It doesn’t seem two minutes ago I was starting my first year of stitches yet a whole year has gone by and my 2018 year of stitches has come to an end. I’m hoping this next year doesn’t go by as quickly as I don’t think I could keep up!
Here’s my finished year of stitches project:
It’s already up on my wall and it brings back a lot of memories when I look at it.
I have really enjoyed the stitching over the last year and I have already started one for this year!
The Christmas countdown is on (how can it only be a week away!!) and I am so pleased I have got these little monsters finished – the last week before Christmas always seems to go by so quickly so I am glad to have got these finished so early on as I still have a load more makes to get finished before Tuesday!
Making these has definitely made me smile – think I may need to do a another pattern for some more of these!
Pattern is available over on my Etsy shop
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HookStitchSew
These storage baskets are made with my current favourite stitch – a bobble stitch, I love the textured effect you get when using a bobble effect among other flat stitches. The colours in these are my favourites to use in winter time, I always seem to drift towards using them when the weather starts to cool and Christmas is drawing near.
Pattern for these baskets on three different sizes is available over on my Etsy shop
I recently took part in a Corner to Corner crochet along by Zeens and Roger (zeensandroger.wordpress.com) I really enjoy making corner to corner crochet as its great seeing the pattern gradually evolve so was really looking forward to giving it a go. I decided to do a Dachshund themed blanket. It took quite a few attempts to draw a pattern up I was happy with and even longer to decide on the colours to use but eventually I got there!
The pattern is available over on my Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HookStitchSew
Now I have got my sewing Christmas makes (Trees, Stockings) out of the way I have been able to focus on finishing some of the embroidery makes I have been working on over the last few months. First one completed is a embroidered flowers embroidery hoop. The pattern is one I put together using a pattern from Crossstitcher magazine (April 2018). The original pattern was too big to fit in the hoop I was using so I used bits from the pattern to fill the hoop.
I covered the hoop with fabric by sewing strips of 4cm wide fabric together and folding the raw edges inwards, I then wrapped this around the hoop. I created a loop using 2 strips of 20x4cm wide fabric (place pieces right sides together, sew around leaving top edge unsewn, turn out the right way and slip stitch the gap closed).
Continuing on from my Christmas Tree makes are these mini stockings, these are great for putting little presents into and they can easily by personalised by sewing a name onto them.
I made these using Christmas Birdhouse fabric by The Craft Cotton Company.
To make a stocking:
Cut out a paper template the size you want your stocking to be, then cut out 4 pieces of fabric in two different colours to give you a front and back in one colour and a front and back lining piece in another colour. Cut out two pieces of batting the same size.
Cut out 2 pieces of fabric 4 x 28cm to make the loop. Place these two pieces right sides together sew around leaving the top edge unsewn. turn out the right way.
Place a piece of batting down then the back piece right side up on top, fold the loop in half and place with its raw edges against the raw edges of the side of the stocking, followed by the right side down front piece and a final piece of batting. Sew around leaving the top unsewn. Turn out the right way.
Take the lining pieces and place right side together and sew around leaving the top edge unsewn.
Place the lining inside the stocking and fold the top edge of the stocking inwards by 1 cm and the lining outwards by 1cm, slip stitch around to secure.
Its that time of year where it all gets a little manic as I realise theres not long left for me to finish off all my Christmas present makes, no mater how early I start I always seem to end up at this stage with me looking at the calendar wondering if I will actually manage to get them all finished. Luckily I have always managed to finish just in time – although i have been known to be frantically finishing off an item on Christmas Eve ready for the next day!
I have got most of the Elf gift bags finished, and I have now decided to focus on some of my sewing Christmas makes. First up is a fabric Christmas tree, these are perfect presents if you are needing to post them as they are nice and flat so are easy to post without having to box everything up.
I made these using fat quarters from the Christmas Birdhouse and Essential trends (red) fat quarter sets by The Craft Cotton Company.
To make one tree you will need:
2 pieces of fabric:
5×5 cm, 7×7 cm, 9×9 cm, 11×11 cm, 13×13 cm, 4x5cm.
10 cm ribbon.
5 buttons.
Take each of the two pieces and placing right sides together sew around leaving a gap for turning. Turn out the right way, press and slip stitch the gap closed.
Lay the square pieces out so each one is lying on top of the largest square, then starting with the smallest square fold up the bottom point and sew to secure. Next sew a button onto the folded up part of the square. Repeat with the remaining squares.
Take the rectangular piece and place on the back of the largest square 1cm up from the base and in the middle and slip stitch along the top edge of the rectangle to secure.
Take the ribbon, fold in half place on the back of the smallest square 1cm from the top point and sew to secure.
After making my Crochet Elf Storage baskets I had an idea to make an Elf drawstring bag for some of my other Christmas presents to go into, I always seem to use paper gift bags at Christmas when gifting and decided to go for something a bit different this year. I also seem to have acquired a mass of green and red wool (I’m sure wool sneaks in overnight!) so these makes will be perfect for using some of it up!
The pattern is available over on my Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HookStitchSew
Add a bit of a Christmas theme to your storage with these Elf storage baskets.
These Elf baskets came from an idea I had for gifting this year as I thought they would be perfect for putting a gift inside such as sweets or any other loose items – rather than a basket hamper you can have an Elf hamper!
Pattern in available over on my Etsy shop:
