The Fabric of Christmas

There are two common premises stitched together here. Save the community center. Artist enters a work for a fellowship. The third thread is what brings the leads together and also gives some heart - brother needs to make a quilt for his sister's wedding. I can't say that I can think of many movies that follow that one.

Amy nearly ticked me off early because of course there had to be an early animosity between the leads. The way Amy reacted to the inspection report was childish and even irresponsible. But once Amy and Liam make the deal, that attitude disappears completely. This sudden change is not unusual in this type of movie.

The occasion for the setting is more about Lauren's wedding than Christmas, but Christmas is part of the wedding theme.

I have never seen either lead. I was impressed with the acting because it usually falls off with lesser known stars and Reel One Entertainment. I'm not saying it was the best of the year, but it was natural enough. There is some quiet chemistry between Ferelith Young and Harmon Walsh. Walsh's character is supposed to be a little stiff. The chemistry comes more in the support each character gives the other than in witty banter. I think that this support in several areas helped me stick with the story through the central section.

I am often rushing to get to the end by the time the conflict and climax come, but not this time. For one thing the sister's wedding gives the viewer a good moment, which was not unexpected. If you count that as a climax, you might say there are two. I liked the way everything was done from the wedding on.

BTW comment on make up. I wasn't impressed with Ferelith Young's makeup in some cases, especially the wedding. That is obviously a totally personal opinion.

Ok, there is no way that quilt got finished in one night. The binding alone could take a couple days, but piecing stars is time consuming.

It takes quite a while to piece together a quilt that size with that type of pattern...

And while were at it.... the actress that plays his sister would have been a better Amy.

From a costume standard and I am aware that the costume designer is a pro but she needed a necklace for Amy to break up the exposed skin.

His sisters wedding dress, could have been more stylish for a vintage dress.

I know the costume budgets for these productions and I know how popular Christmas movies are but please raise the bar.... I only watched it for the quilt aspect... for the most part it was tough to watch.

Ferelith Young puts a lot more substance into her acting here than what you'd expect, considering that this appears to be just one more Christmas romance movie where boy gets girl, or girl gets boy. In fact, without her, it definitely would be just another one to sit through, because that's what you do at this time of the year. However, she makes this movie.

The story is also a bit different. A creative quilt artist meets a fireman who is more concerned with the outdated fire extinguishers in the community center where she creates. Opposites can attract.

Although low-budget, I can find no fault with the expertise of everything else. I'd probably watch this one again next year.

The is your standard Hallmark-esque movie. The main actor and actress have a nice chemistry, but Ferelith Young needs to STOP with the lip smacking sound. In one scene she did it 5x in about 15-20 seconds. If someone was playing the drinking game, they'd be comatose by midway through the movie.

It makes me wonder if the director or any cast member has mentioned it to her before. Definitely something to work on.

As a child of a volunteer firefighter, Harmon Walsh's character of 'nitpicking' the safety hazards rang true and made me laugh as it was a nice nod to my own memories of my father warning us all against certain dangers people don't think about.

This is one of the best "cheesy" Christmas movies I have ever seen. Ferelith Young knocks it out of the park with her performance, showing the joys and fears of relationships both romantic...and professional. If sincerity could be acted, Young manages to accomplish the impossible. Her warmth is what makes one's heart sing.

If you think you've watched too many Christmas movies this year, don't pass this one up. The story feels adult. The childishness of other films' conflict resolutions is avoided here. It is heartfelt. The Fabric of Christmas will inspire you to pursue understanding and love for even those with whom you disagree.