Happy Holiday's to YOU!
If you have not heard - Nancy at
Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Blog HERE is having many giveaways. If you visit her blog there is plenty of time to go and leave a comment on each giveaway post. If you are not familiar with her hand overdyed flosses, trims, laces, buttons and charts - All her haberdashery items are wonderful, very pretty and a pleasure to stitch with . To see Nancy's store with all the items for sale you can click
HERE.
The last 5 days we've been rearranging furniture, cleaning and decorating. Now we have a decorated Christmas tree. Since then I've only managed about 15 stitches during the whole time and I miss stitching like crazy. Thought I would share with you some photos of our decor.
I moved my Gingerbread Village Street piece and set out the baking Elf's set from Hallmark underneath it.
My gingerbread cupcake is on the last tier. Hard to see in this photo but in person looks darling and not as dark at all.
We call this tree "The Fairy Tree". All things that fly and are pretty. Okay now I can share a bit of history as to the decorating the tree. My mom LOVED fell in love with Macy's decorated trees here in the bay area. And thru the years, every year she would go and study how they were decorated. One year she spoke to the manager and learned that Macy's hired a mother and daughter team from the neatherlands to come and decorate. My mom was told that they were paid $40,000 per year and not only did they decorate Macy's department store in Pleasant Hill but all the bay area stores including San Francisco. One year my mom learned when the ladies were coming to decorate at Macy's and she took her camera & video camera and recorded them. No I cannot find the tape (8mm) but I am not giving up. From watching and speaking to the ladies as they decorated my mom learned to: Place LARGE items first in the tree, then place ribbons and then finish adding ornaments. The Macy's trees used to be decorated extremely elaborately. I recall one tree that had HUGE gold
Because our tree looks like a Charlie brown tree before everything goes on. I didn't add too many ribbons this time. Really it takes about 1 month to decorate the tree as my mother had but I didn't start early. But the tree is up:)
Hopefully all these fairy's will make up for me not showing Tinkerbell's with my Fairy Hill Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL progress. Lots and lots of ornaments. This is a tree where no matter where you sit looking at it - there is always something to see. And even when you think you've seen it all you still are able to find something new that you hadn't seen before. Lots of work but very lovely to enjoy.
Can you see a nest under the fairy?
When going thru the bins of ornaments I found this RaggyAnn that my mom had made years ago. It was a very nice surprise and treasure to find. Like a gift from my mom:)
more fairy's...
See the 2 sets of large fairy wings? I had bought them at a Renaissance faire.
Thought I would end with these stockings I had made loooong ago. The designer is Mary Englebright.
I am still waiting for my Christmas Eve by Prairie Schooler to came back from the framers.
Wishing you peace, laughter and lots of fun preparing for Christmas and great stitching too!
With my Love and Appreciation - Annette
17 comments:
OH! What a fabulous tree! It does look like a department store one. I can well imagine how it could take a month to decorate it.
Vicki is right ... your tree looks just like one in a department store! How exciting that your mother got to spend time with that woman & her daughter & film them : )
Wow, the tree is a work of art! Amazing! I love the theme too.
Your decorating is great. The fairy tree is beautiful!!
Just loved seeing all the photos of your fairy tree and finding all the flower fairies there. I did not know there were flower fairy decorations they are beautiful and so is your tree.
Your tree is beautiful!! So fun reading about the Macy's trees and how your mom recorded them ~ I hope you discover that film ~ I can imagine how fun that would be to see!
Oh how I remember the Macy Trees of long ago. Maybe it is just here in Arizona, or just the times, but this year I don't see the trees of the past. You have a delightful tree.
The tree is amazing Annette! What a great story about your Mom and her love of the holiday. I love the sweet ornament that she made.
I am enjoying your decorating and your holiday traditions. So do you have another tree for your stitched ornaments?
Happy Tuesday!
What a special post Annette! Gorgeous.
It's so fun to see your trees! I love the idea of stitching the cuffs on the stockings too. I've got a couple that need some reworking this could be a good solution.
Those stockings are just lovely.
I love your fairy tree! I especially love the story behind it. Thank you for sharing the memory with us. I'm also quite sure that one day that 8mm movie will show up!
A fabulous tree. Great stockings too.
What a delightful tree Annette! Very magical and perfect for Christmas. That's so cool about the Macy's team from netherlands. I'll have to try out that way of decorating one year. The Raggedy Ann doll is adorable!!Hugs!
Oh, a fairy tree--how darling!! That is interesting about the Macy's decorating team--who knew!!
I have not seen a fairy tree before-very lovely! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
What a great story about your mom learning to decorate just like the pros! Your Gingerbread Houses look so nice in the frame!
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