Quick Christmas / Party Garlands.... to make!

 One of the lovely things about this quick and easy garland is, you can make it as a family. Anything that gets cut up and can fit through a sewing machine, can be sewn into this garland.

Even fat handed burly men can join in this activity!

Just cut up any scraps you have around: Felt, fabrics, ribbons, lace.... i tied a few bells onto ribbons to add to the pile of scraps.

 I pre-iron my shop bought Bias Bind and then just keep adding random additions to the bind - with a small gap between each. The gap doesn't have to be uniform at all....nothing about this garland needs to be uniform or precise. It is probably best if you just allow your children to hand you whatever they feel should go on next as that childhood chaos is usually more creative than our own adult restrictiveness. 

 I measured this length to fit a particular space i had in mund for my home festivities but you can just make it any length and hang it where you feel it fits.

Also - you can colour theme it, if you are having a special 'colour theme' Xmas?

I made this garland with anything i had in my studio and i have since decided to save it for a Spring Party. And, now i know this garland works and looks ace, i am making red and white for my Christmas Dining Area.

 It is a poor photo - i was too eager to show you how it looked to wait for better light. But.... i love it!

You can buy awesome handmade Bias from here

I have used this for another project and i love it.

 I also plan to stock a little bit of Bias in BigFish - but not much and not as lovely as the above stuff.

 NeedleBooks are being replenished and i hope to have a big fat stack of new designs ready for January. Feel free to suggest any designs that you think would be popular. I tend to go all girly and Matroyshka-like... i need to break habits for 2011.

 And Fabric Yearning, mmmm....

Loving the Cath Kidston stash *strokes it* gorgeous plans for some huge floor cushions for my daughters bedroom... some bunting.... maybe some bags.....

I am full of ideas and inspiration for 2011.

I have loved the Christmas Retail rush (now it is over for me) sold out of most decorations and Christmas Bunting.  Just enough time to sew some awesome gifts for my family.

No rest for the (super) wicked xxx

make a garland.....!

Holly Decoration "How to - Go do"

I had no intention of making anything for myself today - as often happens, this decoration developed in my hands whilst doing something else... I have been making some Christmas Bunting for my kitchen using the Cath Kidston Holly fabric (below) and there were inevitable 'off cuts' that were too good to get thrown away.
So, the CraftyFish "How to - Go do" Holly decoration:
Firstly, i sketched a holly leaf on a piece of card.
Then i cut it out - and traced around that template onto a second piece of card. I carefully cut around the second template to make a smaller fit. This second template will become the fabric template and the first template is the bigger size, to be used for the felt.

I cut the bigger template on 2 pieces of green felt together. And then i did this again.

The smaller template i cut on ONE cath Kidstin fabric and ONE red spot. So you have the basics for the 2 holly leaves.

Applique the fabric to ONE side of the felt holly leaves, leaving the back of each leaf - blank (or double side them both if you want it double sided?)

Sew all round the edges, following the shape. Leave a gap at the top and STUFF them too!.... then sew them closed.

Then i sewed the two leaves together at the top with a gold ribbon sandwiched between the 2 leaves. Then i added the 3 FELT BALLS as holly berries, one at a time, sewing them securely into the top of the holly leaves.

To keep the 2 leaves from falling away from each other, i used green thread to travel down the back spine of a leaf - not all the way, just to that first spiky tip. This will keep them sitting nicely.

And it is ready to hang! This one is actually quite big. I am making a few of them to hang in-between the bunting to make a bigger 'swag' and look like fat sprigs of holly hanging.

I am pretty happy with how they look!

Please, feel free to use my "How to" and try your own. I need to clarify however (for those who are new to the online crafty stuff) This design belongs to "PaperFish", a Ltd. company. Nobody has my permission to use this pattern to make and sell commercially.

Good ain't it? xxxx

Thrift BLISS!

Colour me happy :)....
I had the most perfectly thrifty morning! Oh, Colour love...
Oh thrift love...
Oh Cotton love...
Oh crockery love...

3o plus reels of cotton for £2 from a local 'Table Top Sale' (i also thrifted some books and a lemon squeezer but they didn't seem so worthy of photographic attentions)

Then onto my local Recycling Centre and i bought a BIG cardboard box full of lovely mix and match tea cups (there is a party being planned - in the vein of 'Alice', not that i need an excuse to buy pretty tea items)

I just fell in love with this little sugar bowl and cream / milk jug...

"What do you need all these for?" asks the man...

"What has 'need' got to do with shopping for crockery?" replies that Crafty Fish...

He did at least concede, that the sewing threads were a bargain - a thrifty treasure! and also very pretty all jumbled up together.

P.S the cutest little 'Tie one on' apron "made in Wales" it says, only 10p! and SmallFish tried it on as soon as we got home.

I had to share all this with you immediately, firstly because i know you would appreciate these finds too... secondly because i have new posts to share soon (involving thrifted furniture and colourful gloss paint) x

back soon..... x