My Fairy Tale Face Lift for christmas

Here is something that I have been wanting to share for some time, but had to wait for others to see it before I shared.....

The perfect face-lift, meant to preserve beauty for others to look at, and for yourself to enjoy too. That is what I wanted in this face-lift. Beauty that will last and last, and as long as it's taken care of, for others to enjoy for generations to come. Huh? What? Generations? That's some procedure!!

Let me back up a bit.

My dd loves to write and she is quite good at it. It's something that she's enjoyed for as long as she could hold a pencil and make up her own versions of what something was spelled like. It's a talent that she has practiced at, challenged herself with and entertained others by doing.

She also enjoys reading. Reading what others have written and what she considers well-written books. Classic Fairy Tales is something she loves, and 2 years ago for Christmas, we gave her a Complete Book of Grimm Fairy Tales. This year, I added to her collection.

At our local library, they had a book sale and I found a great old fairy tale book... Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales. Age had been pretty kind to it, considering that it is 70 years in it's prime. Many, many others have enjoyed reading this, judging from the library card in the back, and they have all been gentle in their treatment of handling it. However, seeing as how I am also a lover of books, and wanting to make this book special for Christmas, I gave it the treatment.

Here are a couple of before shots:

I made a new cover for this in a rich, beautiful felt and blanket stitched all around it. I appliqued this cute little deer and tree with leaves on the cover of it, and embroidered the words Fairy Tale and the intitials HCA on the books binding side. You can't tell very well from the pictures ,but the stitches on the applique I made are very tiny. Voila!! A Fairy Tale Face-Left for Christmas!! And all from someone who never worked with felt, hand sewed or appliqued before! Ha! Who knew?