Petite Properties are a UK family business manufacturing dollshouse and railway modelling kits in a variety of smaller scales, including a lot of laser-cut furniture kits. I have a couple of their houses and have used their kits in the past, for example on my Fairfield dollshouse build. So when they announced on Facebook that they were going to produce an Advent calendar for the first time, I thought it would be quite fun to join in. I thought it would be popular so I made sure to be all geared up to hit the 'add to cart' button at 12 noon the moment they launched even though I was at work, and was successful in completing my purchase - they sold out in four minutes so I was one of the lucky ones. The calendar consists of 25 numbered envelopes with a cord and mini clothes pegs to clip them up - I've hung mine in the hallway and I'm hoping the cat leaves them alone. They've asked us not to post any pictures until Advent is over, to avoid spoilers, so I can't share the treats with you - sorry! But I'm looking forward to a dollshouse surprise every day from now until Christmas.
I need to go and dig around in the christmas decoration suitcases to excavate a couple more quilty advent calendars that I've made in the past, and then I think we will be covered and in no danger of missing the big day.
This week my Karen Buckley 'Perfect Circles' set showed up in the post and I used it to make the cookies to go on my cookie sheet for the Let's Bake quilt. I hand appliqued these as it just seemed quicker than trying to zig-zag neatly around tight circles on the machine and having to constantly lift the presser foot and re-position.
While I was waiting for the circle set to arrive, I put together the hand mixer.
And at the moment I am working on the cupcakes - they are glue-basted but not yet stitched down.
And last night I finally finished stitching the recipe block. I had to adapt it a bit as my gingham squares aren't the same size as the designer's grid-printed fabric. My cross-stitching is a bit wobbly but looked a lot better after I pressed it.
Now that the recipe-stitching is out of the way, I can turn my attention to some christmas stitching. Last year I pretty much stopped sending physical christmas cards except to a few elderly people and I don't think I am going to send many this year either. But I have an older friend who sends me a hand-made card each year and I like to send my m-i-l a handmade card as well. So I want to make a few things. This is a ribbon-wreath kit that came with the box of little magazine kits that I bought a few weeks ago. As I can't count, my first effort came out more egg-shaped than round, so I pulled that out then basted a circular guideline before freehanding the wreath to a more acceptable shape. I haven't made the card up yet, I've just put the stitching inside the card to take this picture. the design is surprisingly effective considering it's just straight stitches of ribbon, with some french knots embroidered.
Yesterday I visited the Makit Christmas Fair at Cranmore Park on a coach trip organised by a bobbin lace group. This was my third visit and while I enjoyed it, the fair seemed to have fewer vendors this year. I felt like I had done it in a couple of hours, but the coach wasn't leaving until after four hours, so it was fairly tedious waiting around in the afternoon until we could go. The coach itself wasn't very comfortable, too hot and very noisy with a roaring engine thrum that cut through your head like a giant dentist drill, so I felt a bit travel sick by the time I finally made it back to the drop-off point. Long day.
I bought a half-metre of fabric that might be useful as background fabric for the Let's Bake quilt, some threads for lace, another Prym ergonomic thimble as I find them quite comfortable, and some inexpensive lace lozenge-shapes which I might also use on the Let's Bake quilt. I bought the Yarn and Needles Hat pattern from Beaker Buttons which is quite cute and the sample fit my big head. And I bought a lovely painted bobbin from Sarah Jones and ordered a monogrammed bobbin from Alison Tolson (also painted). I also picked up a coaster from the Tudor Rose stand for my sewing room cup of tea.
Have you started any holiday preparations or is it still too early?
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