2025 Student Sewn Ornaments

Somehow, in the craziness of the week before break, I didn't share a picture of the Christmas trees my students made. Sadly, I didn't get a single picture of a finished ornament! Luckily, this one is close enough to finished for you to see what the kids created. 

Each day we sewed, I taught the fifth and sixth graders what to do in the morning. Then, after they completed that step on their ornaments, my students coached the third and fourth graders in the afternoon. It worked beautifully; my kids were such great teachers! Their comments amused me to no end. I heard: "Mrs. Burt, so-n-so just wouldn't listen to me. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't stop talking," and "So-n-so wouldn't pay attention to me - even after I asked him three times!" I even had one student come to the realization that now she understands how her mother feels when she doesn't follow directions. Hopefully, those were valuable life lessons that will stick with them, even if the sewing skills do not. Either way, in this highly digital world, I loved watching them create something with their own two hands to give to someone they care about.

The pattern for the ornament came from the Country Stitches quilt shop in Lansing, Michigan. It was originally a pattern for a much longer wall hanging, but I shortened it into an ornament. I had hoped to share a link for the pattern, but I couldn't find it on their website. The fabric was leftover fabric I had in my stash.

Merry & Bright

To all those who celebrate,

I wish you and yours

the merriest of Christmases. 

Christmas Miracle

Something miraculous happened at school recently. My students entered the classroom and discovered Camilla the Christmas Chicken was no longer a stuffed chicken - she was real!

Needless to say, they were all rather surprised, and a couple of them were a little scared. Luckily, Camilla's sweet personality and calm demeanor won them all over instantly.

Unfortunately, Camilla couldn't hold a pencil to take the spelling test so she had to leave. We called my  daughter who was willing to drive down to school,  pick her up, and take her home to our chicken coop. Thankfully, the next day Camilla was back to her old, stuffed self!

Letters to Santa

Every Christmas, Mackinac Island's Postmaster puts out this cute mailbox. Since the Post Office is only about a 10 minute walk from school, it is a fun excursion to take the week before Christmas break. Our Postmaster personally makes sure Santa receives each letter and the kids always get a lovely note back. (Plus it gives me the opportunity to teach my students how to address an envelop.) 

The kids also get the opportunity to hand cancel their letters before putting them into the box. How cool is that?

In case you are curious, the kids don't have to write to Santa. If they'd rather write to someone else, they can send that letter instead. And yes, that's all of my students this year - three fifth graders and six sixth graders.

Old and New

I haven't really felt much of the Christmas spirit this year. I'm not really sure why, but from shopping to decorating to baking, my heart just hasn't been it. It wasn't that I haven't had any Christmas spirit - it's been more of a "tank half full" kind of feeling. I know myself, and my tendency is to push through things and do what I feel like I should do, or need to do, but not this year. This year I told myself that whatever I managed to get done would be enough. So... the Christmas cookie spread was a little lighter this year, but that was OK.

I did decided to try a couple of new things. I found a madeleine cookie pan at the thrift shop recently for $1.00, so I made madeleines for the first time, which was fun. Especially after seeing them made on the Great British Bake Off. For the record, mine had a lovely hump. I also tried a new recipe for cutout cookies (the blue and white ones above), which taste really good. To go with them, I tried a different decorating technique (found here.) While the spread may be lighter than in past years, for this year, it is enough...

Too Close for Comfort

Putting up the window candles for the holidays is typically a fairly dull task, but this year it brought a bit of excitement when the light* pictured above caught fire. Luckily, the fire started quickly and my daughter was still close by. After she came down from her adrenaline rush, she found it quite ironic that the object intended to mimic a flame had actually burst into flame.

She grabbed it by the as-yet-not-on-fire base and ran outside. Luckily, her fleece bore the brunt of the damage, and apart from a scorched spot on the sleeve and some melted plastic on the window, all is well. Thankfully. Had my daughter put that lamp up in a different room and then walked away, this would be a very different post. So, today I am feeling extra grateful for my quick thinking daughter who, while thoughtfully trying to lighten my holiday load, quite literally saved the day. 

*The lamp was UL listed, had the correct wattage bulb, and was plugged into a wall outlet (not an extension cord.)

Happy Stitchers

Another thing we do in my classroom during the month of December is we sew. Most of this group has been sewing with me for a few years now, so they are quite adept! I'm not sure I could do a project like this, by myself, with a classroom of 30 kids, but since I only have nine it's quite doable. 

I'll be sure to share their ornaments once they're finished.

Happy December

My students have been counting down the days until Camilla the Christmas Chicken returns to the classroom. She came back today - and brought treats! (This year my students have been bringing treats in for their classmates for no reason. One Tuesday, someone brings in donuts, then the next the next week we're getting cupcakes. We've decided to call those days "Random Treat Days," and Camilla decided she needed to celebrate, too.)

Merry Christmas

This year my students sewed snowmen to give to their parents for Christmas. I promised them I wouldn't share this picture until today so I wouldn't ruin their surprise. Hopefully, the presents have all been unwrapped and it is now safe for me to share.

I hope you are impressed with their snowmen. Each of those kids hand-sewed every stitch of their project. My favorite part is the carrot button noses. I was so excited to find those on Amazon!

(Six of my eight fifth and sixth graders are in the picture above.)

Island Style Christmas Tree

My friend, Travis, picked up his Christmas tree the other day; and of course since he lives on Mackinac, he got his tree home on his snowmobile.

2024 Christmas Cookies

December kind of snuck up on me this year, so I have been a cookie-making machine lately. This year's varieties include: zimtsterne, zitronenherzen, caramel springerle,  Nurnberger, spritzgeback, Scottish shortbread, ginger, stamped chocolate, Oreo truffles, peanut butter blossoms, and pretzel turtles. 

I just love making Christmas cookies. OK, who am I kidding? I enjoy making Christmas cookies, but I love eating Christmas cookies!

My kids, both home for the holidays, love eating them, too. Hopefully they will read my note so I'll have enough to pack into the cookie tins I give away.

This year I had a custom cookie mold made. The maker did an amazing job - I was a little worried about those tiny spots in the top of the bridge, but the springerle mold worked beautifully with both the springerle and chocolate dough.

Camilla Returns

It's December in my classroom and that means Camilla the Christmas Chicken comes back for her yearly visit.  My students were so excited to come into the classroom to see what she brought them. (She brought a puzzle from this book, if you're curious.)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

While my family does not share my enthusiasm for vintage ceramic Christmas trees, they make me happy. And since it's "that time of year," they are all over the house! Do you have a favorite holiday decoration?

Sitched

 Every year I try to have my students sew an ornament as a gift for their family. This year they made mini-quilts. And I have to say, they did an amazing job. 

Believe it or not, pictured above is this year's fourth, fifth, and sixth grade class (minus one who left a day early for vacation.) So yes, the entire fourth - sixth grade is nine students (five fourth graders, two fifth graders, and two sixth graders.) Teaching three grades worth of material is a challenge, but at our little school sometimes our numbers force us to get creative. Luckily all nine of them are delightful and make me smile every day!

Bazaar Donations

The Mackinac Island Christmas Bazaar is an annual fundraiser held the first weekend in December. All the money raised at the Bazaar is used to support local organizations such as the Mackinac Island Community Foundation. Since the Community Foundation is a huge supports of the school, the kids and I do our best to support them. 

This year the second - sixth graders folded trees out of tattered books destined for the compost pile. After folding, painting, and decorating, the trees were ready to be put up for sale. Their little forest may have only raised $100 for our community, but the lesson in donating your time to support causes you believe in was priceless.

Hooray

 Let the 2023 Christmas cookie baking begin!

(All of those cookie molds were thrifted for $3.00 or less.)

Only on Mackinac

My friend, Travis, took this picture this afternoon. It's how he got his Christmas tree home from Island's tree lot...

Yes, you can buy a Christmas Tree on Mackinac Island. 4-H brings them over and sells them to fund their programming.

Handmade Holidays

Now that it's Christmas I can safely share the ornaments my students made this year. Each of them hand sewed 20 yoyos, which they then stitched together to create a wreath. I try to have the kids hand sew something every year to then give to an adult they care about. I hope the parents appreciate them - my students worked hard!

I actually have seven fifth and sixth graders this year, but two of them were absent the day we took this picture.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours  a peaceful (and warm)

Christmas from Mackinac Island.

The Great Storm

The "Great Storm" of 2022 hit Mackinac just like it hit the rest of the Midwest - with a vengeance. The bridge closed to high profile traffic, the ferry cancelled trips,  the Island lost a few trees and, of course, we got quite a bit of snow. But somehow, on Mackinac, even a blizzard is beautiful...