Often, I find myself quite out of sync with the rest of the world.
Just as I'm settling into my home the week after Christmas...sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the tree and the festive glow that has overtaken my house...I see that my neighbors are already tossing their trees to the curb. What? I just put it up! To me, Christmas just got here. Yet the world seems to think that Christmas is over on December 26.
And here I am on January 20, just finishing up the last of my Christmas posts, clearing the way for January. And January is almost over.
And so this will be my last Christmas post and will officially close the Christmas season for me.
Allow me to introduce you the little Crazy Elf I made for our annual Crazy Quilt holiday ornament exchange.
We each make an ornament, wrap it in plain white tissue and place it secretly in a basket.
I didn't get pics of all the ornaments this year but here is Mary and Bobbi with the ornaments they made for the exchange...
Mary made a crazy quilted Christmas cracker...
Simple but quite lovely and quick to complete. She said she finished it in one day! Sometimes simple is good around Christmas time.
On the opposite end of the simple spectrum, Bobbi made this CQ Parrot from the Amazon rainforest to commemorate her trip there last year.
I'm happy to say that this beautifully colorful bird has taken up roost in my Christmas tree...yes, it's still up.
I've received one of Bobbi's ornaments before. You might remember the little jointed CQ bear I shared in this post? Bobbi gives all those amigurumi artists a run for their money...though her art medium is crazy quilting, not knitting or crochet.
Unfortunately, when my friend Maureen unwrapped my elf, he was still in pieces. So I brought him back home to get his act together.
I didn't get pics of all the ornaments this year but here is Mary and Bobbi with the ornaments they made for the exchange...
Mary made a crazy quilted Christmas cracker...
Simple but quite lovely and quick to complete. She said she finished it in one day! Sometimes simple is good around Christmas time.
On the opposite end of the simple spectrum, Bobbi made this CQ Parrot from the Amazon rainforest to commemorate her trip there last year.
I'm happy to say that this beautifully colorful bird has taken up roost in my Christmas tree...yes, it's still up.
I've received one of Bobbi's ornaments before. You might remember the little jointed CQ bear I shared in this post? Bobbi gives all those amigurumi artists a run for their money...though her art medium is crazy quilting, not knitting or crochet.
Unfortunately, when my friend Maureen unwrapped my elf, he was still in pieces. So I brought him back home to get his act together.
Which required time. It wasn't until after the New Year and the departure of the flu from our house that I finally finished him up...
And it gives me great joy to work with my hands and without the pressure of a deadline.
And to take the time to find just the right "accessories" to give him personality...
Thank you Maureen for your patience. One crazy elf is coming your way!
And thanks to the rest of you for continuing to celebrate Christmas made-by-hand which takes a bit longer than the commercial variety.
I remember I once started a bead journal piece called "Out of Sync". I think I'll pull it back out after I've finished Mrs. Rose.
Happy January.
27 comments:
He is soooooooo cute!!!!! I can't wait to meet him and have him come home with me!!!!!!!
Thank you so much Susan
What delightful ornaments. Handmade is so wonderful and special.
Hope you are all feeling much better these days.
Have a great week ~ FlowerLady
Your elf is adorable!
I still have some Christmas decorations up. I put them up slowly and take them down just as slow! I'm also still working on Christmas projects--they are unfinished from Christmas' past.
Susan, your elf is beautiful. I am sure he will become a Christmas heirloom, valued by Maureen and her family for years to come. I still have a tiny Christmas tree I embroidered and stuffed on my hall table. I just can't seem to put it away yet!
Your elf is absolutely enchanting - and if it is any consolation, our family ends up out of sync with the rest of the world, too!
nothing wrong with extending a joyous holiday! i still have an elf sitting on a shelf...i made him years ago...maybe i will give him a photo op and show him off...remind me, K?
Love the elf...heck I pretty much love all that you create!
Love all of the ornaments....sooo pretty. TFS
He is fabulous! I would love a tree full of these! Even if the tree was a mini tree!
It is nice to read I am not alone in my being "out-of-sync". Each CQ ornament is wonderfully stitched. Your little elf is precious. It is important to honor our very own timeline and be able to enjoy what we are part of. Creative Hearts are Happy Hearts...
Your knee hugging elves are just over the top. Way too cute and so well made. I come back several times just to ogle them one more time !! And Merry Christmas !! You can take your decorations down when you're darned good and ready. How about adding some Valentine Hearts and call it a day ??
Your Elf turned out so beautiful, how lucky is your friend to receive him. I am looking forward to your next posting about Mrs. Rose. Happy New Year!!
Your Elf came out so cute! I love it. I can totally understand about the Christmas season too. We like to keep our tree around for a little while after Christmas so we can enjoy it a little more.
Happy January to you too :)
Jen
I love the jingle bell you have at the top. Do you remember where you got it from? I was looking for a prettier bell for the stocking I made for my daughter.
The elf is really cute! Love your new parrot!
I can see how much you have enjoyed making your elf, surely he is going to be well loved. The other pieces people made are good too, lucky you to have pulled the parrot out of the pot.
You are so right about Christmas being over too soon. We once went to my MIL's on Christmas Day night and she had the tree down already. I was appalled but I guess that just told me what she thought about Christmas.
When I grew up, we always had our tree up until January 8. When I got married, Terry tried to pull that Christmas night stuff and I set him straight, but I did compromise. Ours comes down on the first weekend after New Years Day. I love the lights. Heck, I'd love them in June!
Sorry you had the flu. We're hoping to keep it away. Wind Chills at -15 today. ACK!!
xx, Carol
I'm with you, Susan! It is our tradition to leave the tree up until New Year's, but this year it stayed up a week longer. There's so much hustle and bustle before Christmas, I don't feel like I get to really enjoy the season until after the big day. The week following Christmas is my favorite time of the season!
Oh! and I LOVE your elf!!! What a treasure!
Adorable elf Susan! Love the mini cq in his hat - delightful! You appear to have some very talented friends.
Your elf is so cute!
What lovely work done by all. I will be looking for Mrs. Rose. :)
Your Elf ornament is gorgeous and the creations by your friends also beautiful ! Your photos are also stunning.
I love the elf and all the others too. You're right about the big rush to get the tree down. I can't believe that some people take it down on the 26th, but they're are probably the ones who put it up the day after Thanksgiving. We enjoy the tree and decorations in the house in the peace and quiet after the big day. Kathy
Love the ornaments and so inspiring! I did get a elf found after your niece post. I'm thinking I should of left him out by the machine so I will
Maybe out of sync, but certainly more than worth waiting for! Very clever.
Love!!!
You're not out of sync, the people who rush Christmas are. Whatever happened to the 12 days of Christmas? As a child our tree never went up until Christmas Eve and because my parents were of Russian descent, our tree didn't come down until Russian Christmas in January, in honor of my grandparents. I continued that tradition with my children, and still do to this day & I'm now 70! No one said you have to follow other people like a little sheep!
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