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Sorry to all those who have received this in their readers... just a boring formality!

Merry Christmas to you all.

Shark and lavender embroidery patterns

During our big pre-Christmas tidy-up on Sunday I found this plain grey t-shirt in my to-do pile. I had put it aside to embellish for Mil in some way, but until now I had not got around to doing anything with it. Last night I fancied some mindless stitching in front of the TV, and this morning this is what he got. I have added the pattern here in my free downloads.


I was really struck when Mil first put it on this morning, as he immediately began tracing his finger over the lines, which is exactly what I am compelled to do with embroidery. Do you do that?!


I've also added to the free pattern sheet, my lavender embroidery pattern. I'm not sure how many of you are doing lavender related embroidery in the depths of December, but maybe for next year!

A little bag for little groceries

Look at these lovely wooden groceries. We bought these as a Christmas gift for my nephew who will be spending Christmas here at our house. These groceries are so tactile they are really wonderful. But what are little wooden groceries without a handmade bag to put them in?

I love making these simple little bags. And this turnip fabric is just the thing.

A couple more gifts to sort today and then I think we are done! Phew.

Made in the UK Advent Calendar

Just discovered that my funny little Advent Calendar Pictures (which you can still download here) were featured on UK Handmade's 'Made in the UK' Advent Calendar, Day 6.

How cool is that?! I'm dead chuffed.

The greatest make...

So all those evenings that I haven't been crafting with my hands, I have been crafting with my tummy. That's my excuse anyway! I'm 4 months gone... due end of May.

Ruben's grey cardigan

One of my very best friends had her first baby about a week ago, and on the weekend we went to meet the little chap. Very, very, very cute.

But, as his mother is one of the very few people that read this blog who also know me in the 'real' world, I have had to hold this post back. Time for the grand reveal.

I knitted him a Baby Sophisticate and the great free pattern is available from Stockinette. My Ravelry link is here. I used Debbie Bliss Merino Aran, Colourway 325105. It took 2.7 skeins.

The pattern was a real joy to follow and knit, and dead quick. The end result is cute, but I'm not sure how practical it will be for such a little one. The aran yarn makes the cardigan very bulky, so I don't think the baby will enjoy wearing it so much. I do find that there are a lot of baby knit patterns online that use aran wool. My yarn store doesn't have a great selection of colours in aran, and I do wonder about this bulk issue.

I went for grey and have jazzed it up with some green buttons!

Lavendar bags and crockery love

I finished up some of my lavender bags I was embroidering as Christmas gifts. I still have to do a couple, particularly for the lovely lady who donated all the lavender to me. I am pleased with how they have turned out, but I don't think I will embark on production line embroidery again, it is too time consuming and rather takes the fun out of it. I'm now longing to embroider something else!

They smell lush too.

And the other day I was in the charity shop looking for Christmas gifts when I came across this gorgeous set of crockery. I spotted the jug and bowl first as they were priced together, then priced separately on another shelf were the plates. I'm becoming pretty choosy in charity shops now, but these I had to have... and, for myself! I'm also struck by how seasonal they are with their snowflakey pattern and colours.

They are Alfred Meakin, Morning Star. Yum.

Pretty Cookie Mix

I am going to be carrying on with the Christmas theme for a bit, as I get my gifts sorted. Next is these great Cookie Mix jars from Bakerella. I haven't tested the mix so I really hope they bake up alright. The jars were a bargain 99p from our local hardware store. I have been buying them like mad as the lady there says she can't get any more and once they are gone, they are gone...

And, the Advent Calendar is working a treat. I had a long day at work and left the bowl as per the previous post with envelopes and pegs and ribbon with B and asked him to put it up somewhere and look what he did! I would never have thought of doing it this way! Brilliant.