I have finished gifts for my friends' babies, pyjama eaters for F & D, finished off stockings that I started last year, made a fabric advent calendar, and as previously mentioned, I have hacked a gazillion t-shirts to pieces to cobble them back together in the form of a memory quilt for my sister. All this in the wake of an absentee husband, and a frankly staggering tidal wave of infant snot.
Looking back on each of the projects undertaken, I'm really proud of what I have achieved, but also rather nervous that they "don't look like much". The race blanket is the best example of this: I'd estimate that about 30 hours have gone into its creation. It's not just the act of sewing (which given the shifting t-shirt material was complex enough), it's also the time spent dashing to and from the haberdashery to buy material / talk through ideas / go back to the drawing board / buy more materials / use their super-duper table to lay-out the final design etc etc, and all it looks like is some t-shirt panels sewn to some fleecy material. Don't get me wrong, it's all wonderfully symmetrical and tidily sewn, but I still fret that the end product doesn't reflect the effort. Still, my sister is definitely no ingrate, and I'm sure she will look past all the little imperfections that I see 😍
I've also learned a lot about using a sewing machine. Having struggled to make baby blankets for F & D this time last year, I've only just learned that I was using totally the wrong needle. I thought they only came in one size & type. I'm not sure whether to think of myself as a rank amateur, or just plain pillock.
Anyway, if I can summon the energy, or even find the time around a mountain of gift wrapping, I really should crack on with refurbing the furniture currently languishing in the garage. I'll let you know how I get on. In the meantime, here are pics of the projects that I can share 😃 I'll post photos of the other stuff once the recipients have opened them. No spoilers here!!
