Pressies and makes

Fabric Scrapping - at first glance it's a lovely book which I had never seen before.

My very first pair of proper dressmaking scissors.

More Twilleys Freedom wool.

A cherry blossom fairy kit from Myriad.

Red felt tin with white hearts.

Small felt storage box (perfect size for gutterman cotton reels).

Finished or Forgot

Finished this Week

2 christmas cakes (the above one was a pressie) I make my own royal icing too as I can't stand the ready roll stuff.

The jam tarts, mince pies and butter tartlets.

The cranberry and orange relish.

Uncle billies toffee (Delia Smith's recipe), and it tastes just like dime bar!!

The Christmas dinner (3 courses) for 10 people.

Completely Forgot (or didn't get round to)

The cloak for JJ (was mortified when I realised, but I actually don't think he would've noticed).

The greenery for the front door.

The Christmas sack.

The finger puppets for the stockings.

I'm actually quite pleased with myself really, although when I forget/didn't get round to the things I wanted to get done, I was pretty disappointed. Thinking about it later on did help - when I think of the things I did achieve. I hope everyone else was pleased with the things they achieved. The blogs I follow (must update the list) are sooooooo inspiring, full of mum's who have to put the family first, yet still achieve a whole variety of things, just amazing.

Thank you Mamas.

xxx

PS The green man painting was done by the very talented Joxy. Thank you - it was loved hugely xxx

Seasons Greetings

Just a very quick post to wish everyone a lovely Christmas holiday. I hope that you are all having a good time with family and friends. xxx

Still here...

A Birthday, crafting, chilling, cooking, snow, Christmas.... Hubby's Nanna died on Aaron's birthday too. She was 94, we didn't see her an awful lot, but.......It's all I seem to post about this year - crafting and death announcements! Hopefully everyone else is fairing better, and Christmas/Yule plans are going well.

Need sleep

After I'd finished on here last night I was still wide awake so I thought I'd get the last lot of bags cut and pinned ready for sewing today. Then, I was awake at 5.50am with my head whirring, so I've had another busy day today. The above bag is for my nephew's pressie.

Three of these (drawstring).

For my niece (who likes cows) - drawstring.



For my nephew (this matches the playmat and toy bag I made him earlier in the year).

Four of these.

Tomorrow I have to pick up our new kitten from my brother's so I had to get the cloak finished and the stockings made too (think I must have neglected the family today!!). The stockings are quilted and lined, with tags and bells added.

Now I really do need to go to bed, but my head is still whirring :-)

On a roll

The hat for my Nan - going to have to send this quick otherwise I think it will be staying in my hat box ;-).

One of these.

Two of these.

Drawstring - one of these.

Three of these.

Out of the bags I got cut ready yesterday, I have four more that need handles. Then I have to make 7 more from scratch, and start on the two stockings.


Thanks so much for the lovely comments too, they really help.

The excitement is building

I can feel it bubbling away inside - the excitement - and it feels good. This will be the first year since my Mum died (4 years on the 21st) that I have had this feeling back. We also have Aaron's birthday on Sunday...12 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As hubby is still recovering from his back op we shall be having a surprise birthday tea at home with family ssshhhh.

Today I have made 2 more Christmas puddings - one for the in-laws and one extra as we have my sister and her kids coming for Christmas dinner now. I have also started on the cloth bags that I will be using instead of wrapping paper (first picture). I worked out I need 18 - I cut and pinned 11, and have managed to get 7 stitched (2 complete and 5 needing handles). Woohooo. Feel like I'm getting somewhere now. I've also started a hat for my Nan using the Twilleys wool, Heather, I think is the colour. Need to get this finished so I can post her pressies before the weekend.

Right, back to the crafting. Hope everyone else's is going well xxx

Couple of bits

Cranberry heart with ribbon.

Hat for my Dad knitted with Twilleys Freedom wool.

Normality!?!

Hubby had his back op on Thursday for a prolapsed disc, he is home now, so I feel like I can finally look forward to Christmas. The brief moments of excitement in the previous few weeks have been short-lived because of the various things that have happened, but now hopefully we can expect some normality (well normal for our house anyway). The first picture is the card and pressie for my nephew. Hard to believe he's a year old!! The other picture is the Twilleys Freedom wool I ordered for the hats I'm making for my Hubby and my Dad - ok, I don't need that much wool to make two hats but it looked so gorgeous I couldn't decide on a colour!! I really do need to finish the cards and get them posted then start on the stockings for my nieces. Hope everyone else is having fun.

Fit for a Princess

Started this crown after I'd been on here, not expecting to finish it tonight at all, but here we are. Hopefully fit for a 2 year old princess - with the cloak when I get that finished.

Chutney and Chains

Here's the marrow and apple chutney I was making the other day.

I'm so excited to show you the felt 'paper' chains. I've been busy these last few days cutting and stitching then looping them altogether. I decided to go for multi-coloured so it could be used for any occasion. When it's stretched out it's a whopping 12 feet long - wonderful.

We went and got our tree today - grown in the next village so it's fabulously local. We also managed to get a huge bunch of mistletoe (grown in the village too). Tomorrow shall be spent decorating the tree and house. Hubby is in hospital on thursday for a back operation so we have to be as prepared as possible this year. Right off to make something else.

Should really be doing the housework

I think the title just about sums up how I feel at the minute! It was Grandad's funeral yesterday, and although it went as well as these things can go, I don't think it hit me until today. Can't really explain how I feel, other than I've spent the afternoon crafting and watching a Christmas film just because I couldn't be bothered to do anything else! Above is the card I made for my Mum's partner who has just moved from 'their' house to a new house. A step forward hopefully.

These are the start of the felt paper chain that I was inspired to make because of the lovely Sarah over at paper-and-string. Can't decide whether to do them in Christmas colours and save them just for Christmas or whether to do them multi-coloured so we can have them up for birthdays as well.

Now this is a giant re-purposed tin that had a cake in it!! Can't decide whether to put it in the shop or use it here. Too many decisions to make.

Anyway, at the minute I have marrow and apple chutney on the stove, and some more strips to make for the chains.

Getting excited again

I think the anxiety caused with waiting for 'the phone call' regarding my Grandad has now disappeared meaning I'm getting excited about Christmas and crafting again. We still have the funeral on Thursday but I think that the waiting period is always harder somehow. Anyway, I knitted this hat on Sunday evening using the Twilleys blue and some other Twilleys brown that I had left from last years hat. This wool knits up very quickly at it is knitted using 10mm needles - just the sort I like ;-). No pattern involved - just measured my head then used the gauge on the label for the amount of stitches I needed. When I'd got the length as I wanted it I started to decrease, but kept it going so I ended with the pointy bit. The tassle-ly bit is made with the strands left from sewing up, with a couple of extra ones threaded through the end of the hat, and then plaited together (and knotted at the end). Easy peasy.

I want to make some more bits from the shop now that I've finished the 2 bag orders (I added the yellow liner but then forgot to photograph it before it went), so last night I sat and made two flower brooches. I'm spending this afternoon (hopefully) making a simple curtain for my Dad, then updating the website and shop. They have been rather neglected of late, so fingers crossed.