Welcome back to Fran’s Friends!

Can you believe it? We are deep into the “Keeping Christmas Alive” series, and we have reached November. That means there is only one ornament left to make for the month of December to complete our year-long advent calendar project. I am so thrilled with how this collection is coming together, and I can’t wait to share the story behind this month’s creation with you.

The Design Dilemma: To Bead or Not to Bead?

When I started planning for November, my mind immediately went to Remembrance Day, which we celebrate this month. Naturally, I considered making a beaded poppy to honor the occasion. It seemed like a lovely idea, but then I looked back at what I made in October.

If you remember, October’s ornament was that lovely beaded oval piece. As much as I love sparkle, I didn’t want too much of a “clash” with back-to-back beaded heavy projects. I wanted balance. So, I decided to pivot and focus on something that would tie the whole year’s collection together visually.

A Thread Running Through the Year

I started looking through my stash and realized I had a perfect opportunity to minimize waste and maximize theme consistency.

Back in April (or was it March? No, definitely April!), I made a Christmas tree ornament. It was this adorable piece featuring machine quilting, blanket stitching all around the edges, and those little signature hearts. I absolutely loved that fabric, and as luck would have it, I still had some leftovers!

I thought, “Why not incorporate that same fabric into another type of tree ornament for November?” It felt right to use up those scraps rather than let them go to waste, and it provided a wonderful way to link the months together.

The Reveal: November’s Twin Trees

So, here is what I came up with for November: Two little trees!

I used that same quilted fabric with the signature hearts that appeared in my February project, which really helps tie the whole advent calendar theme together. It makes the collection feel realistic and cohesive rather than just twelve random items.

For the details:

• The Fabric: The machine-quilted green fabric with heart motifs.
• The Embellishments: I tied the two trees together with beads, calling back to the April design but in a fresh way.
• The Finish: As always, I made sure the back of the ornaments were neat with finished edges.

I am so pleased with how this turned out. It’s a simple design, but it connects the April tree and the February hearts, weaving a story through the fabric of the calendar.

The Final Countdown

We are so close to the finish line! When we go to decorate in December, we are going to have a fully filled advent calendar with unique handmade ornaments representing every month from January to December. It is such a satisfying feeling to see it all come together.

I’m already brainstorming what we are going to do for next year (I have a pretty good idea brewing!), but for now, I’m just enjoying this festive journey.

Thanks so much for stopping by and keeping Christmas alive with me. I’ll see you next month for the grand finale!