December seems to bring out the red and green at our house – big and small, wreaths, Poinsettias, and decorations all illuminated by lights. I need light on these dark and gloomy days where you have to make your own sunshine.
Let’s not forget the red and green Christmas gift placemats, throw pillows and matching mug rugs, wall hanging of two of my favorites, barns and horses, and my very first attempt at paper piecing. Now that first paper piecing attempt could be a post all by itself with a comedy tag.
I also finished covers for my sewing machine and serger in more neutral colors with mountain and maple leaf patterns. My work area is very clean because we had company last week and two more times this week. What is more fun than friends making the effort to come visit you during the holiday season? Nothing.
Then there are the delicious red cherry tomatoes we’re enjoying.
My husband and I had a good chuckle when I said I needed to go water the tomatoes and pick a few. What a kick. I hope UNH sells them again next year.
So, what’s the color scheme at your house – red and green or something more unique?
Have a fun week as we approach the middle of December. 🙂
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
Did you make the placemats for the round table? I’m already thinking about the fabrics I have that would work! Super inspiration.
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Yes. Here is where I got the idea: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/192951165255653878/. I bought a ruler to cut the triangles and then cut one in half for each side. I put them together like you would a small quilt. If you have any other questions, just let me know. Happy sewing. 🙂
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How pretty! Especially love those placemats!
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Your house is so peaceful and cozy, and the quilted touches fit right in! I love the way those placemats fit the round table, and after seeing your very, very nice sewing space, I’m not surprised you’re so prolific! My sewing supplies are literally “everywhere!” That pretty much puts a quick end to any impulse I have to quilt. By the time I find everything I need, I forgot what I was going to do with it!
But on the brighter side, my house is green and red now too. And I love it because because the family room is painted a deep red, and the dining room is deep green. “Matchy-matchy!”
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Now you’re talking red and green – year round – fantastic. I probably couldn’t sew at all if I didn’t have one place to keep everything. Yes, those placemats are for a friend in Portsmouth who has a round table and I thought they would work out well for her. 🙂
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All nicely done. I’m going to be jealous when you’re eating tomatoes (but not really).
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Very festive indeed! How dark is it there?? Does it compare to our shortened days of sunlight? We’re still losing time each day until the the winter solstice 21 Dec when it stabilizes briefly before the start of slowly adding a few seconds, then minutes building up to the summer solstice when the decline begins again.
As for holiday colors, I’ve noticed that most homes and apartments that have lights outside typically are either all single colored, but mostly just white. We broke with the trends and have a string of multi-colored lights twined around our front porch banister post. 🙂
Indoors, as well as out, the use of all sorts of hurricane-style lanterns is very popular and not just for looks! As I mentioned it gets plenty dark here this time of year. The sun is set by 3:15pm!
Our tree is lighted with white lights and we did add some very beautiful new glass ornaments from my purchases in Helsinki last Friday. But as it turns out it seems of the 20 new additions, the silver and white colors are predominate. I saw what I was looking for in Germany and will have to try to order them online as there just isn’t anything like that available here. Actually, the unbreakable plastic ball is now what is on offer at almost all the shops.. 😦
Still no snow but the temperatures have dropped a bit, so maybe!
Enjoy the holiday magic!
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I’d say it starts getting dark around 3:30 and by 4:30 it is dark as night. Our temps are still in the 40’s-60’s so we have seen a lot of gloomy rainy days, including today, but not one flake of snow. Your decorations sound nice and the majority of the outside lights here are the white ones also. Glass ornaments are harder to handle but they certainly are more beautiful. Can you explain to me how you use the hurricane-style lanterns as part of your decorations? 🙂
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There are so many I’m having trouble choosing examples…
here is a small version for table top:
http://www.taigalyhty.fi/putiikki/taigalyhdyt/
here are a few other examples which are glass or metal to hold the candles:
http://www.veerak.fi/lyhdyt-tuikut-c-32.html
and some budget-friendly option from a hardware store chain:
http://www.clasohlson.com/fi/b/Koti/Sisustus-ja-koristeet/Lyhdyt
there are shabby chic, high-end polished metals, and assorted colored glass.
handles can be made from polished exotic woods, rope, metal, etc.
here is another take using a taper instead of a pillar:
http://www.room21.fi/fi/artiklar/lotuskynttilalyhty-valkoinen.html
you can search for additional images using Finnish words:
kynttilälyhty or Lyhdyt
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Oh my, those are all quite handsome. I can see where you could find one to match your individual tastes and to go with your decorations. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
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I love your red and green and think it is always the most festive. I have a thin, Charlie Brown type tree on my porch decorated with colored lights and birds and birdhouses. The living room’s larger tree has white lights and glass ornaments of all colors, but especially a lot of red. I do like white flowers, though, and always have an orchid in the dinning room and florist cyclamen in the family room.
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Sounds beautiful. I have two red cyclamen on my kitchen windowsill. I love the idea of your Charlie Brown tree with birds and birdhouses. Great idea. 🙂
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Red and green for us, too! Everything at your place looks wonderful. And, regarding the paper piecing–good for you! And the first attempt is definitely the most difficult–get right back into the saddle!
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Yeah, another red and green. 🙂 I’m already looking at some new patterns, but it does make me laugh how you have to think about reversing everything. 🙂
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Red and green with white lights on the tree. Your decorations are beautiful!
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I really like white lights. Do you remember some of the lights back in the day – larger and even those ones that were shaped like candles and bubbled?
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Yes, I remember all of those! We broke down and bought new LED lights this year and we really like them. Now we need to figure out what to do with all the old strings of regular lights. When one goes out, they all go out!
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We bought LEDs too, and I like the way they look. I have one go to place – Goodwill. Someone will want them. 🙂
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Thanks for suggesting Goodwill. I didn’t even thing of that!
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Oh Judy those mats are gorgeous! I like the cover as well and I’ve not tried foundation paper piecing as yet…I think I’d need a video / it seems confusing to me. Looks like you got the hang of it just fine; what a cute little tree. I prefer red and green; the traditional colors as well, and your place looks festive and lovely!
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Glad you liked them. I thought they’d make a good gift for a friend with a round table. I actually watched a video to get myself started, and you reduce your stitch size so you can pull the paper off at the end so when you make an error and have to rip it is quite challenging. LOL I had several opportunities to do just that. 🙂
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I love your mantle decorations. And the tomatoes!! It’s pouring rain here today, sort of wish it was snow. But it’s cozy either way. Have a wonderful, festive Christmas.
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Thank you. Rain here too. Who would have ever thought we’d be looking at green grass on December 15th.
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Your house looks lovely and welcoming and festive!!! (an dindeed very clean…) xo Johanna
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Lovely! I’m reading on my phone, so I don’t really have the ability to do much more than say this. Hope you’re having a great Tuesday.
janet
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Judy, love your wreath in red and green colors. I usually hang some things in red and silver colors, as stars, ‘silver rain’, animal images, silvery snowdrops. The Christmas tree is artificial but in my garden it’s natural, dark green that smells perfectly.
I envy your tomatoes cherry, it’s wonderful to have some fresh tomatoes from your own ‘veggie garden’.
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I like the idea of ‘silver rain.’ 🙂
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So very lovely! And, how inspiring your creativity is.
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Judy – I love your placemats !!
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Thank you. First attempt at ones to fit those with round tables, and I was happy how they turned out. 🙂
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I think you are very clever! I’m impressed by anyone who is a fabric artist because my hands and brain don’t co-ordinate well in that area 😀. Your mix if colors makes them warmly festive.
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You are so kind. If you could stop by and we could spend a little time together, you’d probably laugh yourself silly learning how close a relationship my seam ripper and I have. 🙂
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Very festive Judy. I am not a quilter so I had to look up paper piecing. The cherry tomatoes are a treat.
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My poinsettia up and died. I’m trying not to take it personally! Your home looks lovely.
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You’re right about having to make our own sunshine – the short days are bad enough, but when it is cloudy for a couple days in a row, it is tough.
I love your mantle decorations and those placemats must have been tricky to do, so perfect for a round table. Your home must feel so festive!
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I love your round table placemats!! You are such a great quilter! Your house looks so cozy and comfortable and Christmassy.
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Judy, your home looks do welcoming and homey. No wonder you have company because of your positive attitude about company st yhe end of the post and also, the warm atmosphere exudes from the photos. Those wall hanging, placemats and the decorations on the ledge are very pretty. Your homemade covers with mountain print and maple leaf are gorgeous. Happy holidays and may it be a special new year, too.
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I know your friend will love the placemats…it is hard to find ones that work well on a round table. Love your Christmas decorations.
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I absolutely love what you made for that round table! Those place mats are so cool! And you home just looks so warm and welcoming with all the decorations. I really have to get the tree up this weekend!
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Glad you liked them. I just set my round table for lunch company and laughed at my placemats that don’t really fit and overlap. I made four of those round ones for myself but not seven. Guess I need to add to the inventory. 🙂
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I have a round table too and I really like the shape you used for the place mats. I need to have red and green but I also love to add deep blue, aqua, or purple to my Christmas decorations. Merry Christmas!
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Blue, aqua, or purple sounds like a real pop to the season’s colors. 🙂
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