Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Well, are your presents wrapped?  Is the house decorated?  Are you ready because Christmas is here.  I don't know about you, but it has been a bit hectic here finishing up the last few presents.  On Monday night, after my son's holiday walk at school, I decided to finally get on the stick and make a few of these cute mug rugs from a Label Crew project.  What a fun, easy project!  I started them on Monday, but had to leave them "almost" finished so I didn't miss The Closer.  LOL.  Yes, pretty dedicated fan I am.  I mean, I knew I only had about 20 minutes of sewing left, just top stitching and buttons. 

Didn't they turn out cute?  Buddy gave them to the latch key supervisors, and I gave them to a couple of coworkers.

I had the Mary Engelbreit scraps from another project....I thought they worked perfectly.

I hope you are enjoying your holiday season, and I'd like to apologize for being so out of touch.  A week ago Sunday, I was sewing a baby quilt when the phone rang.  One of my coworkers of 12 years had died.  He was a very kind man, who in 12 years of teaching with him...I never once heard him complain or say a mean word.  The news just kind of sucked the fa lalala right out of me.  So, I want you to know, sincerely, I appreciated your comments on my last post, as I appreciate your friendship always.  And, I am doing much better tonight.  Today was our last day of school, and I think the break will be good for everyone's spirits.  I am gifted with working with WONDERFUL people, who I think of as family.  While it was a difficult week and half, it was easier because you knew you weren't alone in your feelings. 

With that being said, my friend loved Christmas.  And, I think he would think it oh-too-fun to have a Christmas giveaway.  If you would like to win one of these mug rugs, just leave a comment.  I will try to close comments on Monday...as long as the holiday madness doesn't swallow me up.


In a last note about my friend, this is a story I think quilters could appreciate.  Last year, he wandered down my hallway with his favorite, worn, loved, cherished baseball hat in hand.  He said, "Kris, do you own a glue gun, because you seem like the type of person who would."  And I replied, "Yes, I do.  Why?"  He held out his other hand which had a Detroit Tigers patch in it.  He asked, "Would you glue this patch on my Tiger's hat?"  To which I said with a laugh, "John, I am not going to glue that on your hat, but I would be more than happy to sew it on for you."  And so I did.  Later in the day, to my surprise, I had countless staff members coming up to me sharing how impressed John was with my stitching and how you "couldn't even see the stitching at all"...I guess he carried that hat all over the building, he was so tickled with it.  I think so often our projects, no matter how small, mean so much to the people we care about and sometimes we have no idea how much people are touched, and I am glad to have this small memory for keeps.

20 comments:

Terry said...

Your mug rugs are so cute! Thanks for the chance to win one. So sorry about your coworker passing away.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

That must be really difficult to lose a coworker who is so nice Kris. I'm sorry you have to deal with this right before Christmas. Your mug rugs are just adorable.

sunny said...

I am so sorry to hear about your friend. I'm glad you have happy memories of him. THose mug rugs are just the cutest!! Another thing on my To-Do list for next year!!

Allie said...

Oh Kris I am so so sorry - it's hard to lose a friend anytime but Christmas time seems the worst. I will keep his family in my prayers.

Those are mug rugs? They are the absolute cutest I've ever seen! Good for you on getting them done! What is Label Crew?

Mary said...

LI am sorry to hear about your friend. Your kindness shows shows through. Your mug rugs are darling. I would be thrill if I could win one. I hope you and your family have a very pleasant holiday.

Cecelia said...

They are soooo cute! Would love to win one of these, thank you for doing a give-away!

Anonymous said...

How sad for his home family, his work family and his students! But I was not surprised that you so quickly gave of your time and talent -- what a wonderful memory you will always have! Florence P.S. I'd love to win a mug rug -- I love it!

kimland said...

I can understand why your feeling bummed out this holiday season after loosing a fellow co-worker. Your mug rugs are super cute made with Mary Engelbreit is just a bonus! Thanks so much for sharing.
Wishing you peace this season!

Wendy said...

The tag mug rugs are the cutest. Sorry to hear about your coworker. A difficult time.

Red Geranium Cottage said...

Love the mug rugs. And I'm so so sorry for your loss. your friend sounded like a very nice man.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Vickie E said...

great mug rugs and also sorry to hear about your coworker. Merry Christmas!

Kim said...

I am so sorry for your loss. Love your mug rugs. I can't believe Christmas is this weekend.
Merry Christmas!

Kelly@ Charming Chatter said...

Oh Kris - what a Sweetie you are to sew that on for John - such a heart warming story. And, I'm so very sorry for your loss. You're so right - family and friends make all the difference at such times. Holy cow, those mug rugs are A-DOR-A-BLE!! I love them - and I really don't know how you do it all! Thanks so much for the fun giveaway!! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

I'm so sorry about your coworker. Death is horrible but worse during the holiday season. Sounds like he was a great soul.

On a happier note, love those mug rugs and I would love to win one. I think I need to dig out my Label Crew patter for that one and keep it on the back-burner for next year.

Merry Christmas, Kris to you and your family!

Hugs!
Jen

Michelle said...

Kris,
This might sound odd but...

How wonderful your friend is truly at home for the Holidays?

Instead of focusing on how I feel when someone passes away, I'm going to rejoice in their life lived & be happy that they are safely home.

Merry Christmas!
Michelle

Laurie said...

I made mug rugs for my coworkers this year, but definately not as cute as those! May your co-workers family be filled with many prayers and happy thoughts of him.
Merry Christmas

MaryAnnB said...

Kris,
Memories are what make people live on in our hearts long after they've left this world. Thank you for sharing your story about your co-worker. I am sitting here not finishing my Christmas projects as my husband's mom is fading fast at the hospital and he just got a text that her brother in law was just rushed to the hospital in what appears to be a diabetic coma. Life is so precious, embrace the joy and friendships that come along the way. Sharing our talent and or time, whether it may be sewing a patch, singing a song, giving a gift, a listening ear, a hug, can make all the difference to those we meet along the way.
I am thankful to the sharing of the blogs I have discovered online, including yours, and wish you a peaceful and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...
and I love those mug rugs, sure would love to win won, as mine certainly did not get done!

Michele said...

Merry Christmas Kris! I'm so sorry to hear about coworker. Very sad. Nice story about the glue gun. Sometimes it's the little things that we can do for others that make a big difference. Something to think about this time of year. Your mug rugs are really cute. I keep thinking about joining the label crew.

Roseann K said...

I love your cute mug rugs. Is there a pattern that you used that you could share or info on where to find one?? Thanks and Happy New Year!

Cheryl said...

With the holidays and all and other things going on in life...well, I am so behind on blog reading. So sorry about the loss of your coworker. Such a sweet story about the gluegun. Your mug rugs are so cute..love your fabric choices.