The Blue Trees Are On, Mom!: Winter Stitching

When our daughter was very small, we lived in an apartment located at the end of a cul-de-sac of apartment buildings. Each building looked the same, with a step or two leading to a small covered porch and the front door. There was a railing around the porch roof to make it look like a balcony, I guess, even though there was no access to it from inside the building. At Christmastime, they'd put trees up there and they all had blue lights on them. She loved those trees and would sit looking out of her bedroom window as it was getting dark and eventually I'd hear her call out, 'The blue trees are on, Mom!' So I got into the habit of making her some kind of blue tree every Christmastime. This year, I had a cross stitch chart picked out, but then my plans changed. In October, she sent me a back issue of a cross stitch ornament magazine she'd found in a thrift store and there was a tree in there that I loved. I decided to stitch that for her. Unfortunately, the post was very slow this year and she didn't get the things I sent her until the day after Christmas, but I guess she can have it out for a few days anyway.

I might make one of these trees for myself in purple, but without the star.

Part of my autumn/early winter ritual involves listening to seasonal music and stitching seasonal items. Here are some more things that I made over the past few months. Some went to other people and some live with us.

crocheted fingerless gloves

rose pin

same rose as the pin above, but different yarn, button and finished as an ornament

granny trees

I loved this button on this snowflake, so I kept one for myself

I needle-tatted my way from one year to the next last night, working on a larger project that I hope to actually finish at some point. In addition to a few ongoing big projects, I have some ideas I want to try out. I am going to have to get myself into some kind of routine, now that my hibernation season has ended, so that I can get some things done--stitching and otherwise.

So here we are. 2019 is upon us. I hope the year is choc-a-block with wonderful moments, good health, and inner peace!

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