Annual Christmas Pins

Every year my mom and her best friend go on an all day shopping spree at the local mall. They have been doing this for at least the past 15 years. Since having my first daughter, I have been invited to go along as well. As part of the tradition they wear a new Christmas pin ever year. Sometimes my mother has made them, and other times they have been bought. This year mom and I made them together. We wanted to make something with supplies that I have in house. And, I knew that I wanted to use felt. We weren't sure what we were going to do. I wanted to do something that meant something to us. Finally... inspiration struck me.

But, first a little back story. When I was very little my mom and her best friend made these awesome felt advent calendars. Her boys and my brother and I hung ornaments on our advent trees since before I can remember. And, now my girls are using it. So, I suggested that we use the pattern to re-make some of those beloved ornaments into brooches. My mom loved the idea and we set about making 8 pins.

We used the original pattern which is a Vogue pattern from the early 80's. To spice them up from the originals, we did hand embroidery stitches and added seed beads to sparkle them up. I'm sooo pleased with how these turned out. I'll be wearing the white and gray owl this year, and my mom is going to wear the angel one. (she calls my oldest daughter her "angel" and the pin has my daughters looks) I'm not sure which on my mom's best friend will choose, but odds are that she will be crying when she picks. Ahhh... memories....

Here is the pattern we used as well as the original advent calendar. It's quite large and hangs on the wall.