I am on holiday now

Until 2 January 2017 and I have an awful lot to do including getting to play with my embroidery machine at long last.  I have been accumulating all the bits and bobs required including threads and stabiliser so that I can have a serious play and play to my heart's content and hopefully produce some pieces that I can turn into pressies or incorporate into a quilt.  I am determined to have some serious play time in this coming year.  I need it - I have so many things to have a go at including a pile of WIPS as well as get to grips with my new equipment.  I am a very lucky girl and I know it.

I have today indulged in some more fir cones very large ones this time which I believe to be the continental ones. They were reduced and not full price. They are for hanging off my garlands in the front room.  I have plain fir garlands (artificial) and I add different natural looking decorations each year to trim them up and personalise them a bit.

I also bought a couple of little wreath decorations made out of felt with embroidery on them.  I intend to make some of my own in the New Year to go with these out of my felt scraps.

I also found a little felted dog for hanging off the Christmas tree which reminded me of Missy so that had to come home too.  Felting is something that I want to have a go at in the future but I have enough to keep me busy thus far.  I was actually looking for a little cat ornament to remind me of my Squeak who passed a couple of weeks ago and who I am still missing terribly.  She was my shadow and terribly vocal.  The other cats are quite vocal as well but she tended to be the ring leader.

One of the things I always look out for is reduced kits from John Lewis when it comes to making something Christmassey.  This year I have managed to pick up about three different kits at very reduced prices.  I will make these up whilst I am off over Christmas as this year I have really promised myself that I want to be better prepared than I have been this year.  Things have fallen a bit off piste in the planning and sorting despite me having made quite a bit of headway.  All is not lost but I have had to make choices as to what I am and am not going to do.  Next year is going to be very different on all counts as I am learning by mistakes.  I am only human after all and if I get things wrong I get them wrong big time. No half measures.

The kits I have managed to get this year at a very great reduction are:

This cardboard box Advent garland which I had a thought to put some battery operated lights into as well if I can.  Will see what can be done when they are made up.

Some Christmas tree decorations including a Gingerbread person, a Reindeer  and one of Santa's Elves.

And these little Christmas tree danglies as well.

So some more home spun Christmas decorations to add to the collection.

I saw a lovely garland the other day which was a pom pom garland; quite simple just a long crochet chain and then every so often dotted a pom pom.  However I was not prepared to pay £20 for it - it was not a bespoke garland but one from a manufacturer who had made these garlands in bulk.  I have the newer pom pom makers which do not take long to make a pom pom so I am going to make some out of some of my wool stash for next year.  In reality I would not have bought these kits without there being such a vast reduction on the price.  

I have also been lusting over some fabric from John Lewis' since September when they got their Christmas fabric in.  Then it was £10 a  metre.  Today they had it reduced to £7 a metre so four metres has come home with me to make a Christmas tablecloth for next year and also trim some plain white knapkins with some of the fabric as well so that it all matches and maybe a spot of embroidery as well.  Here is the fabric:

So there are quite a few things bought for going forward to keep myself occupied and to really get going with my crafting again as well as trying to get a lot of the old UFOs out of the way as well.

So a lot to do in preparation for Christmas but it will be worth it in the end.

Right I had better get a wriggle on.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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