It's Shoe Time!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and are looking forward to your New Year celebrations?

The run-up to Christmas was especially busy for me this year, as I decided to make a lot of my decorations and presents. I had decided on a shoe theme, and so I set about making decorations from card and paper, fabric and wool. The Grapic's Fairy was a wonderful source for vintage shoe images, which I printed off, and then hand-painted or added glitter and other embellishments.

I then drew an exagerrated design of a boot, and cut some out of fabric, stuffed with wadding and added a little scented oil for a pleasant smell on the tree. I embellished again with buckles, buttons or bells.

It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it, and I didn't miss my traditional red and green decorations at all!

My two little neices received homemade slippers, which went down very well with them, I was relieved to hear.

 

Aren't they cute, the design for the slippers came from one of my Tilda Christmas books, and of course I embellished! I must admit when I realised that funds were very tight this year, and I was going to have to make a lot of my presents, to feeling a little sorry for myself, and for the recipients. However when I began to really think about who I was making for and what they would love, I began to realise, that this was actually much nicer. I could put loads of love and time into making something so personal and special.

 My sister-in-law received a little sewing bag, complete with needle case and pin cushion. She likes to do cross stitch, and wants to try patchwork, but always complains of not having any time. The bag is embroidered with the words 'Take time to sew'. I saw her yesterday and she told me it was the best present she had received, it made me feel really good. I got the patterns for these from a lovely book called 'Stitch with Love' by Mandy Shaw.

My brother got a new Christmas jumper, much to the relief of the family, he has been wearing one that I made, must be 20 years ago now, and it was beginning to look rather sad, but he just loved the tradition of putting on his Christmas jumper on Christmas day! There were other things, I made phone and tablet covers for my husband, make-up bags for my neice, a knitted snood for my brother-in-law, but I ran out of time for photographing and had to get them wrapped!

 Oh yes and there was the stocking for the newest member of the family 'Florence.' Also some more wreaths and table arrangements. Needless to say when Christmas day came, after all the cooking, I felt a little bit tired!! So, I took it easy on Boxing day and the day after, and today!

Lemons and ivy for my front door, together with a black ribbon with gold bees on to remember those who died in Connecticut, and some neighbours who passed away this year.

 A plain evergreen wreath for the gate.

 A natural table arrangement with chillies, pomegranate, oranges, fircones and poppy seedheads.

 

Two smaller arrangements with a little mini Poinsettia, apples, lemons and chllies.

My dear friend Gill from Gillyflower blog made these lovely hearts from old linen and ticking, I gave 2 as presents and kept 2 to remind me of Gill.

 

I would like to wish all my readers and followers a very Happy New Year, full of peace and promise. Thank you so much for all your wonderul comments over this last year. I have now been blogging for 2 years, which has been a very enlightening experience for me. Much love to you all, Linda x.