Refrigerate overnight.

Woo Hoo! I am doing the happy dance!   I finished "All is Calm" by  sweet Darlene Deon of Darlene Deon Designs. ( Click here to visit Darlene's Esty) . In a tote in the garage, I found an old wooden winter sleigh that I had painted years ago. It was from the Walmart craft department from back in the good old days when they had a variety of items. 

Anywhooo, "All is Calm fit perfectly.  Thank you , Darlene for a darling design. 

The wee four patch is still in the hoop. The border will be quilted next. 

   

Now onto the plans for the week. 

Hmm.... What Should I do This Week? 

🌞1. Work on Flaming Butterflies quilt

🌞2.Work on Festive Four Patch quilt

🌞3. Work on Travel journal

🌞4. Visit with family

🌞5. Begin packing for upcoming trip.

An Elvis Whitman tin I recently found while thrifting . 

Alrighty Sweeties, I hope to post a few photos of my foyer decorated for Christmas soon.  One or two  of the new tins from my latest haul will be in the Christmas photos. Can you guess which ones? Hee! Hee! 

Lots of tins found for less than a dollar. Have I told you I love tins? 

Enjoy you day, Sweeties and ...

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

"Every day brings new opportunities. "

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday