Just crafty type stuff.

My real-life friends have been giving me increasingly pointed reminders lately that I haven't updated my blog for a very long time. Basically because I haven't got anything to show - I hate winter and find my motivation to sew always vanishes. I also invariably put on a few kgs over winter and don't want to sew for myself when I'm fat. I always lose the extra in summer, and then want to sew. The fact that I live in the same boring clothes because I'm not motivated to make new ones doesn't really help my enthusiasm for life either. Maybe I should make my winter clothes in summer?

Anyway, what I do like to do in winter is craft sewing. I like to claim that my English heritage is what makes me so enamoured of winter Christmases, but I think it's actually because just about all the movies and tv programmes which feature Christmas are set in the northern hemisphere! I've been meaning to make a new advent calendar for years, and this is the year I start. So far it looks like this:

Based on a design from a Homespun magazine, with houses and sleigh from a variety of Homespun and Handmade magazines. Most of the applique is done, but there will be a lot of embellishment added! I like Christmas to look festive.

I've also started another project in my quest to have as much of a handmade Christmas as possible. I absolutely L.O.V.E.D this project by the inimitable Jodie of Ric Rac. Having a teenage son in a band myself, it just cried out to be made. Following this brilliant tutorial on Dolls and Daydreams (which I linked to before, but didn't credit, for which I apologise. Thank you Sarah!) I printed this photo of Cayden's head onto fabric.

That was the third attempt. I had a lot of problems getting the fabric to feed through the printer due to it rolling at the sides, and after a couple of paper jams which had me fearing each time that I'd stuffed my printer I did get it printed, only to have this happen when I put it into the vinegar to set:

And that happened twice - I thought I hadn't given it long enough to dry before the vinegar soak so left it overnight the second time, but got the same result. Then I wondered if it had printed in colour even though it looks black and white, and when I checked it in photoshop that was indeed the case, so I changed it to greyscale and this time it worked! A small amount of ink did shed when I put it in the vinegar, but it was only a tiny bit and the photo is fine. Can't wait to make a teeny tiny Cayden. Hopefully he thinks it's funny.

This last photo is for J, who set me the homework of sewing the button on this cardigan for Isabella a couple of craft nights ago. Just to prove I DID do it! Isabella loves her cardigan and chooses to wear it at every opportunity.
She really is the happiest child in the world.