Jingling the Day Away and A Christmas Freebie

Happy happy Sunday , sweet friends! 

 This morning I am jamming to the merry melodies of Burl Ives and Bing Crosby. My toes are tapping, and I plan to jingle about the house all through the day.  

Hmm now if I could just find an Elvis cd to rock out too.

 Anywhoo. How is your Sunday starting off ?I hope you are embracing the holiday spirit and  caroling away as well.   Oh ,  it's just a beautiful day isn't it?  In case you are wondering there is no spiced eggnog in my mug, but good old water . 😀😅

Ho! Ho! Ho! Father Christmas a design by Country Threads is in the hoop. 

 I pieced this quilt last year and finished the border last month. 

 Father Christmas  is from Fast Fun and Fabulous Quilts. I posted a flip through of some of the projects in the book last year. Click here if you are interested in seeing some of the cute country projects. I want to make them all. ❤🤗

It is Santa Sunday stitching time for me. So not only will I be quilting Father Christmas, but I will begin a new Santa cross stitch. 

Santa Tree Farm is my newest piece in the Prim Christmas Series. 

 Santa's Tree Farm uses 7 DMC floss colors including 221, 730, 407, 898, white, 3371, and 830. 

Previous Prim Christmas Santas include: Old World Santa , Tree Delivery , Christmas Day, and Santa Is On His Way

 My fingers were working up a storm yesterday trying to finish the embroider for A Bowl of Gingerbread.  I will be adding a border to it this week. 

In case you are interested the unfinished block size is 8 1/2" x 10 1/2".  I used the following DMC floss colors- 898, 498, 351, 3371, 895,  and 413. 

I shared A Bowl of Gingerbread as a freebie as well as my Gingerbread Saltbox yesterday. 

                                   

    

Now onto the plans for the week. 

Did I Get'r Done... Well   -  Last Week's Goals were.. 

✅🌞1. Decorate for Christmas.  

✅🌞2.Work on Hinzeit's November Point.

✅🌞3. Starta new Saltbox. 

✅🌞4. Finish Block 5  in the Mr. Snow SAL for  Thursday's post.

 

Here I go again! Doing the Happy Hoedown for I completed 100% of my goals. 🤠💃💃💃

Hmm.... What Should I do This Week? 

🌞1. Quilt Father Christmas

🌞2.Work on Hinzeit's November Point.

🌞3. Work on my Easter quilt.

🌞4. Finish Block 6  in the Mr. Snow SAL for  Thursday's post.

🌞5. Post "Shine on Harvest Moon" quilt. 

🌞6. Start new saltbox. 

🌞7. New Rudolph quilt. 

🌞8. Work on a trifle.

Alrighty, Sweeties. I better get back to caroling as I quilt on Father Christmas.  What will you be working on today?

 As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

Feel free to do what makes your soul shine. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

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

Links That May Strike your Fancy

Down Christmas Lane- A Parade of Previous Freebies-   A  list of previous free cross stitch, quilting, and embroidery freebies. 

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 Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for This and That

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

Gingerbread Saltbox and a Doodle- A Christmas Freebie

 I made a house of gingerbread.

It was so sugary sweet. 

It took me all day long to make 

But lasted just a week. 

On Monday I ate the ceiling

On Tuesday I ate the door. 
On Wednesday I ate the windows. 

On Thursday I ate the floor. 

On Friday I ate all four walls. 

On Saturday I ate the lawn.

On Sunday, I licked up all the crumbs. 

My gingerbread house is gone!

Good morning , Sugar Pies and happy Saturday. 

Isn't that poem the cutest? 

Every year I hold our family gingerbread house making party where the grandchildren and nephews create a gingerbread house. I hope to do that in the next week or so. Do you make a gingerbread house for the Christmas season ?  Sometimes I make homemade gingerbread, but the premade kits sure do make the house making process easier especially for little ones. 

Do these bring back any memories to any of you? Brown Paper Bag and Pampered Chef cookie molds. I collect them. If I see one at the thrift store for $3 or less, I will usually pick it up. 

The other day I was shopping at Wally World aka Walmart when a gingerbread man cookie jar jumped into my buggy;  being as cute as a button, I could not turn him down when he begged to come home with me. 

Mmm. Do I have you hankering for a bit of gingerbread yet? Hee! Hee!  Well oh bummer no sweets today. I just have not been in the kitchen baking since Thanksgiving, but I do have a new saltbox that I would be thrilled if you took a moment to look at.

 

This is my new saltbox of the season- Gingerbread Saltbox. 

Oooh did you notice the sweet sugary gingerbread men  that are marching along candy cane lane.  I just want to gobble them up. 

One lone gingerbread man has jumped on top of the  sugared snow topped roof. He is quite a character  isn't he? 

I stitched Gingerbread Saltbox on 14 count tea/coffee dyed aida. There are only 9  DMC floss colors in this house   which include: 3371, Blanc, 436, 815, 902, 937, 895, 898,  and 975.  

If you have been following me for awhile you know I am doing this as a hobby and work with the primitive of resources- that being said- the colored chart did not print well in respect to symbols so I wanted to leave a note about the colors and placement . I have also included a large symbol print version.  I hope this is of help if you decide to stitch this home. 

Y-  DMC 436  - Part of quilt star and window panes.

R DMC 815 Part of quilt star, candy canes, curtains, door, 

G-DMC 895- Corner blocks in quilt star, 2 sections in the large trees. 

X- DMC 898 - Tree trunks

/ - DMC 902 Roof

O- DMC 937 - 2 sections in the large trees, garland under windows and wreath

∆-  DMC 975 gingerbread men, house

•- DMC 3371 Gingerbread men's eyes

W- Blanc- Snow, candy canes, house trim, snow, quilt star

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

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. 

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

I have a little doodle for you too. This is what I will be working on today- A Bowl of Gingerbread. I think I will trace this on a piece of fabric, color tint it and embroider. If I am lucky, I will have progress

to show tomorrow. 

UPDATE:  Dec. 3, 2023. I finished the embroidery work. In case you are interested, the unfinished block size is 8 1/2" x 10 1/2".  I used the following DMC floss colors- 898, 498, 351, 3371, 895,  and 413.  Three more blocks will follow. 

Here are some other links that might strike your fancy!

Previous Christmas Houses include: 

Candy Cane Cottage 

Christmas Eve Saltbox

Christmas at Underwood Lane

Every year I make Gingerbread Doodles . They are so yummy. 

Okay, Sweetness, I am off to get my gingerbread on and boogie the day away! Have a beautiful day!

Oooops! Before you leave- Have I told you lately that you are awesome?  You sure are and I appreciate each and every one of you! Thank you for always being sweet as can be. Love ya' 😘

Gingerbread Hugs and Peppermint Kisses!!!

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

I thought we could make gingerbread houses, eat cookie dough , go ice skating and maybe even hold hands. - Buddy the Elf. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much. The Christmas season is not the same without you. Love you , Amo. 

December Already?

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go! 

December Word Play - a design by With Thy Needle & Thread finished on a Kirkland's chalkboard bought at the Goodwill. 

 Welcome , Sweeties. I believe I will be bustling about working on my Christmas right up to the day. How about you? 

  I have really been enjoying watching the Christmas decorating videos on Youtube. They always get me in the mood to deck the halls. 

 My kitchen tiered tray is sporting the usual Christmas greenery and a few chickens. 

I use the jar and candle lids to raise up items in my tiered tray.  I especially like the clear candle lids.

 

My newest mug rug is finished. I embroidered this snow globe doodle in 2018. 

December Poinsettias is the last in the monthly doodles that I have been sharing on the 1st of each month. 

I stitched this block in redwork like the other blocks, but I think this would be so pretty to color tint the motifs and leave off the word December. Maybe make it into a wee mug rug. Hmmm the ideas are flowing. 

 I also added some French knots to the poinsettias though I did not draw them on the doodle.  They were an afterthought. 🤔

❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆❅❆

 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 little doodle just for you.  

So far I have shared the January Snowman  , the February Pansies and Groundhog  ,   March Sheep Basket , April's Bunny and Watering Can  ,  May's Berry Basket  , June Bee Skep , July Picnic Basket , August Sunflower Wheelbarrow , September Apple Basket  , October Pumpkin Patch , November Turkey and  December Poinsettia Doodles.

Soon I will be piecing all of the blocks into a small quilt. 

Each block is stitched  on a 7 1/2 squared piece of fabric and then trimmed it to 6 1/2" . The block is then framed  with 2" strips .

I have began working on a new house cross stitch. Putting in the landscaping first. I will be working on this piece today and hopefully by the night's end, I will have a finish. 

Pam Buda at Heartspun Quilts has a free Doll Bed Dowry Christmas Eve quilt pattern, but it is only free from today until Sunday, so if you are interested just pop over to her blog for the details on how to download. After Monday, it will cost a nominal fee. 

Have a wonderful day and enjoy all the joys of the Christmas season. 

As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

December is a simple wish that brings spectacular moments- Unknown 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear baby sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much, 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 needleworkers to meet. 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Susan at Quilt Fabrication for  Midweek Makers Wednesday

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

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

Wendy at Wendy's Quilts for Peacock Party - Friday

Sarah at  Confessions of a Fabric Addict  for Whoop! Whoop! - Friday

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday