Christmas Ornament Count Up

When I took down my stuffed ornaments that had been displayed about the home during the 2023 Christmas season, I decided to do a count, tossing them out on the bed in the master bedroom. 

Here is my PRE-2024 count:
153 Christmas  + 15 repurposed toys = 168

Borrowing this collage photo from my 1/14/2024 post in my other blog WanderOr Ponder, it is clear that these little cuties are nearly everywhere in my home at Christmastime. So why do I need to make more? Because they are quick, fun, and generally, I just want to. One could say it is a disease, but that is too judgmental for something so soft, squishy, inexpensive, and harmless.

So in 2024 I decide to sew up all the random panels and cut-outs I had lingering in my stash along with all the panels I bought at a recent fabric sale at 50¢ a panel. What a deal! These are the designs in the recent panels I bought before they were sewn and stuffed.

Photos of the finished ornaments are in the following individually cited post links and will also be gathered together in my 2024 Year in Review post.

Here are my NEW completions in 2024

6+24+8+2+2+6+6+6+14+8= 82

One set 6 angels (1/5/2024)
Three sets of 8 houses each (1/17/2024)
One set of 8 Strawberry Shortcakes (1/25/24)
One pair of 2 angels (2/7/24)
Two critters (2/7/24)
One set of 6 nativities circles (2/17/24)
One set of 6 Christmas Symbols(2/23/24)
One set of 6 Swedish folk art ornaments(2/28/24)
One set of 14 gilded ornaments in 8 shapes (8/27/24)
One set of 8 Nativity figures (10/7/24)

Some of these sets completed in 2024 I gave away, but I kept most for my collection. Still to be located is a second panel of 8 largish nativity figures and two panels of 12 calico ornaments each. They dematerialized in my sewing room somewhere. Oh well, those 32 ornaments can be sewn up in 2025. I fell short of my goal to sew up ALL the panels in 2024, but the objective of that plan was to have them not adding to my sewing room clutter. 

Philosophical question: If you can't find or see something, does it still count as clutter?

Oh, Deer Completion

Piecing this quilt is described in my previous post dated 11/26/24. The next step, selecting my FMQ pattern for the quilting, is always a challenge for me. Doing an allover meander is probably the simplest approach except that I am terrible at meandering smoothly and not getting stuck in a corner. I generally opt for ruler work instead which is time-consuming but provides me with guidance. I compromised by doing free-hand arcs in the two bands of stars at the top and bottom of the quilt to give a tufted pillow effect. For the major section of the deer head I did something more controlled.

I used my Handi Quilter multi clamshell template for the deer portion. Orienting the clamshell "upside-down" gave the effect of the roof on a gingerbread house or draped garlands.

A portion of the deer section quilted in clamshells gives the nice effect that I was seeking.

Now, what to do in the narrow white bands on either side of the inserted blue stripe? I have a Handi Quilter wave template with an 4" wavelength and two different depths of the waves. I used the shallower 0.75" wave in the inner border and the deeper 1.5" wave in the larger outside border. I attempted to line them up relative to each other and centered on each side. I started in the middle of each edge and worked my way toward each corner. The quilting lines on the corners will fall where they may but at least they will look similar among the corners. A black and white pinstripe binds the outer edges of the quilt and relates back to the deer's antlers.

The backing was from a  fabric called Glad Tidings by the Whole Country Caboodle for Henry Glass. I thought the fabric title of Glad Tidings was clever since the hanging ornaments say "comfort and joy". I knew it would be perfect paired with the Deerly Loved pattern because of the Christmas balls hanging from the antlers. The following image is a closeup of the backing fabric. 

I made cranberry colored labels with white embroidery out of grosgrain ribbon for the two lower corners. Cranberry blended with the backing fabric better than a bright Christmas red would have. The quilt name, my name, and the year completed are recorded on the labels. The pattern by Coriander Quilts was called Deerly Loved but I have named this quilt Oh Deer. 

The back side of the quilt is also fun. The stripe on the backing ran parallel to the selvage. The height was adequate since it was the width of fabric. But, because I'd bought the remnant at a craft show already cut to a one yard length, I did not have enough width. Hence, I added the white edges. 

Here is the front view of the completed quilt. Oh Deer measures 41" wide x 40" tall. I plan to hang it on the wall of our stairwell next to the Christmas Moose canvas shown after. The canvas measure 20" wide x 16" tall. The moose is half as wide as the deer so I will have to see how they look side by side. No matter where they are placed, each will add to the festive "Deck the Halls" mood of the season.