Christmasing up continues

16 sheets of ordinarry office paper and in less than 10 minutes the lamp is dressed up :D Very simple, fast and easy project. I like the outcome and child is over the moon.

Hallway got a bunch of robins - it's rather busy there, so robins can play around in the draft all the time.

Dining room got a touch of holy and a wreath above. I made a proper wreath for the outside door, but inside I do not have the right feel for traditional "holy and ivy"yet, so I'm trying out different things.

It's not perfect but it's one very hearty wreath :D

Getting ready

Festive countdown started some time ago and I feel already exhausted of all the merryment. But like every year, I'll survive. Among eveything I managed to complete the 12 blocks for the corners of the Lonestar quilt and even the multicoloured strip for the border, but the biggest part of my time had been filled with Christmas cards. DIY cards always had been a tradition in my family so as a devoted traditionalist I just carry on on keeping appearances.

I'm not very well equiped this year - with all the moving around I lost somewhere the box with tempera so I needed  improvise with water colours and a jar of a really crappy white and sheets of chalk paper.

It's like mixing whisky, champagne and mushy peas together in hope to make a brilliant cocktail.

These things happen, you know.

Durate et vosmet rebus servate secundis! 

Whatever, it's time to enjoy! And as this year we celebrate in Coventry then there is special treat - the city's personal carol!

Christmas jumper day at school

My year 8 lady returned from school last week with simple request - a jumper for the Christmas jumper day. Simple request from the school, isn't it?

Primark shopping was not even considered, idea of re-using any of already existing jumpers failed as none would look nice as a background for the reindeer, so Saturday afternoon we went yarn shopping and then I curled in bed knitting.

The only positive thing - jumper design is precisely as young lady wanted. So here he is - poor exploited Rudolph.

To be honest, the whole jumper thing baffles me. You wear a jumper thus you "break" the uniform rules  so you must donate a pound to the charity Save the children.

I have nothing against charities. Absolutely nothing. I also have nothing against jumpers - they are fun if you like such kind of fun. But both things together...

 I spent 9.90 on yarns plus my time knitting. OK, let's say it cost 10 pounds overall. The cheapest supermarket versions here are 5 pounds.

So - one way or another, parents must spent at least fiver to donate 1 pound to charity, so the minimum of the expenses is 6 pounds out of which only one goes to charity. 

According to Save the Children, out of every pound donated, only 85 p goes directly to the charity work, the rest is service costs.

So, if I follow the route and buy a cheapest jumper for a fiver to donate one pound, only 14 % of my spendings end up doing something charitable while 83% fill the supermarket's sock. So, all in all, I donate to support a supermarket!!!! How stupid is that?

Well, you might argue that we still have a Christmas jumper on our hands. Well, the quality of these fiver worth jumpers are not for wearing - they are as good as all the cheap Halloween costumes - just for one night. And to be honest - who walks around wearing these silly jumpers? I haven't seen anybody, and I live in a 300,000 city, so it will be lurking ina warderobe for a while and then most likely will end up in the charity bag unworn.  

So, if school wants to teach my child charity, I would expect it to do better than promote a project in wich 83% goes to waste from the start.

A scrappy one

I still do not feel well enough to go out for holy hunting (maybe next week), so I tried a really lazy version of a Christmas wreath. 

Very very easy project and so many possibilities but I just sneezed about the right direction by using my ultimate scrap bag – not all is even cotton fabrics, for this one everything goes. Next year I might try old plastic bags...

Another piece of HISTORY

 Right now I’m battling with a rather annoying flu. As I was lying in bed for past several days, doing absolutely nothing, I decided to work on the project I started a long time ago – putting on some of the traditional patterns online. 

Traditional crafts always fascinate me, from Scottish kilts to our mitten designs. If you look at the bar above, you will see few new pages there to look at - this, this and this. 

Many of the patterns come from the three thick volumes on our traditional costume, printed late 20; s –early 30's so quality of printing is a bit outdated but the wealth of information is still there. 

I believe that many of these patterns are still brilliant for modern quilt or fashion ideas. 

Just look at this linen shirt! I can imagine wearing it with my black jeans and looking fab. 

Or these knitted socks – while they are part of one of our region’s traditional costume, they can be a fantastic fashion statement. 

Whatever, I enjoyed putting at least some up and will continue when the next flu will hit me again. Hope you will find them as inspiring as I do.