Welcome to the last give-away in A Stitcher’s Christmas 2016 – this year’s series of embroidery-related give-aways for Christmas here on Needle ‘n Thread.
It’s been a super-fun series this year, and I hope that you all have enjoyed it as much as I have! Thanks so much for participating in the series – and a Huge thank you to the small businesses who have joined in and made such nice gifts available for the give aways!
The final gift in the series is another collection of needlework books, compliments of Search Press. Towards the beginning of the series, we had three A-Z books, perfectly suited for beginners. Today’s collection is for embroiderers who want to go a little further with their stitching pursuits and tackle some more advanced embroidery techniques.
I’ll also announce the winner of A Stitcher’s Christmas #8, this gorgeous needlepainting kit from Trish Burr.
The winner of today’s give-away will receive three embroidery instructional and reference books: A-Z of Goldwork, A-Z of Stumpwork, and A-Z of Thread Painting.
These neat thing about these three embroidery techniques – goldwork, stumpwork, and thread painting (also known as needle painting and silk shading) – is that they all three look great together. It’s not unusual to see thread painting and goldwork combined (like in this Tudor Rose project from a few years ago), or stumpwork and goldwork combined, or stumpwork, goldwork, and thread painting all combined.
These three books are excellent reference for all three techniques. They’ll give you a good springboard for ideas. And they’ll help you learn the basics, if you don’t know them yet!
The A-Z series of needlework books published by Search Press is one of my absolute favorite reference series. I’ve written about the whole series recently, here. The books occupy prime real estate on my bookshelf, and I use them often. I’m sure you will love having these in your collection, too!
If you want to know more about the A-Z series and see how the individual books are formatted, you’re most welcome to read my review of A-Z of Goldwork here, and my review of A-Z of Stumpwork here.
If you’d like to join in the give-away so you can add the books to your library, just follow the guidelines below!
But first…the winner of Trish Burr’s cardinal kit!
Cardinal Needle Painting Kit Winner!
The winner of A Stitcher’s Christmas #8 is Nancy Show! Congratulations, Nancy – I will drop you an email today, so that we can get the shipping process started!
Give-Away Guidelines
This give-away is now ended. Thanks for participating!
1. Leave a comment below. You can follow this link to get to the comment box. Comments left on other articles on Needle ‘n Thread or sent in via email are not eligible.
2. Please leave a recognizable name either in the name line or in the comment box, so that there’s no confusion when the winner is announced.
3. Please do not fill in the “Website” line on the form if you don’t own your own website or blog. This is for folks who have their own website or blog. Just leave it blank if you don’t have one.
3. In your comment, please answer the following question:
Any big plans for the upcoming holiday weekend? Are you hanging out at home? Traveling to see family? Cooking all weekend? Slipping in plenty of stitching time? Resting quietly, or partying heartily? Playing outdoors? Staying indoors? Playing it by ear, or sticking to a schedule? If you don’t have any definite plans, that’s fine, too!
4. Submit your comment by Wednesday, December 28, 5:00 am central standard time (that’s in Kansas, USA). The winner will be randomly drawn that morning and announced that day, along with the winners of A Stitcher’s Christmas #9 – the two miniature tapestry kits. I’ll also notify the winners by email.
5. The winner will need to respond with mailing information within 48 hours, or another winner will be randomly drawn.
The give-away is open to everyone. You can enter each give-away in A Stitcher’s Christmas when they are published here on Needle ‘n Thread, but you can only enter each give-away once. Please don’t leave multiple comments on any one give-away.
Here’s to the last give-away of 2016 – cheers! I hope you win!
Don’t fret if your comment does not appear on the site immediately. Comments are queued for moderation, to avoid spammers. Sometimes, it takes a while for me to work through the list, but eventually, it will show up!
Our holiday plans changed drasticly when my four year old granddaughter passed away unexpectedly earlier this week. Her memorial is Christmas Eve morning. I am no longer dure what my plans are. Normally my mother, children and grandchildren would be in and out.
So sorry to hear that, Carol! 🙁
My heart goes out to you Carol. Please take care of your selves as well as you can.
Thinking of you during this sad time.
Carol Fullman, my heart is aching for you and your family! I have a four year old granddaughter and I would be so devastated too!
Please know my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. ::::hugs::::
Catrina Byrge
Carol, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your granddaughter. I pray for comfort for all of you. May your little angel spread Christmas cheer from above.
Carol, words can’t express how sorry I am for your loss.
Prayers for your family.
Sending you much love and lots of hugs.
So sorry to hear of your loss. You have the warm thoughts, and hugs from all of us, I’m sure.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I don’t have the words to express the sorrow I feel for your family. May you have the support of good friends.
So sorry to hear your sad news.
I am so sorry for your loss
Your loss must be inconceivable. Blessings and sympathy to you and yours.
Oh, I am so very, very sorry for you and your family. My heart just sobs for you. May the spirit of Christmas bring you the comfort that she is with Jesus for His birthday and you will see her again someday. God bless and keep you in this difficult time and I hope He brings you healing and comfort.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you love and hugs. ❤❤❤❤❤
Carol, I am so sorry. My heart aches for you. Prayers for you and for the rest of her family.
A big hug for you and all your family. Such a terrible loss for you all.
I’m so sorry, Carol. I can’t imagine how devastating this must be to you and your family. May God wrap you all in his loving arms. Blessings.
Just read the other comments after posting my own. To Carol Fullman I have no words to put my feelings here. Just know that my thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.
So sad to hear about your loss. I really can feel your pain as I have lost my 4 yr old son. My prayers are with you and your family.
Prayers for you and your family during this very challenging time, Carol.
Laura in SP
I’m taking my boyfriend home to meet my extended family!
Church on Christmas Eve. Then packing for a trip to Quebec City to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Of course, taking some hand stitching for the road. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Mary! Hope all is well and wonderful with you.
My plans this year are to relax and enjoy the time with my dear husband who has both Christmas and New Year’s off for the first time in 15 years. He is a police officer , and just happened to be working the night shift this quarter whose days off worked out that way! I am so happy to have him here with me! That is the greatest gift I could receive this year, although I don’t mind admitting my heart skipped a beat when I saw your giveaway. I have always wanted the A-Z books, and have recently started stumpwork with a little dragonfly and flower image that didn’t turn out too badly.
Much love to you, sweet Mary. Thank you for everything you have taught us over the years.
Lisa
Planning on snuggling in with hubby and knitting a Christmas stocking for a baby born on Wednesday!
We will go to a couple of church services and cook a goose for Christmas dinner. Not sure about any stitching…we may have to cut the grass on Saturday since we just had a warm spell in Virginia. Husband noted that the yard needs a haircut for the holidays.
I love the A-Z series and would like to add these to my library. This weekend will be spent watching English Premier League soccer, stitching by the fire and cooking. No relatives near enough to visit unfortunately.
We’re getting together with extended family on Christmas Day but otherwise it’ll be a pretty quiet weekend, which I like! Time with my husband and adult kids (and dogs), reading, embroidering, and catching up on some household tasks (but not too much of that!). Thanks for the giveaway–these look like great books!
We’re having a quiet Christmas this year since the kids won’t be home but we’ll have fun delivering homemade dog treats to our canine friends on Christmas.
My husband, myself and our 2 grown children will open our gifts Christmas morning; when our grandson joins us at lunchtime, we’ll do round 2 of gifts with him. Then we hop in our cars and head down to my husband’s brother’s home, where we’ll join the rest of his family for dinner, singing, game playing and lots of laughter. Merry Christmas, Mary!!
We plan to travel to Sacramento to be with family on Christmas Day. To make the trip more enjoyable, I plan to sneak a little stitching with me in the car to keep me occupied 🙂
My husband and I will do our best to see our children and grandchildren “sometime” this weekend but we have a bit of snow and it’s still falling so much of the time will be spent indoors by the fire. With no huge commitments a bit of stitching would be wonderful!
Plans to relax and reconnect with friends..and stitch alot!
We just moved to Ohio and have no family, so we’re staying home and working on cleaning and organizing the house…as well as watching tv and embroidery.
Merry Christmas, Mary!
Welcome to Ohio! I live near Akron. Merry Christmas Johanna.
I didn’t want to enter the give aways, but I have to say they were wonderful to read about!
I’ll be home alone for the holidays. Plan to get some stitching done.
Happy holidays everyone!
I am going to my Mom’s house to enjoy time with my Sibs and all the family. Then to a Friend’s to have dinner with them.
No big plans for us — just a little family and food! But first, I need to get over this cold — an early Xmas ‘gift’ from the grandsons! Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all!
After a very busy November and December, we always look forward to Christmas week to catch our breath: enjoy the silence of nature, special meals, and give time for thought and reflection. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!
Blessed to get to gather at my mom’s house for food and festivities with the family. One thing we have started is the adults in the family draw names. So you have one adult to buy for. It is loads of fun searching out just the perfect gift for that person. We fill out a little questionnaire with likes, dislikes, and special wishes!!!! It’s lots of fun.
This year my hubby and I will be having some co-workers who don’t have any family near, over for Christmas Eve dinner.Then Christmas Day our children and grandchildren will be here for Christmas dinner. Good thing I like to cook!
My holiday will be spent with my 99 year old father and my brother. The 26th will be with my son and my 6 grandchildren
Taking my Swedish boyfriend home to Holland for the first time. He wants to learn cross stitch! (:
Plans for holiday weekend – husband is off, so movies and dinners both Saturday and Sunday. Of course the stitching never goes away nor the helpful cats.
i’ll be spending christmas with my parents as it’s my first one alone. i hope to find plenty of stitching time
The plan is to have a quiet time at home with family. Maybe stitch some on a few remaining projects so new ones can be started in the New Year. I like to start a new project on New Year’s Day. Thanks for this. Happy Holidays and all the best in 2017.
Can’t wait to spend Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve. Also looking forward to going to church with my family on Christmas Day!!
I will be spending this weekend enjoying my family and being grateful
Thanks for the chance!! I’d love to get my hands on these!
Our plans are to visit my family four hours south of here. But my husband has decided to catch a nasty cold so now we aren’t sure when/if we will join half the nation on the highways this weekend. Hopefully he feels better soon and none of ya’ll are in the same boat!!
I think I will celebrate with family and then relax. I hope I can have some stitching time as well.
Christmas Eve is when all my family gets together. This year it will be at my house. Baked ham and all the fixings on the back deck, weather permitting. Merry Christmas! Brenda in Florida
My family has gone to Florida this year and I’m staying home alone in Ohio by choice. I was my mother’s caregiver for 3 years until she passed in 2015. The caregiving website Caregiving.com has a 36-hour chat room for folks who are also caregivers and cannot get out, and may feel lonely. I will be hosting the website on Christmas Day if anyone needs cheering up. Serendipity!
No big plans for the weekend… I will get some much needed alone time before I drive 14 hours on Monday.
Spending time with my adult children and having dinner with extended family on Christmas.
No big plans this year. Christmas morning with my daughter and her family, including a 2 1/2 granddauhter. Should be fun!
Caroline jackson…..this year will be enjoying the yule by luxuriating in putting my feet up and sewing x
The holiday weekend is spent with family which means 7 of us for Christmas dinner – quite quiet really, but good fun. We supply all the vegetable dishes and another part of the family does the turkey. I just enjoy watching the grandchildren have fun and fit in some visiting with friends as well.
I’m spending Christmas eve at my daughters house and waking up to 7 kids opening gifts. Then it’s back to my house to prepare for all the family to come and eat and be Merry!
Love you ideas. Motivates me to try new ideas. Thanks for inspiring me!
I plan to start a goldwork kit, as I am by the sea at the moment it will be a lovely seahorse. Merry Christmas
I have just (today) finished restoring the goldwork on an altar frontal for an ancient chapel ‘peculiar’ and realise how much I want to learn more about the techniques. These books would be treasures to me.
The weekend will be spent with my husband children and grandhildren – Christmas together before my son-in-law goes back to his military Middle East posting with my eldest daughter accompanying him. They will be greatly missed but in the meantime, we will enjoy the festivities. Happy Christmas!
It’s been a tumultuous year, so it will be a very quiet holiday. We will watch our favorite Christmas movies and indulge in recreational eating.
I would absolutely love this giveaway! I am going to be staying home this year and very happy about it. We will definitely be indoors since we are supposed to be in a blizzard. LOL I plan to do a lot of stitching and starting to learn about ribbon embroidery and stumpwork. I have some books and a couple classes to watch and practice with. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win and have a wonderful Christmas!
We have a family lunch on Christmas, everyone loves it, very informal so we all get to enjoy each others company without trying to keep food warm for someone who is running late. Merry Christmas to everyone.
In reading the comments, prayers to Carol Fullman’s family.
Wow Mary! These would be a gorgeous addition to the bookshelf. Merry Christmas to you and all your blog readers. My plans are to be at home with my husband’s family, eating traditional turkey and watching Elf.
Alison
Godalming UK
We have a part tonight and another on Sunday. Christmas Eve will be quiet.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are quiet days for my husband and me. Attending Mass, eating yummy meals, opening prezzies, and just hanging out together is pure bliss. On Christmas Monday, our family arrives for a riot of fun, noise, food, and gifts for everyone! Also blissful!
Merry Christmas, Mary!
I am planning on a very quiet weekend….dinner with family and lots of stitching time to complete some UFOs before year end. I love these reference books – and would love to have them for my own vs. checking out from the local library whenever I need to look something up. Happy holidays.
I’ll spend Christmas Eve at my grandparents and on the 25th, they are the one coming home for the traditional, seven-courses French Christmas lunch! I negociated with my mom this year and she agreed to delegate me… the appetizers. Which is progress! It’s a bit hard to participate in a well established, routine yearly show, even now that I’m an adult and a good cook myself, but I’m hoping the verrines, feuilletés and madeleines I have planned allow me to do even more next year.
Whatever happens to the food though, we’ll enjoy some nice moments together. I haven’t crafted handmade gifts this year, so I’ll do some last minute fun sewing today (I have some doll clothes to finish), because tomorrow will be busy!
Baking done, shopping done, decorating done, ready to celebrate Christmas! Looking forward to sharing this special time with family and friends. Wishing you a happy holiday and all the best for 2017. Thank you for all your hard work and organizing …… love your site!
This morning I completed the final stitching on a Christmas present. Now I can just enjoy the weekend visiting with family.
What lovely books.
I’m looking forward to a quiet Christmas at our home in the snowy woods. A few days later the big celebration will happen with our four grandchildren and the rest of the family.
I plan to stay home and help with the cooking. No big celebration plans and that is fine by me. Last year I was fizzled out before Christmas day got here. I have put all crafting aside until after the New Year when I should be well rested.
i plan to go to my dad’s place to meet rest of family for dinner on xmas day. This may be our last turkey dinner there as he is planning to sell the house come spring, mom passed years ago and he is finally ready to downsize. I have knit and crocheted my neice some great items for her dolls and a few hats for her. Can’t wait to see her face when she opens it all. Love your blog and your work…such gorgeous work…so intricate and learning so much with every blog. Merry Christmas to you and all your readers.
No “big” plans, not even sure when Christmas dinner will be as it depends on the big plans our daughter makes. Mostly just resting at home, healing my hand, sneaking in a little knitting, and enjoying the occasional sunshine and moderated temperatures out there – merely around freezing as opposed to 20 degrees colder 🙂
Holly
i plan to go to my dad’s place to meet rest of family for dinner on xmas day. This may be our last turkey dinner there as he is planning to sell the house come spring, mom passed years ago and he is finally ready to downsize. I have knit and crocheted my niece some great items for her dolls and a few hats for her. Can’t wait to see her face when she opens it all. ..such gorgeous work…so intricate and learning so much with every blog. kep@nbnet.nb.ca Merry Christmas to you and all your readers.
My family lives far away and my in laws had an early Christmas celebration last week (the joys of sharing holidays with multiple siblings with our own significant others and in law celebrations) so my Christmas will be quiet, with me and my husband at home with our pets and probably some holiday movies.
Would love these books! I’ll be having the family in this Christmas! Saturday baking and getting ready. Sunday we will have four generations under one roof! I’m so bless.
Our holiday plans are Saturday Mom and I are going to prepare the feast, go see a production at church then on Christmas we will take the food to my Daughters house and cook it then enjoy opening gifts with them and the three grand babies.
This holiday I have decided to keep things simple and trying to get some necessary rest..As well as visiting friends and family.
Oooh, books! Want!
We’ll do Christmas Eve dinner for friends and family and then on Christmas morning I’ll drive my brother and his wife to the airport. (Nothing like family leaving town to say “festive!”) The weather should be nice, so we’ll probably take a little hike as well.
We’ll do our family Christmas on New Year’s Day because it is my son-in-law’s parents’ turn to have them visit for Christmas Day.
Side note: We need a term for “in-laws” parents. I’ve heard “machatunim” suggested by a Hebrew-speaking friend, but I don’t think enough people would know what it meant.
We are going to get together both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my mother’s house. There will be church services, opening gifts, eating, and best of all just visiting with family.
Thank you for another wonderful year of your website. I surely treasure it. I’m trying to finish a little project from the lavender and honey book so I can clear off the dining room table for Christmas! Oh, that bouillion knot seems to only knot up my fingers when I try to make a bee.
Thank you also for the most recent give away of the marvelous books from Search Press.
I wish you continue improving health for the New Year.
I will be heading out to the Great White North to visit my family. Can’t take my fancy project so will be subjecting them to ‘subversive’ blackwork instead. 🙂
It’s totally low key for us; tomorrow after work the husband will be glued to the TV watching the Seahawks game. Then on Christmas day we are going to a friend’s house for a simple lunch (cold cuts on fresh bread he makes). The friend is under a lot of stress this year, so it’s keep it simple time.
Spending Christmas at home with my daughter. Eating good food, watching Christmas movies and I’ll be happily working on my embroidery❣
Merry Christmas to you Mary
I’m staying at home having a quiet weekend stitching, reading, crocheting, doing whatever I want.
We will celebrate with family, including an almost three year old grandson sho is just figuring out this Christmas thing. Of course there will be stitching, too!
This weekend… I do as told. My daughters generally look for something they decide I can’t ruin in the kitchen. (It is amazing to me that lived to be adults as much as they think of my culinary skills). I can fill the dishwasher! That leaves some time for me to stay calm and peaceful with my stitching.
I’m hoping to sew a pair of pyjamas this weekend!
It’s a cozy at home Christmas for us! The weather is forcast as snow and ice, so we are staying off the roads. No particular plans, beyond Christmas morning presents and a Turkey dinner. I will be stitching away through midday, and thinking of lovely embroidery books. So much fun!
My family is gathering in Atlanta this year, like every year. We like the relatively mild weather here, and so much better than coming here in the summer 🙂
Hubbie and I are spending a nice quiet time at home just the 2 of us this year.
The A-Z series are fantastic; I have a few but not these ones. Thank you for the chance to win.
I had hoped to be resting quietly this weekend but my Dad is sick in Florida and although I was there last weekend I may be going back. He is much better than last weekend but is still very fragile. We are hoping for a better New Year. Love to you and all your readers.
Merry Christmas Mary! I have two weeks off work and I plan to stitch and relax at home as much as possible. Big Christmas dinner, which hubby cooks, and short family visits will make it at lovely holiday.
S.
I LOVE good books, so I’d love to win this giveaway!!
For the holidays, I have some guests coming, so we’ll probably be hanging out at home and playing it by ear. However, these guests sleep late, so I’ll be squeezing in some time for stitching and beadwork while they snooze.
Since I work, I always have to squeeze in my me time, so I get creative with that.
Im cooking for Christmas. But I’m sewing too it keeps me calm. I would love too win. Since my stroke a few years back and I have arthritis and fibromyalgia it helps me feel better to sew it makes me feel relaxed.
Spending Christmas Eve with extended family then off to midnight mass. Christmas Day is usually a low key day spend hanging out at home enjoying quality time with immediate family.
Wishing everyone happy holidays and a good new year
I’ll be making lots of short trips back and forth to my sister’s home (35 minutes). This evening, it’s Christmas with a dear niece, her husband, and toddlers (children add so much fun to Christmas!). Her sister from LA will be in, so we can celebrate before they head it Christmas at his folks – their turn this year. Tomorrow we head back again for the traditional Christmas Eve meal of chili (venison this year) and tamales (smoked brisket). Then we start the traditional Christmas Eve jigsaw puzzle (always a Christmas theme). My niece from LA is a competitive whiz at these. We always miss her when puzzle-ing without her. Normally, I would stay the night, but my brother needs his hospital bed, so it’s back home again. Tomorrow morning, we head down for family Christmas and more puzzle-ing, hopefully to finish it that day, take pictures, and break it down.
Not to mention sports on the TV all day long. I’ll be beading, while not puzzle-ing. Lots of back and forth and lots of family!
We’ll do shopping, eating with friends. Then I’ll be stitching by the fire, listening to Christmas music, and chatting with my best friend, my husband.
Mary, thank you for all the give-aways this month! It’s been fun thinking about stitching and commenting. For the Christmas weekend… I think I’ll work on some felt needlebooks while we have a fun day watching old movies. The needlebooks will be easy to do sitting in my chair and can be free-style, so I don’t have to keep referring to a pattern. It’s snowing here, so that means cozy stitching in front of the fireplace…
Merry Christmas, everybody!
Arrived yesterday at our son’s house, will be spending the holidays with our children and grandchildren in NC.
My plans mostly center around my church and family. On Christmas Eve I will be singing with my church choir at the early service and singing a duet with my daughter at the late service. My husband and I open our gifts after this service and celebrate with some bubbly! Christmas Day I will attend church in the morning, and then spend the rest of the day with my children and their spouses, opening gifts and sharing a meal. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is “me” time – nothing but stitching, reading, etc. all week long!!
Judy in SC
For this Christmas, I am staying home. My daughter and her family joined me yesterday. I will also get some stitching done over the week end but not until then.
My newly married daughter and her husband will stopover on their way to visit his family-I’ll probably spend the entire day catching up with her!
My family will arrive Christmas night after Santa has left his present that morning. We will open presents here the following morning and enjoy yet another Christmas feast!
We are cooking California eggs benedict for friends for breakfast, then going to friends for Dinner. Sounds like a feeding frenzy, does it not?!
D.H From Sk.
We stay in for Christmas. I love the time after all the gifts are given but before the big dinner is served. This year all the grown children will be here for dinner. Enough people to fill the house but not a “party”. I want to get started on something new for 2016, just haven’t decided what yet.
Christmas will be a quiet and peaceful one this year; enjoyed with elderly parents who have seen many Christmases! A nice meal, a few gifts, some reminiscing.
Christmas day, I plan on having brunch with my Mom and maybe seeing a movie later with my sister’s family. Christmas Eve, I look forward to attending church with friends. Merry Christmas to you Mary!
My plans for Christmas are to sneeze and cough a lot, and trying to suck enough air into my lungs so I don’t keel over. Is there a Christmas song about that? Because it’s happened to me more than once. (At my age, everything has happened to me more than once, even though I’m not really all that old.) Merry Christmas, Mary!
Merry Christmas to everyone. Our holiday weekend will be quiet. Every Christmas we go out to the barn and clean the stalls for the people who take care of our horse expertly and compassionately year round. It is a shared venture by all who board their animals there. Then a quiet afternoon to reflect on the year and look forward to the next year (and all those wonderful embroidery projects to finish and start). There is something special in sharing Christmas with animals for our family.
We are traveling to spend Christmas with our first grandbaby!
We will have a very quiet Christmas Day, taking my 88 year old mother in law out to lunch. I’m hoping to get some practice stitching time in today and tomorrow. Boxing Day we have set a little tradition of a party for our nieghbours.
Merry Christmas to everyone x
We are hanging out at home in Woodland, going to a Christmas Eve service in Woodland, Christmas Day service in Davis, and celebrating Christmas on Monday with family in Napa.
My holiday is going to be stitch , stitch, stitch, as much as i can
i have a lot of un-finished items and i plan to finish them over the
holidays , hopefully
thats my plan anyway
Annette Duggan
Well hasn’t this been a lot of fun! Last chance! So good luck to all! Thank you Mary and to all the merchants for your generosity and support! I will be spending the holidays at home with my wonderful hubby! And visiting our near by son and family….lots of action there! Hope to work in some stitching time of course,projects prepped ahead . Live and learn situation from years past! Happy and Safe Holidays to All!
Unfortunately, I will be working all weekend – like many other nurses around the world. Since I don’t have any children, I trade shifts with co-workers so they can open gifts and celebrate with their children. My husband and I then have our Christmas on one of the traditional 12 days of Christmas following December 25th.
Diane Schultheiss – getting on a plan today to visit grandkids and family for long weekend. Will be bring embroidery to work at airport and on plane!! Have a very Merry Christmas God Bless
Christmas time can be bitter sweet – full of new and exciting times but full of memories of times past. This Christmas will be more subdued and I will have plenty of time to stitch and think of my grandmother who taught me to free hand stitch adorning collars and cuffs; and think of my mother who taught me smocking and cross stitch. I have gone on to teach myself crewel and I am now ready to learn gold work, stump work and painting all of which I hope to teach my granddaughter as she grows up.
Thank you for all you do Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Kate Miller
Going next door to my daughters. I am happy to say I’ve reached the point where my daughter’s can do the holidays. I supervise (as little as possible) and enjoy a job (raising daughters) well done.
We will be going to Christmas Eve service, and sharing an evening meal with my daughter and her family. Christmas Day it’s off to church again, then home for the afternoon to enjoy some crafting projects.
I’m driving about an hour to my daughter’s family’s house on Christmas Day. I’ll be delivering some handmade goodies for them this year – in big part thanks to YOU!
I’m dying for those books!
Have yourself a Merry little Christmas Mary!
Warmest regards,
Catrina Byrge
I am leaving for Buenos Aires on christmas day. I can’t wait!
This weekend’s plans include baking family favorites and packing a selection for my aunt in OC.
At the last minute my oldest daughter decided not to have our family Christmas at her house…so…I get to have it, n I’m pleased. I would rather my kids, grandest kids n son n laws come to me. Last year I had Christmas n it was my Mom’s last Christmas with us. So I am so looking forward to Christmas at my house. Ur welcomed to come, also.
My son and his family are here from Malaysia for my birthday today and Christmas so a very lovely busy couple of weeks.
My husband and I done traveling for this year, and are happy to celebrate Christmas in town with family members living nearby. Others we wish could be here, but this is one big country and we are all spread out. Our Christmas is very simple and surprising serene. The A-Z books are wonderful, and it just happens that I don’t have the three you are offering. Thank you for this opportunity, and for providing a valuable stitching resource with your website. Merry Christmas.
My hubby and I will motor north on Vancouver Island to spend Christmas with my oldest daughter. My task today will be to get a little seasonal project ready to take with me for those delightful minutes when someone else is preparing the holiday feast.
Thank you for a great year of inspiration and education Mary! All good things in 2017!
I will be finishing an ornament. Merry Christmas!
My holiday activities will be church, eating, napping, and stitching and I’m looking forward to all four of them.
Gary
Will start the weekend off going to Christmas Eve service to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the reason for the season. We have a six month old great-granddaughter that will be coming for her fist Christmas at our home. Looking forward to her reaction to all the lights and the decorations and to spending Christmas Day together with the family.
The following day, our oldest granddaughter will be taking the train in from LA to spend the day with us. She gets to work on Christmas Day. Going to see Elf with a special friend on Wednesday night and out to dinner on Thursday with my husband to celebrate my birthday.
Going to a resort with family. Lots of down time.
Family, good food, fun and laughter. Oh, yeah, and finishing the pincushion I made for my aunt using a toy tin cup from her childhood.
Thanks again for the fun contest!
All 4 of our kids will be home for Christmas this year – definitely makes it special.
Happy Holidays to everyone.
We host Christmas dinner every year in our home. My parents, our 2 children, our d-I-l and s-I-l, 6 grandchildren (ages 5-12). We are sooo looking forward to this. Midnight Mass on Saturday, sleep in on Sunday
It’s my baby boy’s first Christmas. My husband and I live away from family and we usually drive to them for the holidays. This Christmas we’ve decided to stay put and spend his first Christmas at home. We are planning a Christmas breakfast for the 3 of us and then just spending time as a family. I’ll likely get some sewing in during baby’s naps, I’m almost finished a blouse I’ve been working on, for what seems like, forever.
Well, it is snowing here, so I hope to make a snow bear sculpture in the next couple of days. Otherwise a nice quiet Christmas with good food and family.
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the day. We will be spending time at home. Our kids have moved to Colorado so we will be staying in Indiana. My day will be spent stitching and watching old movies.
Thank you for the chance to win. I will be cooking all day Christmas Eve for Christmas Eve dinner, as well as for Christmas Day. My family and I will be traveling to my parent home. My parents are aging and my father is very ill, I’ll be bringing the Christmas dinner to their home and spend the afternoon and evening with them. I am 57 and very blessed that God has given me many wonderful years and memories with my parents. I wish you a Merry Christmas with your family.
I just signed up for Craftsy – Lucy Barter’s Goldwork class and received the kit yesterday, so i’ll be doing goldwork with Lucy this weekend!!
Spending the weekend with family and cooking our traditional duck dinner with all the trimmings.
My plans for the Holiday weekend is staying at home, indoors (it’s mostly cold and dark outside), with family.
My family will be celebrating with food and companionship, church services and giving grand thanks for our health. I am also looking forward to going to Callaway School of Needle Arts in January – the last one they will be sponsoring. This will end with the 46th school in January. It is such a shame.
I should have a fairly low key weekend. It will include church on Sunday along with lunch at my parents. I’ll slip in a visit to the in law equivalents with my boyfriend some time over the weekend. I plan to slip in stitching time wherever I can for as long as possible.
I will be spending the holidays with my parents. Thank you Mary and all the businesses that participated in these contests.
Have a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!
My holiday plans are to bake my traditional Christmas cookies and decorate them with my children. Then after spending Christmas morning at home watching my children open their presents and relaxing we will be going over to spend Christmas dinner with my biological father ( I was adopted as a baby by my maternal grandparents), step-mother, and siblings. This will be our first year spending Christmas with them. Since I spent so much time stitching away to make presents for everyone I am taking a few days off before I jump into my next projects, which includes hand sewing a clutch purse, and working on two embroidery projects I planned to make as well as try out this embroidery kit my in-laws sent me.
These are wonderful,gifts, especially the needle painting, thanks for the chance to win.
I will spend this weekend with my family! Saturday at my mum’s and Sunday at my mother in law.
Merry Christmas Mary. I am wishing to you and to all the people who visit your blog all the best!
So my daughter is flying in from LA and we are so looking forward to seeing her. She will be home for a week. Her twin sister lives just around the corner from us so we will have double the fun this holiday. Christmas for us is all about togetherness. We don’t do much with presents – mostly doggie toys for our adorable critters. We’ll spend the next week enjoying great meals, going for long walks, drinking coffee, enjoying afternoon tea and scones, going to the movies, and just hanging out. We’ll do a jigsaw puzzle and play with the dogs. It’s always a lovely get together for us and the best Christmas one could wish for. I will squeeze in a little stitching if time permits – there is always some little project to work on even in busy times 🙂
Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.
Hi Mary! My family and I are making the 3 hour trek to the new Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary to have Midnight Mass on this their first Christmas in Virginia! Then we’re spending Christmas morning with my sister and coming home for martinis, Prime Rib, and boxes of dark chocolate!
Merry Christmas to you!
These books look so inspirational! I’m just (re) learning to embroider after 40+ yrs . So looking forward to learning new techniques and make my work modern.
Hopefully getting in some quality stitching time! We’re just doing a quiet Christmas at home this year.
Merry Christmas Mary and fellow stitchers! I will be home with my family for the holidays.
We always have the family over for Christmas Eve festivities. This year we will have one family over for Christmas dinner then on Monday we will continue with our renovations.
Starting the Christmas week-end with my favorite gym class Aqua Zumba. Then an early sunset dinner on the beach at a great Boca Raton Seafood restaurant. Sunday brings church and brunch/gifts with family. Pretty darn great! Merry Christmas to you in Kansas.
Recuperating from surgery.
Quiet plans here. Very much looking forward to it.
Plan A-to enjoy some sunshine! (There is no Plan B)…
There is nothing better than the calmness stitching brings.
We just moved in and have unpacking and shelters for animals to work on 🙂 and two of our boys have birthdays this weekend lol. A fun and busy Christmas!
This will be a quite Christmas weekend but family will arrive for New Year’s Day from Nova Scotia to spend the week. Looking forward to spending time with my 5 year old granddaughter.
Thanks for the giveaway and Merry Christmas
Family! I’ve been baking with two of our daughters and now the rest of the family is starting to come home. This morning we had the coffee cake that my mother used to make. Tomorrow we will have the meat pie that is my original recipe that has become a family favorite and the jello salad that my mother in law always used to make. But best of all, the house will be full and we will all be together. I sit her thinking about it and I smile!
Our favourite Christmas tradition is playing Monopoly or the latest board game after all the gifts have been opened. With my three sons spread out across the country it is a wonderful family time with much laughter and cameraderie. The A-Z books would be an added bonus to my collection.
Even with planning I am behind in my holiday chores and more importantly stitching. To top it off a family wedding for Jan. 7 was added on Dec. 2. So I plan to finish 2 ornaments today (12-23) and then start on a wedding sampler. Two family Christmas dinners and a church turkey to cook should keep me busy through the weekend. Hopefully next week will be down time and me time.
A quiet Christmas season for me. Plenty of sewing and baking this past week.
Christmas Day with our 2 children and 6 grandchildren, Boxing Day pot luck at my daughter’s house then I’m free to stitch my heart away! I’m not even planning on getting dressed – just catching up on recorded programs I haven’t had time to watch and stitch, stitch, stitch!
Excited to be celebrating Christmas with all 3 of our kids and 4 grandkids at our sons home in Tennessee.
It is my first Christmas as a newlywed. We are having dinner with my husband’s family Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He “doesn’t do Christmas”, so I don’t think we will have our own traditions any time soon.
Everything’s decorated and wrapped. Three more things to bake today and company arrives at midnight! So happy. Merry Christmas all you lovely stitcher friends!
Barbara
Christmas will be with family – we are going out for Christmas dinner at a restaurant for the first time and I think we will enjoy not having to think about cooking and enjoy the holiday peacefully. The rest of the holiday will be at home and visiting friends.
I am working, looking after a gentleman. And hope to enjoy some good walks on my time off. To inspired me for further embroidery projects. Kent is so beautiful. Beautiful place to be inspired for free style embroidery.
Hi Mary, At the top of the list is to stay in and enjoy family and Christmas dinner. Maybe it will snow! Thanks for the giveaway!
What a great give away season this has been. Our celebration won’t begin until Monday afternoon so my holiday weekend will be spent in a frenzy of cooking and shopping and hopefully with a little time for some wool applique and embroidery. A wonderful holiday to all of you and your families.
Xmas eve going to my nephews and Xmas day to my sisters. Family time
DS and the grands are coming out to spend Christmas Eve with us and on Christmas we will go to our friend’s house for Christmas dinner and a fun day
We’ll stay at home for Christmas Eve with my parents-in-law, and on the 25th, we are leaving for my parent’s house in the Alps, where there is no snow right now but lots of big mountains all around, which makes the landscape pretty dramatic. We’ll have a few winter quiet walks but stay away from the skiing tracks, where one risks to be trampled among all the other tourists. The children long to see their grandparents and want to build at least one snowman – we will see. I wish you a very merry Christmas, Mary, and all the best for the coming year! Gabriele
For me it will be a pretty quiet Christmas holiday. My husband and I will be cooking and looking after his parents who are 93 and 90 and in declining health. Grand babies are all back home so am hoping for lots of pictures. Christmas can be such a happy time of year but not always and not for everybody. Not a very fun time for the old folks so spending time with them is all they want. I have some some wool applique and sock knitting to keep my hands busy between meals and cards with my mother in law. Hope to go out for a drive tonight and see the local Christmas lights.
Merry Christmas Mary and thank you for everything you have taught us.
This Christmas we are going to be at home with our girls, the oldest is 3 and ‘gets’ Christmas for the first time and is really excited. The little one is just six months and is due to have her first taste of solid food when we sit down at the Christmas table together.
There is nothing like a good book to give you new ideas.
Spending a quiet day at home.
We are going to have regular 3 days of various family visits .. Too many relatives
Thanks for organizing this series of give-always. It’s been great fun! My husband and I will be spending a quiet Christmas here at home just south of San Francisco. I always make cinnamon rolls for breakfast so I’ll do that tomorrow. And maybe bake some sugar cookies too. I LOVE sugar cookies with frosting on them.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Jacquelyn
All three of my children will be with me for Christmas this year as well as all of my grandchildren. Lots of good food and sharing it with the people I love the most. Merry Christmas to all.
I will be playing for Christmas Eve and Chritmas morning services. We will be getting together with my siblings and their families on Monday and with some of my husbands family on Tuesday. Then it is time for relaxation.
The last few months have been filled with doctor visits and we decided to enjoy the holidays by relaxing in a “no stress” home. Our daughter is hosting a nice family meal on Christmas day and we are invited. The family gathering will be on January 7th. So, I am enjoying Christmas and the end of the year by stitching and sewing.
Christmas is at my house this year, so I’ll be home hosting the festivities. There will be 9 of us this year sharing Christmas dinner and, later, opening presents. Now, I’ve got to get to cleaning house and getting organized. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
Most likely will take an early walk, work on some projects and just relax.
My plans for the weekend include spending time with family, making the Christmas dinner….and I think I should get the hero award for the season because one of my guests includes my ex husband! How many of us are so -ahem- “blessed”..as to entertain their exes on Christmas day?
So, after that, I think I will deserve plenty of stitching time!
Merry Christmas and Happy a Holidays to all.
I am from Quebec, but leaving in Texas for the winter. I plan to have supper with friends at Chrismas and make phone call to my daughter and son who both live far away.
Going to church to offer gratitude for all we have
Then a little cooking, a little eating, a few presents, and most of all being able to share our time with family
As a student, my plans for the holidays consist of studying for the bed of the semestr exams.
So I have almost a week off. I am almost partied out. I have a new grand baby on the way and tons of fabric. I intended to spend the week sewing. Some machine sewing and some embroidery. I will throw in some little big walks in between!
Our plans are to spend time with friends and family on Saturday and Sunday and go to church on Sunday morning. Sounds like a perfect Christmas to me!
We are already happily ensconced at family where I have little to do but keep grandson busy(?) and do some meals. I’ve made so much progress on a bellpull with hardanger and blackwork, I am amazed!
The three books would be a wonderful addition to my collection!
We will attend Christmas Eve Service at our church at 6:30. I will not see my family until Christmas Day afternoon. Then all of my family will be here. My children, grandchildren, 91 year old father, sister and niece and a friend. We will all enjoy being together. I Love Christmas.
My holiday will be quiet- family far away – will be stitching
Love the A-Z series of books – My aim is collect the entire series for my stitching library.
Merry Christmas Mary! I hope you have a blessed time with your family! And thank you again for all the wonderful treats and the opportunity to win them!
This Christmas will be a quiet one with only my husband and I, but my son and his family are to arrive for a couple of days mid-week between the holidays; it promises to be quite busy then! No stitching time will be found during their visit, I am sure! But, I hope you get to enjoy those things you love most about the Christmas season!
Christmas is all about family for us. Christmas eve is fairly quite, with just a few family members together, and Christmas day becomes very hectic, fast paced, loud and joyous with all of us together.
I am planning church and a family meal.
I am looking forward to spending time with my family at home. We decorate cookies on Christmas eve and hang out together on Christmas day.
Enjoying the morning teaching by Skip of the Calvary Church further, we have no defined plans. Just enjoying each other and having plenty of stitching time while watching a movie together.
Have a blessed Christmas,
Mia Goei-Crivits
To me HOME is by far the best place to spend Christmas. Having family is the best too.
What wonderful books! Looks like every Stitchers dream. Stitching is definitely an addiction. Learning, for me, is part of the joy of the craft. Thank you for offering such a gift.
May the joy you give to everyone come back to you this season and all through the year.
Marge
I’m going to be with my dear daughter and son-in-law for the first time in many years as I have just moved to live in their city!
My husband and I have recently moved from New York to Wilmington, NC. The weather is much warmer, but I really miss my children and grandsons. The best feature of our new home is that I have dedicated a room for my embroidery. We have started to make new friends and we have been invited to a holiday party to which I am baking and bringing a Buche de Noel.
Thank you for a wonderful year of your website. I wish you a happy and healthy new year!
WOW! Wonderful giveaway – thank you! My whole family will be coming to my house Christmas day, so will be cooking, cooking and more cooking , starting today! Busy weekend, so no stitching for me, but so fun!
Merry Christmas and thank you again for the fun giveaway.
Barbara Brannon
Our weekend plans are to have brunch with the family and then go see a movie. We see a movie every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It gives us a space of time just to get away from the stress and hustle and bustle of the hectic holiday season and relax and just enjoy life and good company.
And of course, stitching time for me!
Our holiday plans are to host our oldest son’s family (with our new granddaughter) on Christmas Day. Boxing Day the guys will be helping a gent with polio fix the connection to his antenna so he can watch TV again. We’re hoping for good tower climbing weather.
Merry Christmas, Mary. I hope you have a blessed Christmas season.
Vickie (vjvl51)
Congratulations to Nancy! And thanks very much for the opportunity, Mary. Happy Christmas!
Another great giveaway! Thank you Mary, and Search Press. My mother is arriving on Christmas Eve to spend it and Christmas Day with me. On the Eve, my children and their spouses come over and we watch Scrooge (with Alistair Sims!) They come back the next morning and we open some presents and the stockings, then move to my daughter’s house with more presents and people and food. Here in Canada, we have Boxing Day on the 26th, and there will be another big party with another group of people. Lots of fun.
Heather M.
We will be celebrating quietly at home. Christmas Eve it is just my husband and our pets. Then on Christmas Day we will have a few guests for dinner. Love being home on our farm any time of the year but especially during the holidays.
There will be just the two of us for Christmas this year. We saw family who live locally yesterday, and will see our best friends on New Year’s Eve. I’m looking forward to being able to relax and stitch during the day, and being able to eat when we’re ready (or rather the turkey is). Thank you for all these wonderful give-aways Mary, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.
I would love to have this books
I’m planning a weekend of family,family, family. Spending lots of time catching up with people I haven’t seen for a while. Then any time I’ve got to myself I want to check out projects for next year’s stitching.
It’s my daughters first Christmas off in 13 years! My grandson is so excited. So our plans are to stay home, eat turkey dinner and just be together. All low keyed. We may not even get out of our pjs!
Mery Christmas to all
My 3 children and their families will be at my house for Christmas! Lots of baking to do. Can’t wait to get started. Thank you for all your time and instruction. You have been an inspiration to me. Merry Christmas!
We’re planning a traditional Christmas at home. This will be the first time in almost 20 years we’ve all lived in the same metro area so we’re pulling out all the stops to do it together! We’ll be 16 strong with 2 grandparents, 4 kids and spouses, 3 grandkids, 5 cousins.
I’m staying at home but family will be coming Christmas morning.
Wanda
We are going to the grandparents’ house for the Christmas. Over the river and through the woooooooood…
Very nice book bundle! My gifts are wrapped, groceries bought, and cleaning today! I should be ready for the big day, spending it with family.
Yay, a giveaway! Today I’m doing a tiny bit of work, but I have to admit it’s hard — between a new new packet of pre-basted linens from Needle in a Haystack and a giant box of goodies from the Black Monday sale at Craftsy, I’m distracted.
Later, filling out cards, wrapping presents. Home is here for Christmas!
This year I’m taking my partner to meet my family in Manchester and then Yorkshire, we haven’t had a big family get gogether for Christmas since I was a child so shall be an exciting and nervous affair. I have been spending the last couple of days making Christmas decorations for each member of the family, I hope they love them.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas from the UK xxx
I will be spending Christmas with my 2 grandchildren. They were born and have lived abroad for their respective 6 and 7 years, but are now back in the U.K. My best Christmas ever.
Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2017 to you all x
My kids are coming to our house, if the weather cooperates. I love spending time with the grandkids, ages 3 1/2 and 4 months. Of course, their parents are special too.
My father, step-mother and mother will be with the four of us on Christmas Day – stockings, presents and then coffee and the chocolate log that I will make tomorrow. Then our traditional Christmas afternoon walk and a big family dinner – what exactly we will decide before shopping today but my 13 year old son is a keen chef so it will probably be somewhat exotic. So far this morning he has suggested duck, red onion marmelade, Yorkshire pudding and asparagus! As he will cook what he plans, we are just waiting for him to finalize our menu so that we can shop. My 11 year old is suggesting bacon and fried potatoes instead but we will just add a bit of bacon for him in case he does not like the duck!
We are celebrating (church service, ham dinner, cookies, presents, singing) at our home this year with just immediate family. Last year this week we moved back to the States from Haiti so we are looking forward to some peace & quiet with rowdy games mixed in for spice!
Thanks so much for these nice giveaways!
Got to get back to my handwork presents….eeeeeek! Such a fun time!
Wendy
This HAS been fun, Mary! Glad for the opportunity to “reflect” – and I have really enjoyed comments made by the rest of the NeedlenThread community! What a bunch!
This Holiday will start out with expected family chaos as we all gather together and fulfill all of our “traiditions”! The “between” week will have more small visits, still eating too much, and a lot of “thinking back” and “thinking forward”. It is a week when I start to make resolutions with myself (never say them out loud! then you will be accountable!!) – and feel very positive about my ability to accomplish them. Then on New Year’s Eve there will be a “gender reveal” party and I will learn what kinds my next two grandchildren will be! Twins in the Spring!!
Happy Holiday to EVERYONE here in Mary’s Place!
J’aime la broderie en général.
Bonnes Fêtes fin d’année,
Cordialement
j. Chauwin
We always go to one side one Christmas Eve, us in the am, and other side in the afternoon. Packed!(Although we are fortunate enough to only have 30 min. and 1 hour 20 min. Drives, respectively) Round it off with Midnight Mass and 11:00 am Mass and we’re done. Boxing Day/St. Stephen’s all we do is rest!
For Christmas we are just hanging out at home the 2 of us. I met family members earlier to exchange gifts. We enjoy presents, food and football. Merry Christmas.
This Christmas we’re celebrating the eve with my son and future daughter-in-law, along with her family and my other son and girlfriend. Then Christmas Day we’ll be 18 for dinner at our house. It’s always a happy celebration for the holidays and God willing it will be this one as well. Wishing all a wonderful holiday and health and happiness in the New Year!
Lori Scic
Hi Mary,
I think I am one of your BIGGEST Fans!
I love having these books for reference.
And as an art professor I find them help with the handful of students who have sought to study some stitching.
This holiday, as always, I will be here in RI where I sing and my in-laws live, but then we drive to OHIO to see my family for new years!
Cheers!
Anne
Church, of course, then breakfast out somewhere, then home again to stitch and relax.
Not much going on here.
Thanks, Mary, for coordinating these give-a-ways. May God bless you for all you do for the stitching community. And a BIG thanks to all the shops for their generosity.
Alice Sheridan
Feliz Navidad Mary! Gracias por tu generosidad permanente! te escribo desde Argentina y aquí para estas épocas hace mucho calor! Así que mis planes para el fin de semana es pasarlo en el jardín, al aire libre y junto a mi familia. cariños!
I’m going to make my Omi’s German potato dumplings for our family German Christmas meal on Saturday then the rest of the weekend will be spent stitching. My kids are older and want to do their own thing after they open gifts Christmas morning so I get plenty of stitching time, yeah!!!!
Merry Christmas Mary, hope you enjoy whatever you end up doing. My hubby and like going to the seaside for a long bracing walk, (he will be on his electric buggy as he is disabled) then enjoy a lovely hot chocolate drink and come home and have a relaxing traditional Christmas dinner. If the weather is unkind then we will have a relaxing day enjoying doing just what we want, we are both retired now so make our own fun!!
I am looking forward to going over to my brother’s house on Christmas Eve. He always has spectacular outdoor lights and decorations. We end up enjoying Brandy Alexanders as we chat through the night.
This holiday will be filled with family and landscaping! Instead of snow, we’ll be shoveling gravel and planting trees, eating great food. Just a fun time to be together, a few stolen moments to add stitches. Blessings to all this season!!!
Staying home quietly this weekend! Our daughter might come over and make a big breakfast for us.
We will be spending time with family for Christmas Eve and Christmas! All of our family lives near so that is a plus. Christmas Eve with the in-laws and Christmas day with my family. We eat, open gifts, visit, and play fun games! We also go to our church’s Christmas Eve services. Have a blessed Christmas!
In Him,
Leslie Callaway
Family celebration is on Saturday, so Christmas is free to be a thread festival!
I am staying home for the Christmas weekend except for Midnight Mass. My sister is a chef and is cooking the whole of the weekend! And I get to be the taste tester! I will be embroidering on the couch or easy chair, while christmas movies or music are playing in the background! I need to be close in case she calls me ya know (wink, wink)
I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!
Barabal Downey
We are staying home. One of us is preparing to shovel the walkways at church; a Christmas Day snow storm is predicted. We prepare for Communion at church and are having communion Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I am a volunteer at the local hospital and I will prepare and bring to them a brunch before church on Christmas Day. When we get home from church, we will all sit down; each one will let out his or her breath and say, “Glory to God; peace on earth; we made it through the day.”
This year my Christmas is busier than ever! We lost my dad a few years ago Dec 23 so its hard– my siblings and I travel back to Moms and this year Mom broke her foot a month ago- so the three of us are doing it all: decorating, trees, shopping etc and helping her manage into a wheelchair! Christmas is very big here with extended families, cousins & friends and starts Christmas Eve thro to 27 with parties,open houses etc. We would not have it any other way!
– we are staying home, family are all coming home – busy cooking and getting ready for them , we love having them all together – looking forward to lots of fun and probably a touch of indulgence!
My holiday weekend plans are welcoming five friends for a festive Christmas Eve supper with presents, games and fun!
Anticipating a delicious Christmas Eve dinner with our family, conversation and a few photos to add to the album.
My husband died last month, so I will be surrounded by supportive family learning to recover.
We will go to church and then have family time. We haven’t been together for the holidays for a few years. Hope everyone has a safe Holiday.
Hi Mary,
I am really looking forward to the coming days. First, all the “to-dos” will be either done or “oh well-ed” and the stress of getting to them will be OVERrrrr. If things didn’t get done, it’s so-be-it time. The mega bonus of the holidays is that we get to spend lots of time with our First Grandchildren–identical twin baby girls! AND since we will be away from home for the whole week! (at their house), IF they ever nap at the same time and the chores I can do to help out are done (lol), I will finally have some quiet time to stitch! I’m hoping 🙂
Happy Holidays to you and Yours! May the New Year be a really good one for you!
trying really hard to finish a picture for my daughter’s partner for Christmas; less than 24 hours til we see them! but no more shopping to do so might just about manage it! Season’s greetings t0 all
We will be hanging out at home for the weekend, and doing lots of cooking! Family visits will happen later in the week. Thank you for this book offer!
We are staying home. My step-son came to visit and is leaving Christmas morning to avoid traffic.
Busy with family this weekend. Hopefully I will be able to stitch during the car rides.
This will be a very quiet Christmas spent mostly at home working on some Hardanger projects (yes, two gifts that will be late!).
I will attend the candlelight and morning services at church as I love the timeless peace and beauty of the music, words and decor.
Christmas Day will be spent with my elderly mother. As a personal holiday, Boxing Day will be spent with some long time family friends.
Nancy White
Pre Christmas planning is more or less under control now. All I have to remember is to get prepared and frozen food out of the freezer at appropriate times while everybody is here!
I’m cooking our family’s traditional Christmas dinner on Sunday, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, with sides of mashed potatoes, a yet-to-be determined vegetable, and a spinach salad. Christmas cookies and tarts will round out the meal, followed by a walk on the county trail behind my neighborhood.
We are staying here and looking forward to seeing not only my brother with his family, but my younger sister, who lives farther away and hasn’t been able to be home for Christmas in a while. And she has a new job, woohoo! We will probably hang out at my parents’ house quite a bit. (In fact, I’m hoping to get both my girls over there for a while today to help with cookies, so I can get some secret sewing done around here!!)
…a month ago I was devasted when I lost my last Lhasa Apso, Zhivago at the age of 15. My heart has been broken into a million little pieces. He was like my son, as we have no children, nor family, except our church family. It has been difficult. My husband works nights, so I am alone through the night without my snuggler……I got a call about an elderly Lhasa 9 years old that has cataracts but gets around well, house trained and all. I don’t understand why people get rid of their dogs when they become older. All they want is to love and be loved. Would you give away your human child when they got older? So, it pains me what people do. It saddens them and they don’t know what they did wrong. Sooooo, I am hoping to get this boy by tomorrow. I would be honoured to take care of him as long as he is here with lots of love. So, these are our big plans. We will have a family again! Merry Christmas & God’s Blessings to all! gloria
Big plans for my family. I will be spending it with my son, daughter-in-law, 2 grandchildren and daughter-in-law’s mother. I just love being with my family.
Home with family for the holidays!
Its a stay at home Christmas for us. A real treat. Hopefully no travelling, hot hours in a car with no air conditioning. This year I decided to put myself first, and have a year off doing so much for others. With some health problems emerging, it was a good gift to myself. Next year, I guess it will be back to hosting everyone else again, but for now its lovely and quiet.
Love the give-a-ways! Family is spread too thin and my hubby and I have colds. So we are having a quiet Christmas at home and will celebrate Christmas and New Years next weekend. Of course I’ll get some stitching in. It’s my favorite activity.
This holiday weekend is looking like it will be chock full of fun! Spending time with my Mother on Saturday with a big sushi feast and then off to the cottage to spend a week with the in-laws. A perfect time for lounging and stitching! Hope you all ahve a lovely holiday too!
Mary, because of your website I have started stitching, signed up for craftsy stump work, crewel, and goldwork classes. Love it!
I’m a teacher on winter break…so this holiday I am staying home with family, relaxing, and stitching.
Thank you for all you do.
Happy Holidays!
Vicki Fisher-Lerer
I don’t have any of the A to Z books yet, but I’ve heard they are the Beezz kneezz. Your blog takes us through everything from A to Z and these books clearly compliment your teaching. Have a lovely Christmas and a good new year (and the rest of it).
Since we moved to Colorado and retired, we always spend our Christmas together. When we were younger we would hike a beautiful area, mountains or high desert. Now we decorate the house, maybe take a walk and enjoy each other. We just got some snow so may take some time outside. I do plan to get in some stitching since I have started a large project. We have family from Illinois to Arizona and do our visiting in the spring and fall.
Sending you Greeting for a Very Merry Christmas and Happy, HEALTHY New Year!
We’re hanging out at home. This year has been more stressful than I remember them being so I’m trying to take all the “have to do”‘s out of it and just focus on enjoying the people I love instead.
Some cooking, lots of fun, enjoying my family. Love to see my dear ones sitting at the table. No embroidery, to busy getting ready for company. I like my peace and quiet when I have a needle on my hands. Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year. Thanks for spending time with us through the internet, you are always welcome in our home.
I’m lucky to be holidaying with family…and getting over the shock of seeing Mary mention the Tudor Rose as having been a few years ago. The Tudor Rose was my “discovery” episode! The first project when I found Mary’s website and the beginning of happy memories! Kate
No big plans for Christmas. Just had foot surgery on Tuesday and I am currently going through the foot up, icing, and struggling with crutches routine. Both sons are with their families in other states so it’s just me and my little dog Jessie.
Oh I love the A to Z books, they’re wonderful
My boys and I are having a very quiet
Christmas this year, it’s been a hard year. Going to walk the neighbourhood and look at the lights, maybe do a little baking ( because someone already demolished my cookie supply). Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah to all.
The forecast is for lots of snow! So we will be staying in, sitting by the fire stitching and snacking on leftovers.
Our big family plans are to eat and savor some relaxed family togetherness. Merry Christmas to you!
Ooh, I love books. With volumes like this, embroiderers can learn new techniques and bring ideas into being as beautiful projects.
Hi Mary. Thanks for the chance to win a wonderful giveaway.
Our plans are to have dinner at my dad’s Christmas Eve, and he is coming to our house for Christmas Day. That is really it. I have managed a little stitching, working on a cardinal right now. Hoping to do a bit more, but after Christmas Day, will have loads of time to stitch. Planning on starting something new on New Year’s Eve 🙂
Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season 🙂
What an excellent selection of books! I’d be thrilled to win any one of them, much less the whole group. Thanks for the opportunity.
Tomorrow we head to our younger son’s home for Christmas with his family and the two grandkids. Sunday we’ll be at home with our older son for a quieter Christmas. We’ll see what happens on Monday. Happy Holidays!
My sister and brother-in-law will be coming over, and my two children and their spouses are coming to my house for Christmas dinner with their father and I. It is my first Christmas in this new home and I am thrilled to have my family together here for the first time.
All these books have been on my wishlist for so long, it would be a real treat to win them!!!
We are just taking it easy and staying home! We will go to Mass Christmas Eve to see all the kids singing and celebrate our Saviour’s birth. Then a big delicious dinner. Christmas day there will be lots of presents and cookies, and dinner with our neighbors.
Mary,
Huge plans and already baking up a storm. 14 for Christmas morning brunch, just my kids (4), spouses, and grandkids. Going to my 2nd child’s home for dinner with her and her in-laws. Then 25 for boxing day – my 2 brothers and all our children. This was a tradition of my mom’s and when she passed away last December I decided to carry on the tradition.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family. I love your posts. I feel like I know you through your writing.
Heather
I would love the A-Z books as Barns and Noble doesn’t carry them in my area. It would be the first book in my library I hope to build for the future. What a treat to begin my new year. Thanks, Mary
As opposed to 40 gauage silk, books I can get behind. I love books and the more the merrier in my sewing room! And I don’t have those ones.
We have no plans at all for Christmas day as my older son can’t come up until New Year’s and he had been planning on his wife coming too, but her mother is having surgery so she will be staying behind to help her out. She is our ray of sunshine from the first day she ever walked into our house. I wish she lived closer. But I’m glad she has a sense of duty and will give up things she might enjoy for another’s benefit. My younger son is going to try to get us into a Clue Master Dectective game which he loves and my husband hates, but playing it on his birthday or Christmas is a present to him :).
Merry Christmas Mary and I hope this coming year will be much better that the past one or two. I do appreciate your words of wisdom when it comes to embroidery.
My prayers to Carol Fullman. This holiday season I am spending it with my family. I have to have Knee surgery on January 3rd. Everybody is helping in preparing the Christmas dinner. I also told my relatives who are overseas that their homemade cookies and stitching gifts will be arriving for Valentines. Merry Christmas to You and All of Your Followers.
Baking cookies with grandsons 4 and 2. What fun and what a mess! Good times.
A quiet day in my little house in the big woods.
We are hanging out with family this year after traveling several hours. Merry Christmas!
A -Z….Goldwork…a new learning experience for me
This Christmas we will spend the 25th at home with different relatives and on the 26th we will travel to to my grandparents in law, who live 8 hours away! 🙂
Our family members all live distant from us. The neighbours suggested we combine forces and fix Christmas dinner between us. Sometime between Christmas and New Years, if the weather holds, we will travel to visit cousins in the neighbouring province. Thanks for all the great giveaways.
Judy Blumert Judy.blumert@gmail.com
I am happy to going to visit close friends for the holidays…It is great fun to relax!
I’m volunteering at park in TN. Cleaning up damage done after storms, then we will light a fire and roast marshmallows and have hot chocolate ..Then on Christmas Day, I will be serving lunch and dinner at the union rescue mission…if I’m lucky some stitching in there somewhere…:)
Enjoy all our traditional things like: Christmas Eve service, drive and see the neighborhood decorations, enjoy all the baked pleasures, hug family and friends, watch a Christmas special on TV or go to the movies. Maybe find a title window to stitch a little something, too!
Judy Ullmann, CT
My plans for Christmas this year are quiet. I will be spending time at my sewing machine finishing a large carry all bag. When I have finished this one for me then I will make one for my friend to carry all her music and doo da’s for her ukulele class. Other time will be spent feasting, drinking and eating goodies. Best wishes to all.
I will be staying local visiting with family and friends.
Merry Christmas Mary! Thanks for sharing your joy nod passion for needlearts all year long!
Mary in Billerica
Saturday I will be stitching. In the evening I will be going with my best friend and her family to her brother’s family home to spend Christmas Eve; which is only four block away. We all grew up together and are like family. Christmas Day I walk around the block to my best friend’s home to spend the day with her family and there will be fourteen of us for dinner. As a result of three snow storms last week Toronto will be having a White Christmas; the first one in a few years, but at least the temperatures have risen from -21C last week to above 0C this weekend.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Everyone.
I am spending Christmas week with my daughter’s family at a Florida beach.
These would be a fantastic addition to my stitching library. As for holiday plans, I’m looking forward to Christmas morning brunch with my daughter and granddaughter.
What great giveaways, Mary! Great sponsors too. All three of these books would be treasures. We only get to see our grandkids a few times a year, and we get to see them for a week at Christmas, so we’ll be soaking in every blessed minute and counting our blessings. The kids (9 and 10) have both learned to embroider this year, so maybe we’ll even have a little time to stitch. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!
Spending the weekend with my whole family. Mom and dad, my children and grandchildren, brothers, sister-in-laws, niece’s & nephews and a great nephew. All 39 of them! Tons of fun.
After going to church, my husband and I are having several friends that do not have family in the area over for dinner. We live in Florida and many of the snow birds are not able to have family visit for the holidays.
First Happy new year to you Mary!
We will go to a family evening where everybody will make something to eat. And we will do games and quiz there. And then 2nd Xmas day we will eat with friends and family. I will cook and cook and I love it! But no embroidery I think!
I enjoy embroidery and stumpwork my favorite is Brazilian Embroidery
My Christmas plans are to visit with and play with my two grandkids who I don’t see nearly enough. We live about 200 miles apart and they will be here for a week or so. That’s the best gift!
One of my favorite things is hosting an open house on Christmas Eve. My sons, their wives, friends and family all come by to eat some yummy food.
Merry Christmas, Mary ;
We are just a small family but have the pleasure of a brother-in-law visiting for a week each year. So we will have lots of food, a few trips in the car to see the Christmas lights on the houses, sports on the tv, music as much as possible and sudoku puzzles for the two men. I will have some time to stitch and tat and my daughter will relax with some books. Altogether a quiet, happy holiday. I would be thrilled to win one of the books. Nevertheless, I wish you and all the readers a peaceful time and a happier, healthy new year. Evelynne
No big plans. We had our family Christmas last Sunday in spite of the slick roads. All were here except for DIL who is a nurse and works weekends and a BIL who took a young man to the Chiefs game. A good time was had by all. Christmas Eve church and church Christmas morning. Then have been invited for supper with SIL and family. Guess she couldn’t not get together again! LOL
This Christmas weekend will be spent preparing for Christmas dinner on Sunday for the family. the rest of the time relaxing!
Merry Christmas
We live in Hamilton Montana, we often travel to Big Bear Ca. to spend Christmas with our daughter at her cabin . It is quite a trip for us and our two Shih-tzu’s, Emma and Rosie, but we love being with her, she always makes everything so special. This year we are doing Christmas at home in Montana! It will be quiet, we have snow and more on the way Christmas Eve, so it will be a White Christmas. I have a Christmas Village set up, which is beautiful and festive, along with our tree and other decorations so it is beautiful, warm and cozy!
I make French Beaded Flowers, I’m finishing up with some I am making for friends and family, I will put the beads away in favor of concentrating on hand embroidery, especially Thread Painting, which I think is so beautiful! I am a beginner, I am hoping I will be able to learn this new craft, ( new for me ) in the New Year!
A -Z books are great anytime but during the holidays they would be just fabulous!. Our holiday weekend is celebrated on Christmas Eve with the entire family with a traditional menu and traditions of northern eastern Europe. Our meal is composed of twelve meatless dishes celebrating the Christmas vigil. Everyone opens their gifts after dinner and just before dessert. Then at 11 pm, we go to church for a Christmas concert before midnight mass celebration. On Christmas Day, our married children and grandchildren go off to visit other grandparents. Now, Christmas day is a relaxing one with books, embroidery and delicious leftovers!
Carolyn,Freehold
So thankful to be spending my Christmas with my family especially my 2 and 4 year old granddaughters. Merry Christmas and many blessings for 2017
Enjoying a day off from working in retail!
Church on Christmas Eve and then visiting family on Christmas Day. Any free time will be spent stitching. I have a couple of Christmas projects still in the works. There is always next year…. Merry Christmas to all.
My big plans for the upcoming holiday weekend are modest in their ambition: survive the Christmas shopping savagery on Saturday, and savour Sunday’s peace on Earth with family and friends, especially the little ones.
My father and his partner came down to spend the holidays with us and my kids are super excited!
Dear Mary
Thank you for sharing and inspiring us all together to enjoy stitching and creating beauty all around us. Merry Christmas!
Hi Mary! This holiday we will be celebrating with our daughter and her husband and our three grandsons and my brother in law. We will all be busy doing farm work and holiday stuff! I hope your holiday is filled with loved ones too!
Hanging at home and visiting nearby family on Christmas this year. Nice and quiet.
We have already had an early Christmas celebration with some of our family, we are hosting with another part of our family on the 25th and travelling for another gathering on the 27th. A very busy time this year.
I would love to win these books.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and the best to you in 2017.
I would love to win the series of these books!!!!! I am just learning or attempting to, some needlework techniques and these would be great resources. I know they have lovely pictures and easy to follow instructions so would feel so lucky to win these and brighten up a not so great year. Thanks so much Mary for all you do and sharing your knowledge and expertise with all of us in a wonderful way. Merry Christmas!
Forgot to mention, we are staying home for Christmas as my mom moved out of state this year so it will be a bit different for us. Merry Christmas again!
I just recently joined Facebook and love to follow you. It’s always interesting and great to look at. Embroidery is my passion , the other is reading.
Thank you for your site and Happy Christmas and New Year
France
This Christmas will be a quiet one. The tree is up and the house is decorated. My husband of 35 years died last year on November 4th, just before his birthday. So, last year I was sort of numb. This year i am being grateful for what I had, have, and have to look forward to. My sister, niece, and great-niece will be here over New Year’s. They will go further south for New Year’s Eve leaving me with two older dogs. I have laid in a supply of pig’s ears as New Year’s treats!! We will do Christmas while they are here and it is wonderful to have that to look forward to. I am sewing dresses for the great-niece (who is 8) and working on a crazy quilt Christmas stocking for next year. I would love to win these books as I have big plans for next year!!
Merry Christmas,
Christmas morning my little family of 3 open presents afterwards we make breakfast together. And enjoy our time together then it’s off to grandma’s for dinner and all the family.
I live in Winchester Uk and am in New York for Christmas. First time in USA in 77 years. So exciting, and my daughter from SA has joined me here. I would love to win the books as I have recently been learning Goldwork. Happy Holidays.
It seems at Christmas that we are so busy preparing for all the various activities, programs, and gatherings that we fail to relax and let our thoughts truly contemplate the importance of this season. We need to think about what happened on this earth for mankind to give us hope and restful peace.
I have completed all the programs and now am looking forward to a relaxing afternoon with family on Christmas Day. We began the tradition several years ago of a meal where each family brings a crockpot of homemade soup. One family prepares homemade rolls. And then we can graze individually and catch up on each family’s year and enjoy the children that are growing up so fast.
We try to make the Christmas “meal” less hectic and more communal. I love the feast at Thanksgiving. But I totally enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Christmas.
I like to contemplate God blessing us with a personal Savior and how He has blessed us all throughout the past year.
The week after Christmas is when I really enjoy down time to stitch and plan what projects I want to complete for 2017. Nothing like a snowy day, a hot mug of tea, and a stitching project whether it is crewel, needlepoint, Swedish weaving, sewing, tapestry, or embroidery. It is all fun!
God bless you this Christmas.
I’m hoping to finish up a flannel quilt that I’m making to donate to the victims of the wildfires in Gatlinburg, TN. It’s warm and very bright.
Our “big” plan is to share the quite stillness with family & friends. To pause & contemplate the belief that Jesus was born to the sounds of simplicity.
Merry Christmas!
I am on a cruise around Cape Horn over Christmas, and doing lots of stitching on sea days.
We’re going to visit my Mom and Dad for a few days between Christmas and New Year’s. I love family!
This weekend I will celebrate on the 24th with my husband’s family in their traditional way which is to have a big feast and then open gifts. The next day we will celebrate my way and open presents on the morning of the 25th then spend the day cooking a turkey. All this in Montreal were there is loads of snow. If I’m lucky I’ll get to stitch. That is the thing I want to do the most of course…..
Plans : Recuperating with a variety of needlework, good food and movies/old shows on TV
We travelled to be with our daughter’s family, and now await our son and fiancée from California. Planning lots of good food adventures, driving around to see the lights, and church. I have stitched ornaments for all, but my normal stitching will take the backseat for a few days. Merry Christmas!
I’d LOVE to add these to my library. We are having company this weekend and relaxing!
No big Christmas plans for us, this year. We’ll join the choir at the 11:00 a.m. Mass, and then home for a hot sausage lasagne, green salad and a peach congealed salad for which I just found the recipe. It won’t be cold here, so the menu changed!
Thank you for these Christmas giveaways. They all are wonderful, and you are very generous. Merry Christmas to everyone!
WOW!! what a give a way in these volumes. This whole season has been a treat to read about other folks that stitch around the world. Thank you and to the vendors that provided such incredible gifts.
Here it is December 23 and my husband and I are still decorating the house inside. Cookies have to be baked and then a bit of relaxation. Christmas day will be quiet, but come Tuesday all of the family will descend upon our home for dinner and stockings and presents. My 103 year old dad is coming to join in the festivities and will lead the Christmas carol singing.
From Jim and myself, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!
will be staying home. i am going to catch up on my needle work. i have two going at one time again. hoping to finish one up
Christmas is always celebrated on the 24th and 25th at our house. On the 24th, we will gather friends and family together for late afternoon appetizers, gift opening and desserts. Then after the glitter has settled, we will go to our church for the most beautiful Christmas service ever!
On Christmas day my husband and I will have our traditional Christmas meal which consists of lutefisk, boiled potatoes, butter, corn, lefse and ice cream for dessert. Then comes the long winter nap! That is so welcome by now!!!
All the best to you, Mary! You are my inspiration.
Karen Olson.
Dear Mary,
I’m at home with my husband an enjoy the quiet. I will try to complete a stitchery which Tracy A Franklin showed on her blog, the “Crathorne Bug”.
Best regards and I wish you a merry christmas,
Ingrid
Plans for the holiday weekend all centre around my family! Christmas Eve day -baking with my daughter. Christmas Eve night – Mass with my son. Christmas morning – breakfast with husband, daughter and son. Boxing Day to January 2 – other daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren (grandkids are the best part of Christmas) visit us. Lots of cooking, feasting and of course dishes. No needlework but hopefully some reading. Whatever happens, it is all good as we are all together, safe and sound! Merry Christmas!
My husband and son are picking me up from work in just a couple of hours, and we’re headed to East Tennessee to celebrate Christmas with my parents. I have packed supplies for stitching, but I suspect that I won’t get much done. Very much looking forward to the family time!
We are up for a low key holiday. Looking forward to cooking and baking, but otherwise no travel or large groups of people. Keeping it simple!
Hanging out at home for the holidays. We are lucky, the whole family lives within 5 miles!
I will stay at home and I have big plans with my chicken scratch project that I am currently working on !!!
A family Christmas but also helping out at a charity lunch
Going to the reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Day after having a Christmas breakfast of eggs from our chickens, bacon and homemade cinnamon rolls.
My husband and I are going to our daughter’s home tomorrow and staying until a large family gathering near her home on Boxing Day. This is a change for us since we usually host.
Thanks for this chance to win!
I have coveted these books for some time – it would be wonderful to win them! I plan to nurture my sewing of all things starting this festive break by tidying up that sewing room….that’s after our family celebrations with 3 precious grandchildren and 4 dogs this year!! Can’t wait now….merry Christmas to all nearby and across the pond!
A big family Christmas at my daughter’s house with her partners family.
Good food, good company and everyone at ease with each other.
I’ll be going to a relatives farm on the outskirts of town on Christmas eve.. Party with family..just let go and have fun this holiday season.
I am enjoying a visit with my triplet grandchildren and a future husband of the girl of the three. He is visiting here from Scotland. Never a dull moment with triplets. I have been doing some embroidery projects for her for a wedding present.
Sara Bush
slfb@att.net
I am thoroughly enjoying my holiday season. Both adult children home. Lots of food and chatter. I slipped on the ice last week and have a broken ankle. Surgery in a couple of days. We’re in small, temporary accommodation until our new house is finished. But I am having a wonderful time enjoying people I love. Once I can put my foot on the ground this temporary stuff will all be over and I can start the next chapter of my life.
Hi, Mary
Here in the UK, we will be hunkering down, having said goodbye to Storm Barbara by tomorrow, and awaiting the arrival of Storm Conor. Windy times ahead. We have all our food plans set and provided there is not a power cut, which is not expected, we should be Okay. Hope you have a very happy Christmas, peace, good health and prosperity in the New Year. Thank you for the opportunity to enter these draws, you must be inundated.
All the Best, Elsa Hurst
We flew into Virginia from Washington State to spend the Christmas holiday with our son’s family. My 94 year old Dad flew up from North Carolina. We are blessed to have 4 generations together this year.
Calm friendly Christmas weekend. Saturday with close neighbors and Sunday with daughter and family, which will include all the grandchildren and then Monday with daughter-in-law. I will do some stitching each day as that is the regular part of each day. Life is too short not to take time to stitch.
Have a blessed Christmas holiday and good health in the New Year, Mary.
Tanis
I am planning challenged! Am playing it by ear – although I have a few goals – like getting the garage in shape and fitting in time for plenty of stitching. Mostly I want to get ready for the new year both psychologically (better planning/calendaring systems) and physically (decluttering/organizing).
Wishing all a relaxing holiday time and a great start in the new year!
Family is coming this year though as the family grows it is getting harder and harder to coordinate. Next year I may take a trip and say let’s get together after Christmas!
How exciting! My Christmas plans are low key at my daughter’s and family’s house with friends. We all make and take food so no one has the whole job. I hope you are well and your plans joyous.
Blessings to you!!
Going to be doing some of everything. Cooking. hanging out at home, going to family, maybe even some shopping. Just looking forward to a joyous Christmas.
This will be the first time in many years that we (my husband and I) will be celebrating Christmas with our childhood friends. Usually the whole gang comes to us, but this year it will be just the two of us celebrating an old fashion Christmas in their beautiful new home.
This weekend, I have special stitching project. Those projects are as candy for me. Christmas snowflakes in soutache. Excuse the way I write in English.
Merry Christmas
Nicole
Christmas weekend plans – We are staying home this year, and Saturday is baking day. Our big holiday plans actually are the week after – we are going to Miami for the Orange Bowl! Go Seminoles!!! >>>>>———;;–>>
I will be having a wonderful day with my Awesome Husband. Around 3 we will be having an scrumptious meal with our neighbor and her mother and father. Time spent with those you love is the greatest gift that I can think of.
My husband and I are traveling a short distance to be with my sister, brother and his children. There’s cooking, laughter, drama, gift exchanging, shopping, tears and life talks all flowing through the house, in a whirlwind for three days. There’s no planning and I doubt I’ll get any stitching done. I plan only to enjoy/ endure whatever happens with the idea that family and holidays are whatever you make them! LOL
Definitely spending this weekend with family. Christmas morning we are having a brunch and opening gifts. Then off to my nephews for a big turkey supper. Can hardly wait!!
For me Christmas this year will be just good food and my immediate family. We’ll lounge around and watch doctor who together, hopefully enjoy a really warm day, and just be glad we don’t have to do anything else. This Christmas will just be a time for us to stop, and to enjoy being alive in summer in NZ.
Thanks for the giveaway. We are spending time with family, going to church, and eating an obscene amount of food!!
My big plans are my big family. It started with 7 children who added 22 grandchildren who added at present 17 great grandchildren. Of course it’s impossible to gather everyone at once but it is a lot of laughter, hugs and great fun for those of us who can gather for our celebration of Jesus.
My plans for the Holidays are to attend Christmas Church Service, fix a ton of food for my family, finish wrapping presents (I hope:) and sneak in an embroidery stitch or two.
Robin V
I am going to do nothing but try to get well from this “creeping crud”, I picked up some where. It is really uncomfortable, I won’t go into the ugly details but let it sufice, that I hope no one else gets it. It caused me to cancel Xmas plans, afraid to have any one around.
Thanks for the give away drawings, they were all awsome, and I would have loveed to have won any of them, Alas, I didn,t but willstill keep watching. Hope you and yours have a happy, healthy holiday.
Our big celebration is on Christmas Eve. After the candlelight service at our church, we have a little party with our extended family–lots of yummy treats and gifts to open.
We live interstate from family so this year it’s a quiet Christmas with friends and lots of lovely stitching!
Thank you for this opportunity to win books that are on my wish list. I will be spending the holiday with my husband in a quiet way. We decorated a beautiful tree with ornaments that span 47 years of memories. I hope to fit in as much handwork as possible to keep me away from all those tempting calories in the kitchen!
Family, family, food, family and more food. This year an added surprise, two foster grandsons, cannot get better than this. Deb W.
Thanks again for these give aways. I Love Books! They are so much fun to look at – explore, etc.
Over the holidays I plan to begin working on a quilt; complete my design of a dimensional embroidery wreath, re-stitch it if needed; take up at least one of my UFOs, finish a picture puzzle, go to the after Christmas sales, walk if the roads are permitting, etc. No shortage of ideas here!
Have a great holiday.
Judy C
This year I will be in ‘stress mode’ as I ‘volunteered’ to knit a christening gown for my friend who is having twins in March. (I hope they do not come early as I want to be able to finish it in time) The pattern is highly complicated and not one line of the pattern is the same (only the alternate ‘purl’ rows) I can see I will be knitting all over Christmas.
Family time! My son flew in this week; we’re on the way to pick up my daughter and then will drive to my parents’ home. AKA the very best place for Christmas. <3
Merry Christmas, Mary.
This year I’m doing it a little different. I’m having family over for Christmas Eve dinner, and going to friends for Christmas Lunch – in the afternoon we’re going to relax a little do a some stitching.
Thank you Mary and all your sponsors for making us think about stitching and the Christmas season – it’s been enlightening!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family & friends, and especially to all you stitchers out there.
I will be lolling in bed as soon as I leave the hospital. This morning I had a total hysterectomy done by robot (and a surgeon working the joy sticks). Feeling great and ready to go home. “Ain’t medecine grand!”
No special plans until after Christmas when we visit family in Massachusetts. I plan on lots of quiet time in my sewing room.
Merry Christmas Mary! Thanks again for the chance to win the wonderful giveaways. I will be traveling to be with family over Christmas weekend. The first thing I organized and packed was my hand work for the car ride. Will enjoy being with family and fit a little stitching in as time allows.
For Christmas, decided to be home for Christmas with my son coming over for dinner. It has been a hectic month with 2 part time teaching jobs so home looks extra good. Catch up on organizing sewing room, reading and dvr’d shows.
Would love more advanced stitchery books.
Merry Christmas and thanks for all the giveaways.
No real definite plans for the holiday. Playing it by ear. But hopefully there a few stitching projects compliments of my husband to start work on. Of course there are always a pile of UFO’s that need attention. I still like to start new projects though.
These books are wonderful and would be very useful in all my stitching endeavors.
Going to make reindeer food with my boys on Christmas Eve and have dinner at my lovely sister in laws. I fix breakfast Christmas morning for our family while the kids open all their gifts. Have a wonderfully Merry Christmas!
Christmas at home with family in our new house! And trying to do some stitching!
I will be getting together with friends at my home and theirs for the next week. Definitely hope to get some stitching in. Thanks!
Just a quiet weekend with family. We are having cinnamon rolls at church on Sunday morning, though!
Christmas day is home on the farm for all the family. A well earned rest day for the men in the middle of harvest. But as usual not rest for the women in the family. BUT…….. then they eat left overs (usually there are?) And then I can sneak in some me time with the needle and threads. Happy Christmas everyone. X
This year I have travelled from Wales to Arizona to spend the holiday with my daughter and her family. They are military so I go where they go. But wherever they are, a good part of the visit is spent stitching with my granddaughters. The twins are now seven and have been learning to sew since they were three. We are on a mission to finish small tapestry panels on plastic canvas before Santa comes. The two year old will be joining in before too long, having just mastered stringing beads. Such fun.
Hanging out at home-with some stitching, some cooking and lots of resting!
If you want to call it a long weekend, it is starting off with baking today and will continue into Saturday. Cooking Christmas Eve dinner at home and after dinner off to see Christmas lights. Sunday will require a little bit of baking and then for the sweetest treat we will go to our daughter’s and spend Christmas day with our 2 and 4 year old grandchildren.
traveling home to visit my parents. Taking some hand embroidery with me.
Thank you, Mary, for your generosity I these give always. I wish you a blessed Christmas. My husband and I will host my sister for Christmas. A small, but jolly group. Aaaaahhhh.
No big plans, will just be hanging out at home(Melbourne Aust) where it is going to be hot so some stitching indoors is definitely on the cards.
Nothing big just hanging out with my family and my in-laws, enjoying the Christmas season.
Nothing special for us. I’ll spend Christmas Eve day with a friend, and then a quiet Christmas with my husband.
I’m planning a big amount of sleeping in late, eating things of dubious nutritional value and (hopefully) shopping online for stuff to add to my stash with the embroidery gift cards I will get from Santa!
Merry Christmas and Happy stitching in the New Year!
This weekend I will spend my time pouring over the A to Z book of Stumpwork which my husband just bought me for Christmas! I also had the other 2 books in hand but could only afford the stumpwork one. I did however get the needed supplies!
I would love to win A Stitchers Christmas #10.
This long weekend I will be cooking and eating with family. But most importantly trying to get some time making Torchon Bobbin Lace which I am doing a level 2 proficiencies in.
Merry Christmas
It has been such fun answering your questions over these days leasding up to Christmas. I’m lucky enough to be in Mauna Leani, Hawaii with my husband and younger son, not missing Michigan weather one bit. We’re celebrating my son’s 25th birthday (last week), my husband’s 60th, and our 30th wedding anniversary, not to mention Christmas. I brought no needlework and now I’m sorry, as the guys play tennis and hike hard while I like to sit in the palm-shade and I could be stitching. Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year.
Tonight, we’re going to a Christmas show, tomorrow wrapping gifts and some baking, and hopefully some relaxing stitching and knitting. Christmas Day will be breakfast at our house with our children and granddogs, then dinner at our daughter’s.
Carol b(cc)
Your column is one of the few I always follow. I love seeing the embroidery that you are doing and do my best to keep going on my own. I hope next year is bigger and better for all of us and that we all get to start and finish lots of new bright and wonderful projects to keep us busy
I’ll be spending Christmas Day, warm & cozy, at home after spending Christmas Eve with my daughter & family. I’ll probably watch again my DVD (present to myself) Christmas by the Celtic Thunder, eating left-overs and remembering those wonderful Christmas pasts. joan c chance
Staying home and hosting family! I got some stitching time this morning during a four hour doc appointment so I am pretty happy at the moment.
The giveaway series was fun. Thanks for a chance to win some neat things. My Christmas list for next year has some additions if I don’t break down and buy all the goodies before then.
My plans for this Christmas are pretty much the same plans I had last year. Our daughter and her son will visit on Christmas Eve. We’ll have a simple dinner and then everyone will head out for church. Then on Christmas day, the almost whole family will gather at the home of my sister-in-law for a family dinner in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, not all of the family can make it again this year, but most of us will be there.
Christmas Eve will be celebrated with my family. A beautiful time of year to stop and reflect on all the wonderful things I have to be thankful for this year.
And reading and stitching will be a part of the day. I ordered myself a couple new stitching books but I would also love to own these A-Z Books.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
Carolyn
We plan have our “little” family Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. Then church in the morning, and we plan to spend the day with some close friends of ours. Neither of us were able to make the trip to be with family this year. That if the weather doesn’t keep us home. Forecast looks very formidable for our area. I keep hoping for some stitching time but kitchen demands with my kids all home from school, plus special meals and baking are taking over…There’s always January. My sympathies and prayers to Carol Fullman and her family. The Star of the East carol says the star still shines “bright o’er the cradle, and bright o’er the grave.” I pray you will feel the comfort of the One who came as a babe to take away the sting of death. So very sorry for you all.
I wish we were doing more, but we are just resting at home. I will make a ham, scallops, and fresh carrots. Maybe even add a pickle or two. It will be a day of probably playing Triominos and watching a little television. Ho Hummmm.
We’re a blended family, so the scheduling is crazy! It was bad when they were children, but it’s worse now that they’re grown with children. This year’s solution is three days (and feasts) of Christmas. One can come on Christmas Eve lunch, two on Christmas Day for dinner, and the last is coming the day after Christmas around supper. I would love to be able to see all 7 grandbabies at once, but maybe the Lord knows that I’d leave one out, or hurt someone’s feelings! I will count my blessings!
I plan to spend this wonderful holiday weekend with family and friends. I will go to church with some of them. Others I will just enjoy food and fellowship with. Merry Christmas to All! Happy Birthday Jesus!
I will be spending Christmas with my daughters and exchanging small gifts and a few laughable ones. Looking forward lots of good food and better company! Thanks for the giveaways and have a Merry Christmas and happy new year.
Our plans for the holidays is to keep it low – enjoy each other, he can computer & I will stitch. I think there is a Star Wars marathon we are doing also with lots of popcorn!
Thank you for the lovely encouragement all year. Please pass along my thanks for those who donated such inspiring gifts. Sometimes, having a hobby that has sharp, pointy objects is a good thing.
Happy Christmas to all & a healthy 2017.
Stitch on!
Nothing matches the beauty and magic of the Christmas Vigil Mass with eloquent prayers and inspiring music,
and then to home for a grand celebratory meal with family and friends.
Thank you Search Press.
Thank you Mary Corbet
Blessed Christmas to all.
I’ll be taking it easy inside the house most of the day as it’s going to be a scorcher in my neck of the woods – of course some stitching will be just the thing to while away the time between cool drinks. Perfect way to spend the day!
Hi Mary , Just having a quiet time with my family to catch up after a hectic December & also hoping to do some stitching. The day after Christmas is a picnic day to catch up with all the extended family. Happy Christmas to all.Doreen M .
I’m working 22 hours the holiday weekend…..that life!
I would love to win these books…..books are my best friends….especially craft books to inspire and teach me…..merry Christmas to you and a peaceful new year to come! Thank you for all you share!
I plan to have a quiet holiday and get some stitching done
I will spend it quietly. Stitching, cooking, going to church on Christmas morn..
My Christmas weekend will be spent with family here in our home. My sister and family will be here along with our son and daughter-in-law. We will be doing lists of cooking, sharing gifts and enjoying the blessings of being together.
My plan is for a quiet day, just my husband and myself. I’ll probably spend most of it in my workroom, finishing up a doll project that I’m doing for a friend. And, of course, will be cooking a ham for Christmas dinner.
This year is a very quiet one for us so hopefully stitching will be on the agenda! Merry Christmas – hope yours is safe and happy.
Our plans are to sit back and relax while watching football and Christmas movies. Oh yes, eating is factored in along with some stitching. Our son is in federal law enforcement and has to work, we had him for thanksgiving so, we are on our own.
Merry Christmas.
Linda
We always go to my in-laws Christmas Eve for a traditional Ukrainian 12 meatless dishes before church and then we’re hosting Christmas Day supper with family and friends. It’s always a busy, noisy, fabulous time! Merry Christmas to you. And thank you for these giveaways.
I’m writing this as I wait for a train in San Francisco to go see my sister, brother in law, nephew, niece, and her new daughter -my grand niece! We flew to San Francisco this morning and are taking all kinds of transportation we don’t have in Arkansas. My mother and sister are also coming to California for Christmas. I’m really happy there won’t be any snow since I hate driving in it.
Christmas is spent with family! We plan to meet at my niece’s home on Christmas day and with my husbands family Monday.
I am working to still finish quilts that I didn’t/won’t finish on time. My son and DIL are coming and they are expecting their first baby…First grandbaby!!! Focusing on that a lot
My husband and I will join my adult children and granddaughter out of town. The on the way home, stop at my sister’s and get a quick visit with her adult children that have flown in. Family time is the best. May you have a blessed Christmas Mary.
This weekend my husband and I will attend Christmas Eve services with my mother and share pizza afterward with her and my sister. Om0n Christmas Day, I will serve brunch to my mom, sisters, and brother-in-law. Christmas is family day with movies, popcorn, an array of appetizers and snacks and games. The day after Christmas we will travel to our daughter’s home to spend time with her family.
I’m so lucky that my Christmas plans don’t involve long travel days — I spend Christmas Day with my husband’s family right here in our town, and we spend Christmas Eve with my family via the wonders of Skype — we drink & open presents and visit virtually. It’s a tradition! And very restful too.
No plans. Just go with the flow.
Merry Christmas to you.
Shel
I’ve already started, been baking for 2 days. My family will be at my house, lots of cooking and enjoying the grandchildren. What are your plans?
Dianne
I am going to spend time with my family and enjoy all the lovely Christmas lights. Not sure if I’ll get any time to play with needles and threads…
This holiday will be a delight as we spend time together with our sons, their wives, and the grandchildren. Last year, after my folks had both passed away, our “kids” began hosting the festivities. I have enjoyed the lessening of my responsibilities. We will simply take a dish or two and enjoy the grandchildren for several hours. Apart from the Christmas celebration on Sunday, my husband and I will spend time quietly. I might accomplish a bit of sewing of some kind.
Partner and I plan a very quiet week, because 2016 sucked porcupines and xmas is bad for my social anxiety. So obligations, and then pretending the world doesn’t exist.
I hope yours is peaceful and joyful, Mary, no matter what forms you find your joy 🙂
Thank you for all these giveaways!
Mary,
On Christmas I’m going to relax and play with my new calligraphy dip pens with white ink and gold ink. I’m practicing so I can start creating stitched monograms. I hope you will have monograms as a project this new year. Have a peaceful holiday everyone!!
Robin
My husband and I will be enjoying Christmas Day with daughter Sherrie, son-in-law, David and all the children and grandchildren. We will have a wonderful casual lunch and then watch the family open the gifts and make a mess!! And we will also remember the One for Whom we are together celebrating and Worship Him together. Merry Christmas.
Hi,
I will be staying home. I have a lot of projects I want to spend at least some time on. Stitching, lace making, preparing a patchwork quilt, designing…
As well there is the garden, I can almost see the lawn and weeds growing, it is so warm and damp.
Although I am a ‘beginner’ in embroidery, I work on the fact that books don’t go ‘off’. If I win the books will be there when I get to that stage, when ever that will be.
This Christmas is special because my grandma came all the way from Naples Florida to celebrate. We will all get together as a family to attend church then come home for delicious prime rib. Christmas Eve is when we open gifts.
No special plans for Christmas. Just shifted into my new home where the family will gather for our traditional Christmas breakfast.
Far too hot here in Brisbane for a traditional Christmas lunch but we can enjoy bacon and eggs early in the day.
I’ll be spending the holidays quietly at home with my pets. I’ll probably be doing some needlework and enjoying the down time.
We don’t have any ‘big’ plans this year. Church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (I’m in the choir), and getting together with my sister and her daughter later in the week. Taking time to relax, and to sort through some things at home (not necessarily relaxing, but making use of time at home). Hope to work in some stitching, and shop some holiday needlework sales, at my LNS and online.
Mary — I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for continuing to share so much of your world with all of us.
We have the whole family coming over for Christmas eve and a night of fun, presents and great food. Afterwards I will be working on a felt stocking for my Mom.
Christmas Eve it’s church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Then home to relax before the fire, enjoy special treats, and reminisce of times past with family and friends.
Christmas we’ll watch a movie or two and read while listening to carols. Personally I’ll be praying that I’m the lucky person to win the marvelous set of books. I love thread painting and would be thrilled to receive a book that you recommend to help me learn. Have admired both stumpwork and goldwork but have no idea how they’re done.
Thanks for the drawings. It’s so thoughtful for you to let us know the best resource books to help enhance our skills. It gives me the feeling that this is a site that really cares and one I can trust. Merry Christmas
Just going out to Christmas Eve lunch & vegetating Christmas Day!
Merry Christmas Mary! I hope you celebrate the season with family and the new year is kind to you
Our Christmas in Australia is also summer holiday time, so the roads will be busy and the weather warm. Home is the best place to be for me and ‘the boss’ with friends to share the festivities. THere will be plenty of festive fare so after a couple of hectic days at home we’ll find a shady spot at the local beach or by the river to sit and relax…….I’m looking forward to that Merry Christmas all, st any safe.
plan on a very quiet Christmas. Just my hubby and me
I’ll be spending the holiday weekend with my family, eating, relaxing, watching tele and of course a little stitching now and then – crewelwork and patchwork.
I am going to spend Christmas with my family. But I hope to stitch a little bit (something very simple, because I’ll have not time for more complicated projects).
Have a joyful Christmas, Mary!
I am a Mississippi girl up here in northern Michigan, enjoying the snow!!! Brrr…and of course my daughter, her husband and the grandkids! Will be headed down south after the New Year! Susan from Mississippi
Life is a mystery. Each day unwraps itself into something unique.
Hi Mary,
Than kyou again for the chance to win a wonderful gift. Thank you for organizing all these and to the shops for donating the prizes.
How are we spending Christmas? There is only the three of us, our daughter, my husband and myself. Moira has been very busy cooking up goodies. Even though we live in a subtropical area (S E Queensland Australia) we will spend most of our time inside as it is too hot and I hate the heat gggg We usually begin about Mid afternoon Christmas Eve, this year we have board games planned and probably some Christmas movies, and carols by candle light are big over here. Unfortunately our Parish no longer has midnight Mass, so we will be attending an earlier one where I am one of the readers. Christmas Day we exchange small gifts, We will put the finishing touches on our lunch, which is mainly cold, and have a quiet afternoon, probably still playing games. Boxing Day Moira has to work, she is an ICU nurse at the local university’s Veterinary hospital, and it is Derek’s birthday so he and I will have a quiet day….except we have all the fur babies to look after gggg
Mary I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful and happy New Year. Thank you for all your hard work you do for us here
Cheers Judy
SE Queensland, Australia
I’m taking a hiatus from the kitchen and going to join all our family at my neice’s house. All the furniture in the den is removed and one long table is brought in for a seated dinner. Informal and festive. Our host is preparing a turkey and roast beef. All guests bring a dish to share. They have a six year old daughter so Santa Claus will have brought wonder and joy. Perfect.
This Christmas will find us home, and feeling grateful for all we’ve been given this year. May 2017 be kind to everyone.
Love these books. Would love some more great articles and give aways. Thank you Needle and Threads.
This weekend I’m planning on some stitching and other crafting, some quiet time indoors at home, and some celebrating the holidays with friends. Most of all, I’m looking forward to stitching, I’m feeling that itch to be very creative.
Heading to my daughter’s with pulled pork, corn pudding, cranberry pumpkin pecan bread, strawberry bread, and zucchini sweet potato walnut bread. Between wrapping and cooking, I have not had time to stitch in a couple of days. Maybe tonight…..
Fairly quiet Christmas for us: going to see my daughter and her husband Christmas Eve for an evening meal and exchanging gifts, just the 2 of us (husband and me) Christmas Day and who knows after that, we’ll see what turns up 😀
I had plans to go out for a Christmas dinner and then see a light display. For New Year’s Eve we were going to go to the city’s First Night celebration, complete with fireworks. But alas, I broke my arm and now have to stay home.
My husband and I will be spending a quiet day together in London, but then flying to Nice France for a few days away – first time there ever! Soooo excited. Merry Christmas to all!
Upcoming holliday weekend, and every weekend (from thursday till sunday) till the end of March I will be embroidering in the Old Church in Amsterdam.
We’re working on the floorplan (in cross-stitch) of the Old Church as part of the exhibition of conceptional artist Johannes Boezem. We’re a living artwork called ‘Gothic Gestures’, that is to say, me, as head embroideress and 61 volonteers (60 ladies and 1 man).
Hi Mary!
Congratulations to the last winners!
Christmas eve at my house will be relatively quiet. MY kids and grandchild will visit around noon to exchange presents and then we all get together with Daughter-in Laws family to have Christmas dinner! It’s nice.. that way we all get to send alone time with the kids but then share time with them too!
New Years we travel to MA to have Christmas/New Years with my brothers and Sister and their families. It tends to be busy this time of year– Just Grateful that I can see them–time goes by so fast. It’s the most important thing to me.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Mary… Thank you (and to Trish Burr as well!).
luckily family is all close so there is not a lot of traveling. just getting together, playig games and eating good food!
With young adult sons coming home, food will be a major focus, as well as a Christmas dinner with family. Otherwise, a quiet time is always our choice.
I have my little family (daughter and partner and sister) visiting for Christmas. Even tho we have been “down under” now for 7 Christmas’s I still am getting used to not cooking a huge hot meal on Christmas day – it is all about salads, prawns and seafood here – nicely chilled! Still have to have a baked ham with cranberry sauce – turkey tastes completely different here so that does not happen! Hope you and yours have a lovely Christmas and an awesome 2017 – lots more positive for you than 2016 was!
Thanks so much for all the work you put in to your blog – I thoroughly enjoy reading it every day – it is always the highlight of my morning with my coffee before work!
Susan
My family will relax with lasagna, and ham on Christmas Day. Just 7 of us, but enough love for the whole world!
No plans for this weekend!
Hi Mary, I’ll be traveling to see family. I should be on the road by now so I’m making it short; just had to read your blog first, lol! Happy Holidays and happy stitching!
My plans? A great dinner with my son and his family.
So sorry to hear about your grandaughter Carol. My father recently passed away so I can feel a small amount of your sorrow. I hope you manage to find some comfort in her memorial and that you and your family have some peace during the holidays.
Beautiful books. All subjects I’d love to learn more about
Hello Mary!
I work part of the day on Christmas Eve, but then my husband and I usually just try to tucked in cozy at home for the rest of the evening and Christmas day. We sleep in and have coffee and a treat for breakfast, and then play video games and I usually try to get in some stitching or knitting (or both!) We may meet up with friends to exchange gifts later in the day too.
With five extra in the house and 21 for Christmas lunch a little quiet time of stitching helps to focus my thoughts and enjoy the family time!!!
Well, it’s already Christmas Eve here in Australia. My first plan is to try and finish clearing the leftovers of bathroom/bedrooms renovations, then I might get access to the tree in the lounge to actually put decorations on it! Christmas Day is our usual swim in the ocean followed by a bar-b-que brunch, and Boxing Day will be a traditional dinner with the extended family. I love the Christmas season. Best wishes to you and your family Mary.
I’ll be participating in the annual ( for at least 30 years) neighborhood potluck Christmas day dinner.
Christmas with family local and day after leave for Texas for Christmas with daughter and family.
My family always has a big meal on Christmas Eve and then we spend the night slaughtering each other at cards. It’s my favorite night of the whole year- great food, happy family, and beautiful Christmas decorations!
As I write this here in Melbourne Australia it is thundering outside. It’s Christmas Eve Saturday morning and overcast and hot – about 30 degrees Celcius and humid. Chirstmas Day will be around 34 degrees. No snow here!!!! I can hear Rainbow Lorikeets chirping amid thunder claps! My dog is beside herself as she does not cope with thunder so she’s very restless but always coming to sit beside me when it gets noisy.
My husband is an Anglican priest so he is very busy tonight and tomorrow and gets very, very tired. So we will bave a very quiet time once all the services are over tomorrow. I will be stitching as usual and trying to stay cool under the aircon. The smell of BBQ’s will permeate the neighbourhoid as people take an afternoon stroll in the park after a big lunch or play cricket in the street. My heart bleeds for the Syrian people in Aleppo and beyond, especially the children and orphans in this awful mess. As I watch the newsfeeds my sense of helplessness grows. How can we stop this and look after these distressed and displaced people? They too need to know that there is love and compassion in their world. May the joy of Christmas be felt by all nations, faiths and communities this werkend and may we come together in Peace as a world.
No, big plans. We will stay home, be warm, and eat too much food.
I have a slow weekend planned. I plan on making a couple of batches of cookies, then doing some relaxing stitching on my quilting project. Merry Christmas to you. Thanks for all the fun drawings. Kay H
Christmas time seems to be a time of tradition in our family. Our daughter comes to visit and then on Christmas Day after lunch we drive to our son’s for gift opening with the grandkids followed by dinner together.
I’ll spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family and friends.
Thanks Mary for your wonderful blog and website. A constant inspiration in ways more than just stitching. Those three books cover 80% of my embroidery interests -they’d be great to have as reference books. Our plans are for a quiet, relaxed Christmas (trying not to eat too much) enjoying our Southern Hemisphere summer days. Merry Christmas.
What a lovely give-away! We will be staying close to home, cooking and enjoying family. I hope you and yours have a lovely weekend, too!
As our kids are living in far away towns we will be spending the day at the neighbours and another couple, as they are all in the same position,
Merry Christmas to all
We will be gathering around our tree this year, grateful for every moment this holiday brings. Merry Christmas Everyone.
We are in London’ England to celebrate the holidays with our daughter. We have already been to town to see the lights in Oxford Circus, Regent Street and Leicester square. We have browsed Covent Gardens, the Winter Wonderland fair in Hyde Park, and seen the Kew Garden light display. And off to Scotland for five days to see Hogmany celebrations!
Hanging out at home, enjoying my granddaughter, Resting after a very busy gift & ship season. Joy to all who share this weekend with families and friends. Merry Christmas!!
The family is coming over and I will cook Christmas dinner, beef rib roast, scalloped potatoes, salad, etc. Watch the kids and grandkids open their gifts!
I, judy Lawrance, will have Christmas eve supper with my son–the gourmet cook in the family!Christmas morning we will go to my daughters to open gifts with her family . Christmas night we will have supper with her….
At home my husband and I have been relaxing and watching sweet Hallmark movies –as i stitch away on my embroidery and/or quilting projects!
Merry Christmas to all! And thank you, Mary, for these fun prize drawings of beautiful embroidery gifts! It has been loads of fun ! Even without winning, I have appreciated all the lovely , inspiring things you have shown to us!
My husband and I are hosting our best friends on Christmas Day and making Pad Thai for Christmas dinner.
Cooking, cooking, cooking!
No big plans. We do not travel due to the weather & so many people traveling at this time of the year. Just quiet time at home.
I have travelled north today to spend Christmas with my son and his family which will be lovely….but the schedule is in their hands, not mine. However I do have some stitching planned for tomorrow with my 2 grandchildren aged 9 and 7 whilst their Mum and Dad attend to their last minute jobs…..I am very much looking forward to this little project that I have planned for them.
Happy Christmas to everyone!
Christmas eve family and friends for dinner and cheer.
Then exhausted, off for 2/52 holiday to recoup and repeat the effort next year!!
Lots of stitching will be done then
I decorate the day after Thanksgiving. We usually bring in a tree out of the farm nursery stock. Maple? Copper Beech? Weeping Atlas Cedar? We’ve had them all. They are alive and I water them with ice cubes. We open all our presents on Solstice, and welcome the light. Today, I take down everything and put it away.
I pack up the stockings and stuffers, and a dinner that can’t be beat plus fresh farm produce, eggs, bacon, ham, ingredients for baking, coffee, cocoa, soup….and then we head to the mountains to see real snow. We leave on Christmas eve and wake up to a wonderful breakfast on Christmas Day. We play in the snow, sit by the fire, read books, sew, embroider, play music and eat! We bake cookies and bread and just have some great family time. We’ve even gone out for pizza and shuffleboard and taken in a movie. When we get home, there’s just the stockings, suitcases and leftover groceries to put away. We’re refreshed and ready to start the new year.
It’s simple and we love it. We’ve left behind the “family” drama, giant gift consumption…..my spouse got new shoes and a knife, I got a calligraphy set & the A-Z of Stitches books, and my son got a new cell phone. We still send money to a few of the younger kids, but we skip all the adults. No more all day cooking and cleaning, marathon baking/shopping/wrapping.
Now we actually enjoy the holidays. Hope all of yours are Merry and Bright.
Thank you for the lovely year of embroidery blogging.
well, will have to make sure there’s enough food in the house to cover the holiday break, but all in all will just be spontaneous, might travel around the island (tassie) but will definitely be doing some stitching and just down right relaxing…happy new year to you, and thank you for your inspiration…x esther- the tilted wig
I have the AZ Embroidery 1 and it is my favorite. Would love to build my library with more from this series. They are on my wish list.
My Christmas holiday weekend is going to be a fun family time as all of our children and their families are joining us. Two families have travelled to NZ from the UK to be with us. Yes there will be lots of cooking but as it is the height of Summer here there will be lots of BBQs at the beach so easy as. Thank you Mary for all the inspiration you have given me this year. A very Merry Christmas to you.
Hello
This weekend I’ll be home with my wonderful husband and daughter is coming to spend Saturday night. We will be eating a wonderful Christmas breakfast and of course I’ll be stitching whenever I can. They both know how I love to listen to them talk while I stitch away!
Merry Christmas to all!
Those books are wonderful Mary I hope that I have a chance to get them and use them myself!
I am staying home. My son, daughter-in-law and grandson are here from Houston. We will celebrate Christmas Eve as they return home Christmas morning. I love having the family together even though it is a lot of work.
Thank you Mary for all these fun give aways. Hope you enjoy the holidays and wish you a healthy new year!
I’m hosting Christmas Eve this year. I’ve been cooking for days. The family has grown so large (30 of us) that this will probably be the last time at my house. My house is small house so we will be tight. Happy Holidays to all. I’ve enjoyed reading the comments.
I am planning a quiet, peaceful Christmas, just myself and my partner. I will try to slip in attaching the last two rows of my current quilt. But other than that it will be just a warm, lazy few days, bliss.
Our Christmas holiday plans are quite subdued this year–children and grandchildren elsewhere. I plan to use the time to do some stitching, and finish some projects that are partially completed. I decided that I wouldn’t start anything new until something old was completed! That sounds like a New Year resolution, doesn’t it?
All the best to you for the holidays, and may the new year be happy and healthy.
Sneaking some stitching in when I can, between cooking and visiting with family. Sister flying in from Colorado so planning lots of fun with her. Big Turkey dinner waiting for her……… have a great holiday to all that read this.
I love the chance to win these books. Thank you. I’m writing this while visiting in Atlanta with our family’s new twins. They are one year old and I have come from Arizona to visit my grand nieces for Christmas, the first family Christmas with young children in a very long time.
As Christmas Eve is also the first night of Hanukah, I’ll be having beef brisket, latkes and applesauce with my husband’ kids and grandkids at my stepson’s ranch, about 50 miles from here and in the Angeles National Forest. Then on Sunday it’s Christmas dinner with my parents and a few of my brothers and their families at my parents house, less than three miles away. Two holiday dinner and two gift giving opportunities! Yay!
Saturday, my husband and I will drive over to Paola, Ks and spend the day with my brother, who lives at Lakemary Center. We will go out to eat and then shop at Walmart which are his two favorite things in the world before going back to his room and opening Christmas gifts.
Sunday we will go over to a friend’s house for a feast. Every year a group of us who no longer have family nearby or living, get together and share a meal and good times.
Everyone enjoy your holidays and stay warm and travel safely.
This is my first Christmas home in three years – I have no agenda apart from cuddling my cat and enjoying the day.
The holidays is all about family, we get together and share the cooking, play games, talk, laugh and of course have a big feed up. As I live in the southern hemisphere it is in the middle of summer, so we have different traditions to Europe and North America. We have barbecues, go to the beach, have lots of picnics, water balloon fights….. not a flake of snow in sight!
I am going to my son house for Christmas. My daughter is coming home next week. Merry Christmas Ms Mary.
I’m across the state from my family and have no desire to drive that far in the snow, so I’m staying put. I’ve got plenty of food, my cat, cable, Netflix, books, and plenty of arts and crafts supplies. And two three day weekends in a row!
To Carol Fullman
My husband and I don’t have a children, but I can’t imagine what pain you are going through this holiday season. May God be with you in this time of need.
We’re just staying home.
Staying home cooking for family and friends all weekend. Merry Christmas!
Carol Gray
My husband and I will be going to the home of our older son for Christmas dinner. Our whole extended family will be there, which makes it especially nice. We’re also grateful that he is able to take over responsibility for hosting most holiday events. As I get older, putting on holiday dinners becomes a lot of work!
My family and I will be having a quiet Christmas at home. A typhoon is expected to hit on the 26th so that will mean all day indoors drinking hot chocolate, watching a Christmas movie and perhaps some stitching time as well 🙂
Merry Christmas to you all!
Driving to Auckland to spend Christmas Day with No 2 daughter, her family and in-laws. I’m taking the salads and a very decadent dessert! It is mid summer here in New Zealand, so we are hoping for a nice sunny day. Love getting all your newsy emails and your great website, Mary. I wish you all the best for Christmas and the New Year
I’m spending the holiday with my sister and her family. I will be helping her decorate the tree. She just put the first ornament on.
It will be a quiet Christmas but full of “goodies”. I’ve spent the past 2 days from dawn until dusk, chopping, dicing, and slicing, and now cooking up a storm. Tomorrow I start to put it all together. Only 3 of us (I, my hubby, and my father) but I’m cooking a feast that would feed a herd! (Method to my madness, next week I won’t have to cook! so I can stitch. LOL)
No real plans, just taking it easy after a tough few weeks.
One more batch of cookies to bake and then divide them up to share with neighbors. Christmas morning
will be spent at church celebrating the birth of Christ, our Saviour.
I really do’t know what I’m doing this year for Christmas. My husband died this year so I just may stay home and give myself another good cry. We usually go to my his niece’s place for the holiday, but don’t know yet if she’s hosting. I may go to my sister’s and chill out.
This weekend is wonderfully full. Two family celebrations–one on Christmas Eve and the other on Christmas Day. Then I am blessed to have an entire week of work. Stitching and sewing here I come.
We live in a retirement community of mobile homes and RV’s so we are planning to attend a pot luck dinner with about 100 of you friends and nei8ghbors. A potluck means minimum cooking so I will be able to sew a bit in the morning
I will be working Christmas Eve, then it is going to be a quiet Christmas because we celebrated with our family earlier this week. I enjoy a quiet Christmas with my husband. A nice contrast to the chaos of the family celebration!
This Christmas we are excited to have all four of our children (they live in four different states) home with their families. When they were here growing up, there were six of us; now there are twenty-four, including husbands of the oldest two granddaughters. There are also an extra two foster children this year, making a total of twenty-six, for a very lively holiday get-together! There won’t be much time for stitching while everyone is here, but I did manage to make some sofa pillows for gifts!
Busy holiday weekend. Already celebrated Winter Solstice, have an intense day of sewing for clients, then Christmas lunch at my nephew’s and later get together with cousins and their families. Lots of fun.
Here in New Zealand we have a summer Christmas! Our son and his three children are here from Australia so together with our daughter, husband and six children we get together tonight, Christmas eve for glazed ham dinner and then go off to church for a Christingle service especially for children. Lots of carols and participation.
On the big day all fourteen of us will have a turkey dinner and the children will swim and play with their presents. It will be lots of fun as the cousins love getting together. I have some embroidery gifts to give out and love to see some interest taken by several of my grandchildren. One special gift I have designed and made this year is a Husif especially for my son who is a widower and needed some stitching items for minor mending, button replacements etc.
The next few days of our long weekend will be spent picnicing at the beach or rivers and relaxing together as it will be the start of our summer holidays. Merry Xmas to all!
We never do anything ‘big’ for Christmas it is usually a quiet family day, with very relaxed eating plans. There are 4 birthdays leading up to Christmas, we always make a big event out of each persons special day.
My big plans for the weekend include family time & some cleaning while I have a few days off work. Hopefully, I can get some stitching time in to (finally) start on a lovely embroidery kit I purchased earlier this year!
Our weekend plans? Stepping back from the hectic day-to-day schedules and demands and looking at what is truly important in life. It is easy to get caught up in the madness of shopping and putting events together. Those are so fun, but the Reason for the season brings a peace in chaos, joy in struggles, love demonstrated amidst a world of war and fear. It’s Jesus. He inspires thankfulness that we don’t have to walk life alone. We’ll go to church; come home, and join friends in celebration. After all is done, dishes and food taken care of….then I’ll stitch :-)! and smile.
I plan on having our daughter and her family for Christmas dinner. But more exciting is the coming home of my two new grandsons from the hospital on Christmas Eve. They were born 11 weeks early. Even though they live 7 hours away, I look forward to seeing them via Facetime with my son and daughter-in-law. I can’t think of a better Christmas present!
Happy Holidays to you and yours. I am looking forward to the rain storm that is expected to arrive tonight and last till Christmas morning – it should be a real treat! (I live in San Diego and we have had a severe drought for years – so rain is very welcome).
Jane B.
My husband and I are home this holiday, just happy to be together. I will bake an apple pie on Christmas Eve Day, we’ll top it with ice cream and I will have a hot cup of blueberry tea. I will continue working on a hand pieced quilt project my sewing group started earlier this year. Pretty bright colors of yellow, blue and white. Enjoy Christmas, it is a special time of year.
I am not planning on doing anything in particular on Christmas–possibly attempting to finish a messy bun hat for my stepdaughter whose birthday is two days after Christmas! I think hanging out with my BF and my kitty sounds very nice, otherwise. Maybe watch a movie. 🙂
Plans for the Holidays – Our family was in town before the holidays and we celebrated then – they just left this afternoon. We are also leaving just after the holidays for a cruise around the Western Caribbean for our anniversary
Our holiday will be done by ear.We have found over the years if we try to put times and things we are all grumpy because something always happens. Much nicer when everyone has fun and you hear lots of talking, eating and laughter 🙂 I also enjoy the quiet of everyone dosing after very full bellies. It is all the hum of the holidays and families gathering that is so good to a mothers heart:-)
Happy Holidays Mary! My husband (who plays Santa), our therapy dog Christmas and I will be visiting the hospital on Christmas Eve and a Senior Living Residence on Christmas. By Christmas night, we will be relaxing by the fireplace.
I have left comments before. I always come up with and error message. Helen
We’re having fun cooking new recipes and will have to stream some movies to watch. Looking forward to presents too!
Traveling to daughters to spend weekend taking care of the “zoo”, border collie, 3 cats, and mink while she and her family are off to Williamsburg. Will spend Christmas Day with son and family who live nearby. In between zoo duties, will be working on granddaughters wedding quilt…
Christmas Day is spent with my family and 26 December is spent at home catching up on stitching, DVD watching and anything else I’ve previously recorded. I also plan to sort through the pile of paper patterns I have downloaded during the year and decide what I’m REALLY going to stitch and the rest “what was I thinking!” pile will end up in the recycle tray in my printer. Happy holidays to everyone and safe travelling.
Regards, Jenni
Stitching, cooking and just spending time with family:)
OMG so excited to see my name picked as winner for the Cardinal and Dogwood needlepainting kit! Can hardly wait for you to contact me! Thank you and Merry Christmas indeed!
Our youngest daughter and husband plus two grand boys age 2 yrs and 4 yrs, are arriving any minute – Friday at about 7 pm – and we are all looking forward to having a great time together – trimming the tree, baking cookies, making Christmas cards, and loving each other. I am so happy to be spending Christmas with some of my beloved family. Merry Christmas to you Mary – I love your work and your posts.
Pauline
Thanks for the chance to win, Mary. I’m sewing and knitting tomorrow. To visit my brother’s family on Christmas! Celebrating my birthday quietly on Wednesday .
Merry Christmas! Good luck to all!
We’ll be taking the kids over to the in-laws christmas eve for a fancy dinner, and then back over there on christmas day for an avalanche of presents. My goal is to try not to empty our bank account into the internet on cool stitching stuff as I throw myself on the computer subdue anxiety(and not make comments I will later regret!). Happy Holidays everyone!
G’Day Mary, and it’s Christmas in the bush again, with our son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren 3 and 7. 40ºC heat, air cooler working overtime, cold food and ice drinks all day. And water fights, which usually start inside but are quickly scooted out! Then watermelon on the veranda. Our son has worked 20hrs straight harvesting wheat so he’s out to it for part of the day, until ice and laughter penetrate his sleep and he’s up for a special cold ham and salad dinner. We are having our Christmas on the Eve this time due to the late harvest commitments, but, it feels dinky di. And despite the need of rain for the drinking water tanks and the heat and watermelon seeds secreted into our ice cream, we are happy, Christmasy happy.
Christmas love to you Mary.
Cheers, Kath.
This Christmas I will be joining my daughter, her husband and two children along with all her husband’s immediate family for a fun shared lunch. I will have the morning to myself and will be joining them at lunch time.
I will therefore have time to do some more Christmas quickie cross stitches for my Christmas tree. It is covered in about 70 miniature cross stitches from the small red framed to the snowflake patterned small cushions. It looks a treat. I began the decorations about 20 years ago, adding half a dozen each year. I really enjoy putting the tree up each year and adding to the collection.
Karin
The holiday season will be spent with family and friends, enjoying good food and great company!
My Husband and I are going to hang out at home on our own this year.Because of Medical problems I cannot travel to see my daughter and her family this year. But hey thats okay we will have a nice Christmas dinner with a couple of glasses of wine. And I just might get some time for stitching.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Years to All
This weekend we will attend Christmas Eve services. Christmas Day the family and puppies will come over to celebrate and have appetizers. I love the family all together.
Our ever-changing plans at this moment are to visit our son and his family in Texas. That is unless we get a call about another change!
Stitching, eating and sunbathing (new zealand here ) that’s the plan.
Reality is: cooking, cleaning and looking after the kids, pets and plants !
Have you all a very Merry Christmas and thanks for your company
Upcoming weekend-I am anticipating a weekend of stitching – my Christmas present to myself is one of The Crewel Company kits. I’m waiting till Christmas Day to open the box and then I plan to start this new project.
Dinner guests every night from Wednesday through Christmas Day when we have both sides of the family coming to us 🙂 Then family get togethers on Boxing Day and Tuesday, and then we’re off to the beach when I’m hoping to finally get back to some stitching. It’s not too hot here in NZ currently so all the cooking is not too bad.
My sister is visiting and we are having a very laid back Christmas with my husband and son, 2 mastiffs and a labradoodle.( Sounds like I could to write a song about that. ) We are playing it by ear and I am managing to get some time for stitching in the evenings. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks for all the give aways. After I didn’t win the scissors Nordic Needle donated for the give away, I saw the Broderi box on their web site and my wonderful husband has ordered it for me. 12 months of unexpected stitching goodies, YAY..
Staying in with my family and doing homework…hopefully will get to work on my current project but we’ll see!
Living in the hot part of the world at Christmas time (Australia), our plans are to have a quiet day and try to keep cool if we can. I have plenty of salads, cold meats and chilled wine in mind.
I’m planning a quiet Christmas Eve with my daughters and some of their friends, then an even quieter Christmas morning. Then they will go off to spend the day with their dad and I will crawl into bed with some stitching!
My big plan for the weekend is to spend it with my best friend and two very lovable dogs. We are going to eat pizza and binge watch some of our favorite shows. Obviously, I will stitch as I usually do in front of the T.V. I can’t wait to stitch for hours on end!
The holiday weekend began today with my grand children joining me in cookie prep. Tomorrow eveing our families will gather for a meal of special memories. Each member brings a dish or two. We also take pictures in front of the Christmas tree to mark another year of our families growth and happiness. Such a special time to stop and remember we are all part of one big family.
I’d love to be the proud winner
My plans are to go to church and then enjoy the rest of the day at home with family.
I’m spending the Christmas weekend with family and friends whom we consider part of our family. We will enjoy an Italian-style Christmas Eve and then have a quiet Christmas Day with a more simple dinner. I’m sure to spend a bit of time on one of my WIP. Wishing all a Merry Christmas!
Christmas is a special time for our family to be together. We cook, eat, drink, and talk all weekend. Go for walks and usually hace a Boxing Day picnic but this year it will be very very hot so maybe just tak some more
Right now I’m finishing up a large hanging ornament for my nephew…putting on the braid. This weekend I’ll be wrapping gifts, stitching, and on Christmas eve I’ll be joining my family at my sister’s house for our family gathering.
Not big plans for my family – home and a few friends over for a brunch! Have a happy holiday season!
Our family gathers together at one of our homes to celebrate holidays. The only agenda we follow is three-meals-a-day! Everything else is strictly by ear, and often provides some very special memories.
My plan for the holiday weekend is to travel to see family and try to get plenty of rest. Thanks to you and the businesses for the give aways. Have a very merry Christmas and happy new year. Hopefully we’ll get some snow instead of rain in Kansas and Missouri during the holidays.
We spend Christmas Day with our son and his family at their home. The rest of the Holiday season is spent relaxing. I have a stumpwork project and a sashiko sampler to finish so I’m planning to work on them at my leisure.
Plans for the weekend are simple. Since it is expected to be raining we’ll spend the day indoors. That will give me quality stitching time, hubby some movie time and both of time to reflect on what the season means to us. No set schedule just quiet time. Or as quite as the movies allow. Thanks for the chance to win some great books.
It’s Christmas Eve here already. We’re waiting for a thunderstorm to arrive to break the heat – a typical Christmas in Australia. The children are back home for a few days from the big smoke (the city – Sydney) and it will be a complete family Christmas because no-one is travelling overseas. For once in my life, everything is ready early and I’ve been stitching to keep sane. Although I can’t really be sane doing french knots as a shaded filling! Wishing you, Mary, and everyone all over the world, a happy, festive and joyous Christmas weekend and a peaceful, healthy New Year.
I am hosting Xmas eve and Xmas morning brunch for
my children and five grandchildren.
A tradition we started is that the grandchildren get to open 1 gift Xmas eve and it is their Xmas pyjamas.
Carole Kennedy
Ottawa Canada
Hi Mary,
We will be hosting our family get together where everybody brings a dish, we eat on really nice disposable dishes so no one’s stuck doing dishes, and we get to sit and visit and enjoy our four-generation LOUD family Christmas! Hope you and your family have a wonderful day.
We are all tucked in at home while it snows outside. The kids are cozy and there is hot chocolate for all. A quiet night to read the story of Christ’s birth and to feel the blessing of family all around.
Other than a little grocery shopping we are ready. Last year I was a maniac getting ready for an exhibit. This year we are being very relaxed and taking all the time we want to visit friends and family. Should still have some stitch time in between.
WHAT A GIVE AWAY (IT’S WONDERFUL & GENEROUS). My daughter is having us over to her house for Christmas dinner–first time ever. We are very happy!
Family is gathering. Hoping to make to the hot springs near by for a soak. Merry Christmas and a Beautiful New Year.
I’m fortunate to have my 92 yr old parents nearby so they will attend Christmas Eve services with us.
We’ll be together for Christmas dinner and opening packages Christmas Day. Daughter Lindsey
and her husband will visit his family in NYC and son Kaelin will be in Denver with friends. This
will be the first Christmas they wont be coming home. Merry
Christmas to you Mary and wishing
you the very best 2017 ahead.
Peace and goodwill to all.
It is the night before Christmas Eve, and I’m sitting in an airport waiting for the plane that will take me home. The last month I have been helping my daughter and her family after she gave birth to a 32 week old premie, and as much as I miss them already even though I have not yet embarked on my trip, I also miss the rest of my family waiting for me at home. Christmas for me, more than at any time of year, is all about family, those who are with you, and those who are far away, but who always have a place in my heart.
Merry Christmas, Mary and may you be blessed in 2017 with health and much happiness.
My only serious plans for the weekend are dreaming about Trish Burr kits! So lovely! Oh, there might be some be cooking, family time, and holidaying to. 😉
It’s interesting, to me at least, that i plan my weekends (days) and mostly trips around my stitching. For long trips over christmas there are two mermaid blankets to be chocheted. For good long straignt highway there are the fingerless mittens. For taking to christmas where i’ll have some quiet time there is redwork. I can watch the tv with kids and still work. I haven’t found the thing I will be doing with the new soon to be 3 month old red-headded grand son. He still sleeps so I can do needlework, but when holding him, I will probably not even remember needlework he will be so fun.
I’m a nurse and I’m working. I will be celebrating with the patients too ill to be discharged home. We always plan something fun for them. They would rather be home too!
All of the give away prizes are very good, especially these A-Z how to books. Tomorrow, I plan to enjoy a wonderful quiet Christmas lunch with a friend and then rest!
It will be just me and my father as other family are not able to join us – we will be joining friends of the family for a Ukrainian Christmas feast.
I started Christmas last weekend with my daughter and her family being home for the weekend to celebrate Christmas. Her kids are almost grown up so they wanted to spend Christmas at home this year which I certainly understand. My oldest son and his family spent the day today with me, my mom, and my sister. We had an enjoyable day with lots of laughs and food to eat. On Christmas Day my brother and SIL, her son, my sister, my mom and I will spend the day together. I will also see my youngest soon over the weekend as he lives very close and his kids will be home until Monday. So you can tell that my Christmas holiday will be filled with lots of family, food, and many blessings of Christmas. I am truly blessed with loving family and children along with eight grandchildren. Merry Christmas.
This Christmas will be spent with my older daughter and my son-in-law. I am very excited because on Christmas day an announcement will be made as to the gender of the baby and I can hardly wait! This is my first grand-baby… what a wonderful Christmas gift! Girl or Boy, I just want a happy and healthy baby and am thanking God for the best Christmas gift ever! Hint, hint… I think it’s going to be a girl 😉
We are taking it easy and playing catch up as we are having Christmas Jan 7th. All the girls are going to in laws first this years so I’m willing to be last this year. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I lost my husband to cancer on Nov. 3rd. This holiday season has been difficult for me. Our kids live out town and will be celebrating in their towns. I have had various offers from friends. I live in a small town and the outpouring of love and open invitations has been remarkable. We just had a winter storm, that dumped a massive amount of snow. So unless a miracle happens and somehow the snow disappears from my driveway, I will be spending my weekend at home. So I plan to start a embroidery project dedicated to my husband.
Mary in Oregon
My plans for this holiday weekend are: Dinner tonight with my daughter, son-in-law, and their six children. We are celebrating with food, the Christmas story, read by my husband, and exchanging gifts. Tomorrow I will cook most of the day to take dinner to my parents house Sunday after Julotta services. We will spend the day with them and 2 of my four brothers.
Morning if Christmas is just me, my husband and our two kids (11 and 15). Then we pack up the car and bring the dog to go to my husband’s parents home, about an hour drive from Seattle. The 24th is a fun, happy, loving day. Including all the grandkids, there are 16 of us at the table!
Spending the Christmas weekend with my two daughters in Durban, South Africa
Hi! My husband and I are having a quiet Xmas with lots of time for me to do all the handwork I love. On New Years day I will have my son and daughter with their families with me (it is my daughter’s birthday) , for the first time in 2 years! My daughter lives in Canada. Happy festive season to you and yours!
I don’t have any plans for Christmas…. maybe won’t even get dressed… spend the day in pj’s stitching.. and watching the christmas specials on tv…. Dr Who, midwives…. and maybe also watch miracle on 34th st (the original) 🙂 and hopefully skyping my son and his wife in South Korea, and the rest of the family in eastern parts of Canada. These books are certainly on my santa’s wish list.
our xmas is perfect. tomorrow is my daughters birthday and
she is bringing home her second daughter from the hospital
she had twins on sept 20 one large and one small and finally the small one is coming home!!!
We’ll be at home this weekend, busy with cooking food to take to my mom’s on Monday, which is when our family is gathering for our celebration. I hope to crank out some simple ornaments for gifts, too. We don’t give gifts unless we make them. There’s certainly no pressure about it–most of us have trouble finding time–but I’m determined to do some ornaments. They likely will involve glue instead of stitching. 🙂
Mary, thanks so much for your generous sharing of information and inspiration. I learn so much here. I hope your Christmas is very merry and that your New Year is healthy and happy!
This holiday season will be spent at my home with my daughters, their husbands, my husband and grand children. Christmas is so special to this family that my youngest will travel 14 hours to come home. We enjoy seeing the smiles on the grandchildren as they open gifts to celebrate the season. After all the eating and talking I will take time to do some stitching, quilting and sewing. We are supposed to have blizzard conditions on Sunday so hoping everyone arrives safely before the storm. Thank you for the wonderful website.
It has been real fun to enter these competitions although I have not won anything.
My plans for the holiday are to go to church on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, then spend the rest of the holiday at home on my own watching some television and doing a lot of stitching. I have a band sampler I want to finish before the end of the year. I also have homework to catch up on. It ma sound dull but I need a rest from a hectic year.
Like every year, I go see my family in the North East of France. Traditions run deep in our family…
Merry Christmas every one!
Christmas is about baking cookies and spending time with my family. That’s what I’m doing this weekend.
We are going to have a white Christmas here in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. I will be spending it with 4 generations of my family from age 4 to 101 years. Lots of turkey and fun. I hope to pick up my needle in some quiet moments. Looking forward to those wonderful books. Thx.
Hi…just at home with family as m off duty after years..and have to move to a new city on 1st of Jan again…going to cherish this time, who knows when will I get time like this again…Merry Christmas to all…
Will be spending a quiet but exciting day at Mum’s as Dad who now lives in care is getting a special wheelchair taxi to bring him out for the day. Medical expenses mean it will be a lean Christmas but we will have Dad so who cares about gifts?!
It would be lovely to give the A-Z books to Mum who after caring full time for Dad is now my carer after a car accident. We muddle along, but a surprise would sure lift her spirits.
Merry Christmas to all working at Mary Corbets Needle ‘n Thread.
My Christmas day this year will be quite special I will be spending the day with my sister and our two dogs. We will start with a walk along the cliffs. Then will go down to the village at midday to watch about 80 people going for a swim raising money for cancer research. This tradition started 48 years ago as a bet and the money £2 bet went to cancer research. Last year we raised £6000 mostly from sponsorship. I walk around with a collection bucket as around 200 people come to watch.
Then back for a vegetarian lunch and home made Christmas pudding. Then both of us will probably do a bit of sewing whist watching the TV.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful new year.
Pippa
Merry Christmas,
Just staying at home with a small family gathering.
Ida H. Norred
This year I am travelling out to Roma, 500 kilometres north west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I am now living on the Sunshine Coast and my son and daughter-in-law in Roma wanted me to go out there as it will be the first Christmas without my Mum. So, both my boys and their families (including my 4 grandchildren) will be together for Christmas. My younger son, Matty, is from south of Brisbane, so we don’t always all get together at the same time. Adam and Nicole (live in Roma) have also invited 3 other couples who will not have family in town this year, so we should have a great time. Adam even air-conditioned his big shed (it is summer here) so that we can all fit.
My family will spend Christmas Day with my husband’s side of the family in Ascoli Piceno, a beautiful medieval town in central Italy. On the 26th we will go to Rome and spend the day with my sister and her family. The 26th is St.Stephen’s and it is a holiday in Italy. I enjoy spending Christmaswith family.
This weekend, which has already begun, Saturday here, has seen me doing some dinner preparations for tomorrow. The meat is defrosting, ready for cloves and spices and this year I am going to use ginger marmalade on the ham. I will also make some cauliflower cheese and freeze it. Not enough room in our fridge.
We are having some family over for Christmas dinner and Monday will be leftovers so no one has to cook.
Oooooooo Wow!
What a treat it would be to start a collection of these A – Z books, Goldwork, Stumpwork, & Threadwork …….I’d be in stitchers heaven! ❤️✨
We are planning on attending church in the morning and then getting together with extended family to eat lunch and exchange gifts. We having been doing this for the 35 years I have been married and they were doing it long before I came into the family. It is great fun. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to one an all. If you are traveling, please be patient and safe.
Magnifique!!!
Merci
Bon Noël
This year, midnight mass at the cathedral on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day, family lunch then wrap up warmly for a nice long walk. After that…….stitching, stitching, stitching. Oh yes!
Hi Mary
We will be ‘hanging out at home’, just three of us, myself, my husband and my youngest son with my husband cooking! It happens every other year but I still get asked ‘how do I do this?’ and ‘when do I put that on?’ But I will enjoy myself.
Merry Christmas too you and a healthy, happy New Year.
There will be seven to cook for in our new house. Eating, laughing and lots of relaxing needlework………I’ve run out of present suggestions for my husband after 25 years together! Thank you for all your sharing this past year Mary…Have a Very Happy Christmas
Our weekend will be spent quietly at home. In fact, I plan on getting in some good stitching time while watching White Christmas and the original Miracle on 34th St.
Thank you for the chance to win these books and thank you for your work in providing this site.
I have a three day Christmas to look forward to. It’s traditional to celebrate Christmas gift-giving and eating with family on Christmas Eve in El Salvadore where my daughter-in-law comes from, so I am spending that day with her large, extended family. On the big day, I am going out for lunch with my brother and his wife, and then back to their place for a Christmas movie. On Boxing Day, my family get together and my 17 month old grandson will be the star attraction! Family, family and more family! What could be better?
Christmas will be simple. After everyone wakes up we’ll open presents, eat some food and just hang out for the day.
I’d love to have the books,can’t ever seem to get enough of them.
for Christmas this year we are having a big potluck on the beach in florida. its our first time doing this and we are looking forward to it.
i have really enjoyed this giveaways this year. thanks for all your work. Merry Christmas all!
Either one of these books would be hugely helpful to me. I’ve been working on some crazy quilt blocks and all the possibilities for all types of embroidery on these are endless. I’d love to build up a nice reference library for embellishing. Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas Mary!!
I think it’s going to be a quiet weekend, I hope to do some stitching and maybe some mixed media. There will definitely be some good food and, weather permitting, some hiking.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
With love,
Nita C
Our plans are simple: Midnight Mass and a quiet day at home.
With some members driving and some flying, our Family is all together this Christmas.
For yesterday, we had booked a cooking class for just our Family at “Whisk”, a great cooking store in Cary, NC. From scratch, we learned to make linguine and ravioli and sauces to go with them. Then we all sat down together and ate what we had just made. This is what helps bind our Family together now and creates Christmas memories for the future.
I will be visiting locally with friends and family, facetiming with family afar, and getting in some stitching time. Happy Holiday to you and yours and to all:)
This year is very different as my husband had a bypass operation and will still be in the hospital. Still, all seven of our grandchildren will gather in his room for a celebration.
I’d love the books as I’m just beginning homework and stumpwork. Love your site and posts.
Nancie
I’m stitching! Trying to finish a gift for my sister. Friends and church tonight, family tomorrow. It’s raining now. Glad it’s not snow, making it difficult to get around, although it sure would be prettier.
Merry Christmas, Mary. Thanks so much for all you do!
I’m staying home & stitching. It’s going to be quiet & relaxing around here.
My Christmas is going to be quiet. Aside from my sister who lives with me my family is on the West Coast and since I have end stage kidney disease and have to be dialysed twice a week (4 boring hours when I have to keep my arm still, so all hand work is out of the question) travel is very difficult. Still, a few presents exchanged and a more elaborate meal than usual will make the day special. And the weather is going to be exceptional – highs in the sixties here in SW Missouri
I’d love to win these books, Mary! Thanks for the chance. Our festivities this year include a long visit with our son and daughter-in-love, and their cat, who have travelled from Edmonton to Ontario to be with us. We’ll skype tonight with our daughter and family who live in Australia, play cards while listening to Christmas carols and nibbling all evening long, intermittently opening some Christmas gifts. We had our Christmas dinner last night. Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we’ll open the remaining gifts, have lunch, and then our guests (sans cat) will be travelling to our DIL’s parents for a second Christmas dinner, more gifts, and visiting for several days before they return for more fun, food, cards and laughter. This afternoon we’ll head out for a nice winter walk down to the local park perhaps with maybe a snowball fight. We’ve had more snow so there will probably be some shovelling happening, too, today.
I wish you a Wondrous and Blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with good Health, Happiness and lots of Stitching Goodness. Thank you for another year of shared knowledge and inspiration!
I am in Orlando, Florida spending Christmas and New Year’s with my ‘lil sister. That’s not all…. when I arrived at the airport here, I was surprised by my Mom who had arrived just a week before I did. It’s just gonna be a girls party this holidays!!!!
Manasi Ranade
Merry Christmas and Hapy Holidays to all.
We are planning to drive 2 hours to friends for an early Christmas dinner. We are bringing our dogs to visit with their dog.
There will be no time to stitch on Christmas Day but I plan to stitch today inbetween making home made crackers to take tomorrow.
We’ll be seeing friends tonight for our annual Christmas celebration, and then family tomorrow. We’ll have one last celebration after Christmas when our kids return from their in-laws.
I will be doing some eating and stitching on Christmas Day with a small group of friends who are also stitchers. We will be having a potluck noon meal and an afternoon of talking about and working on various stitching projects.
We are spending a quiet holiday dog sitting for our son. Christmas dinner with my brother and his wife with grateful hearts. Worship tonight the eve of Christmas. Next week we are attending a lacross game when the family returns from Saratoga and celebrating our grandsons birthday. Quiet anticipation. Merry Christmas.
We are up at our mountain cabin. Traveling today to visit with my sister and brother for a nice Christmas visit.
As we get older our plans get simpler and sadly they include fewer people as the younger ones have their own families and the older ones pass on. But we’ll spend a quiet day and have a nice dinner, thankful for all we have. And we’ll include any friends who don’t have family near to spend the day with.
No special plans for the weekend – nice quiet holiday with the fur kids 😉
My plans are to stay home and enjoy visits from children and grandchildren But first I have to finish house cleaning and cooking
Our holidays are quiet this year. Time with hubby over weekend followed by dinner with my family on Christmas Day. I certainly hope to keep stitching away, as usual, when not involved in the festive occasions.
Have good holidays yourself and to your blog !!
Lovely quiet holiday with my daughter coming up. We’ll do some cooking and baking and there will still be plenty of time with my needlework as we chat away.
For this Christmas weekend, we plan to relax today by watching some football while I stitch on a large counted thread project. I began it in January and hope to complete by December 31. On Sunday we will attend early mass then travel about 50 miles to exchange gifts and have dinner with one of our sons and his family. Later we’ll talk with other relatives in distant cities to share good wishes of the season.
This holiday weekend will be used for kicking back and relaxing from a sinus infection so I will be doing some hand sewing. Have a Merry Christmas!
We are staying home for the holiday, as we do every year. Most of our family is here anyway, and we will go to church tomorrow morning together, then just hang out and eat too much the rest of the day. I love low-key holydays! If there’s enough snow, the kids will do some sledding on our hills.
Hope to get in a little cabin-in-the-woods time.
I am far from my birth country, and even farther from my country of residence. My Canadian family and friends will be indulging in turkey, ham, roast beef, etc. My French friends are enjoying fois gras, and seafood. Yesterday I was informed that tonight’s menu with will be goat. 🙁
Just staying home with family. A quite weekend.
I will be spending the holidays in the kitchen 🙂
Merry Christmas to Mary and all! This Christmas Eve I will spend with family and Christmas Day with friends. Thank you Mary for another opportunity to win an amazing contest.
Jennie from WV
I will be cooking with my son on Christmas Day for the rest of the family after lunch playing a few games then I’m looking forward to an evenings embroidery session with a new little kit that’s my special treat to myself so excited to open it and get started heaven .
Spending this time with family in Florida.
We have a quiet Christmas and then a big family New Year as it’s my birthday on New Years Day. There is always time for stitching, it’s the only thing that keeps me sane.
I would like to say a very big Thank You for all the wonderful prizes.
SEASON GREETINGS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I’ll be preparing dinner for eight on Christmas eve and watching two grandsons open presents on Christmas morning.
Merry Christmas, Mary! May you be blessed with health and love and peace this year and in the years to come! You have been such a blessing in my life! This gift of embroidery is something that gives me joy and relieves stress in my life. God Bless you, Mary!
Collette
One adult child and family (2 of the grandchildren) will be spending the night tonight and we will celebrate with our traditional Ukrainian brunch tomorrow and the usual Santa Claus in the morning. I have baked enough for a year I think. One child and family will not make it home this year and I feel a hole but they will be enjoying other family – it happens. Tomorrow we will see – maybe some sledding or maybe just being lazy and letting the kids play with their new toys. Time to relax and let expectations drift away and just enjoy what is NOW. Happy Holidays, I have enjoyed your emails.
I am a custom picture framer by trade and my last Christmas gifting order will be picked up on Saturday. Late evening Mass to give thanks for 2016 and offer prayers for 2017. After that I will be able to focus on family time for Sunday and Monday. Somewhere in there I need to make the family’s traditional Grandmother cookies.
This weekend we would be celebrating at home the big Christmas with my kids and soon to arrive baby.
I really would love to have these books to try these forms of embroidery esp. the stumpwork
No big plans, church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then lots of quilting.
We are going to a Carol service at church this afternoon, and tomorrow afternoon, we’ll go to the beach – a very peaceful Christmas. Enjoy yours, Mary!
My husband and I have traveled from VA to TX for a family holiday. I am having lots of stitching time, since this group does not move rapidly nor on any schedule. The giveaway books would be perfect right now, as I am working on a seminar project involving needle shading, stump work and gold work, all in the same project. I certainly hope the books come my way.
Elizabeth P. Harp
As soon as Christmas Day is over, we have to start moving back into our flat which we had to vacate for emergency repairs – and which isn’t quite finished yet! Not something I’m viewing with particular enthusiasm…
We are away from family this Christmas, but will be attending Christmas Eve and Christmas day church services and a get together with friends Christmas afternoon for wine tastings and appetizers.
Then, much stitching next week!
I am resting quietly between farm chores, I’m helping a dear friend take a few days off (farmers never get days off). I get to milk real Yule goats, and feed a real nativity scene, and play with big farm dogs in snow on the edge of the Bay of Fundy. Also, these books have all been on my wish list for ages!!! Thank you for a lovely holiday gift series, I hope everyone was inspired to give and to stitch!
Hi Mary, merry Christmas to you and all the readers of Needle and Tread.
I will spend my holiday weekend with my children and grandson, we will eat, drink and play together and just enjoy each other.
Ho ho ho to you all:)
Elly B.
We are so blessed this year because we will be spending Christmas with our children at our daughters home. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Special plans include not leaving the house at all, except for church on Sunday. No shopping or errands. Wild horses can’t drag me out again!
Pick me!
I just found your website and am reading everything I can. I’m an old hand at stitching,, but there’s always something to learn.
No special plans, just spending the day with my family, making a nice dinner, and hopefully doing some stitching.
Have a very Merry Christmas and thank you for doing these give-aways!
It’s a quiet weekend for my husband and I and a cooking weekend. We’re making tourtiere pie – a savory meat and mashed potato filling in a pie crust. The filling comes from my husband’s family and the piecrust from my grandmother.
We always go for a morning hike on holidays and then use the rest of the day to munch on various appetizer bites, share a bottle of champagne and enjoy each other’s company.
I’m planning my 2017 projects!!!!! Making sure fabric is washed and pressed, with edges oversewn to prevent fraying, sorting threads, and checking out where all my scissors have disappeared to!!!
No big plans this year. It’s going to be quiet, but still nice- just my husband and me.
Peace and good wishes to you all!
Going to our daughters for Christmas morning and letter in day going to our sons. We are bringing cookie trays and dinner rolls along with gifts. We can’t forget to bring along our 6# red poodle. Merry Xmas. Thanks for your great site
Not traveling! But strict schedule of church activities, family gatherings and gift giving! Merry Christmas to you and yours, and thank you so much for these Christmas giveaways! What a great idea!
Dear Mary,
Merry Christmas! Blessings for this special day.
I’m preparing our Christmas lunch and then resting. I will be far too full for anything else.
Tomorrow, I think I’ll have a quiet day in the garden.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Thank you for everything that you do for us!
Louisa
I will be spending Christmas weekend with my family at my in-law’s in Rochester, NY. We will eat lots of cookies and other goodies, exchange gifts, listen to Christmas music and are planning to go see Rogue One on Christmas afternoon.
Linda Mc from Erie, PA.
My son is home from college (in Paris), so we’re having a quiet, jet-lag/finals recovery weekend. I may actually get some stitching time in! I’m working on a gold-work project (Lucy’s Craftsy class project actually) and i’m finding myself intimidated by it, so i’ve put it off. This would be a good time to pull it out! Cheers all!
Coordeno um grupo de bordado com meditação e este final de semana vamos nos reunir para expor os bordados realizados no ano de 2016 agradecendo todas as conquistas do ano que passou. Tudo isso com muita alegria e paz no coração.
We have no little ones in the family anymore so our holidays are quiet. Our family gathers for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner and relax and enjoy each other’s company. Lots of laughter always.
Carol in Northern Indiana
My son and his wife have a young family, so we do whatever is best for them. This year we traveled to Houston on Friday morning, played with the children, had a hors d’oeuvres dinner and opened Grandma and Grandpa Christmas. We returned home on Christmas Eve and will spend a quiet day on Christmas. Tamales were supper Christmas Eve and pork tenderloin will be dinner on Christmas day. Stitching and playing with my antique tools will be my Christmas day fun.
Hope you have a Merry Merry Day,
Lois from Central Texas
This Christmas I’m spending with my 80 year old parents. They are my special gift.
I have several of the A-Z books (not these ones though!) and I agree that they are an excellent series. I love how detailed the instructions are. So this weekend … we don’t celebrate this holiday, so a peaceful weekend in our cosy conservatory with family and a little bit of stitching is what I’m hoping for! 🙂
Hi Mary – the 24th is for baking and cooking, the WHOLE day, and the 25th is for relaxing. Our family is small but enough to celebrate together and exchange symbolic presents. There´s barely any time to get some stitching done, but crocheting is easy and fast…. so my hands are never still!
Here´s wishing you a very happy Xmas day.
Time with family on Christmas eve and dinner with friends on Christmas.
Spending the holiday weekend watching Christmas movies with my best friend. A nice relaxing weekend with no pressure to do anything.
We are planning to have a fairly quiet weekend of going to church twice and spending time with family. Our large family celebrations are the 26th and 30th. Merry Christmas!
I would be honored to have these books on my shelf. Bought the A to Z Whitework book a few months ago and just love it.
We are having a pajama party at our daughters house and will be cooking and having dinner with them, the grandsons and a few friends on Christmas day.
Hope you have a wonder Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year
Cooking, spending time with family and counting my blessings.
I’m a total newbie and just found your site. I’m so excited by what I’ve seen so far! As for Christmas, I will be spending time with my kids and hopefully starting ro work on some embroidery.
I look forward to family at xmas but after I will be relaxing working on many stitching projects. I am embroidering. I love twilling and stumpwork lots of projects so little time. Chris Schaudel
Just found your website and this give away, so I hope I’m lucky!
Our plans for this weekend are just very low-key meals with my immediate family plus a trip to see other family on Boxing Day. I would also like to do something crafty — perhaps even starting my 1 Year of Stitches project!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Sarah
I’m going to have dinner with my family at home.
Well, here it is the 25th my day began with my two dogs lying very comfortably on the bed with me…somehow they haven’t learned yet to leave some room for me, so i have to squeeze in between them…but it’s ok, they make really great hot water bottles and i don;t have to knot a cozy for them!
Once off the computer i will be calling my BFF and her companion…and then off to clean the bathroom.
As a practicing buddhist i will be sitting zazen also a bit later. AND do some knitting then embroidering. A group that i am on is very small, and we all are very close. We decided this year to have our annual small toekn swap as a Chritmas in july ritual. So i will be starting on the gift-making soon. If not today…lol….will just have to see what sort of energy i have left after the other things are done. Wishing you, and yours, and the wider stitching community that you have gathered big big wishes for peace and contentment and ever loving stitches!
My big plans this weekend are to hang out with family and eat way too much good food 🙂
Thanks so much!
I have one of these in the series,but not these two. Would love to add them to my collection as they are so well written.
We go to husband’s sister Christmas Day for dinner. She tries to recreate the Christmases and dinners they had with their parents, but she has a greatly distorted remembrance of the holidays and dinners. Dinner runs until midnight – and there is nothing that either of us is suppose to eat. Dinner with his parents ended around 8 pm and we would go to the movies afterwards. She wastes money like crazy and she and her husband spend the entire day telling us how bad things are for them and how they have no money and his business is going under and how they cannot live on less than $200,000 a year – lucky them to even think of having same or needing same.
Christmas Eve used to be dinner out with them at the same restaurant that the family went to for decades. We have not been able to afford to go there since husband stopped working and for several years his sister insisted on paying for us to join them – very awkward for us as they cannot afford to go (see paragraph above) either. Finally we refused to go any longer. This year I made us Christmas Eve dinner. Three hours of cooking for half an hour of eating and then we went to mass.
On a normal Saturday and Sunday we would go to Ikea for dinner both nights and see a movie on Saturday night at a local theater and cannot do either due to the holiday so it is not all that great all around.
Sorry, the message left before I could finish it:
Christmas as usual is with my family at my parent’s home. That’s the 12 of us, around the big table.
Merry Christmas everyone!
We will spend a quiet holiday with some stitching and some cooking with outdoor exercise and church services.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Yesterday, Christmas Eve, I spent the day cooking a turkey dinner, then had a wonderful time visiting with my mom, dad, and son. Today, I am nice and cozy on my couch while I am working on embroidering a piano shawl as a gift for my mom. I have drawn a picture by hand and have researched stitching techniques to fill in the picture. Thats how I have found this contest, by looking for stitches to use for a butterfly.
Thanks for all your helpful videos!! Wishing you and all your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!!!
Hello Mary! My plans are to enjoy the quiet time after the celebrations and to plan what the new year’s resolutions will be; most of them involving stitching, greyhound rescue and “digging” into my gift of organic gardening! Priscilla
Had planned to go away this being our first Christmas since my dad passed away in October. But life happens and there was sickness in the house, so we stayed home and are enjoying the several inches of snow that makes for a beautiful, peaceful white Christmas.
Since my husband of 54 years passed away so recently my kids were going to take me away for the weekend, but when my grandson became I’ll we stayed home , and enjoyed the winter storm and White Christmas together. I’ve finally begun to get back to some needlework and it is a great comfort and distraction. My heart goes out to Carol and will be praying for her. God Bless with peace and comfort.
Well it’s gone midnight on Sunday here now, but Saturday was spent doing last-minute jobs and wrapping presents, then today was a family day of parcels, food and excitement. 🙂
Spending the day with parents, husband and the cutest toddler on earth.
I am traveling to my daughter’s home this year to spend Christmas with her and her husband and my two youngest grandsons. My husband of 51 years passed away a few days after Christmas last year so it will be good to be in different surroundings for the holidays.
Plan to spend time with family on Christmas day—and then stitch, knit and look at my new Kate Davies knitting books. We’re expecting freezing rain on Boxing Day so must stay at home—aah
The Holiday Week!!! You plan and clean and bake and clean some more and shop and WhatsApp and phone and plan some more. And then suddenly it’s Christmas and the kids arrive! First the one then another and then we all wait for the last one. The Airways is on strike and she will only arrive 3 hours later!! At last we are all under one roof and the festivities start. Lots of laughter and teasing and lots and lots of eating!! Wonderful time with lots of memories to remember for a long time to come. Who knows? This might be our last Christmas together? So we all enjoy every moment with each other and. A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!
Holiday plans, well, quietly stitching at home! On Christmas Eve my Mum joined me for the day with her knitting and I worked an amazing seven + hours of needlepoint in on a canvas of a trio of roosters I’ve designed for a friend. Of course now my arm is overly tired and I was only able to manage a half hour of stitching while at my brother’s home on Christmas Day!
Bom dia FELIZ ANO NOVO Deus abençõe vc.
Obrigado por enviar esses lindos bordados para mim.
Carlos
My holiday plans are to forget about the pressures of work for a while, and to always make a little time each day for creative pursuits.
Our plans are the same every year, comforting to have a definite routine! Be with one side of family Christmas eve and the other side on Christmas day. Wonderful both times and Christmas evening my husband and I are happy and glad to have some quiet time.
Merry Christmas, Mary. We had a lovely Christmas with family. We all get together to open our stockings. These have evolved from having an apple and a candy cane to full fledged cornucopia of fantastic gifts. It’s lots of fun! After dinner we play board games and start to doze off. Our anniversary is on Boxing Day so the celebrations continue. All the best for a blessed season and a year of health and peace.
We will be spending the time reconnecting with close family, who live pretty close but we rarely see each other throughout the year, since everyone is so busy. Happy Holidays Mary and to everyone else here too, I wish the same.
We will be spending the time reconnecting with close family, who live pretty close but we rarely see each other throughout the year, since everyone is so busy. Happy Holidays Mary and to everyone else here too, I wish the same.
No big plans here, DS was here Christmas Eve, and I went to Dad’s for a bit on Christmas afternoon. Otherwise it’s all staying home for peace & quiet and hopefully some sewing & needlework.
I spent my weekend doing little stitching, but lots of holiday prep. The coming week is a different story as my company is shut for the week. I will light a fire in the fireplace, turn on either music or an audiobook, sit down in the white wicker rocker and start 2017 gifts.
For years I have always learned a new technique in needlework or knitting on New Year’s Day or started a new project.
My siblings and I are mostly adults, so for us the holidays means cooking, and projects and activities. We almost always go to the Portland Zoo lights, a drive into the Columbia River Gorge and a day of shopping in Portland They have great supply shops for fabric, yarns and other arts.
Well, I’m never finished till the last possible moment, but when I’m finally done in the small wee hours of Christmas morning, I’ll be celebrating by having a coffee with aguadiente ( a Spanish aniseed liqueur) and a polvoron (a Spanish Christmas cookie, very similar to extremely short shortbread) to remind me of Christmas past in my homeland of Gibraltar, and I’ll thank God for all the many blessings I’ve received over the years.
Carol, heartbroken to hear your news. Lots of love and prayers going your way for all of you.
Dear Mary,
Thank you for having such wonderful gift. My plans for this holiday weekend and time are to relax and try to stitch as much as possible.
God bless, Nick Pericone
Carol, I am really sorry about it. 🙁
Just got back to Iowa from PA. Great time with our son and glad we didn’t go to our daughter and son in law in Minot ND which is having another blizzard!! Will wait until spring to see them!!
Dear Mary
My efforts to increase my spiritual boundaries this year are high on my New Years Resolution lists.
I’m quietly resting with a heart full of gratitude and composing a New Years Resolution list with needlework becoming a dominant theme. I never stress out over these lists – it’s more of a greeting to myself and a check-in to see how i’m doing – have i evolved?- if so, how? etc…?
Happy new year to you Mary and renewed health!
DAYAN
The holidays are generally quiet for me. I curl up with some egg-nog and watch my favourite Christmas videos (while contemplating what embroidery project I want to start in January).
Hi –
I do not celebrate Christmas (although that shouldn’t disqualify me!) and have the wonderful holiday of Hanukka in my family. We have 4 children and 18 grandchildren! (so far 🙂 We celebrate for 8 days, lighting candles, exchanging gifts and eating traditional food – jelly doughnuts, crembo, potato pancakes. We spent tis weekend with family and friends, playing spin the top with the children and visiting with friends. I live in Israel and tomorrow will travel up north to spend a few days relaxing and sightseeing.
Happy holidays to all!
Sandy
Our plans were to spend a quiet holiday at home, and to connect with our far flung family through phone and FaceTime. This is the first time in 49 years that hubby and I have spent a Christmas together without a gaggle of people about.
My Christmas came early on Dec. 23, with family, hosted at my house. There was lots of cooking, jigsaw puzzle making, gift opening, and happy conversation.
We had family come over. It was great, Christmas eve our aunt and uncle came from out of state, then Christmas day our grandparents came over. We had a really nice time. And that evening we went ice skating 🙂
We travel & cook up a storm…BUT a fun tradition is that each year one of us chooses a small piece: a table runner, card table topper etc & everyone present signs their name. The person in charge chooses a theme, places the designs & the piece circulates with those participating embroidering the signatures & designs. Some years the nostalgia is overwhelming! Happy New Year…and Peace to all
The holiday weekend plans included frantic last minute finishing of stitched ornaments for 5 of my grandchildren. This was a success thanks to help from my sister who is also a stitcher! Then a Christmas Eve gathering at the home of my son and his family for delicious home made pizza, s’mores and presents, great fun! Christmas Day breakfast was followed by a Face Time visit with our daughter who lives in Kansas City area.
I have enjoyed all the comments in the Christmas giveaway series.
Happy New Year, and
Happy Stitching to all!
No big plans just spending time with family. Thankful for all I have!
Christmas is all about family. We face-timed with our son and his wife in California, while my other son and his girlfriend were with us. We all opened presents together, and got to see everyone’s reactions to what each person sent. It was almost as good as being together in the same place. Oh, the marvels of today’s communication!
I’ll be spending a quiet holiday with my family this year. 🙂
Christmas will be celebrated at home this year. The weather is not co operating this year
I got my first embroidery kit for Christmas, so of course I headed to Pinterest to find some tips and came across your post, 8 Tips for beginners and have not left except to sleep awhile and here I am back for more. Thank You for all your tips (so far and I keep taking notes) I really like the way you have explained so much, any more advise Please send it my way.
Would Love to win, can’t learn too much.
Love all A-Z books !!! I spent Christmas with family and celebrated my 72nd birthday LOL. I love your blog and your information, as well as your insight. Thank you for all you do. Chris Lake
It was supposed to be cooking for the family, spending time at home and also playing it by ear. We did all that, though I would have loved to have gone dancing too. Maybe next Christmas.
My plans for this weekend (New Year’s Eve) haven’t been formalized, but won’t be a big production. I’ll spend the new year at a house party. It’s similar to this past weekend, and even more relaxing. Because Christmas Eve night was spent at a friend’s house and Christmas Day with family (only one stop). New Year’s Day would be great to browse these books and plan, as all three techniques are on my to-do someday list. I guess I’ll settle for spending the day stitching! Thanks Mary – for you and your enablers. Happy New Year!!
I love embroidery. I love the information which you part on your site.It’s a big inspiration for me to be alive.I would like to get your 3 books which will give me more inspiration and give me strength to inspire to my students.
Happy new Year and Happy working and inspiring others by ur inspiration.Thankq being part of my wonderful life.
We had a fabulous Christmas this year thanks Mary. We travelled up too my sister’s house in Perth, about two hours away, on Christmas Eve. All my side of the family attended. We drove home again and on Christmas Day went to my daughter’s place to spend the day. Just Wonderful
We are having family over, including my new daughter-in-law! Nothing better than family who are friends. Blessings to all of you this wonderful season. May the birth of a child, continue to change the world.
This holiday weekend I plan on taking down my tree, it is getting very dry and them putting my house back to normal. After relaxing a little, I will get ready for my family from NY to come back to my home to spend the last few days of their vacation with me. Happy New Year to you all!
After church, a traditional family get together on Christmas Eve with eating and gift giving. Then a quiet Christmas Day.
I am looking forward to the holiday weekend and I plan to cook simple but nice things like baked potatoes and self made apple-sauce. I plan te sit in my chair and read a thriller while the cat is sleeping on my lap and besides that I plan to listen to music and I hope to make a start with the alphabet sampler native wildlife cross stitich kit which I bought when I was in Australia.
The Christmas holiday will be spent with family. Christmas Day is low-key and laid back following Christmas Eve service. Just thankful for good health and loving children!
Good morning, I hope everyone had a great holiday. First I will enjoy Christmas morning with my family at my Mom’s house and then a smaller dinner at my house My Christmas plan is to sort and bag DMC floss. As a Christmas present to myself I bought the complete set of DMC six strand floss. I am going to put it in Floss Away bags and integrate it with the DMC I already have. My new years wish for everyone is health and happiness and a new needlework project.
I didn’t have any plans for the holiday weekend. I stayed home and was able to get in a little stitching time.
I had four of my five children home for Christmas and my three grand babies. It was lovely!
We spent Christmas Eve with friends and Christmas day cooking and watching our favorite holiday films
I traveled home for christmas. I didn’t get to do any stitching while I was there, but it was a fun visit, and my hand made christmas gifts went over very well!
Happy holidays, Mary! We have Chanukah all week long. On Thursday, my son and his wife are making the family Chanukah party. All my kids and grandkids will be there, along with other relatives. Lots of fun!
I felt that I should have had runners instead of tires on my car as I traveled to my son’s home leaving presents there and picking up presents from them for my daughter’s family. those delivered, (and Christmas celebrated with family) I filled my car once again with presents for my husband and stepdaughter’s family and returned home yesterday. No stitching but we made an incredible, way over the top, gingerbread house from scratch!
On Saturday I shall be going to see my seven-year old granddaughter in her first school play, “Charlie Brown”. I am so looking forward to this special occasion to celebrate the final day of 2016 with her and the family.
Happy New Year to you Mary and all your readers!
Maureen
Thank you for a chance to win these books. There is a rut worn between my house and the libraries who have lent me these books. Here is hoping you had a marvelous Christmas! I am very much looking forward to this blog in 2017 as I try to add more stitching time in my life. My older children all come home for the holidays. My daughter a avid stitcher. We both look forward to time well spent together stitching while watching a old Christmas movie and sharing.
I plan to spend quality time with my husband. Usually he’s at work all day and we don’t see each other as much as we’d like.
Any big plans for the upcoming holiday weekend? :
We’ll participate in a pot-luck dinner at our church, and then spend the afternoon at my sister’s home!
Hi Mary, Thank you for the chance to win a wonderful gift. Thank you for organizing all these and to the shops for donating the prizes.
Our Christmas was very quiet. We all shared in preparing our lunch of BBQ meats and salad and then my adult kids spent the afternoon at the beach. I took our dog for a long walk and had a little sleep. Christmas night was finishing up the nibbles and long phone calls to family living in Australia and elsewhere in NZ.
My holiday weekend consisted of baking and eating.
Christmas this year was, as planned, very low-key. It was also low on energy, so we had to pass on midnight Mass, much to my disappointment. There was, however, plenty of cooking, eating, washing-up, and, thankfully, QT with the family.
Just the usual family Christmas. Decorating and looking at the (real) Christmas tree is always a major treat for me. Thanks for all your posts this year, Mary! I wish you health and a great year of 2017!