advent calendar, 2008

Kate and I made an advent calendar today for her family. You'll notice that it's December 6, and we only just made one. My excuse here is that I made a perfectly serviceable one last year, but it has since gone MIA. It was actually missing last weekend, but I didn't get a chance to make a new one- thinking that I should make it in secret from Kate. Well, I gave up on that idea, and she helped me out today. She actually didn't seem to mind getting a sneak peak at her presents in there, and she got a huge kick out of Anas. Most of the presents are small ornaments for the tree, but there are also holiday socks, some mittens, and little hair things. She helped me paint most of the ornaments to go in, and pick out fabrics from the scrap pile for the stockings- it's incredible how useful a 5 year old can be! She's almost to the point where she can sew on a button, at which point she'll be indispensible.

I did a lot of looking around the flickr creative advent calendars pool. Sooo many gorgeous creations there! I was thinking of making mine all nature inspired or Victorian style or somethig fancy, but it ended being in the school of "OMG, it's December 6, I need to make something NOW."


A jingle bell stocking with a fleece mittens ornament:


A few stockings on the hanging ribbon:




Some more stockings:


A few stockings waiting to be stitched onto the ribbon:


Some more stockings, with a reindeer ornament that Kate decorated:


Stocking with buttons:



All the stockings on 2 ribbons, then hung from picture hooks: