Joy to the World

It's that time of year when we all get festive with tinsel, lights, snowmen and santas everywhere. Our family church has a tree festival every year and I always decorate one of them. It's not only a great fundraising event for the church but a way of bringing people together as many families meet up to visit. The church hall serves coffee, tea and mince pies and if often full of people exchanging cards and gifts as they enjoy their refreshments after visiting the trees. 

I have done many themes but always cross stitched. Last year I repeated a theme from 2009 - Miss Tree - as it's a shame not to see the ornaments again. This year however I have stitched a new theme - Joy to the World. 

This idea began when Mary gave me the beautiful 'Joy to the World' chart from Lizzy Kate. It was lovely to stitch and I filled it with my 2013 orts. It seemed quite fitting to have a tree spreading joy everywhere. 

Lizzie Kate - Joy to the World

Actually the tree has been spreading joy much further than our church, in fact it's spread joy for most of 2015 and all over the world as my lovely stitching friends have also stitched ornaments. It has certainly brought me joy when the Postie has arrived. 

As you can see they really are from all over the world - here is everyone's beautiful work

 thank you :) 

From Sally in Yorkshire

From Dusty in America

From Julie in Leicestershire

From Leonie in Australia

From Nadine in France

From Sally in Somerset

From Jo in Suffolk

I have to apologise from Jo as I realised I have tot taken an individual photo of her ornament so had to crop the photo I took of the sent ornaments all together - it's beautiful and this photo does not give it justice. When I go to church next I 'll take a new one, sorry Jo. 

All the gifted ornaments
(apart from Dusty's which arrived yesterday,
they'll go on the tree on Saturday)

I stitched quite a few too - it was a heavy stitching year for me as I had five important events to stitch for. My own stitching certainly suffered and I would have liked to have completed a few more Joy ornaments but I'm very pleased with the ones I did do. 

My ornaments

The tree looks lovely, I chose the same spot in the choir stalls as my Grandfather sang in the choir. I did wonder if it looked a little bare and might take a bit more tinsel up although the other tree decorating ladies said that may hide the ornaments so maybe not.

Joy to the World

Top of my tree

Ornaments from all over the world

As always there are many themes, I have not seen them all yet but am helping with refreshments on Saturday so I'll have a good look then. I did see Maureen's knitted trees as she was putting here's up the same time as me, they are beautiful as always.

Maureen's snowman tree

Maureen's soup dragon on her Clanger tree

Thanks you again to everyone who stitched and sent an ornament, the tree looks great as does the church. The smell is also amazing especially if you go first thing when the church first opens. It's also lovely to visit at night when it's dark outside and all the tree lights shine. 

A really magical place at this time of year - St Laurence's Parish Church