Happy Advent to all

When I grew up in Germany, Advent (the 4 weeks before Christmas) was a very special time of preparing for the upcoming Holiday. We spent it baking cookies, making presents for each other, caroling at nursing homes and trying to help those less fortunate. Every Sunday night we would get together as family and listen to our Dad read a Christmas related story, we would sing Christmas carols, and enjoy some freshly baked cookies. I am trying to keep the tradiiton going for our grandchildren but am having a hard time getting more than just one Sunday before Christmas to do this. Life has changed from those early childhood days, that’s for sure.

Today I am making available to you a whole set of Gingerbread designs that I digitized for a present for my best friend and her little granddaughter. I am posting photos of the project and hope you enjoy it as much as I did digitizing and sewing it. The file is a “zip” file of all 10 designs.

gingerpresent.zip (all in pes format – both for the 5×7 and 4×4 hoops)

[download#96#nohits]

I just recently realized how popular aprons seem to be becoming. If you would like to make some for your family or friends, here is a link to inspire you:

http://tipnut.com/56-free-apron-patterns-you-can-make/

Maybe it will help you to come up with your own project and maybe a “tapestry” for the designs I made available today. Did you realize that www.bunnycup.com has a free retired set section that has a darling gingerbread collection as well? Bunnycup’s designs are filled design. Mine are applique. If you are deciding to use my designs, please realize that part of the download also contains text files for making the ginger doll and the ginger hangtag.

Sometime soon there will also be a design set of a grandma gingerbread and her little grandkids. Still getting it test stitched.

May your pre-Christmas season be one of blessing and may it point you to the One whose birth we celebrate.

Wishing you joy, peace, and contentment.

Monika