Crack on with Christmas! (Planning, Prepping & Projects)

We hadn’t got a fire surround so DH made me a fake one to use at Christmas. For years I’ve put out the same things and last year fancied a mantle of trees. I’ve got a few but on the whole left it too late. I’m going to make more effort this year.

keepcalmandcavachon, we never use a teapot! I only have one because a former fairly frequent guest (no longer with us) had to have his pot of tea in the early morning. I also had to buy biscuits, which I’d hardly ever buy otherwise’, because he had to have biscuits with it.
‘Where’s your biscuit tin?’ he asked during a first visit.
Er…..

They look so lovely though Witzend, it is soooo hard to resist a
'mad moment' of temptation isn't it? You know really do need a Rudolph tea cosy. Then you'll be tempted by the matching mug cosies......

Although I’d told myself I wouldn’t be knitting any more 🎄things than what I’ve already started, after some idle browsing the other day, in a mad moment I ordered a whole 🎄knits booklet, just for this - because I’ve got a load of yarn in different coloured greens to use up.

There’s nothing else in the booklet I’d really want to make.
I’m not sure I even like the thing now.

Still, if anyone else would like to make a Christmas pudding or Rudolph tea cosy, or a very complicated looking 🎄table runner, etc., please feel free to PM me and I’ll post it to you!

Casdon I use old pillowcases and sheets to make patterns for things.

can I suggest that you line them with either plain or a non-christmas themed fabric which will make them reversible and all the more re-usable.

I wish I had thought of that when I made mine about five years ago. They are still in use at Christmas but could have been used for birthdays as well.

Thanks for all your good wishes and tips, I’m grateful as a complete novice. It’s a good idea to make the bags reversible, but I’ll need to buy some more fabric to do that - I might try one first with an old tea towel or similar to see if I can make it work.

Good idea ParlorGames. I’m liking reading the ideas here.
Happy sewing Casdon 😀

Nipped into Home Bargains yesterday - Christmas has come there too!

twinnytwin - here’s a downloadable free pattern with a camel -

www.gathered.how/knitting-and-crochet/knitting/knitted-nativity-pattern/

Well, today I‘ve saved a 2nd mayonnaise jar, for Delia’s 🎄 mincemeat that I’ll be making in late September. And later I shall start knitting a 2nd Wise Man, the one with the white beard and clad in dark red and purple. I think he will be Balthazar - IMO it sounds more elderly than Caspar or Melchior (both of whom will have black beards).

Casdon

I’m the least crafty person in the world I think, but my new sewing machine is being delivered on Friday, I haven’t sewn anything other than hems or buttons since I was 14.
I hate wrapping Christmas presents, so in the January sales I bought a load of half price Christmas fabric in Dunelm, and my plan is to make gift bags with it, so hours of wrapping will become a thing of the past. Wish me luck, I think I’ll need it.

What a fabulous idea Casdon......can I suggest that you line them with either plain or a non-christmas themed fabric which will make them reversible and all the more re-usable.
Oh, I nearly forgot.......Good Luck

Casdon if you don't get around to making the Christmas bags just cut a square big enough with pinking shears pull all the material to the top and tie it with ribbon or the cheap wrapping string you can get that is red green and white. I've seen that done and they look looked lovely.

I love your mice Witzend,
I'm going to pass it on to DD she's the crafter. We both tried felting two years ago she ended up with a family of robins I had a Yeti and very sore fingers.
I can't knit but can crochet and did GD an afghan zigzag patterned pram rug.
The coloured bauble wreath was a copy of one I saw in a shop for nearly £30. If you try it mix the sizes as you go and put them all around the wire not just in a straight line.
I used to be an Infant teacher and am used to doing things cheap. If you want a garland of paper Christmas trees save mainly green coloured pages out of magazines draw and cut two templates out of card one large and one small. Cut them out with pinking shears and stick onto a roll of cheap ribbon. I made bunting for our part of the village using red white and blue pages.
I also made sprout wreaths one year with GC. Scrunch up green tissue paper into a ball and paint on the outside with a PVA glue ,having put your sprouts on a cocktail stick and stick them into a block of floral oasis then thread on to thick red wool with a bodkin it makes a garland or if you wind around a wire circle you have a wreath that you can put a bow on.

I have bought one of Corinne Lapierre's books and am making a start on a little tableau featuring animals in a Christmas scene:...plus I'm also making an EPP Christmas table cloth. I'm looking around for some polystyrene balls to make baubles decorated with patchwork.

Thank you, Bella23.

Witzend, yr calendar is wonderful (& that polar bear is soooo sweet!)

Bella, I like the sounds of both those wreaths, & plan to try the ivy one.

Christmas work started this month for me - currently working on things now.
I like to plan things in advance b/c I love the anticipation, & it also means having free time later on to enjoy.🎄

Oh Witzend they look lovely 🙂

Found it!
Here it is, in case anyone else would like to see it.

Witzend

That sounds lovely, DamaskRose - is there a pic you can post?

The Santa has been packed away till “near the time” Witzend and the Dickensian Mice is a Sirdar pattern 4132. I’m looking forward to starting but I must finish each mouse as I go along! That why the Santa took me so long! 😂

Witzend

By ‘dried fruits’ do you mean e.g. oranges and lemons Bella23? I’ve often seen those, never bought one, but will now be tempted - we have masses of ivy in the garden! IMO they’ll look even nicer with some added greenery.

Hi Witzend,
I do mean the dried fruit oranges and lemons and slices of orange with an odd cinnamon stick wreathes you hang in the kitchen and they eventually dry out and look a bit grubby. The one I saw was last year and my wreath is on strong wire they wound a long trail of ivy around it about two or three times dependending on the size of it's leaf.It looked really lovely with a ribbon bow and they actually pushed small bunches of holly into it for Christmas. Please excuse any spelling errors my spell check is not working.
The other wreath is for Christmas a large box of odd sized baubles from a Poundshop and the GC sit and thread them on. They look lovely and cost very little. Don't buy the ones with glitter or you will have a terrible mess.

Casdon, good luck! (Not with getting to grips with the new machine mind you, but with the temptations of the sewing shop). Love the gift bag idea too.

By ‘dried fruits’ do you mean e.g. oranges and lemons Bella23? I’ve often seen those, never bought one, but will now be tempted - we have masses of ivy in the garden! IMO they’ll look even nicer with some added greenery.

I’m the least crafty person in the world I think, but my new sewing machine is being delivered on Friday, I haven’t sewn anything other than hems or buttons since I was 14.
I hate wrapping Christmas presents, so in the January sales I bought a load of half price Christmas fabric in Dunelm, and my plan is to make gift bags with it, so hours of wrapping will become a thing of the past. Wish me luck, I think I’ll need it.

I'm putting Christmas on the back burner after last week's encounter over the phone.
I have saved my wreaths of dried fruits for an idea that I saw where Ivy was wound around them and then decorated. Too soon to start yet with fresh greenery,
I'm hanging onto wire coat hangers which the GC like to thread coloured baubles on which make lovely wreaths.