love advent

Thirteen years ago a friend pulled a very-pregnant-with-my-first me along to a crafty morning at her church while our husbands skiied and we made this:
It's a love advent: a simple banner of cheap red felt, with 14 calico hearts and cotton ties hot-glued on. Our love advent has become a regular tradition. We take an evening in late January and write a pile of wee notes to everyone in the family of the "I love this about you" variety. I roll together one note per person per day, and tie them on. Then each day from February 1st-14th we open one scroll bundle and read why we are loved.

I love a love advent. But this one has gotten rather bedraggled and I've become a felt and handsewing snob, so it has lost its enchantment to the point that last year we didn't do it. And probably had a lousy February as a result ;). Last spring as I fingered red wool blazers and pink cashmere sweaters during my grand BUY & FELT THEM ALL! thrift store stalking, I had a new love advent very much in mind.

This one.

I couldn't get a good photo. The light was not quite cooperating, and both felt and red are hard for me.

I decided to make heart pockets instead of ties, in case something sweet ever wants to be included. And I had 14 unique red-or-pink wools to choose from. The stash is that big, friends. I coerced Marian and Audrey into sewing two of them: the pink hearts on square pockets. The little pieces were easier for them to work with.

It took an insane amount of time. I'd glare at it, embarrassed that I was stitchstiching instead of cleaning, but have consoled myself that I only work on it when I would otherwise just be sitting there, not cleaning anyway: when I'm exhausted and TV-ing (I cannot just sit) or the baby wants me RIGHT THERE and I'm tired of having my finger yanked to dislocation as he drags me to his lair over and over again. He will let me sew. He just doesn't want me to make any sudden movements (she's escaping!).

edit: okay, this is really sneaky of me. I have blogger set up to auto e-mail my blog posts to my sweet mum because she likes it. I've noticed, though, that they considerately only send the original posting, not all edits, on to inboxes. I posted the above, which she'll read as the original, then have this to share with the rest of you: the advent above is on its way to Idaho! My mom's birthday is February 4th, so I thought a love advent would work out slick for a birthday gift. I sent out a plea to my sibs and kids to mail me little love notes to add to our family's contribution, so she'll have one or two to open each day and brighten February up a bit. I refolded and rolled some of the scrolls after I took this picture to make them fit a bit better.I'm nearly done with the second love advent: ours.