Happy Birthday Cindy and Erika

Happy Birthday last week to my friend Cindy and sister-in-law Erika. I couldn't post pictures of their gifts until I had the opportunity to deliver them. I'm still suffering from a nagging cold so I had the send Cindy's gift with another friend to the hospital where she is waiting with her daughter Maddie for a heart transplant. Last night we had our family birthday party for all the December birthdays (Erika, my husband and me). Now I am free to show off my creation.

I made a Sunflower for both Cindy and Erika. I figured they could use a little sunshine on these cold, wet winter days in the Pacific Northwest.

Inchie Christmas Tree

We decorated our Christmas tree yesterday using all the inchie ornaments that I have made over the last month. I have over 300 inchies. I also made some small beaded ornaments using head pins. Then I through on some mini quilted boxes.

My husband and oldest daughter did all the lights and the kids placed most of the ornaments, so my main job was refereeing who got to hang which ornament. Emitt, my 3 year old would pick a single branch and load ornament after ornament onto one spot. Isabelle and Annaliese, the two oldest, tried to get thier ornaments as high as possible. Rosaliegh, my 4 year old, then filled in the middle. Now I have the task of spreading out the crowded branches and turning the ornaments around so the decorated side is facing out.

Thankfully all the ornaments are relatively indestructible. I don't have to worry about the vintage glass balls suffering from little hands. The past few years even the wooden ornaments haven't faired so well. I think fabric is the way to go for at least a few more years.

Gift Boxes for a Friend

No, I haven't vanished. I have been suffering from a cold for the last three weeks. What energy I have, I have dedicated to creating. So many ideas for Christmas and so little time.

I created this tower of gift boxes for my dear friends the Lesters. Thier 3 year old daughter, Madeline, has spent the last five months in the ICU at Children's Hospital in Seattle recovering from heart surgury. She recently developed a rare complication from the surgury and now is waiting for a new heart. Maddie's parents, Cindy and Dave have exhibited such faith through this whole experience. They truly are an inspiration. I wanted to do something to show them how much they are loved, so I made 45 gift boxes filled with either chocolates or tea that they can give to the nurses, doctors and people who have supported them at the hospital. I figured they would like to give some type of thank you gift to everybody this Christmas, but wouldn't have the opportunity to get anything together themselves.

Each stitch in these boxes are full of love and prayers for Maddie. May God grant us the Miracle we all so anxiously await.