festive flowers
Use What You Have
festive folded napkin
simple effective fold from pinterest
tip; if using fabric starch it well!
Irish cream liqueur
A super easy recipe
Combine: I can condensed milk about 300 ml, 300 ml whiskey, 300ml single cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla essence, 1 shot expresso coffee. Taste and adjust the vanilla and coffee to taste.
When thoroughly mixed pour into clean decorative bottles and refrigerate until served (to be safe re the cream finish within a week). Optional toppings are grated chocolate, cinnamon or nutmeg.
Stitched baubles
A quick festive make.
Cut a circle of fabric about 4”.
Running stitch around the diameter. Pull the ends of the thread so the circle closes into a ball. ( a Suffolk puff)
Stuff the ball firmly with wadding then stitch closed the gap.
Slow stitch over the ball to decorate the fabric and cover the stitched gap with a button. The button will also serve as a hanger for cord.
Sequin or decorate to finish.
Crystallised fruit
A by product which turned out brilliantly!
After using the fruit as you wish (in my case grapefruit vodka), the peel of a grapefruit is sliced and boiled in water for 3 minutes.
The water is dumped and replaced with clean cold water, the peels are boiled for another 3 minutes, water replaced and boiled for another 3 minutes before once again dumping the water.
The peels are then covered with just enough fresh water and a similar volume of sugar is added. This mixture is simmered until the water evaporates, about 40 minutes for me.
The sticky peels are then tossed in sugar and left to dry before storing in a tin.
Tart and sweet, surprisingly tender. Will be interesting to see if they harden further in the days to come, if they last that long!
Doggy do bags
Easy makes based on the pocket tissue holder I make every year.
To fit the rolls of bags I have, I cut outer fabric at 4 and a half inches square and lining fabric of 5 inches wide by 4 and a half.
With right sides facing sew both sides.Feels wrong as the lining is wider, but gives a great finish.
Turn right sides out then press so the extra lining is equal on both sides
Then fold the sides to the middle and pin in a fastener. I use a cheap pony tail loop.
Zig zag the open ends, reversing over the middle as that is where most stress will be
Turn right sides out
And pop in a roll. The loop can be twisted round the handle of a lead so you never forget to take bags out with you.
This uses tiny amounts of fabric*, is useful and also easy to make
*thanks Emma for the madras fabric which I love and am nursing along.
Prosperity chickens
A quick make that doesn’t need too much accuracy
Apparently a traditional definition of prosperity in northern India was the ownership of a flock of hens. So hanging this type of decorative garland suggests prosperity to the homeowner.
Each chicken is a square of cotton folded to a triangle with beak and tail feathers sewn in. I followed a YouTube tutorial from Pincutsew which was very clear.
My triangles were 4 inches square and I stuffed mine with lavender as well as fibre, so they can roost in a wardrobe if not on display.
My beaks were felt and I added sequins for eyes to pretty things up.
Lazy lavender bags
The quick way to make lavender bags is to cut the bag shape with pinking shears and with right sides out, stitch round the outline leaving only a stuffing gap.
Here I layer some decoration on the front (two layers of hearts sewn on, a fabric pen floral and some decorative sequins) and sandwich in a ribbon loop before stitching and stuffing. I use a zig zag on 2.5 width to echo the pinked edging and keep the rustic look.
I use a combination of fibre and lavender to get a plumpness but it means I still have plenty of lavender left.
As everything is donated or thrifted and we grew the lavender this is a truly frugal craft.
Stitched cards
I have had a background die on my wish list for a while so combined two ‘wants’ with this stitching die that doesn’t have to be stitched.
You have to believe the recipient will appreciate the effort that went into stitching this front but it is simple provided the card quality stands up to the stitching ie the holes don’t tear.
Spellbinders sale
My no buy papercraft resolution dissolved in the face of a spellbinders sale so I had to try and use some of the supplies crowding in to my craft room.
I decided to stick with one of the past monthly kits that I ordered to work outside my comfort zone and create some multi purpose cards.
janecrafts 