Christmas making

Phew, 2011, didn't that come round fast?
I did manage to get a few handmade goodies on to santas sleigh in time for Yule delivery, it was quite busy and lots of fun.

My lovely sister Sophie visited us from Spain and spent a whole week pottering about with us, making, playing, cooking, talking, walking, visiting friends and rather a lot of eating and drinking, we had a lovely time!
When Sophie saw my doodle monarchs, she was most enchanted and asked if I might make on for her, and make one I did.





Young Princess Sophie of Marbella, AKA my little sister, and she is a Princess, oh yes.

Just a few days before Christmas, if I am honest, I was having a bit of a crap time with PND until Christmas cheer arrived, wrapped up in a box from Kentucky, USA. It was jam packed with so much, SO much loveliness. Prettyfull fabrics and pillow panels for moi, wee boxes of vintage buttons, a Book about a Miss Tallulah who makes Blueberry Pancakes, oh yes. For each of my 4 sproglets there was a gift, dolls for the girls and the most darling vintage snowsuit for the Bear, everything was wrapped beautifully and dripping with satin ribbon. Oh and there was more, a whole raft of Kentucky souvenirs, including chocolates, sauce, wine glasses, oh, just SO much. Needless to say, I was quite overwhelmed, and so deeply touched by the incredible kindess of my dear friend Sena. It was such a delightful and unexpected treat, and touched me so. Thank you Miss Sena, you rock so hard <3 I will snap some photos of the prettyfull gifts from Sena, first I think the pancake recipe is going to be knocked up tossed in action oh so soon, with blueberries, of course.
In the meantime, I have already started using some of the fabrics and pillow panels, a few went into christmas gifts for the little ones.



This cushion was for Hazel, the blue and red fabrics are from Sena's stash. This is my first real attempt at something patchwork, it is a bit wonky donkey, will mark where the seams need to be stitched next time, so they align properley. Hazel was super pleased with it. I made her a wee bag for her dolly clothes with the left over scraps.





Sena also sent me a super cute vintage christmas pillow panel, which included these charming little snowmen. I sewed up one for each of the children and added a ribbon hanger, they have each had them dangling from their bedroom door.



Ambers cushion was finished on time and turned out square-ish!



Amber also got the book bag she asked for, I chose the owl fabric from Tina Givens because Amber has a thing about owls, the polka dot was kicking around in my bag. The appliqued spots that cover the strap stitching were quite necessary to cover up the masacre of thread beneath. I have discovered that I am abismal with the machine on little fiddly bits like this! Practice, practice...





Miss Boo got a rice bag number set, with a little + - and = to get her going with some easy maths, not surprisingly she currently just stacks them into piles (they do feel nice) and can more or less name each number, but not quite ready for the sums yet. I made a wee bag to tuck them into too.





And a dolly from the Sena stash (thank you again!) a vintage fabric doll panel, this is Mary and her little lamb is included and still needs to be sewn, the lamb is melt your heart gorgeous.



Hoozel got a stocking at about 9pm on Christmas eve..... bit um, last minute, but I more or less beat the deadline.



Phew! Busy, busy, busy. Oh and there is more, I will be back.

Best Wishes for 2011!

A Stocking for Christmas

Well, so much for one handmade gift per child, try 3 on for size, THREE!
Ambear bust in on me yesterday when I was working on the surprise cushion, I hastily stuffed it back in the bag, and had to fathom an excuse RE the sewing machine poised ready for action and various fabric scraps here, there and everywhere.
"What are you making Mum?" she asks.

Now, I realise, in hindsight (such a beautiful thing!) that I should have been honest, and said actually Amber, I am working on your Christmas treat, so on your bike! (That means 'get lost' in British btw).
Instead, I fumbled and stuttered and declared, "I am making you a Christmas stocking!"
Why? WHY?! I don't even know HOW to make a Christmas stocking.
"Oh cool" says she "Are you making one for Hoozel, Boo and Bear too?"
"But of course!" says I. Three words spring to mind. Glutton For Punishment.

Anyway, the hole I had dug was to deep, there was no way out. The stockings must be made. The children insisted on choosing their own fabrics too. Being as Ambear was the perpetrator of this plan, I made hers first. I made a stocking shaped template with an old cereal box, cut the shapes out, forgot to account for seams, scrapped the shapes and cut them out again, this time with seam allowance. I wanted a fold over top in contrasting fabric, but I sewed these on wrong, facing out, by accident, in my typically bungling fashion, so they don't fold, but they look pretty all the same. The stocking emerged from the work table barely 90 minutes later, freshly ironed and was presented to Ambear.

"Oh COOOL!" says She "Can you embroider my name on to it?"
Cue much muttering under ones breath, and a great few expletives once the child had departed. I embroidered Ambers name on to a white scrap, stitched it to another white scrap, right sides together, with the intention of making a reverse applique.
I reversed it, and it was crooked, pissed as a fart, wonky donkey all the way to timbuktu. It looked SHIT.
So, I stitched some fabric to the reverse, and attached it as a kind of homespun wonky gift tag instead. Phew, I present it to Ambear.
"Oh thanks Mum! I really like it... can you just..."
NO! It's finished, begone with you child, I have three more of these things to make.




Anyhow, the requests have since flooded in from the children. A Book bag and doll for Amber, a Bag for Hoozels PE kit and a bear (ffs), Boo needs a bag for her farmyard and animals, Bear needs a quilt (though I do not think I am quite ready to tackle a quilt yet), they have given me a list, a LIST. Just ideas apparently, they say, hopefully, raising their eyebrows and carefully pointing out the vintage linens they want me to masacre for their projects.
Thank goodness we are visiting our home in France this Christmas, I will be sure to return laden with my fabric stash, so that the mass genocide of my vintage bed linens can stop. Assuming I have not hurled myself into the river by then, phew, am feeling the pressure a bit now!

What gifts are you making for the holidays?