Christmas Gift Creations

I did actually get around to a little making for a few gifts this year, but not as many as I originally planned :(

For the two new babies I made personalised Christmas stockings in the same style as the ones I made last year for the baby bunch. Instead of crushed velvet, I used calico. Each one had a Gingerbread lady stuffed toy inside (purchased from Wilkinsons).

For the baby bunch, I made personalised drawstring bags again in calico. They are fully lined with the initial of each child sewn on with blanket stitch, and then their first names are embroidered onto the initial with a simple backstitch. Each drawstring bag had a mini chocolate selection box, a set of bath crayons, a candy cane and a push and go aeroplane.

For my Mum I made a twisted crochet cowl, very similar to the one I made for my Christmas OU swap partner. It has an eyelet edge again, and is made up of mostly mock moss stitch. It was crocheted in the round, so the twist was put in at the start when I joined the foundation chain.

I had intended to make my sister-in-law a Betty Boop bag, and even started it, but ran out of time. I will finish it though and then keep it for her birthday.

I also intended to make my sister a crochet top. I only got about as far as buying the yarn :/

Mr Bogert got his crafty on and made pickled onions. We have several jars now to keep us going. For his Secret Santa gift, he gave a jar of the pickles and also made a jar of curry wurst sauce (just add sausages!) and baked a loaf of bread to go with it. I know it's supposed to be secret, but I don't think the people doing the secret Santa come on here (and the recipient knows it was Mr Bogert anyway).

I also received a lovely homemade gift from my OU crafter friend as part of the swap. Just look at this fantastic apron made with lovely matryoshka fabric. I love it!

I showed off my OU swap creations in a previous post.

The Smaller Person also had a very thoughtful homemade gift from one of the baby bunch, made by his Mummy. She made lovely personalised tote bags (great minds ;D) which had a couple of books and a soft toy inside. We really do appreciate all things homemade in this house!

Christmas OU Crafter Swap

I'm part of a facebook group that is full of nothing but OU students who like to craft. It's a great place to show off what we're making, discuss crafts, techniques and materials and help each other out if we're getting stuck on something (there's been a fair bit of first time crochet going on over there) and it's also just a nice virtual place to socialise with people who have things in common with you.

A couple of people on there got together to arrange a Christmas Swap. Strictly handmade, but no restrictions on what, how or colours etc. Mine arrived and is patiently waiting in a hiding place for me to open on Christmas morning, yay! I can't wait to find out what someone has made especially for little old me.

I'm hoping that my handmade offering is with it's new owner by now. I'm fairly certain that none of the OU crafters come and read this blog, so I think I'm safe to show you what I've sent.

I crocheted a simple soft white cowl in a mock moss stitch with an eyelet edge.I crocheted two different style of snowflakes and layered them as a decoration.

I also made a set of three tree decorations from calico. They are heart shaped and also have a snow theme: 'Frosty the Snowman', 'Treetops Glistening' and 'Let it Snow'. The words on each of the decorations are made using mini lettering stamps and some black fabric ink. Each heart is hung by a ribbon loop fastened to the top of the heart with a button.

Frosty is made using buttons and a small piece of dark brown felt.

The snowflake is embroidered on top of a circle of white felt, and then beaded with silvery white bugle beads at the centre.

The tree is embroidered with a few strands of brown embroidery floss. The thicker parts of the tree are chain stitch and the thinner branches are back stitched.

Each has an added shimmer from some iridescent glitter glue added in a few spots on the main image.

I copied my Frosty the snowman for a couple of gift tags and a matching card. The card base for each is plain white card, then I have cut some red patterned paper, mounted it onto green sugar paper for a thin border, and fixed my Frosty to the centre of the red with some strong glue.

I hope she likes what I've sent. I definitely enjoyed making them. I'm already making another cowl as another Christmas gift for someone!

Little Boy Cravat

Tonight we are out our lovely friends wedding rehearsal. The wedding is this Saturday afternoon and Mr Bogert is the Best Man, I'm a bridesmaid, the Small Person is a bridesmaid and the Smaller Person is a page boy so we all have very important jobs on the day.

The bride asked me if I could make a smaller toddler-friendly cravat in a fabric that matches the bridesmaid dresses. Here is the finished version.

I made cravats for our wedding in the same fabric as the bridesmaid dresses, so I began making it exactly the same way as that, just sized for a Smaller Person. The other difference (other than size) is that I split the cravat into two halves and fastened a length of elastic between them so that the cravat can be a pre-tied one that slips over his head. No chance of him pulling it and hurting his little neck. It would also work with a velcro fastening.

If I get chance before Christmas I will draw up a tutorial for you :)

I will be back with plenty of talk about the wedding after the event.

Incidentally, it also Mr Bogert and my anniversary today. Not our wedding anniversary, but we have always celebrated the day we first got together. This year it is 13 years. Wow, that means we must be getting older!

The Tooth Fairy

Last week (Thursday) my lovely little Small Person came home with a gappy smile and a teeny tiny shiny tooth in a dinner money envelope. Her first big tooth is already showing in the gap. She really is getting too big too fast.

I had promised her the last time we went to the dentist and he said that within the next 6 months her first tooth would come out, that I would make her a special pouch to put her tooth in for the Tooth Fairy to collect. Big fat fail on the Mummy side. (although there was some discussion that the Tooth Fairy may not be able to visit on health and safety grounds on account of the Small People's room being a general hazzard to all who enter).

FINALLY, yesterday I made it for her to her own design specifications (shape, colour and decor).

She was so excited to hang her tooth out last night.

It is made from felt and embroidery floss. If I had more time I would have lined it so that you can't see all the nasty stitching inside the flap, I still could before her next tooth falls out. It is fastened with a press stud, and hangs by a satin ribbon.

I happen to know for a fact that the Tooth Fairy almost forgot to call at our house last night. She'd actually finished all of her jobs for the night, got home and was in bed when she remembered she had a new child added to her calling list.

She did exchange the tooth for a shiny £1 coin, and left a teeny tiny little letter (which had some fairy dust residue on) written in teeny tiny little writing. The Small Person's Tooth Fairy is named Annabelle. I wonder what the names of all the other Tooth Fairies are?

Kenilworth Show - Homecraft Section

As you saw from my previous post, the Small People and I went to the Kenilworth Show at the NAC in Stoneleigh. We had a great time. We saw the vintage cars, the animals, crafts and stalls (where we bought yummy fudge!)

There was a sheep shearing tent and a lady has spun yarn and knitted animals to sell. You can find Linda and her lovely knitted creations over at 'Knitted Creatures.' They were lovely. The ferrets reminded me of my Mum and her partner's ferrets. There was also a stall selling wonderfully handknitted dolls clothes and blankets. Now, I've seen plenty of knitted clothing creations at various fairs and other places, but these were unlike any I'd seen before - serious handicraft and lovliness. Had I have had a bit more cash, I may have treated the Small Person to something special. You can find them over at Handknitted Dolls Clothes.

We saw the pony and carts, the motorbike display, the terrier racing and caught a few bits of the farm machinery, vintage car and livestock displays in the main arena. We had yummy pork sausage batches and the kids had ice cream.

My mother in law came along with us at the start, and later on after she had gone home, we met up with my Mum and her partner, Brian.

Both the Small Person and my Mum had entered items into various sections of the homecraft competitions. (Think Kirstie Allsopp's 'Homemade Britain')

My Mum entered a coffee sponge cake, 2m of Jubilee bunting, some Damson Gin and Blackberry Brandy and a framed cross stitch of a rose. Unfortunately, she didn't place with any of these which is a shame.

She did however win 3rd place with 1 of the 2 photographs she entered into the 'Over the Fence' photography category, and 2nd place with her flower arrangement for the 'Toast' themed category. Well done Mum!

The Small Person, as I said in this post here, entered into 3 of the children's categories: a decorated handmade crown, a flag on a stick for Jubilee and a paper plate face.

When we went to the tent after they had been judged, it took us a while to find each one, but look how she did:

I know! She did fantastically! She's on a serious winning streak. I'm very proud of her, and she's signed up for next year already. She got £1 for each of her 3rd place winners, and £2 for hr 2nd place winner, as well as the winners card and rossette for each. She's going to take them into school after half term (along with her art trophy).

Here she is with her creations, winners card and rossette, and also images of the other work which came 1st  2nd and 3rd in the same categories:

Comments read: "Good face"

Comments read: "A very Royal crown!"

Comments read: "Well done. Love the glitter ribbon on the stick."

(sorry quite a few of these are the wrong way around, I just haven't got around to putting htem right, but you get the idea!) She didn't get enough points for a trophy, but she thinks she'll just try harder next year! (Each placing attracts a certain number of points, then there are trophies for the most point in division and in certain classes etc).

Hope you're enjoying the Jubilee break if you're in the UK.