Made some early Christmas gifts.....
 

I'll be seeing my brother and sisters tomorrow, each year on the first Sunday in December we meet in the cemetery at our parent's and youngest brother's grave, we lay a grave blanket and say prayers for them and other family members who have passed and welcome the new additons. Afterwards we go to lunch and when we're finished eating I give out some small gifts. My sister Pat always says it's Mrs. Santa and her bag so I decided to make a Mrs. Santa bag - just a strip of Holiday fabric on a Joanne's bag.

In the bag will be fruit breads for my sibilings, a jar of Apple Butter for married nieces and nephews and fruit flavered candy canes for their small children. I also made a thread catcher for my sister Carol, I just need to fill the pincushion with sand. Carol is my prized (and only) quilting student - it's her reward for doing A+ work on her quilts. Let you in on a secret, I think she's going to be a much better and careful quilter than I am.

May in Jersey

Beautiful thread catcher!!! Mrs. Claus bag is really cute.

i like them both good job!

What a good idea to all be together and remember times past and celebrate the present!

How nice you are. Great thread cacher and Santa bag. It's such a wonderful tradition that you and your family have in remembering your deceased loved ones. Merry Christmas to you.

love the thread catcher!

How nice! Great ideas!

Beautiful thread catcher and I love your Mrs. Santa bag. I love your family tradition!

That is such a wonderful tradition. Hope you have a wonderful time.

What a wonderful tradition. I wish my brothers would go with me or even by themselves to our fathers grave. I make ice candles every year for his grave. It amazes me that the candles stay lit from the 23rd until the 27th. Even the one year we had heavy snow! That is my little sign that I know my dad is there watching over me.

Nice Christmas gifts. They're gonna love them!

What a wonderful heart you have!!!

Beautiful bag and thread catcher.

What a beautiful tradition. May your sorrows be less and less each year. Love your gifts and the thread catcher is to die for. Great job. Love to you and yours during this Christmas season.

Love the thread catcher really bright and hard to miss. Also Mrs Claus is cute too

That is a beautiful tradition

Love the fabric in your thread catcher bag. I have never in my life heard of a grave blanket. Is this some kind of family tradition? I think it is nice that you gather to remember though. :-)

Sandy, A grave blanket is a large evergreen spray decorated with bows, pine cones, articifical pointsetters, etc. and many people put them over the graves of family members in the Winter instead of flowers. I found an online photo to show you but they can be decorated in anyway you like. I prefer simple decorations such as white twigs and pine cones attached to the evergreen but some may prefer big bows and lots of attachments.

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There all sew cute