Third Sunday of Advent

I've added a few more Christmas decorations to my home this week.

I cut some greenery from the pine tree in our front yard and put some sprigs around the house.

My Santa collection is arranged on the mantle and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care.
I cross-stitched these stockings for our family many years ago.
They took so long to make I joked that we'd better not have any more kids, cause I didn't want to make any more cross-stitched stockings!
I like to collect Santas when I travel. This Claus couple is from Key West, Florida.
And this one? From New Orleans, of course!

These two spool Santas are from a quilt shop somewhere.

And I had to have this Santa holding his quilt when I saw him at the show in Sisters, Oregon!

Over the years, I've made a lot of Santas too!
This "Santa's Goose" pattern by Country Harvest was one of my first.
This pattern by Country Cupboard is another one of my favourites.
I love this primitive Santa by Crows Roost Prims.

And this one by Pineberry Lane. This crow Santa on his sheep (by Soft in the Head) is just too cool.

And finally, I designed a sleepy Santa who's ready for bed after a VERY long night!

I dyed an old pair of long johns red to make his pj's and put a fuzzy red "nose" on his slippers to remind him of his best friend. He's got his favourite dolly and quilt to take to bed with him. The pattern is called "To All a Good Night!"
I've also set out my "Santa's and Rudy's" candlemat.
Christmas is a time for presents and I received two wonderful gifts this week.

First, Martingale published their 2011 calendar and guess what?

I'm Miss October!

(Actually it's my Tulip Time quilt pattern from my book.)

And then, I got this wonderful special issue of Quiltmania magazine in the mail.
It's got some great country Christmas patterns in it and my "Peace on Earth" tablerunner pattern is in it as well! (I've posted a picture of it on the right side of my blog.)

What else have I been working on? Well, I'm in the process of getting my website rebuilt after it disappeared into the nether-regions of cyber-space several weeks ago. It's taking much longer than expected. In the meantime, you can see pictures of my patterns by clicking my logo on the right side of this blog.