Advent, belated

At long last, here is the advent calendar, belatedly in January.  

As you can see, I hung it in a poorly lit place in my house so the photos aren't great, but whatever, the thing got done! Each ornament is double sided, except for the one blue name ornament, which was thicker felt. All the rest of them have the same thing, with slightly different embroidery on the reverse sides (save the owl and penguin, which have faces/bellies/wings only on one side).  Not only does it look nicer, but they're a bit more sturdy as well. Plus, I'm a stickler for nice looking embroidery backs and this way everything's hidden.   I'm pretty pleased with how it's come out! I have my favorites, and there are a few that I think I'll replace in the future as well. 

The full thing, clearly taken on the 14th of december.

The full thing, clearly taken on the 14th of december.

Holly, with individual berries on both sides.

Holly, with individual berries on both sides.

Tree.  The garland was better in theory than in execution. I may redo this one in future years.

Tree.  The garland was better in theory than in execution. I may redo this one in future years.

look at the penguin's lil belly! I love him.

look at the penguin's lil belly! I love him.

candle.  The stripes are different on the reverse.

candle.  The stripes are different on the reverse.

Present, no bow though, because it looked weird and i got tired of trying to make 1/4" pieces of felt bend to my will.

Present, no bow though, because it looked weird and i got tired of trying to make 1/4" pieces of felt bend to my will.

french knots! I can finally finally finally do french knots! and went a little overboard with them here, on both sides.

french knots! I can finally finally finally do french knots! and went a little overboard with them here, on both sides.

a bell.  It's a bell, it's fine. 

a bell.  It's a bell, it's fine. 

The mitten is one of my absolute favorites. I love how the big chain stitching mimics knitting, and with it on both sides the ornament is super squishy!

The mitten is one of my absolute favorites. I love how the big chain stitching mimics knitting, and with it on both sides the ornament is super squishy!

I'm kind of meh on the bird.  He got a bit mangled by the toddler this year, so I think he might be the first to be replaced next year (the bird, not the toddler).

I'm kind of meh on the bird.  He got a bit mangled by the toddler this year, so I think he might be the first to be replaced next year (the bird, not the toddler).

I'm pretty pleased with the drum, all in all.

I'm pretty pleased with the drum, all in all.

santa hat--i drew this shape freehand (along with all the others), but thankfully got the jaunty angle done the first time around!

santa hat--i drew this shape freehand (along with all the others), but thankfully got the jaunty angle done the first time around!

The first one done! Pattern is the same on both sides.

The first one done! Pattern is the same on both sides.

Sparkly names!

Sparkly names!

Oh, look. A short name. How easy, how quick!

Oh, look. A short name. How easy, how quick!

The only single sided ornament, because there is no way I am going to try to embroider 8 letters on a  1 1/4" x 1/4" piece of felt twice.

The only single sided ornament, because there is no way I am going to try to embroider 8 letters on a  1 1/4" x 1/4" piece of felt twice.

candy cane.  I sewed the stripes on individually, but cut them longer and then trimmed to fit the white base after they were on.

candy cane.  I sewed the stripes on individually, but cut them longer and then trimmed to fit the white base after they were on.

snowflake. This one is one of my favorites, and it was fun to embroider as well. 

snowflake. This one is one of my favorites, and it was fun to embroider as well. 

owl! he's so cute.

owl! he's so cute.

Snowman, no hat, because haven't i already tortured myself with fiddly pieces enough?

Snowman, no hat, because haven't i already tortured myself with fiddly pieces enough?

Christmas tree light. 

Christmas tree light. 

candy piece--super fiddly, but also kind of fun to make and figure out since the white swirls repeat on the reverse.

candy piece--super fiddly, but also kind of fun to make and figure out since the white swirls repeat on the reverse.

A wee stocking, cute, but fiddly.

A wee stocking, cute, but fiddly.

This one is the littlest little's favorite: "COOKIE MAN!"

This one is the littlest little's favorite: "COOKIE MAN!"

the star--also the only one with a different hanger (all gold).  This is three layers, the darker layer was embroidered separately then sandwiched between the two yellow stars, and the whole shebang embroidered again.

the star--also the only one with a different hanger (all gold).  This is three layers, the darker layer was embroidered separately then sandwiched between the two yellow stars, and the whole shebang embroidered again.

behind the advent calendar

So JBB's family has a felt advent calendar, and I'd been thinking off and on about making one for us.  I kept seeing Purl Soho's advent calendar pattern and kit with wool felt last year and was like, YES I will do this.  Then promptly forgot about it for a solid year.

Til this November.  When I saw the Purl Soho one again, and was like, hmm.  And forgot about it again until right before Thanksgiving, when I realized it was full on crazy to kick this project off a week from December 1st, and yet... I had a FULL WEEK, yo.  That was AGES of time.

But I didn't love some of the ornament choices (I don't like repeating shapes in different colors, feels like a cheat) and felt color choices (that pink, whoah) of the Purl Soho one and I really did not love the attachment of the ornaments via straight pin, and did some online/Pinterest research.  I loved the idea of a slightly retro-modern wool felt calendar with ornaments hanging off of buttons (pretty ones), and lo and behold had a shit ton of wool felt stashed away. I even got so far as to save some icon images on which to base some of the designs, and pulled together a list of 24 ornaments and several extras for just in case the original ideas prove to be too much of a pain in the ass.

And then I scrapped the idea entirely because hi, ONE WEEK. 

And then the next day I had to kill time before an appointment and realized JoAnn's was open early and oh look they have some cream wool felt on sale...and some lovely green wool felt on sale...and check out these buttons that would totally work sewn onto the tree ...and WHAT HI METALLIC PERLE COTTON I LOVE YOU AND WANT TO MARRY YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU TANGLE LIKE A SONOFABITCH AND CUT MY HANDS.

So yeah. This happened:

why yes, that is a giant tinker toy arm it's hanging off of, so good of you to notice.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, just 6 hours before we packed our stuff up to go to the in-laws for the holiday, I decided to cut out the pieces.  The cream wool felt is thick and fluffy, and not nearly as stable as I'd like, so I knew it needed to be doubled for the backing, with some interfacing between to stabilize it.  But I laid it out, drew the tree freehand on the green felt (which is much thinner but more stable), and cut out that sucker--scissors for the tree, rotary cutter (god bless that thing) for the background.  And then 24 2.5" squares.  Pencil didn't transfer well to the cream felt, so I wrote out sample numbers about the right size on a sheet of paper, and packed the red perle cotton, 24 squares, 1 embroidery needle, and the swan embroidery scissors and winged those suckers.

not pictured: the glass of wine.

not pictured: the glass of wine.

The embroidery was the easy part--done by the day after Thanksgiving.  The pain in the ass part was assembly, and I just didn't have the room. And so I carted it off to my mom's when we returned.  And thanks to her, and despite her being allergic to wool, we got that sucker sewed down (and reinforced with interfacing for the backing and a second thinner piece of felt for the squares) in an afternoon.  And by "we" I mean "my mom"--she did all the sewing, I did the placing. 

That night I cut out 24 itty bitty little ornaments from the wool felt and started sewing 6 of them. The next day--November 30th--I finished sewing the 6 itty bitty ornaments and crocheted 24 ornament hangers from yarn or crochet cotton held together with sparkly perle cotton.  And late that night I finished sewing all the damn buttons on.

The ornament hangers. Sparkle, Neely, sparkle! 

So as of this writing, I am 6 days ahead.  I just gotta be 1 day ahead and we're all good.