Christmas 2012

Christmas Vodka, looked super festive from day dot

 

Christmas this year seemed to appear from no where. I started to panic when I realised I had very little time to make the gifts that I wanted to give folks but I am happy with what I finally produced.

I first started knitting these gloves for my friend Gemma

 as she had said how much she had liked mine the year before

Then I found a recipe for a Spiced Aarancello (Christmas Spiced Vodka) from BBC Good Food App and thought that it would make a nice gift for some of my friends

- My flatmate makes amazing fruit liquors so it was nice to try my hand at something similar

 

As I mentioned back in October, I got a kindle pattern from a craft fair during Wool Week and was keen to make one for my Mam, Ii am really chuffed with the colours etc.

although it is a little on the large side

After the success of last years Christmas Jam I thought I would try my hand at my own recipe, Mulled Pear Jam, I liked how subtle all the flavours were although I would maybe put a little less

 sugar in it next time as it was super sweet.

I know that some people make/sell Christmas Pudding Hats but I thought I would try my own version. My own pattern so, again, proud of the outcome (would also make awesome tea cosies) can't wait to see pictures of the boys in them.

Ii also followed a Kate Davis pattern and knitted this hat for my Dad, thinking to make a girlie one for myself, once I have tackled the socks and jumper.

 

I really recommend homemade gifts, I got one this year (Blackberry Gin from Lynn) and I really appreciated that she has put time and effort into a gift that was for me.

 

Happy Holiday xxx

Practically Perfect Children in Need

I LOVE dressing up, even more so when I get to make the costume.

My earliest fancy dress memory is me as a witch and my sister as a scarecrow for Hallowe'en. Since then I'm been a bat, a mermaid (I was obsessed with Ariel), a skeleton, Pocahontas, a clown and many many more.

At the school our theme is From the Movies and I knew what I was gonna be straight away, as I hadn't gotten to dress up this Hallowe'en I decided to use it for CIN.

First time making a circle skirt and I'm shocked

 that I managed it as easily as I did

 

I was really lucky to get to see Mary Poppins on Broadway last October and after seeing the Pinterest photo I knew it was a must.

This is Day 2, skirt is finished bar the hem and the shirt has the ruffles

pinned to it to see what it would look like

I started off by making the skirt, I used a tutorial from A Pair & A Spare's blog but made it a little longer to work (although I do plan to take it up so that I can wear it after). I also used youtube to help me make sure I was doing the zip correctly.

The finished skirt, a little too big but I will wear it again

 

Then I started on the blouse, I was shocked how hard it was to find a white blouse in the charity shops, but eventually I got one in the Red Cross which was 'off' white but fit and the neck line wasn't too low. I had planned to pin the ruffles to the front until I spoke to the lady in the fabric grotto who said she had previously made a Mary Poppin costume and used the shirt backwards so I tried this and it does look more like Mary P.

The finished shirt, kinda want to do this to other shirts

 

The next step was to to accessorise ... what would Mary Poppins be without her umbrella, hat and carpet bag?

 

I had the offer of a carpet bag but sadly they couldn't find it and I had no time to make one too so I settled for a woven bag I had gotten from Accessorize, years ago.

 

Ran out of time to make cherries but it still looks cute

 

I was most concerned about sourcing the umbrella but after hunting high and low in the Blue Door Charity shop, the assistant pointed at the only umbrellas they had and this multi-coloured one wasna too shabby.

Sadly my umbrella does not talk

 

The parrot handle was easier than imagined I first started with head shape, I used papier-mache to do this then glues the green feathers on. The beak was completed at the 11th hour, after forgetting black card, but I am brally proud of the outcome.

 

The school did really well this year for Children in Need and raised approximately £3,125. What did you do for Children in  Need this year?