Around Some of the World

Hello, kids! Ready to start the tour? Flash photography is permitted but won't help (my pictures aren't as marvelous as I'd like, but at least it wasn't my fault. Ahem. OK. So, ready to go on a tour of the National Christmas Center?

The first room is the Christmas Around the World exhibit. These displays do seem to get changed up now and then, so we'll just go with what was on display this year or I could literally be here for a week as I love exploring the lore of other countries.

Is this fella positively Dickensian, or what? Do you think he's supposed to be Bob Cratchit? Let's pretend he is.

You can see the little houses from different countries decorated in the background. I have always loved every single aspect of Christmas, from the traditions I grew up with, to those I've learned about through books, the internet, and public television. If I were to decide one year to incorporate all of those around-the-world traditions, I'm pretty sure I could stretch Christmas out to about a ten month celebration.

Admit it. You want to go into that book store with me, don't you?

In merry old England, Father Christmas brings the presents on Christmas Eve. They are left in stockings by the fire/tree, or are waiting for the children by their beds in the morning (the first time I heard that was in a Paddington Bear story, and I thought it ludicrous--I would have just stayed in my bedroom playing all day). Just like here in the States, children write letters to FC, and I hope some of them burn them in the fireplace so their wishes rise out of the chimney with the smoke, which Santa then reads. Doesn't that sound just delightful? Christmas trees are, of course, a centerpiece of the home--they were introduced by Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband, who was German). And I'm not sure if yule logs are still lit, but traditionally the current year's yule log was lit with a piece of the log from the year before (and as I wrote this, all I could think of was that scene in Christmas Vacation where Clark Griswold is in the department store with the sexy salesgirl going "As in yule. Yule log. Not that I have a log. Not in the sense that you think I said I did..."). 

Welcome to Russia! During the long Soviet era, Christmas was not celebrated much. Now, due to the Russian Orthodox church following the Julian calendar for religious observations, Christmas is usually not celebrated until January 7th (unless you're Catholic, of course). Russian advent, then, goes until January 6th--a full forty days. More important than Christmas are the New Year celebrations (which take place on January 10th--Julian calendar strikes again!), because that is when Father Frost (seriously great name!) brings presents to the children. This was probably my favorite display in this particular room--the colorful ornaments on the tree, the matryoshka that you can see at the top/center of the door, and oh-my-goodness the door frame! I wanted to rip it off and bring it home with me! If you are curious what those metal vessels are--those are samovars. They are heated metal containers used to boil water, usually for tea. And I imagine that in snowy Russia a lot of tea is consumed.

Oh, Germany, with your Christmas trees, and advent calendars with teeny presents, and your scary elves. I'm not kidding--we're all familiar with the red and green clad pointy-eared munchkins as shown above. But Germany is also home to the legend of Krampus--a horned demon who helps Santa Claus by threatening bad children. I think there's a movie coming out by that name, I'm not sure. I think I'll pass that one up, though. Christmas trees are very important to the German home, first showing up in the middle ages. I remember reading that Martin Luther got the idea for putting candles on trees (with a bucket of water nearby!) when he was walking home one frosty night and saw the stars twinkling through the fir trees. He saw it as a sign of God's glory, and wanted to replicate it.

If anyone speaks German and can make out that sign I'd love to know what it says. Also let me know if it's not German, haha). I mainly took this picture for the ceiling and the light fixture.

One of the most famous aspects of Christmas in Germany is the Christmas market. If you've been around a while you may remember I wrote about the one in Philadelphia here. It's a place where wooden stalls are weighed down by ornaments and decorations and food like mulled wine and gingerbread. Perhaps the most famous Christkindl market is the one in Nuremburg. One thing is held in common no matter where the market is--the Christkind officially opens the market and welcomes in the season of advent. 

One of the biggest Swedish traditions is St. Lucia's Day on December 13th. Saint Lucia was a young Christian martyr. The common tale is that she would secretly bring food to those persecuted for their faith and hiding out in Rome under the city. She would wear a wreath of candles on her head, leaving both hands free to carry things. In the old Julian calendar (there it is again!) Winter Solstice happened on December 13th, so the pagan festival of lights evolved into St. Lucia's Day (Lucia means light, so that's quite fitting, eh?). From what I've read, the 'prettiest' girl in the family (though I imagine the duties rotate so as not to crush self-esteem) wears a white dress with a red sash, places a wreath of candles on her head, and goes from room to room singing carols to waken those still asleep. In Sweden, Christmas lasts a month--that's an old saying, and it's true, as Christmas ends on January 13th. Gifts might be brought by Santa, or by little elves called tomte (or nisse, right next door in Norway).

And out in the hallway we finish with this display of Santa Claus figures from around the world. There are many similarities, but also many differences. In some Santa is dressed more like a religious figure (like Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in Turkey), whereas others are the most famous Thomas Nast/Coca Cola version of a jolly guy in red and white.

My sister told me the other day that our Santa Claus shelf in the kitchen makes her anxious. Compared to this our little collection doesn't compare much at all.

If you want an incredibly comprehensive read of Christmas traditions from everywhere, check out this page. And if you've got some folk traditions to share, either because you live in another country or know someone who does, or simply remember hearing talk of the old days, I would absolutely love to hear it, so please share away!!

I'm Bethany, Your Tour Guide

It's December! I wait alllll year long for it to be my favorite month, and it's here! But at the same time--ack! It's here! I'm pretty far ahead of the curve, and that is overwhelming me for some reason. I already have my Christmas cards, and I'm wondering when I'll have time to write them (which is totally irrational because I don't have that many to mail--with my adorable Charlie Brown stamps, by the way). I've got some shopping done. Decorating is done. Plans are in the works. It's all very ho-ho-ho around here.

OK, anyway. Back in August I went out to Lancaster County on a little day trip with my parents. For those of you who don't know, Lancaster County is Amish Country. Urban-sprawl-yuppies-taking-over-Amish Country, but there are still farms, and plain folk, and buggies and so on. I didn't take my big camera because the Amish don't let you take their picture for religious reasons. Even though their farms were adorable, right down to their clotheslines (with no photo restrictions), I didn't want to exploit them for a picture (because I wouldn't be taking a picture of the clothesline of a 'normal' person, that's for sure). If I had known, however, all that the words 'Christmas museum' would come to mean, I'd have lugged that thing for sure.

My mother had said (as she'd been before with my dad) "I really want you to see the Christmas museum." OK, I'm game. I don't know if she understated it purposely or what, but this was unlike anything I've ever seen. So here's my plan. I'm usually lacking in making things in December, so I thought I'd share with you the squillions of photos I took, sprinkled with a bit of Christmas lore, and maybe a craft or two to round out the month. A nice, cozy, little seasonal round-up of lights and ornaments and whatnot, a little spot on the web where you can spend a few minutes and unwind after the hectic-ness the season brings in.

OK? You in? I'll start the tour tomorrow. And when I tell you I felt like I was going to come out of this museum in China it was that extensive, I'm not even joking a little.

See you then!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Clutch

Ahoy ahoy! I have been elfing so hard the past few days I almost can't wait to go back to work to get off of my aching feet. But now I'm drinking tea in a very Christmassy house and feel like everything is just right, so here we are.

I've mentioned before that my brother is getting married in a few short weeks. I had huge plans (well, plans) to make myself a bag, but true to form I neglected to think my idea all the way through and hit a block (one that was multi-faceted, and would have needed several creative solutions, each one possibly causing another problem--don't even ask). I probably could have made it work, but it almost certainly would not have had the look I wanted. If it's not going to look like the image in my head, I don't want to waste the time or materials. So I bought one. I know, don't yell, But I did.

Fast forward and my sister asked for a bag for the wedding. I had just finished some projects and thought "Oh, wow, I am done. It is unnecessary for me to sew another stitch this year unless I want to" when a wheedling voice came over the phone with a "Beeeeeee?? Wanna make me a bag?" I really can't say no to things within the realm of possibility, so we went fabric shopping. I thought it would take me a long time for some reason, but last Sunday afternoon it was wham-bam done.

It's difficult to catch twinkle with a camera, but this thing is almost mesmerizing. It's quite a sizable bag, too. The frame is almost nine inches wide, so I'm guessing the bottom is about eleven? with a two inch deep bottom.

I wanted to use Bosal again for the interfacing, but I only had fusible on hand. I don't particularly care for the fusible, so I used some old, thin interfacing to fuse it to each side of the double-sided Bosal, and made it a sew-in. It worked just fine. Phew. The sequin fabric has some stretch to it, so I layered it over some solid black cotton (which is also the lining). It feels very sturdy but not rigid--it has squish without being soft, and structure without being stiff.

I have had this frame in my stash for about five years. I bought it on my one and only trip to NYC's garment district, and obviously never used it, so I was happy to finally do so. I tried to wait for dark to see what the full effect might look like amongst the Christmas lights, but obviously couldn't, haha, but this gives you a good idea of the shimmery-glimmeries of the fabric.

I made this bag about an inch and a half taller than I usually do, so it's definitely a nice big bag, but not like a suitcase. I was nervous thinking it might be too large, but it's not--it'll hold a good amount of stuff without busting at the seams.

The only issue I had was with the stitching. Not thinking that it was glue holding those sequins to the fabric, things did get a little bit skippy at times, but nothing too terrible. I was able to go back over the skipped-stitch sections, and it was just fine. I gave my machine a very good clean-out, and tossed the needle, even though it was practically new. I thought this would be easier than fabric with sewn-on sequins, but I suppose you must pay in some way for all that sparkle.

So nooooooooow I don't have to sew another stitch if I don't feel like it. Although I probably will. I love sitting and crafting with the Christmas lights on, and the candles burning, and a mug of hot chocolate nearby.

Christmas Time's a Comin'

Well. How was your day yesterday? Did you put your waistband to work for you? Can you not eat until Tuesday for fear of popping? Today, we'll be hauling down the Christmas decor from the attic (my dad will say "How much *#&@ do we have? Did it grow?" and my mom will say "Careful! That's fragile!" and my sister will say "Whyyyy are we doing this today?" and I'll say "Let's get as much done as we can today!"). And then it will look like a Christmas tornado ripped through the house.

I haven't' a clue what your plans are for the day, but I wanted to remind you of a few Christmas printables I've got that might suit you. First up are these cute list-makers--

Click here for the file. Card stock works best, but regular paper is fine. You'll get three per page. I don't know about you, but fun little bits of stationery always make a list of tasks a little more fun to accomplish (and if you're thinking I'm weird, I'll have you know I've already been informed thusly).

Next up is one for the kids. We used to do these Christmas countdowns in elementary school (I'm pretty sure with four of us of school age my mother kept the cotton-ball companies in business around Christmas, because of course it was absolutely necessary for each of us to have our own).

You can click here for that file.

And now I must trot. See you soon!

Stuffing Day

Right now, get up, go find the moon, and make a wish. It's a full moon tonight, and wishes must be made upon it.

Have you seen this year's John Lewis Christmas advertisement? Though a quarter of the world away from the UK, I am always eager to see their Christmas ads--I love them! And if you look close enough....maybe....? (you have to watch the ad :)

Anyway, tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States. At some point, I made an subconscious decision to not loathe the day this year. I won't say I'm looking forward to it, but I don't feel like the mistress of doom as I usually do (I have tried to figure out why I am the only one I know who doesn't care for the day, but to no avail. It is what it is). Apparently if you put a little spirit into the thing it sits better with the soul.

So tonight was the peeling and chopping and mixing and de-gibletting. Funny thing--I don't like turkey, but I don't mind sticking my hand in there and getting rid of the gross bits. I do believe we could replace turkey with chicken, and potatoes with pasta and all would be well, as long as the stuffing was present.

The table is all set. There will be twenty-two face stuffers here tomorrow, so a wee bit of furniture rearranging was in order. But it's all just so right now. It's not in the pic, but A-train went around the table putting coasters by everyone's plates (my mother has a million coasters from here and there, that have usually been used more as toys than coasters) and saying "Now people can put their drinks on these." Oh, my heart!--I remember being little and doing a little thing like that and having it feel like just the biggest deal in the world, that all would go to h-e-double sticks if it wasn't for that little touch.

I love the mixy-matchy dishes and cups and silverware. We ain't no fancy folk 'round here. Although I did make name cards. My mother used to task me with this every year, and I always complained that "people are adults, and they'll know how to sit down." One year I refused to make them, and wouldn't you know there are people who, no matter how many times they do something, are incapable of doing it without being told, so we're back to place cards, hahaha.

My dad cut the bottom off of a wine cork so it would sit flat, and my mom and I carved a slit for the cards. My dad always saves the wine corks, so he had a little stash he donated to my spur-of-the-moment need to craft on Sunday (he's a borderline hoarder, as every little bit could serve some creative purpose to the model railroad extravaganza that he's been working on for a while).

So that's that. I hope you have a happy thanksgiving tomorrow, and if you're like "Yeah, it's just Thursday," then have a wonderful Thursday.

I FINALLY Made a New Bag

Before I say another word, take a gander at tonight's sunset--

I know, people hate the early darkness. But I maintain there is no other time of year that God opens his paintbox and has his way with the sky on an almost daily basis. I look forward to it. I love it.

In the past month I think I've spent more time at the wheel of my sewing machine than in the entire year combined. My lack of sewing motivation was starting to concern me, but I feel that getting back into it through a few project requests from others got me back into the swing of things. Inspired by a bag repair I did for someone, I rolled out the gridded paper the other night and sketched myself a pattern. And now I've got myself a new bag!

That fabric is home dec weight and was a bit of a beast to work with. I was originally excited because I wouldn't need interfacing, but I think I'd rather have used that and had an easier time of it. Especially when it came to the straps. I've never had an issue with my sewing machine sewing through some mighty layers, but this time it balked and said "Come on, lady! Get your head checked!" I wanted a fabric similar in color to the bag I have now, and this is kind of right on.

Instead of boxing the corners, I cut some slight curves and made darts instead--I love the soft shaping that it gives and the little bit of depth.

Last week I was shopping with my mother and she asked if I was going to lug my handbag with me. I thought she was silly and told her of course I was. And dang do I have a heavy handbag! No way I can make it through Christmas shopping and outings and such in an uncomfortable manner (which I had never noticed before). I wanted something for my phone, a little zip purse for cards and cash, keys, and a few essentials like eye drops and lipstick, etc. This is just exactly what I wanted.

I was going to put such a zipper in the lining but I'm glad I didn't--the inside is a little small and might be tough to get to if the bag is full.

I have never used a twist lock in a bag before, and I think they might be my new favorite thing. Overall, it was very simple to insert. The only trouble I had was cutting the hole in the fabric just the right size--I started small and kept snipping until it was just right as I didn't want to hack away and have a hole the size of my fist.

I had two of these in my stash. One I received as part of a little extra goody bag from an online shop, and the other was this one that came from...somewhere. I went with this one as the other one is nicer and I didn't want to ruin the nicer one if I was all bear paws about inserting it. So of course now I wish I could change it but I'll survive.

I darted the pocket but did struggle a bit with placement. It's not perfect but it's just fine for a first crack--it's not easy to keep the bottom straight, the pocket puffy, and the sides the right width for the flap when the pins want to have their say and my preferred clips are benched for the task at hand. See that bit of white from the lining pocket peeking out? Would that drive you nuts? I can't decide if it should. Part of me wants to find a marker and color it in. Another part wants to grab my rust-colored thread and hand-stitch in such a way that it covers it. Another part says leave it alone; it's still better than store-bought.

I made some adjustable straps and by jingo were they a chore! I actually made them three times before I not only got the size right, but also the overall thickness right for sewing them to the rings to be feasible. I could have just left a plain long strap, but I really like some twinkly hardware, so I had to add some. Little pleasures...

I used a bit of an old text print I had for the lining. It was just the right amount with some careful cutting (and crossed fingers for no mistakes). There are no zippers or pockets or anything, just a plain lining. I did take some time pondering the zipper. I normally make a casing and would have done so if I'd had enough of the lining (as I tried with the home dec stuff and it just wasn't happening). Since I didn't want a huge amount of depth at the top anyway, I simply stitched the zipper tape to the lining (you can just see it in the pic above). I wouldn't do it again this way (I'd make a casing), but this was a make-do moment.

So that's that. Finished just in time for Christmas shopping. It's hanging off of a knob on the china cabinet right now, and it really is adorbs. So glad I didn't muck it up as I needed a successful sewing project that wasn't something I've made a gazillion of before.

Oh, and if some of you live in a place that is getting snow, give that old storm cloud my address, will ya?

Not-Santa-Claus Clutches

My brother is getting married in December, and my almost-sister-in-law, Ashley, asked if I would make purses for her bridesmaids. I told her what I thought would be good options, and she immediately chose frame purses with chains. Then I asked her what she envisioned as far as fabric goes (thinking it would be satin or something). When she said "kind of like a vintagey Christmas" I immediately thought of old-fashioned Santa Claus prints and things like that, and thought "Oh, wow," because even I wouldn't go for that (and that's as someone who sometimes plays Christmas music in the summer (shhhhh----that's a secret) and who often makes questionable fabric decisions that seem cute in my head. But she showed me a photo to give me an idea, and I thought "OH, yes, that's what normal people would think of...."

I used the same pattern I had sketched up for these bags, without bothering to check that the frames were the same size. I only made one, as I also had a new interfacing I wanted to test (am I gutsy or what? Playing fast and loose with the pattern and just throwing in random, untested interfacing on a custom order?). And of course, it didn't fit (no matter how persuasive I tried to be). So a quick trip to the drawing board and I was back in action, again making just one. A smarter person would have made a sample, but I am not always that person. Once I knew that the pattern was right, I went ahead and assembly-lined the rest of them. I had eight to make--three in one fabric, two each in two other fabrics, and then the bride's bag in another (hers is my favorite).

The bride's bag is the front one. I didn't know if I'd love that one, but it's so pretty and elegant looking!

The bags are actually quite simple to make, and I've glued frames eleventy-million times, so these went together relatively quick, considering that I really took my time with these.

Side note: my grandma made that doily. She went on a doily-making kick and made a bunch of them for herself and her kids. I don't know how she didn't go insane, but she hand-pieces and hand-quilts gigantic quilts, too, so she must be used to such involved projects.

These purses are convertible. They can be used as a clutch, or a chain can be attached to the little floppy loops inside to make them more hands-free.

I wrapped each chain in a little organza bag and tucked it inside the bag.

The chains were actually really sturdy. I thought they might be too thick, but they're just right for this size purse (the frame is 8 by 3 inches).

I like meant-to-be moments, and this was one--I had the perfect amount of glue for eight frames. I ordered more, but the stuff I use comes from Europe so it's a long wait to get it. I coaxed every last drop out of the tubes that I had on hand, and I juuuuuuuust made it. My replacement glue finally arrived today, so I'm glad I wasn't counting on it getting here sooner (I finished the bags a few weeks ago).

Anyway...normally for these kinds of purses I will use a fusible woven interfacing, some fleece (sew-in or fusible), and some medium-weight sew-in interfacing to get them to stand tall and be proud of themselves. This time I invested in some stuff I've heard mentioned repeatedly called Bosal. It reminds of headliner fabric (the stuff that lines the ceiling of your car) but is a bit nicer. I tried fusible, but I didn't like the result. So I tried sew-in and that really worked a treat. I used a few more pins than normal, and did some extra trimming, but the stuff is a delight. I used a layer of woven, and the Bosal, and that's it. There's not a bit of flop to these bags, and they feel lovely and structured, but are still soft and moldable. I coaxed them into shape with my iron, and they stayed perfectly put. Definitely adding this to my list of excellent products to use.

Well, I must trot to the land of nod. I have the afternoon off tomorrow, and I can't wait to finish sewing my new bag. I sketched the pattern last night, and cut and started sewing tonight. It's got such an adorable front pocket! Even my sister loves it, and she and I are generally at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to our tastes (some would say she has some, and I have none, hahahahaha). Happy Friday!!!