Advent Calendar

It'll require more stitching, and more velcro, but make a set of circles with numbers 1-24 on them to cover the velcro. As you open a pocket, put the number in and pull the ornament out.

What a brilliant idea! It's so simple and easy to do. I had this idee fixe that the number was an inseparable part of the pocket! If the stitching gets too much for me, I could always cheat by using felt cut-outs for the numbers. Thank you very much.

By the way, I realise I haven't introduced myself. I am a geneticist studying mutation in bacteria. In my spare time, I do embroidery and cross-stitching. I took up needlework when I came to the States a couple of years ago, because I couldn't drive then and couldn't go to the library or parks or anywhere! I've now done lots of pieces as presents for friends and so on, but nothing "useful", if one thinks that beauty is not a goal in itself. But when I return to the UK and get married, I have plans to do up all our linen. However, I ought to learn to manipulate a sewing machine (and become, in the immortal phrase, "an able performer on the instrument") before I embark on really big projects like curtains. Well, that's who I am as far as needlework is concerned.

Shanti.

Button on the back of the pouch, matching (but bigger than button) button hole on the front of the pouch. Remove the ornament from the pouch, slip the button through the buttonhole and hang the ornament on the button.

Tara

My Aunt made something like this for us awhile ago - there were felt pockets and in each pocket was a little ornament with a safety pin attached. You pin the ornament on the outside of the pocket.

Alison PS Velcro hadn't been invented yet!

If the pocket-thing isn't a necessity, The Stitchery has a new advent calendar kit that looks pretty cute:

Joan

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: snip I've now done lots of pieces as

You might also be interested in Claudia Dutcher's Tabletoppers. They are about 2 ft by 2ft and are done on

18 count Anne cloth. Not only are they pretty (or fun, like the pink flamingo one), but they are functional as well. It was great the time DH & I stopped at my sister's house, peeked in the window (no one was home) and saw my tabletopper sitting on her dining room table. They are machine washable and dryable so even my little sister with three small kids was able to display hers without worrying about spilled milk or juice. Liz from Humbug

No connection, I just have a severe addiction to tabletoppers. :-)))

Welcome, Shanti!

Hope you'll stick around and chat! Where are you studying/working? My DH's family were all geneticists studying mutagenesis.

Sue

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Thank you all for your suggestions and words of welcome.

I am not sure I want to make up a kit. I made up a couple of Bucilla kits last year into Christmas ornaments and a stocking, and I've had my fill of them. I would prefer something more original. I have collected the charts for 24 different Christmas motifs, all between 1.5 and 3 inches in size, except for a 6" square panel for Christmas eve. My fiance and I decided we'd have a banner running across one wall with pockets to hold the ornaments (and perhaps even a little sweet). I think I will stick to my original velcro idea and exchange the number for the ornament each day.

Thank you. Shanti.

Shanti,

One more idea to think about: magnets! A small magnet enclosed in the front of the pocket and one on the back of the ornament - then you don't have the velcro to show at all.

When our house was being built, the builder solved several issues with magnets - I love magnets!

Christina