Holidays Are For ... Sewing!!

I promised to come back soon to show you some pics of the sewing that I've been working on over the last few weeks. Can I tell you ... after all the kerfuffle of getting our cottage ready to sell, selling, buying and moving house, my OPAM tally for the year was looking pretty sad ... BUT ... December has been MY month for sewing and creating - YAY!! :0) In fact ... I have had more finishes in December than the rest of the year all together - 23!! WOO! HOO Let me share some peeks ...

I decided that this Christmas was going to be more about making gifties ... something that I used to do a lot more of, but seem to have pushed aside a little in the last few years due to the last half of the year being pretty darn busy for at the Meares' Madhouse. This year, with time being limited ... and the post-house-purchase budget even more limited ... it was time to get creative. :0) The new kitchen was well and truly christened with lots of sugar coated nuts, cinnamon almonds, savoury coated almonds, mini Christmas cakes, apricot balls and cherry ripe balls being made. And the sewing machine was running hot ... a little TOO hot at one point! :0) (see post a couple back about my exploding sewing machine dramas!!)

My first project for Christmas was the mini stockings I shared in recent posts, but close behind was another Christmas deco ...

... a length of heart bunting. This was actually wrapped around the Christmas tree, but looking at this pic, it might come to live on the mantle all year round. :0) I created it by cutting hearts from two pieces of fabric vlisofixed together, then raw edge machine appliquéd before being attached to some ribbon. Gotta love bunting, especially HEART bunting! :0) I dipped into my stash of French General fabrics, so no cost ... shopping my stash! :0) Next were a couple of gifties for the wives of workmates ...

... my second T-towel apron. Black waffle-weave T-towel with a cheerful birdie appliquéd on ...

... I love how the red spotty dotty fabric pops against the black.

... another T-towel apron, this time in black and white check with a different red spotty dotty birdie ...

Aren't these little birdies 'tweet'? :0) Sorry ... I couldn't resist! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Next project to be tackled was for my Mum. She uses her iPad to take photos and a few times when she's been going somewhere, has wanted a small carry bag that just fits her iPad in so it isn't as heavy as lugging her whole handbag. So once again I dug into my French General stash ...

Here is my beautiful assistant modelling the finished product ... good on ya, Mum! :0) You can see I put a nice long strap on it so it can be slung across her body to keep hands free. And a little closer look ...

There's a fleur de lise appliquéd by hand on the front to echo the French General theme. It doesn't actually stand out as much as I'd hoped, but it does add a little bit of interest, as does that yummy giant coconut shell button ... I inherited that one with some other sewing bits and bobs when one of the residents moved out of the retirement village where I work, but I'm keeping an eye out for some more like it. Again ... all fabrics etc used to make this came from shopping my stash. Very satisfying AND good for the holiday-strained budget. :0)

So there you go ... proof that I have been a busy little bee bear so far this holiday period. :0) So, SOOOOOO nice to have a respectable tally on my OPAM finishes list this month. And speaking of OPAM tallies ... it's only a couple of days til the end of the month, so ... OPAMers ... have you updated your sidebar lists to show ALL your finishes? Have you emailed my GORGEOUS Partner-In-Crime Sweet Peg or me with your final number? Well ... what are you waiting for?! Chop, chop! :0) Sweet Peg and I might be a day or so behind with our blog-hopping as we recover from our wild New Years' parties (Tee! Hee! Hee!) but stay tuned, as we'll be doing the last draw for 2014 next week.

Oh ... and to answer the question that a few of you are starting to ask ... YES ... Sweet Peg and I will be hosting OPAM in 2015 to help us all stay on-track to get some of our many starts across the finish line. :0) Sign up will be towards the end of January, but we'll both put details and dates on our blogs in the new year ... promise! :0)

But right now, it's time for me to grab myself a cuppa and help cheer the Brisbane Heat to victory in their T20 cricket game. Did I mention I LOOOOOOOVE summer?! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS