heirloom knits.

as i mentioned yesterday, i was VERY spoilt this christmas! and one of the fantastic gifts i received was this lovely book.


it was a gift from my boss no less. who says you can't have a good relationship with your boss ha ha?
i've been looking through it in any spare moments over christmas, and i think i've worked out my first project...



we so badly need a new bath mat, our old one is literally falling apart! hopefully this one will last a little longer, i'm pretty sure i bought the last one fairly recently, maybe last christmas. they don't make them like they used to :(



i've sussed the second project too. something a little bit pretty but a little less functional.
but sooooooooooo pretty!
they're going on the end of my very long to-do list... and i'm off to do some work on that list!
have a good wednesday!

season's greetings!

yes i'm a little late, yes it's closer to new years now but they don't call it the silly season for nothing!
i had VERY good intentions of getting a little blog time in on christmas eve, before i had to work and then drive the hour and a half to be with family but the boyfriend (along with his list of un-bought and non-wrapped presents) had other ideas for me. needless to say, all the christmas presents got wrapped (beautifully, i must say), i got to work on time and many happy family christmas times were had!
did you have a good christmas? did you indulge in ridiculous amounts of delicious food and equally delicious beverages? were you a good girl/boy and did you get lots of presents from santa?
i answer yes to all of those questions :D



look at the amazing presents i got from "santa"
by santa of course i mean my lovely friends and family!
it's going to be a very creative new years by the looks of it!



oh, and i managed to get those pesky stockings finished too. i think they turned out ok, and i think they had a fairly warm reception on christmas morning... (apologies for the interesting looking photo, iphone pictures with flash are WEIRD!)

i hope you all had a lovely and very merry christmas!

how many sleeps til christmas?

only 3????
but i still have soooooooo much to do!!!
i feel like i am slowwwwwwwly getting through my christmas craft stash...
and after talking talking talking about them so much...



i've actually finished some of clare's party frocks! i've had them cut out for a fair while but last night i finally got a chance to put some together. they were a little tedious, but i think that's because i'm not much of a sewer... i've still actually got about 8 more cut out and ready to go (silly me, only bought enough tulle to make 4 and enough ribbon to make 5) so i might make some more if i get a chance to get to the shops.
might not happen as i've still got to finish the christmas stockings i started yesterday and i just booked in to give the perfect gift, inspired by the wonderful curlypops.

also i was very happy when i checked the mail box yesterday as it contained the first part of my one pearl button giveaway win!




i've been checking my mail box every morning waiting ha ha. i do LOVE mail :D especially when it happens to contain gorgeous little parcels like this one! these two amazing bracelets are from alamod vintage. you should definitely have a look-see at their shop, it's full of the most gorgeous little vintagey bits and pieces.

anywho i'm off now. have to embroider my fingers off and drink my own body weight in water (i have pesky little veins...), oh and hang another load of washing out, this weather is just glorious for drying washing :D

kris kringle, revealed!

last night's kris kringle swap was amazing! lots of great food and even better company, and now that my swap partner has been revealed, and she's got her present (and i think she liked it to boot!), i can share my little late night crafty project with you!


i started by picking some vintage floral (of course). thanks be to susan l for this cute piece.


i then measured the diary against the fabric, and with a bit of a press and a few seams with my machine...


ta-da! a nice little vintage wrapped diary for next year. i was pretty happy with how it turned out, especially considering i wasn't using a pattern and i started making it at about 10 at night... much like this project from the start of the year really.


this project took a little longer as i wanted to add a little personalised touch. as much as i'm not a big fan of embroidery (especially at 11pm!), it does add a lovely little bit of personalisation :D

merry christmas adelaide!

now i'm off to do some more christmas gift stitching, 3 christmassy stockings, lined with some cute vintage fabric. 3 hours til work, wish me luck!

kris kringle.

i made a little something for my kris kringle this year, but i can't share it with you yet because i don't want to spoil the surprise, perhaps tomorrow?



how's all your christmas shopping/making going?

just something to start the day...

what a packed afternoon! the boyfriend, his family and i headed out for his university graduation ceremony (and then for a delicious dinner at cookie afterwards!)
but before we headed out this morning, i had a little bit of quiet time. with no pressing housework or yardwork to be done (pretty sure i covered it all yesterday...), i used the time to pick out some more festively coloured wools to make some more of pip's christmas baubles!



these ones will be slightly smaller than the others so i might actually be able to use the original pattern and not have to play around with it too much!
speaking of the other bauble i made, would you like to see?



i made up the entire pack of four baubles in the same wool. i had just enough to make all four so it was surely fate :D
i'm contemplating giving one each to my neighours, the ones i talk to that is, with a nice packet of shortbread or something. that reminds me, i need to make shortbread... does anyone have a good recipe?

hope you've had a fabulous wednesday!

i have an addiction sir!

in the words of miss carrie bradshaw, 'i have an addiction sir' though unlike her, i'm not addicted to the deadly nicotine. i have a far wilier addiction... i'm addicted to buying christmas craft supplies. even though i know i will definitely not have time to make anything with them.
to be fair, i always buy things with a specific plan, a pattern or an idea. but i know i will just not have time to actually make said things.



this years haul includes but is not limited to: christmas fabrics, glass baubles (i'm constantly terrified of smashing them), ribbons of all widths and lengths and patterns, christmas stickers, sequins and bon-bon crackers.
but i have been good on one front, wool! i'm only using wool from my stash for any wooly christmassy plans i have. small steps, small steps.

my creative space.

after a morning at yoga, it's time to get to some christmas crafting! (and tidying and washing and cleaning bleurgh!)
i need to finish up this little crocheted bauble. actually it's not little at all, it's quite large. i've had to change up pip's pattern a fair bit in terms of number of stitches and rows and such but i'm super happy with the wool :D i found it hiding in my stash. red with little gold bits in it, perfect for such a christmassy project!


now i'm off, the washing machine is beeping, my stomach is growling and i promised the boyfriend that i'd finish up a secret christmas present today as it's currently taking up a lot of floor-space in his study (read - mancave).

lots more creativity going on at kirsty's!