brown eyed angels - a gift for the season

I try to savor each and every moment of the holiday season.  To me it seems like kind of a waste to wait until Christmas Day for one big bang of celebration that's always over way too quickly.  Instead, I like to do small things over the course of the holidays. 

Our Advent Calendar is one of these things that lasts all season.  A small gift each day reminds us all of the joy and magic of the holidays.  This year, we're also going to have some fun with an Elf on the Shelf.  I'm excited about, and looking forward to both of these traditions. 

Last year, I made the kids (Grace & Carter and their cousins, Logan & Ellie) Christmas pillow cases and gave them their gifts on Thanksgiving Day.  This year, I decided to continue the Thanksgiving gift tradition by making each kid a Christmas throw blanket to snuggle with over the holidays. 

Funny, when I was searching for the picture (above) of last year's pillowcases, I realized that I was working on them on November 18th.  Exactly one year ago.  Must be something about November 18th that makes me think it's time to get a move on the Thanksgiving preparations. 

Earlier this year, in a completely unrelated search, I came across this beautiful angel panel on Fabric.com.  To say I loved this piece of fabric from the moment I laid eyes on it would be an incredible understatement, but I had no idea what I would do with the angel if I ordered her. 

Seriously, I had no use for a 24x44 inch piece of angel fabric, but I had to order her and see her in person.  And, she was even more amazing in person than any picture on the web could convey.  Unfortunately, the folks at Fabric.com had trimmed her a bit too closely on one side, but when I called to tell them about it, they immediately sent me another and said that I could keep the damaged angel. 

Once I received the second angel (who had the same cut too close problem as the first angel) I knew I would make the girls matching angel throw blankets for Christmas.  One of the ladies at my local fabric store gave me some ideas for working around the parts of the panels that were cut too closely.  I was going to eliminate the entire jewel border, but wound up sewing just on the inside of the outer pearl border and the problem was solved.  Looking at the quilts, you'd never guess there had been any problem with the fabric at all.

I especially love the angel's brown eyes and (mostly) brown hair.  I think she is breathtakingly beautiful and brown eyed angels are kind of hard to find.  Look around this Christmas season and you'll see what I mean. 

  I found the perfect coordinating fabric at Poppy Quilt 'N Sew in Georgetown.   

Below is a picture of the finished product.  I backed the throw with soft, creamy white fleece.  I wanted the blankets to be extra snugly for cold winter nights. 

Angels are very special to everyone in my family.  My grandma collected them so we always associated them with her while she was alive and since her passing, we like to think of her as our family angel, keeping close and careful watch over each of us. 

Grandma also had very brown eyes.  In fact, when she married my brilliantly blue eyed grandpa, his mother was overheard saying that there had never before been a brown eyed Cooper. 

Of course, her brown eyes are still alive and well.  Grace, Carter, Logan, and Ellie, who she never had the chance to meet, are all walking around with her dark brown eyes.  And on Thanksgiving day, Grace and Ellie will each have a cozy reminder that they will always have one very special brown eyed angel watching over them.

My lovely workstation.  This week has been a good week for projects.