Adventcalendar 2011 - - my lace Christmas tree

December 1st   Thursday

This bell was given to me by a friend many years ago. I have met her because of lacemaking. Gerda lives in Dresden, Germany.

December 2nd   Friday

This is one of my first pieces of lace I ever made. I think it was probably 1990 because I remember that I made it when we researched patterns to use for making name tags for each of us (few members) in the newly founded HLG = Heartland Lace Guild in Paducah, Kentucky.

December 3rd   Saturday

This hardanger ornament was a gift from my sister Ute. She knew that I would like one because I enjoy a sample of all the different lace techniques on my tree.

December 4th   Sunday

I can't remember when I made this because it is several years ago. It is a fairly easy bobbinlace pattern and with only 5 pairs. But I think it is very nice in its simplicity.

December 5th   Monday

A tatted ornament ... also a few years old. My own design. I got inspired by a bobbinlace ornament I had seen. I love designing. I have not yet written the directions down for it though. Another five-minute job.

December 6th   Tuesday

This is a knitted ornament. If you are wondering why there are so many 'heart' lace ornaments ... well, the result of being involved with the Heartland Lace Guild for so many years. I was the editor of the quarterly newsletter for 15 years and my thing was to always have a new lace heart on the front page. I learned to knit this heart at the IOLI convention in Indianapolis, IN.

December 7th   Wednesday

This is a brand-new bobbinlace ornament. I had made most of it at our monthly meeting in November. It is a pattern from Brigitte Bellon which she offered to me for the HLG newsletter. I love her designs!

December 8th   Thursday

Another knitted ornament. Actually, it probably was designed to be a bookmark.  I had to try whether I could do it ... many, many years ago. I probably should have written these things down somewhere. Sigh, there is a lesson.

December 9th   Friday

At one of the HLG Retreat Weekends I learned how to tat and do bobbinlace with wire. That was different ... and a lot of fun.

December 10th   Saturday

This came today in the mail from Carol in Poplar Bluff, MO. The card/ornament to me from the HLG Christmas card exchange. They are both crochet.

I have put little tags on them with the name and date.  I have this info now for posterity. I am doing better, friends.Yes, there is always room for improvement.

December 11th    Sunday

This was a gift I received at a HLG Christmas party. Beverly made it.

December 12th   Monday

HLG Christmas Ornament 2009
Lise's designs are always fun to make. It is the tradition that she always teaches to make the ornament at the November meeting. Unfortunately, now I can't do that anymore. My fault, I know Lise, I moved away.

December 13th   Tuesday

Needlelace. Carrickmacross to be exact. I had to try it. When I understand how it is done I can really appreciate other people's work.

December 14th   Wednesday

Teneriffe lace, a needle lace. Lise gave us a lesson and I made several ornaments.  It was great.

December 15th   Thursday

A crochet bell. It's part of the lace tree for a long time but I really can't remember where it came from.

December 16th   Friday

Another of Lise's beautiful designs for the Heartland Lace Guild. But I made it.Thank you, Lise.

December 17th   Saturday

Joyce taught us Romanian needlelace at a HLG weekend retreat. You start with a crochet cord. To learn we used thicker thread. Very interesting technique.

December 18th   Sunday

Another of Lise's patterns. It's the HLG 2006 Christmas Heart. I made it when I was living in Singapore. I had a heck of a time finding gold thread. It's a bit thin but it makes it very delicate looking.

December 19th   Monday

I made this heart in honor of daughter Helen's wedding in January 2006. I made a long line of these daisies. She wanted them on the edge of her wedding veil. She looked so beautiful ... but not because of the tatted daisies though.

December 20th   Tuesday

This was originally part of a wide edging in a book of Austria lace. I took just part of it to make this ornament.

December 21st   Wednesday

This is my card I sent out in this year's HLG Christmas card exchange. The ornament is my own design in bobbinlace. I was intrigued by the negative space.

December 22nd   Thursday

I received this card from Dagmar in Hauneck, Germany. It was a lace ornament Christmas card swap 2007. Bobbinlace made with gold metallic thread.

December 23rd   Friday

I bought this butterfly November 2010 in Bochum, Germany, at a lace event. This year's theme was butterflies. One room featured a special fundraiser for cancer research. More then 900 butterflies had been made and donated and were being sold for the cause. The display was very cleverly done. It was uplifting and moving. I was a good supporter. This is a smaller version of the same pattern.

December 24th   Saturday

 Today's photo of course is the whole tree. You expected this, right? And this concludes the Advent calendar, a German tradition to have a surprise every day starting on the 1st of December.
The anticipation, looking forward to the second most important holiday for us Christians.
I wish you all a wonderful and meaningful Celebration.