slower and slower

So my poor neglected machine has been left to it's own devices for a good while. Life has rather got in the way, but recently I have succeeded in spending a wee bit of time making a gift for a friend. I have loads of projects in my head, but getting them out of the head and into reality?

We were invited to a friends house for a meal. They had recently had an extension put on, and had decorated mainly in grey, with just wee splashes of deep red. As they are also mad enough to house four rescue cats, this felt an appropriate gift?

 A view of the back

 and some piping...

Yes, that butterfly is 3D. So now I must find the time to get it to them!

and now to find even more time to play    make the next gift.....

Odds and ends..

I am remiss, I have not been keeping up, but then not a lot of sewing has been happening...

This is mainly because other duties are superseding the sewing room,, including more and more hoops to jump through for work. It is not work itself that is the hassle, but the extra bits, which one must do to keep working and for which one does not get paid....

However, that little oven glove appeared and was given to someone who, strange though it may sound, loves dachshunds. And blue.

Well, I think they are jolly wee dogs, too.

I have also done one or two other small items, but they somehow forgot to get themselves a photoshoot. I expect I had other stuff to get on with...

And we did squeeze in a holiday, where we managed to hit, accidentally, on the Spanish version of Sewing Bee!
Completely different, and oh so much more challenge... I loved it. Even though I speak no Spanish! Try it, when you can find the time- Maestros de la Costura... It takes a completely different tack...

A small round up...

What has happened to my blog? Life. That is what.
New responsibilities - no, you do not want to know- leave me a lack of both time and energy, so here is the quickie version

A young friend likes squirrels, so she received this oven glove with some squiddles on..

 My DD2 requested a tote bag in the same fabric as she already has a purse, and a handbag...






























This fabric was bought at the festival of quilts, and this bag was made for my dear bestest of friends. I do hope it is seeing some use.































 This wallet is from the Zakka style book- My lovely K, my son's fiancee requested it be made a little larger than the pattern, as she wanted to get an A5 notebook into it.
Why is it not quite so simple as one expects to upsize a simple design like this?
Anyway, here it is, The slightly larger version!

It was also not simple to get the right zip for it. You need a zip a couple of inches longer than the measurement round half the wallet. I could get plenty of choice just too small but the right length. That was awkward. Not helped by not wishing to drive 12 miles to maybe be able to find it. And not wishing to wait for it by post.

never mind- the job got done.

And then, a quick round up from the house at Christmas.  DD2 and I went on a wreath course in 2017, so for 2018 we wanted to make our own. We managed to blag spruce offcuts- a bootfull - for free from the local Christmas Tree farm, and we had the rings from a well known source, bought our wire and went for it

On my front door

made for DD2's friend

Landed on my Dad's front door

 This was our tree this year. No tinsel, we used the organza usually used to tie the bows on chairs for weddings

 This year's cake. No, it did not last very long.

And our festive table. Seven of us sat down for Goose.