Christmas creations

It's a crazy time here at the end of the school year, heading for Christmas. Full of Christmas parties and get-togethers.

What a perfect time to create!

Staying up late, and getting up early for creative baking is just as exciting as it is for creative sewing (although it's a necessity here in the tropics to chill and roll out bikkie dough or to ice and decorate treats in the cooler times of the day). It's also child free time, when I will not be distracted by little feet running about, and perhaps touching the hot oven.

I had been planning to make extra oven mitts as gifts until the sewing machine became sick.  So at the last minute I was making these snowflakes as ornaments. I once went to a quilty gf's house, and she had garlands of greenery hanging everywhere absolutely covered in crocheted snowflakes. Susan gave every visitor in December one of her snowflakes. It made a stunning display, and a touching gift.

Even though there wasn't time to block the snowflakes and hold in place with ironing starch, I think they still look cute.

I was amazed one of the oven mitt recipients didn't appreciate her hand made gift. I don't even know if she knew I had made it, but it was brushed off as "I will have the chocolate, and my husband can have this".

It happens occasionally, but I think as crafters, we cannot be upset about what someone does with a hand made gift. We have given it to them. It is theirs now, and we have released it. Although we can be sure they will never bloody well get another hand made thing again!

Here are the baking creations made for the children this week.



Both recipes are from the December 2016 Coles magazine.

Andrea, I thought of you as I made the candy cane swirly bikkies. I remember you telling a story where Daniel as a toddler was able to describe how to make the curly twirly bikkies and you thought "Ooh, maybe we've made these more times than I thought". I wonder whether these are made in a similar way.

What to make next? I am keen to finish the owl Christmas stocking when I have my sewing machine back, and to machine stitch the binding onto two quilts ready to hand stitch for the children for Christmas. But, what else?

I was thinking of making quilts for two weddings I have been invited to. The first is in India (cannot take baby boy as it is too dirty for him while he puts everything in his mouth), and the second is in New Zealand (cannot go as it has been declared an adult only wedding, no children). Luckily I think I have two quilts in my stash ready to be gifted.

This one, Samsara, is going back to the town where it was made after the married couple return from India. Originally, I was going to keep it for myself. But the fabrics suit a cooler climate, and are too warm for my home where we wear cardigans for only 2 weeks of the year.

The other one is  a Persian tiles design which I've made 3 times now. Funnily enough I can't seem to find it on my blog. Did I miss adding a finished quilt? I am so curious I will go back to check.

.... Aaaah, here it is. La Petite Ecole Persian Tiles

And so, I will take a look at my projects to see what I'd like to work on next.

The 40 D'oiley

Phew! Breathing a sigh of relief that the 40th birthday d'oiley is finished.

I think I can safely say that my penchant for very fine crochet has come and gone. I think I will save it for the edging on fine linen tablecloths now - and I have already made two of those.

I am tempted to pin the d'oiley out and paint on spray starch to "block" it, but I am posting it to the U.K. and I don't think my gf will even notice if it's a little crinkly.

Besides, I like the way it feels soft.

Ecru and white in size 20 crochet cotton.

It's getting close to Christmas. Before then I would like to make a Christmas stocking, bind two quilts, and make some oven mitts - something I would do in one week when I wasn't a Mum! ;)

Snuggies

Even though they are not quite finished, Shelley and Rhette needed to snuggy under their blankies...

 both feeling a bit under the weather, and really, it's all a crafter asks for is her creations to be used, loved and appreciated.

 Here is a pic of the robot and dinosaur bunting hanging in situ.

And even though I'd love to get them finished, (and the purple one on the couch which is for my sister expecting her first baby), the mailman brought the horse fabrics to make my little girl's quilt.... and I'm going to try to whip up an original double sided quilt in the next couple of weeks - so that I can post it to Mum to quilt before she leaves (3000km from here) to drive here for a visit. I'm keen!

Better get a move on.... I'll keep you posted...

A little distraction

At the same time as juggling deadlines for the July cushion, I am trying to finish two crochet blankets. When will they be finished? Er. How long is a piece of wool. No really, I want to use as much of the wool as possible. So I will make them as large as possible.

 I've just joined on another piece to Shelley's blanket, and it is now doubled in size. It's just big enough to go over her body. Really needs to be bigger. Of course, ends must also be sewn in.

I am loving the variegated yarn. I would be bored silly making the same block over and over if not for the colour changes.

I'd better get cracking on Rhette's blanky now. I need to finish them at the same time you see... siblings. ;)

Sojourn

I crocheted this blanket as a special present for my girlfriend that lives in Devon, U.K. She likes pink, and I knew if I made every hexagon the same I would be bored, so I made every single hexie different. I took the 7kg woollen item overseas, carrying it around England (losing it and half my luggage on the way to London), then took it to Paris where I met my sweet girl and gave it to her.

I finished sewing it together and tying all the ends up while we were in Paris, gazing out the window at the Eiffel Tower.... oh how lush! But, how often does a girl (me) turn 40?? 

 I thought I'd share some pics from the trip, as I can see a few of them would make great scenery/landscape quilts if I ever felt like it one day.

Or maybe I could print them onto inkjet fabric and make a photo album quilt to look like scrapbooking pages... that could also be fun....

 This one is outside Kensington Palace.

 The doorman at Harrod's... (what shopping?? they were having a big sale... and half my bags were lost, I needed makeup, toiletries and underwear!)

 Stonehenge needs no introduction.

 I am still a Harry Potter fan.

 Parisienne restaurant - in a patchwork jacket!

 Oh! the cottages in England!

And the cute little pubs with flowers out the front!

One of those last minute things.

 You know how it feels when you've been making steady progress on a gift for months.... then time is nearly up, and you know you have to somehow finish the gift in time.

 Oh yes. All the blocks are made, but can I get the ends all sewn in and tucked away? Oh my.

 I am very happy to report that indeed The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The little woollen blanket of many colours is complete, and I just loooove the colours. There is a lot of depth in this little project.