So, I started in with this advent calendar a whole month ago. I sewed and I sewed, any time Ellie napped, any time we were in the car, any time I could find, I sewed. But as much as I tried, I could not get this thing finished. I wanted to have it done the first week of December. I don’t know what I was thinking. There was no way sewing an advent calendar all by free form and by hand was going to get done in less than a week. So, it became my December project. A treasure we would hopefully have for many Christmas’ to come. Just not this Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I put in the final threads. It was finally done, the night before Christmas. Although we didn’t get to use it for it’s intended purposes this year, this project will truly be remembered for years to come. It was fun, it was tiring, my husband is thrilled the felt pieces are no longer all over our house and I’m really proud I finished it.

Since visiting the library this holiday season and bringing home The 12 days of Christmas, (Ellie likes this version best) Ellie has been obsessed with the song and the book. It was a Christmas song I never really cared for because of obvious reasons. But, after my darling daughter showed such  joy over the lyrics. It has quickly become and will probably always be a favorite now in this household (a love and hate favorite Jeff says). I thought it would be fun to create the 12 days as advent caricatures. So what you see in the pockets and eventually on the tree are 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a leapin’, 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a milkin’, 7 swans a swimming, 6 geese a layin’, 5 gold rings, 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. The other 13 advent pocket buddies are stars and presents to finish out the vision on top. I got very close to the ways of sewing with felt with this project and I think I may be smitten. I’m sure you will see much more felt (especially the wool kind) in my crafting future.