Stockings hung by the chimney with care...

...well we don't actually have a chimney, mores the pity! But we do have stockings. This Christmas is the first my Fiancé and I will have lived together and I always knew I would go a bit overboard with the Christmas making and decorating but stockings were a must. We went together and chose fabric which makes it even more special, I have very specific taste but I didn't want to be all about me! And as it turns out, even the fabrics I wasn't too sure about in the shop look lovely all together here :)

 

I made a template and quilted the strips together before cutting out the shape, they're lined with more polka dots and of course trimmed with bobble trim which we've recently started stocking at work and is consequently going on everything I make, I love it! The hanging loops are of a beautiful printed cotton tape that is another obsession and I probably have enough to last me for decades! :)



 

Fabric baubles!

Last year I visited a Christmas tree festival in a nearby town that I absolutely loved. One thing that stood out for me was a tree designed by a local quilting group that had the most wonderful baubles made up of overlapping triangles of fabric that made them look like pine cones I took a sneaky photo and resolved to try something similar myself but didn't have time last year, this year however I started early, I made these two back in October (or it may have even been September!)

 

They were easy to make, simply take a polystyrene ball and starting at the bottom overlap layer upon layer of folded fabric triangles, making sure the next layer hides the raw edges of the last, finished at the top with some Christmassy ribbon and a bow! They look lovely on the tree and are a great way of using up those teeny tiny scraps of Christmas fabric that I just can't bear to throw away!

This weekend...

...I will be staying inside out of the gale force winds and working on this.

 

 

 

I have coveted one of Alicia Paulson's embroidered Christmas ornament kits since she first started making them and this year I treated myself. After an agonising wait whilst it made it's way through customs it arrived this week! :) I couldn't wait to get started. I first made the Polar bear, though I haven't yet knitted his scarf poor thing! Now I'm working on the cross stitch design for the Selbu mitten, I don't do a lot of hand embroidery these days and I'm really enjoying doing something that I can snuggle up on the sofa and slowly work away at. I generally like things to be done instantly, I'm quite impatient like that so I think it's good for me to work on something that takes a bit of time and patience.

I think you can still buy these kits here, they're all so lovely I may have to buy one or two more! :)

DIY beaded baubles!

I'm all about the idea of accumulating a collection of handmade Christmas tree decorations and the past few years I've made some new ones each Christmas, here are last years stitched ones.

 

 

This year I am pretty glitter obsessed and decided to go for something a bit different. So I bought some plain red glass baubles and used PVA glue to stick on glass beads and glitter. I particularly like the glass heart which I added the initials of myself and my boyfriend (yes, a bit cheesy, get over it! :P ) I then added some matching red ribbon to hang them and, voila!

 

 

I'm well aware I could have just bought glitter baubles but then I would have missed out on an afternoon of glitter - filled fun! These were so easy to make and would be a nice craft for children, and you end up with something pretty and unique and lets be honest, at about £5 for three baubles, an absolute bargain! Do it, you know you want to! :)

Chocolate Peppermint cupcakes

A few weeks ago I bought some candy canes for photography props but as they were cheap ones 10 out of the 12 in the box were broken :( .... which gave me the idea to make something I'd seen last year here which involved adding crushed up candy canes to icing...yum! :)

 

 

I used a basic chocolate cake recipe and vanilla butter cream and added the crushed candy canes. I was a little worried there might be too many flavours going on in these but actually they turned out delicious! You get the crunch of candy cane and a hit of peppermint with each bit which is delightfully festive! Definitely a winner! :)



Christmas at The Emporium

 

 

 

Just a quick peek at a few of the things in my Christmas display at the Emporium in Yeovil. Feeling super festive now! :)

Bunting!

 

 

I've been working away on a couple of commissions this week. Two sets of Christmas bunting and a set of name bunting which have now been sent out. I've really enjoyed spending my time sat working away at my sewing machine with a cup of good coffee and a mince pie on hand whilst listening to Christmas music and I consider myself so lucky to be able to have the opportunity to do so! :)

 

Now, onto finishing a few Christmas presents that I started a while ago and should really get round to completing in time for official present wrapping times this weekend! :)

First december weekend

 

*Snuggling under my newly finished Christmas quilt * Beautiful wintry sunrise skies * The smell of cinnamon from a Christmas candle * Writing cards designed by my very lovely and talented friend Rebecca. You can buy her beautiful set of Christmas cards from her Etsy shop *

Christmas Bunting

As commissioned by my Brother as a surprise present for my Sister in Law :) Festive fabric flags, each appliqued with a letter to spell out 'Merry Christmas' stitched around in gold thread and strung together with bright red bias binding.

 

 

 

I love this, so much so that I'm in the process of making one for myself too.

 

 I'm now taking orders for these. £25 for custom made 'Merry Christmas' bunting. Message me for more details or with any queries :)

Festive spirit

With less than a week to go until the beginning of December I feel I'm fully justified in getting into the Christmas spirit a little (You may disagree but that's up to you really :P )

 

 

 

 

Here are some fabric gift bags I've been stitching today which are a great alternative to throw away wrapping paper (so very much of the stuff gets used and thrown away every year it's absurd!) I've started out making little ones but some bigger ones are on the way. These will be up on Etsy by the end of tomorrow and I'll be open to commissions for custom sized gift bags too :)

I apologise...

...Two Christmas related posts in one day and it's not even December yet... I know I'm a bad person! :)

 

 

 

I spent the afternoon battling with layers of patchwork and wadding and fleece, desperately trying to get all the layers flat and lined up and all that. This is easily, easily the worst part about quilting. I don't know if there's a secret easy way to do it that I've just not been told?! :P but never mind. I got there in the end and now I just have hours of hand stitching around the edge to finish it up. Which I really don't mind doing, only it has to be finished by the beginning of December for the official beginning of Christmas celebrations along with a huge list of other things. Best get started really... :)

Busy as a bee!

Things have been a bit quiet on the blog front recently but I haven't been sat around doing nothing - honest! :)

 

 

 

It's getting to that time of year when all my creativity starts to shift towards christmas and so although I have been busy as a bee working away, pretty much everything I'm working on is a surprise for one person or another so it has to be kept hidden for now! :)

 

 

I have however, added another of my cushions to Etsy HERE. It would make a beautiful Christmas present for someone who likes pretty things. Go have a look! :)

Look away now...

...if you're the kind of person who can't bear the mention of Christmas this early on in the year! I'd totally understand that. Even as an avid Christmas lover I tried to ignore it all and restrain myself until December but this project just couldn't wait that long (I'm not even certain it will be finished in time for this Christmas to be honest! :) )

 

 

 

So here's what I've been up to this week. The painstaking cutting of 435 squares and rectangles for a Christmas patchwork quilt. I am far too excited about this. I was like a small child on Christmas Eve whilst shopping for the fabric. Literally bouncing up and down. I'm fairly certain my boyfriend was a little embarrassed at my over enthusiasm. And the lady cutting the fabric was definitely laughing at me. But in a kind way. At least I like to think so! :)

Just imagine it. Curled up on Christmas Eve under a snuggly Christmas quilt, wrapping presents by fairy light with Bing Crosby playing in the background or the Muppet's Christmas carol on TV. The smell of apple strudel wafting from the oven and a glass of mulled wine nearby. That just sums up my perfect evening and the christmas quilt is absolutely integral to the scene. I need to get my skates on. There's no way I can wait for next year to play that scene out! :)

Presents

I was annoyed at myself that in my eagerness to wrap my presents for everyone I forgot to take photos of most of them! Here are a couple that I did take and now that Christmas is over I feel able to show them here.

Here's an embroidered cushion I made for my lovely Sister in Law

And here, a cute little mouse I made for my Mister, who wanted a pet mouse but it's not really possible right now so this is the next best solution :)

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas with family and friends x

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and an exciting New Year!

xxx

Gingerbread House

This afternoon we spent creating the now traditional gingerbread house. I have to admit to cheating and buying a house making kit rather than baking my own gingerbread :) I meant to take photos of the construction process but it was all a little hectic, building not really being my strong point but I am pleased with how it turned out. Now I just have the task of shooing away would be house-eaters for as long as possible, I have to admit to being rather precious about my little gingerbread cottages each year and would really rather they weren't eaten at all! :) I predict it will last intact until approximately 30 seconds after my brother arrives in the house on Christmas day!

Home for the holidays

Christmas holiday

Two years ago, on our first Christmas together, my Mister and I took a little christmas holiday to London which was magical. This year we went again and it was wonderful again (although we had no snow this time)

London is wonderful at this time of year, so festive with all the pretty lights and things, but also hectic, so many people! So although it was a lovely, lovely little holiday, we were glad to get home for some calm and quiet and to get ready for Christmas.

Brown paper packages tied up with string

I have spent the morning wrapping up my christmas presents which is something I enjoy immensely, it signals that christmas is truly round the corner.

I found this beautiful brown wrapping paper with stripes of gold in Paperchase and decided to pair it with string, partly because I think it looks amazing and partly because most years I spend a lot of money on ribbon for it only to either be discarded or given back to me with a 'could you use this for something?!'

I have long been resigned to the fact that I am the one who cares most about the beautiful wrapping of presents, everyone else is just in a hurry to see what's inside, such is life!



Christmastime in the city