Christmas Ornaments Collected
and slide show
by Patricia L. Cummings
photos by James Cummings
Before we decorated the Christmas tree this year, I asked Jim to photograph all of our Christmas ornaments. They range in date from the 1940s to the present time. In the more than one quarter century that we have been married, Jim and I have collected a few more each year, and have received ornaments as gifts from friends, at guild meetings, and from relatives who know we treasure handmade decorations.
Unwittingly, we have collected more than two hundred tree ornaments. These are made of many types of materials: paper, such as a music scroll ornament; double-sided cardboard Victorian style ornaments, (a premium from a bookseller one year); tin, pewter, felt, plastic, polymer clay, brass, wood and painted metal. There are teddy bears made of fur or faux fur, and there is a soft sculpture of Mrs. Santa Claus.
A number of ornaments represent Germany including a Nutcracker, a German pickle, a pair of Hummels. Two embroidered heart-shaped ornaments were made by Hmong people of Laos (who are now Hmong-Americans). A wooden, painted elephant from India, was purchased at Pier 1 Imports, along with a red, satin square bedecked with couched gold threads and faux shisha.
One beaded ornament, "Sunbonnet Sue" is created on perforated paper and was made from a kit. Another ornament is a school project: a white horse's head, embroidered by my son as a grade school craft. One fairly large ornament that I made features the Shaker theme, "Hands to Work, Hearts to God."
A few plastic Santas and Snowmen are from my childhood. An elegant, heavy, ceramic ornament was purchased as a commemorative ornament that raised money for a museum. Needlepoint ornaments are included in the mix, one of which is a Santa head that opens to hold a Hershey kiss.
Textured ornaments are lovely. So saying, I am thinking about an authentic-looking sheep, purchased at the now defunct American Textile Museum Gift Shop in Lowell, MA. Other mages of animals include lots of mice, some kitties, puppies, moose, birds (ducks, geese, loons, etc.), and an elegant sculpted polar bear, a gift that was purchased for us at the Smithsonian. There seems to be lots of rocking horses in wood, plastic, and ceramic.
Mary and Joseph and a number of animals, plus a drum, are all from the same person who worked them in Needlepoint with wool. These were a gift, found in an antiques store out west.
Several "dove of peace" ornaments in various media are in the collection. I am showing one "Bobby" in uniform, of the set of three that I made from a kit one year. Crazy quilted stocking ornaments constructed by me, Jim, and one of my students are shown.
Musical instruments are represented: Santa with a clarinet and a guitar; two different cellos; and a wooden piano. In the slide show, the vintage ornaments are marked as such, for the most part. They include all of the old tin ones, the textured orange, the raspberry, and the racing car ornament.
We used to like to go out to Bailey's Island "Land's End" shop in Maine where we would buy neat ornaments. It is there that we purchased the Old Fisherman of the Sea, smoking a pipe. We have not returned in recent years after the shop was flooded with Chinese imports and less local artisan crafts were represented.
Some handmade ornaments are stenciled ,and others are hand-painted. Various needlework techniques are included from cross-stitch and crochet to Hardanger.
The slide show features close to two hundred ornaments for you to view and enjoy. We have left out duplicates, in some cases. At last count, we had two hundred ten ornaments.
Our tree has lights, but no tinsel, and nothing draped on the branches; just ornaments. A beautiful angel at the top holds a song book that lights up and says, "Joy to the World." I could describe many more ornaments, but you will see them for yourself. We hope you enjoy viewing our collection, one that holds many memories of Christmas past.
From our house to yours, Merry Christmas 2010!
Patricia and James Cummings
Copyright 2010. Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. All rights reserved. Comments? Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com