A December Recap

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Well another Christmas is behind us & tomorrow evening we roll on in to a shiny New Year.

I thought I would do a bit of a recap on some projects I completed in December but did not get to post about prior to Christmas. In no particular order here either  😉 . . . . .

While searching the internet for a Primitive Santa pattern I stumbled across these beautiful patterns from                    Kentucky Primitives & fell in love with this one -  "Mousie's Christmas Letter to Santa"

The pattern comes as an instant download & included is the Letter that Mousie wrote to Santa, which you then have to coffee stain & generally "muddy up".

Click on the photo so you can enlarge & read the Letter

The letter is so sweet - you can read it top right.

Unfortunately my Mousie Brown turned out to be more of a "Ratty Rat" as I added too much black to my light brown paint.  Once dry, you sandpaper him & then rub with cinnamon so, as you can imagine - he smells great!!

I gave him a jute string tail & a woollen checked scarf.  His pencil is made from a twig & the end sharpened, with a dab of black paint added.

I got these large books for free from my local 2nd hand Bookstore in Kihikihi, so I painted & distressed them for Mousie to stand on ... a little primitive vignette.

I packaged up & posted off a large order of my Citrus & Rose petal potpourri to the bottom of the South Island.

I made two Lavender & Lace covered coat hangers for my friend Bev.

I made a Lavender sleep pillow to gift to one of my daughter in laws, along with a jar of Sleep Balm purchased from The Herb Farm

You may recall the swap I mentioned in * this post * where I made the 8 felt mice to send to my swap partners.  A gorgeous array of Christmas Ornaments & gifts began to trickle through my mailbox.  We were allowed to create, thrift or purchase a Christmas related ornament & the girls came up with such a wide variety of goodies. 

From the far north to the deep south, lovely packages came in & brightened my days. The girls each agreed that we all got far more out of this swap than we ever anticipated & it was so special to open each of the swap gifts & think about the giver, most (6) of whom I have never even met.

This year I made Gingernut Bites, Fudge Cake & Mars Bar Slice

I made my usual Christmas baked treats & packaged them up in cellophane & brown paper bags ready for gifting to friends.

In early December I invited 3 girlfriends for a Christmas Morning Tea. I polished my Oak dining table & set it nicely with my vintage crochet table cloth & my finest bone china.  I went to answer the phone & when I returned I had

     "an extra guest" sitting at (on !!) the table (!!!) 😑

( Stitched using Cottage Garden Thread "Mistletoe" )

I finished these two Stitcheries during Lockdown & finally made them up into small plump cushions using some Liberty fabrics.  The patterns are a Natalie Bird Design from this Christmas book * here *

...... I can show them now that they have been gifted.

I came across this Stitchery on calico that I had started many years ago.  I used to make these Oval Christmas Santa bags & sell in my Craft Cottage, but had never made one for myself.  This is a very old pattern by Wendy Briggs of Country Friends Designs whom I am sure is no longer creating.

I finished stitching the Santa & then made him up into this cute Christmas bag ... I had planned to fill it with greenery & berries but this might have to wait until next Christmas now. 😉

Well dear friends - this is my wish for you all as we wave Goodbye to another Year & we welcome with anticipation a New One.

Thank You all so much for taking the time to visit with me here ... I appreciate each & every one of you. 💕

Wishing you a wonderful celebratory weekend ... mine will be spent with a good book, a glass of vino & a couple of furry friends,

With VeRy Much Love & Friendship To You All,

Julie & the furry ones x0x0x