Christmas Crafting

Some of you are new visitors, popping over from the Ho Ho Ho and on We Sew link party - welcome.  Others are regular visitors - and if you haven't yet met Fiona and Paula and the other Ho Ho Ho-ers, do pop over and make their acquaintance.

They are on a mission to put a stop to the last minute sewing that all too often happens during December, and are encouraging us to take it easy, making bits and pieces throughout the whole year.

For those of you new to the Link Party, the posts are scheduled for the 18th of every month and the Link Party remains open until the end of the month to give our fellow bloggers lots of time to link up their Christmas and Holiday makes.

As well as encouraging us, there is a whole schedule of posts of Christmassy ideas to help us out

January	Celtic Thistle Stitches	Fiona	http://celticthistlestitches.blogspot.com
February	Threading My Way	Pam	http://www.threadingmyway.com/
March	Wonky Patchwork	Sally	http://wonkypatchwork.blogspot.co.uk/
April	SLIK stitches	Benta	http://slikstitches.com/
May	Practically Pippy	Karen	http://practicallypippy.blogspot.co.uk/
June	Charly and Ben's Crafty Corner	Ruth	http://benandcharlyscorner.blogspot.co.uk/
July	Weekend Doings	Martha	www.weekenddoings.blogspot.com
	Patch the Giraffe	Chelsea	http://patchthegiraffe.blogspot.com/
August	Sunshine Through the Rain	Deborah	http://sunshinethroughtherain-deborah.blogspot.co.uk/
September	Practically Pippy	Karen	http://practicallypippy.blogspot.co.uk/
	Party of Eight: Our Story	Gina	http://partyofeightourstory.blogspot.co.uk/
October	Ella and Nesta's Little Room	Nesta	http://ellaandnesta.blogspot.co.uk/
November	Rose & Dahlia	Joanne	http://rosedahlia.blogspot.co.uk/
December	Mud, Pies and Pins	Paula	http://www.mudpiesandpins.com/

If you look careful at that list, at just about now, you'll see someone called Benta at SLIKstitches is due to share a Christmassy project . . . so I guess I'd better get on with it!

I have made a calorie free Advent Calendar - after years of chocolate ones when the girls were younger I think this one is much kinder to my waistline!

 

I used 1/2 yard each of three fabrics, plus extra to bind.  I used fabric that had been cut into charm squares (5"x5").

FOR THE COUNTDOWN NUMBERS
If you are using yardage, initially cut 12 squares from one fabric, and applique, embroider or use fabric pens to add the numbers 0 to 9, plus an extra 1 and 2.  If you choose to use bondaweb, or heat&bond or similar you probably wont need to stitch them down.  I am lucky enough to have an embroidery machine so mine have been machine appliqued.  Make another piece, a rectangle this time, twice the size, with the word "sleeps" on it using the same method

Starting with 1 and 2, place the two numbered pieces right sides together.  Pin two sections of thin ribbon a little bit in from the top corners to make the hanging loops.  These need to be *between* the two parts, touching the right side of both fabrics, hanging inside (so you can see the bits shown here in black, but the grey section isn't visible unless you look between the two pieces of fabric)

 Stitch most of the way round (including all 4 corners), but leave an opening for turning

Stuff with a handful of toy stuffing and then stitch the opening closed.  Continue with the other numbers, pairing 3 & 4, 5 & 6, 7 & 8, 9 & 0, and another 1 & 2 and finally pair "sleeps" with another piece of fabric

FOR THE WALL HANGING:

As I had charm squares I used six greens charms along the top and bottom, and I used a green, four creams and another green for each of the middle rows (16 greens and 8 creams in total), but you could use yardage or scraps.  Mine finished at about 27 x 17½" 

I spray basted it onto wadding (batting) with more fabric on the back, and quilted it with free range lines from left to right.  I used green thread for the green areas and cream for the cream areas

I arranged two number 'cushions' and the 'sleeps' cushion to a suitable place in the centre panel and marked where the top of the ribbons should be, and I stitched buttons in the right places.  

 
I also added six pairs on buttons below to park the unused cushions

I folded two charm squares in half diagonally and basted them in the top right and top left hand corners.  I then added the binding to the wall hanging including the triangle edges.

I could then use a stick the same width to hang it on my display hanger

TIPS FOR SEWING ON A BUTTON:



Start with one piece of thread, but thread both ends through the needle.









This means you can use the loop at the end to anchor the thread - no knot required







You want a bit of space behind the button, to allow the ribbon to fall snugly behind it.  You can create this by including a pin on top of the button while you are sewing.  Stitch from hole to hole half a dozen times over the pin




Then remove the pin and wrap the end of the thread around several times, between the button and the cloth, to create a shank.  Knot the thread on the back and hide the ends in the fabric

Now the ribbon will fall easily behind the button.







WHAT DID I LEARN?
I used elastic to hang up my little cushions - and I'm suggesting you use ribbon.  It seems the needle takes the path of least resistance and that will be either side of the elastic, not through it, so any pressure on the elastic will cause it to pop out!

FINALLY

If you are inspired by this or any other Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew post, do link up with Fiona and Paula - there are goodies to be won!!!

I have had major issues with adding the links - Fiona has been very patient but I.Just.Don't.Get.It!!!  This post is set to go live at midnight my time so I wont be checking it until 8 or so hours after that.  If the following looks fab, it's thanks to Fiona - if it looks like gobbledegook? Blame me!

    An InLinkz Link-up

This month's linkup is kindly sponsored, thank you very much, by

and the fab prize is this:

   

Thanks to all the regular sponsors too

Thank you to Fiona and Paula and all the other Ho Ho Ho-ers

Quick Catch Up

I've been facilitating other people's craftiness over the last few days:

Fun With Fabric at Chertsey Museum saw the ladies making chick bowls

 

 

Then on Saturday we had mayhem in church with kids making all sorts of things:

Sewing projects

Colouring and beading projects

Pompom creatures, pipe-cleaner people with lightsabers, cobwebs on the front of a spider man den, and a Möbius strip

And what have I been doing?

A bit of this - shopping for some classes, with a bit of "oooh, I *want* that" jumping into the basket too

 

And the embroidery machine has been earning its keep, with 35 assorted tops for the local pre-school done and now ready to be delivered

Plus a sample being worked on for a book scheme at the borough

And a bit of applique fun, just because!

 And I still have another week off school - yippee!!!!

Pinterest Problem

I know sometimes Pins on Pinterest have a missing link - ones where if you click on the pic it doesn't take you anywhere.

I pinned this Easter Chick basket a while ago, and in the last few days have wanted to make it

 

The picture takes me to this blog, but its just the same photos as on Pinterest.  The watermark on the photo is http://blog.sina.com.cn/ but its all in Chinese (I think) and certainly no chick baskets are evident.

I have created my own pattern and instructions, but afterwards I found a link to this blog where Tiffany has done the same thing!  So if you want to make this basket maybe look at her instructions and mine and have a go!

You'll need to print this pattern piece: the PDF can be down loaded here

And you'll need these instructions:(the PDF is here)

I took photos as I went, so hopefully these will help too

Pieces cut: 

Instruction 1

Instruction 2

Instruction 5

 Instructions 7 & 8

Instruction 9

 Instruction 11

 Instruction 15

I try not to think of this as being late for this Easter - rather being *very* early for next Easter!

PS I know my written instructions aren't brilliant - if you find  mistake please let me know!

Friendship and Fabric part 3

A final day in Ireland :-(.

We attended Mass in the morning (gosh Catholic Church is different to C of E!!!) and went for a walk to St Mullins - a beautiful serene village nearby - in the sunshine (had to take advantage of the sunshine) then back for our final sewing project.

We'd picked up coin-purse clasps, and found a site with great instructions, but sadly the purse bit was just too narrow for the clasp bit

Maybe we rushed it - a repeat project for another day!

I also managed to have a chat with Lisa - she's gone from Australia for a mini holiday in New Zealand with a friend, and it was her birthday, so I was delighted to be able to find her and have a catchup and wish her Happy Birthday (my baby is 24 - that makes me feel SOOO old!).

Just before she went to NZ she sent Brian an email - it's lovely to know that some teaching stays with them for ever:

Posted with Blogsy

Friendship and Fabric part 2

Day two in Ireland saw us out for a drive to visit a library with a quilt exhibition . . . we got there, and found the library - but it was CLOSED! Not impressed!

We consoled ourselves with a coffee and a slice of cake in a very quirky bookshop, then back 'home' to make a gathered basket

And thread catcher each

And a zippy pouch each (from Svetlana's Lola Pouch)

I love how wide these open - great for seeing what's inside

In the evening I added a "First" - my first hurling match! I had the game explained to me on my last visit (posted here) and now I've watched a match - just as bizarre as I understood it to be - the ball can be thrown by hand, held in a hand while the player runs, hit with the stick, or seemingly stuck to the stick while the player runs.   It all happened too fast for any photos, but a great evening, and here's a pic of a hurling stick (stick? bat? club?)

Posted with Blogsy

Friendship and Fabric (part 1)

To misquote various cards and gifts ... There is nothing better than spending time with a good friend, unless it's a friend with fabric!

And this weekend I'm enjoying both! I've got a three day pass and I'm spending it all in Ireland with Jackie

There was an exchange of gifts . . .

There was the making of one Every Day tote bag (pattern won recently, can be bought here)

 

Followed by another (Getting the hang of zips now!)

And another one, slightly modified due to shortage of fabric for the handles

Not bad for day one!!! Especially considering there was shopping and an awful lots of talking and catching up to do, as well as games with young master "nearly one" and having to be polite to other members of the family as well as a meal or two to be cooked and consumed!

Posted with Blogsy

Star Gazing

I started my Lone Star quilt long after everyone else in the western world, and it had several long "holidays" when no progress was made: mostly due to its difficult-to- manoeuvre size.

But it has finally been finished, bound, and had what I refer to as a haircut.

My next problem was finding somewhere to photograph it!

It's about 240cm x 165cm, (94 x 64")