AAS 5-7

I was busy again these days. I didn't feel very good, so I didn't turn on the computer just tried to have a rest after finishing 'work' (not only work, but 'my huge to do list')

But I still keep the tradition and take a pic before and after opening my presents each day.

Here are the photos to share my happiness with you:

Day 5 present:

It is an embroidery hoop:

Day 6: This is a special day for us (Mikulas comes each year and brings chocolate, fruits and other gifts and outs them into our cleaned boots...) so I decided to open the different one (the only one in green paper if I saw right in the box).

A pin cushion, its shape is so cute, I like it very much:

Day7:

Accessories, I love them, they will fit one of my projects:
Thank you stitch up!!!

Day 3 and day 4

I am in such a hurry with sewing these days.... I have not enough time :( but I have pics about my pressies every day!

This is my Day 3 present:
wrapped:


and unwrapped: (16 embroidery needles for dolls)


And my Day 4 gift:

wrapped:


and unwrapped: (spectacle case)



Sorry for the awful pics....
Thank you for them, Amanda!

Advent - 1st Sunday

As this is the first Sunday of Advent, I made an Advent wreath for this year. Orange is my favourite colour but I didn't plan to make an orange one. (I never did it before.) I wanted to make a bourbon one, but then I changed my mind.

Here is the wreath I made. (It was not easy, it was night and I was quite tired.) First I was not satisfied but then my B liked it, so I think it will be OK. I don't like too much things on a wreath so I used only some of my favourites (which match the colours and the style). It was a funny night as I worked with my best friend so we laughed a lot and enjoyed ourselves.



And this is my second AAS pressie, a weekly planner and a note book. This is funny... Today I have decided to make an 'Xmas to do list' into my sewing room. And then I got the planner! What a perfect timing!


This is my B's pressie for today... I have baked it for him:

It is December!

Yay, this was the day I was waiting for! The 1st of December! I could open my first pressie in the AAS (Aussie Advent Swap). I chose a small present and opened it.... I can show you the pics: (embroidery bobbins)



And this was the day of the new advent calender. It was made for my best friend, Pungi. She has never had a calender before and she was so sad about that when she saw mine (the AAS which arrived about 1.5 weeks ago).
So I decided to make one for her. This is a Tildas design (of course, you know, I am a lover of Tildas and she likes it too). I used blue and white as blue is her favourite colour. And it can make winter feeling combined with white. Penguin is her favourite I think, but the little gingerbread men and snowman made her happy today morning. When she opened her eyes in the morning she saw this calendar on the door and she became so happy (actually she started crying which made me worrying a bit but she said these were the 'tears of happiness'). I used my favourite fabrics for this. There are stitched snowflakes too as she likes snowflakes very much.

I hope you like it too. It is about 100 x 60 cm.


It is half made here. I tried on the applications. It looked OK for me so I used vetex (which you can stick the applique on your fabric) to put them on and started sewing.

This is the finished version full of pressies which Pungi found this morning.
Sorry these pics are not so good as I was in a hurry, but hopefully once I will be able to make some new pics.
This is the snowflake stitch which I used (luckily it looks my better in real life).

And here are some bags for the presents.

Bedtime!

It is only a short post for two reasons:

1. I am awfully tired. I have some pics to show you but I can't write a good post when I am so sleepy... I just can't type and think and keep my eyes open....

2. This is the first day of the Christmas Advent Swap and the lucky Aussie ladies opened their pressies but I still have to sleep one more so it is better to go to bed....

A longer - and hopefully more interesting - post is coming tomorrow......
Have a nice day!

Advent calendar 1. - Old one

First, dear Readers, I am so sorry to leave you without comments in the last few days.

As I am very busy with gifts (and they are still top secrets...) here is an old present. This was made 4 or 5 years ago to my stepfather. I found some fabric (used for the pockets) in a close shop, so I had to cut it into small pieces. I was a real beginner at that time, so it took me a while (I know it is very simple but that day I didn't have to much experience to help me...).

The red fabric was a very old one sitting under the bed in a box in my mum's flat. She used it for a skirt I think, but a piece was left in the box.

I wanted to embroider the numbers but at that time I found a new dye in my friend's hobby shop. It is called 'puffy dye' or something like that. You have to write the number you want, wait for some hours to dry then iron it from the wrong side of the fabric and when you heat, it becomes puffy. (I used the same dye on the fishy T-shirt).

It is a really simple design, but I hope it will give you a bit of Christmas feeling.... (Sorry for the picture, this is the best I have..... of course the original is red instead of pink...)

And I am back to this year's top secret sewing project (or at least to on e of them )...

Christmas carols

I have special relationship with Christmas carols, I think.

First I have to say: I love carols. Unfortunately I live in a country where there are no Christmas carol singers and nearly all Christmas song is sad (except the children's songs of course).

When I was a high school student we made a small choir each Christmas. (Of course we had a really special teacher who helped in organizing things - thank you to her for that.) We learnt some (or a lot, I think quite a lot, yes) carols. We had singers, guitarists and some had bells, drums and rattles. before Christmas we went to the centre of the city (it is a capital, so quite big). We have a street there as all big city does. You know the one with lots of shops and tourists, fair before Christmas.

So we went there sang Christmas carols and collected money in a huge box. The money went to big and poor families with lots of children and not much money. But charity was only one side. On the other side we created a really good and special atmosphere in the street. People sang with us and some of them started to dance. It was the best part of Christmas for years to me. (I really didn't like Christmas for some reasons but this part was my favourite...)

When I started teaching I wanted to continue singing carols. I work with little ones so singing in the street at winter time for 4 or 5 hours is not a good idea. So we decided to create the special atmosphere in the school for the others. Advent mornings find us in the school hall next to the door singing Christmas carols. I have enthusiastic children each year who help me. They love Christmas carols like I do. I am always very happy when we sing together. It is wonderful!

Before Christmas I like listening to carols at home too. When I sew the pressies or bake the cakes I need some more special Christmas feeling which can be created by the carols.

Today I got a huge collection of Christmas carols of my B. (100 carols on 6 CDs!) I am very happy with it as I didn't have new songs this year so I listened to my only cassette (My CD player is still not working so the next - hopefully quick - step is to get it repaired.) . Now I have the opportunity to learn new carols and to hear the others sang by different singers. It was a huge surprise! Thank you for it, B!!