Christmas Eve 2019

I'm feeling pretty relaxed now, and at the same time a bit excited. It's Christmas eve!!

Just finished my annual felting project. I like to have a new bauble every year for the tree. Since I was gifted a felting kit a couple of years ago, I'd made a 'bauble' without bling to mark the passing of years.

This year I left it very late and decided to do a baby Jesus, not on a sphere but like a little 'hanging pillow' -- I don't really know what else to call it. And did.

Woke up this morning thinking: that old scarf of my husband's -- the one where the silk had become 'hole-ly' and the stitches to the wool part had become ragged and loose -- I could perhaps use that for my project. And did.

Last year, I managed sort of felt a camel shape from a decoration bought from The Leprosy Mission (TLM). This year I looked for a clipart. Is it simple enough for me to transfer to felt? And it was.

 

 I did the baby Jesus side. Then I started felting 202 .... Ah! I was one year too early. Ripped it out and did '2019'.

But how should I join the two sides together? I did not want to stitch as it is supposed to be a felting project. I decided to experiment with felting the two bits together with more roving (wool).

I'm quite pleased with the result although the bauble is too large to hang on the tree. Husband said to put it at the top of the tree. So that is where it is sitting (standing? lying?).

Having a quiet Christmas this year instead of an 'open house'. Only family this year. 

As I said at church two Sundays ago: it is mind-blowing to think the God who created the earth could come to seek us out (his creation) as a man, washing his disciples' feet and so on. My own previous religious background was to burn huge amounts of joss-sticks, hell bank notes and making food offerings to appease the gods: 'gods' that needed to be 'fed' with food and water.

What if I didn't make enough of such offerings? Would I miss going to heaven with five bank notes or seven joss-sticks too few? These 'gods' were unreachable.

But the Jesus whose birth we celebrate tomorrow, he was Immanuel: God with us.

Celebrate! 

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