A Birthday and Rebirthing A UFO

It was 44 years ago today that I gave birth to my first child, Kimberly. She has turned out to be a very special woman: warm hearted, honest, loyal, beautiful inside and out (although she would argue that point). She is also a dedicated and hard working member of the police force. We are proud of her and wish her a happy birthday - even though she has asked that we forget it this year. She doesn't like getting older now that she is "all grown up" and turning gray like her momma.

Earlier this week I sent my CQ Christmas stocking out on its way around the world in a RR. This is a private RR between friends. We will be stitching on each other's Christmas projects "of size". My stocking measures about 37" long by 27" wide at the widest point. I pieced it out of jewel toned fabrics from cotton to velvet and silk. When Moon (my youngest daughter) took a trip to France she brought me back some beautiful ribbons, gimps and braids. I used them on this stocking, along with some tatting done by my grandmother and a piece of lace that was off something of hers. I won't tell you how many years it has been sitting in my UFO box because I was still "collecting" items of interest to go on it! Baloney! I have been procrastinating because I was overwhelmed at the idea of completing it myself. I think this happens to many of us on occasion, we have great ambitions, little or no time and we bite off more than we can chew. I even had plans at one time to complete a deep Hardanger cuff for it, dye laces, etc., etc. Life got in the way, the family got me a different stocking to use "in the meantime" and I lost my drive.

Recently, on that lace shopping trip to Denver, I was inspired to give rebirth to the idea of completing this project. Through the yahoo group CQI, in a short span of time, I obtained some gorgeous free silkies representing my grandchildren and an offer I couldn't refuse....to have some of CQ's BEST help me do the rest! I got out the duffle bag that held my stocking and its proposed embellishments. I started to whittle down the contents to a reasonable weight for shipping around the world with an eye towards keeping the shipping costs down for the others. I also realized my tastes then and now had changed as to what was acceptable or vital to put on it. Although I love Hardanger I scuttled the idea of the cuff because I have the silkies now and they need room to be displayed. And, truthfully, I don't have time to design a special cuff right now. So I am going with a slightly curved seam line topped stocking.

Next, I took my proposed stash for mailing and showed it to a friend. She helped me whittle it down even more. The object was to allow the ladies who are doing the embellishing of the stocking to use their own creativity (and they are loaded with it!), not to make them feel stifled by my requesting certain items on there that had lost their attraction or could possibly be put on something else later. I got it down to some Japanese button hole twist, the 3 silkies of the kids, 2 special ribbons off of some chocolate boxes DH gave me at a very special time in our lives, and some lace pieces I love. The bonus: I have access to all of those wonderful embellishments again for using on their RR pieces and/or future projects!

Here is a picture of the stocking that is sooooooo big I couldn't lay it down on a flat surface and get the whole thing in a recognizable picture. I had to pin it to the dining room drapes! I don't imagine I will ever be able to hang it up like that again once the weight of embellishments, lining and backing are added! And that's not to say how heavy it will be once Santa fills it! OH BOY!