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Sunday 2 January 2022

January TUSAL

      


It's TUSAL time!

Here is my TUSAL jar with two of my current projects:


I'll empty all the ORTs out now and put them in a bag intending to stuff an ornie with them.  In reality they will live in a bag for ever more!

On the left is my Just Nan Sampler - Christmas Elegance.  I am behind on the schedule and currently working on Band 7 which is the word "Christmas" stitched over one:

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

The project on the right is my 12 Days of Stitchmas design from Jardin Prive:


stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen



I've decided not to show a book from my Stitching Library this month but to write about my Christmas tree and decorations as I didn't include it in my Advent Calendar post.  The pre-Christmas run-up was a little too busy for blogging much!

The question everyone was answering this year was - tell us about your tree.  Do you have a real one or an artificial one?  When do you put it up?  Do you use the same ornaments each year or change the colour scheme?  Cross stitch or glass ornaments?  Star or Angel on top?  Do the children help?  (if you have any!).  Any stories about your trees over the years?




Apart from the years we lived in the Far East, we always had a real tree when I was a child.  Dad's job was to find one for sale and bring it home balanced on the handlebars and seat of his bike.  Mum then decorated it with an eclectic range of baubles and ornaments, some from her childhood, some from the early days of their marriage and some new each year.  Our job was to watch and guess which bauble she would choose from the box to be carefully placed in the perfect spot on the tree.

We always had angels on top, a tiny red feather angel and a larger china doll angel which was Mum's as a child.

Once we left home, Mum started to choose a colour theme for her tree - maybe pink and silver or blue and gold, just to have a different look.

When I got my own house I was working full-time so I had an artificial tree for ease.  I collected ornaments over the years, buying a pair of special ones from John Lewis each Christmas.  My little treat to myself.  I have kept the same colour scheme every year too - red, metallic and crystal only.  Metallic includes silver, gold and brass.

When my husband and I bought our house together, we had a real tree for the first year and every year since then.  I've added to the ornament collection over the years but always in the same colours.




My articifial tree went to my parents' house as they no longer want the mess of a real one.  Plus Dad doesn't ride a bike any more!

At the very top I have a huge crystal star.




My older son does help, usually by unwrapping the ornaments and choosing which one will go on next.  My younger son helps by keeping his distance and not removing the ornaments from the tree!  I try to keep the more delicate ones higher up or around the side where they are not so tempting!


Of course, the tree isn't the only Christmas decorating I do.  I have all my Christmas stitching and my garlands too.
















(in the hallway)

(in the kitchen next to my computer seat)


I also made a little slideshow of our trees from 2008 to the current year!



Finally, a little blog housekeeping is going on.  I have a new page for my WIPocalypse choices and one for the sign-ups for Gifted Gorgeousness for the year.  We have a new logo this year so if you use it in your sidebar remember to change the logo and link to the new page.







11 comments:

Purple Pixie Dust said...

Wow you have allot of lovely stitching. Love your trees. How long did it take for you to do the really big angel. She must of taken a couple of years to do. Happy New Year.

Rachel said...

They are huge trees! And what a lot of Christmas cross stitch out on display. How sad that they're only out for a month or so. I forgot to put my own L&L Celtic Christmas out this year; what an oversight!

Clare-Aimetu said...

Thank you Jo for sharing the story of your trees. It's lovely how a Christmas Tree brings so much love, tradition and memories, we don't always think of that side of putting up a tree.

You've a super lot of stitching, good luck with all your 2022 projects.

butterfly said...

Wonderful post Jo .
Love your beautiful tree , and your decorations are just beautiful.
Your stitching is wonderful and blows me away , fantastic .
Enjoy a New Year full of more stitches.

Mary said...

Lovely traditions, your trees are so pretty, I love the traditional Christmas colors you decorate with. All that gorgeous stitching!! I am surprised you don't have stitches on your tree!
When I was a child my parents took us to pick out a tree, but it did not go up till after we were in bed Christmas Eve as Santa decorated it! We would get up Christmas morning and see the tree decorated for the first time, it was thrilling as a child.
I only got a prelit tree a few years ago and won't go back to a live one. It's so much easier having the lights on the tree and no arguments getting a live tree straight in the tree stand!! I put it up a few days before Christmas and leave it up till the middle of January!

diamondc said...

Jo: Happy New Year, this is such a lovely post, I love hearing about Christmas traditions, I love hearing about your Father bringing home the tree on his bike bars, such a sweet memory.
Your tree video is a wonderful idea, we do not have a real tree due to out cat, maybe when she is gone we will have one.
Your ornaments are beautiful, the Star on the top makes a beautiful statement that the Star is what the Wisemen followed, very touching.
The Blocks Angel table and the garlands are a lovely touch to your decorating.

Happy New Year
Catherine

Sheryl said...

Beautiful tree Jo, and I love the pretty garlands of your stitching, lots of be admired. Happy New Year.

Mary's Thread said...

Jo, your home looks so cozy and warm with all your precious stitching about! I loved seeing your slideshow of trees. Thank you for being the "hostess with the mostest!" (my mom used to always say that!) I love taking part in all your events! Happy New Year!

Katie said...

Thanks for sharing your Christmas with us. Love all the beautiful stitching on display. Perfect.

Leonore Winterer said...

Wonderful stitching but wow, look at all the Christmas stitching you already have to put up! It was lovely to recognize so many pieces in these pictures from when you were working on them. You really are going all out for Christmas :)

Astrids dragon said...

Your home is beautifully decorated for Christmas, and so many lovely stitched pieces.
Such a pretty tree you had, and so were all your other trees. That's the nice thing about real trees, they're different every year!