Holiday Lane

Today I'm participating in the Holiday Lane blog hop with the lovely Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt. Thanks to our super-organized cheerleader, Pauline 

from Quilt´n Queen and  Jill from Jillilly Studios for her wonderful pattern with the decorated houses for Christmas.

And as  it is the right time now  to start counting down for Christmas to decorate our house and home with some festive things why not start with a beautiful pillow.

I have made some Swedish touches to my pillow, more to look like a street with houses as they may appear in my country side if we are lucky to get some snow.

First of all I must tell you about our Scandinavian Yule Goat, the Christmas Goat which is one of our oldest and most popular of all Swedish Christmas images and the goat will of course appear on my pillow.

In older times , however, the Christmas Goat reputed to be much more adventurous and dangerous, and was associated with both fertility and dark powers.

Yule Goat, the Christmas Goat could be in different images.

He could emerge as the handing out Christmas presents,before even Santa appeared to give Christmas presents. The Goat could also be a mischievous participant in Christmas escapades , or as a supernatural being which shadowy approached estates in midwinter.

 Parents could threaten with the  Christmas goat, if the kids did not behave, he would come and gore them.

Here is a picture of my Christmas goat, he is handmade of wool and I have had him in my home for several years, a image of a real goat.

My Christmas Goat in wool

In folklore the  Harvest-goat was a symbol of fertility. The goat was  usually made ​​from the last sheaf of straw from the past year with the desire for a good recovery following year.

The modern version of the Yule Goat figure is a decorative goat made out of straw and bound with red ribbons, a popular Christmas ornament often found under the Christmas tree. Large versions of this ornament are frequently erected in towns and cities around Christmas time .

And I have had my Christmas Goat made from straw in mind when I added a bigger version to my pillow.

My Christmas Goat made of straw

I must admit that I had to make some Swedish touches on my pillow besides the goat. In Advent, that is four weeks before Christmas Day, there will be lights in most of the windows, the Swedish Advent candlesticks and there will also be some electric stars lightning up the dark days and nights during December.
You will find the lights and the star in one of the windows on my pillow. 

My Christmas Lane

Some lights and a star in one window

And as the nights are  dark there must be some stars to light up the neighborhood.

The Christmas goat and the Advent candle stick in the window

I have also modified the instruction by making an inner pillow form and insert a zipper at the back.

And before visiting all the other Holiday Lanes my old fashioned Swedish Santa will say hello to you and wish you a festive coming Christmas

My old fashioned Santa

Here is the other wonderful lanes to visit today

Apple Avenue Quilts
Celtic Thistle Stitches
Quilt Doodle Doodles
Louzeekreativ
Tink´s Mom
I Piece 2 Mary
Beaquilter
Ninis Patchwork
Hallbrook Designs

Have a nice day and a for you in US a wonderful Thanksgiving 

Britt-Inger in Malmö, Sweden