Monthly make challenge

On my tour around cyber space, I've come across a lovely idea from the Felt Fairy who has come up a monthly make challenge, where those who decide to join make an item every month and post to their blog, and if more technically minded upload to a Flickr.

With my intentions to make as much as I can for both my family needs and also for gifts for family and friends this fits in so well.  I guess as I've already displayed the brooch I made for my sister-in-law, I can't use that again, even though it was a January make, so I'd better get my thinking cap on, I'm not so much struggling to decide what to make, but rather struggling to decide which one item to make, my list of things to do is getting longer and longer, inspiration has really struck.  I'm not saying that I'm a brilliant seamstress, knitter, candle maker etc as I'm not, I'm just an enthusiastic amateur and I just love making things and so hopefully this comes across in the things I make and the recipients appreicate the effort and thought that go into the gifts I give....if not there are always plenty of charity shops who always welcome donations ;-)

And so it begins

How do they manage it?, doing the ironing ready for the start of the new year...yes I know I've had several weeks to do this, but no 2 son had only just found his uniform hiding under the bed! I discovered that two pairs of school trousers were only just hanging together by a thread.  To say the seams had come apart would be an understatement, there was nothing joining them from waist to knee...the result of slipping over in the snow apparently!  Well it was time to test my new resolve and instead of rushing into town to get him new trousers, I dusted off my trusty old sewing machine and set about 'mending' these, in the end I basically had to unpick the whole lot and reassemble both pairs.  Some 4 hours later I have to admit they looked as good as new, I was £40 better off for not having to purchase new, I also managed to listened to a few CD's that I had borrowed from No 2 son's girlfriend and I felt I had achieved something at the end of it.  The make do and mend philosophy really does have something going it!

 

It's my sister-in-law's birthday next week, so whilst I had my sewing basket out it was a good opportunity to make her present.  I had some squares of different coloured felt, and plenty of seed beads in a variety of colours, so decided to put these to good use and make a brooch.  Very simple, I cut out 4 circles in alternating colours and graduated sizes, once I'd done that I cut petals into the circles (I found it less fiddly that trying to cut a flower shape to start with).  Next I layered them on top of each other, fixed in the centre with the seed beads and then sewed a safety pin on the back - Ok a brooch back may have been better, but I didn't have one and improvisation is now a key word in my vocabulary!

I actually made two brooches whilst I was at it, I haven't decided which colour I will give to my sister-in-law, but whichever one, I'll put the other up for when I have another birthday to make for.  I was quite pleased with how they came out, and of course the fact that they were made from bits I already had made it even better. 

And so the journey begins

Well Christmas is well and truly over for another year,  it's the New Year and many of us have been thinking about  the resolutions we all make, you know; the ones which are normally broken by the middle of the month.  I like to think that I am quite organised, and get most of my shopping done well before the manic crush of the last few weeks of December when everywhere you turn there is Christmas Musak, with stressed out people all cramming into our shopping centres, trying to buy the world for what they think is necessary for the Big Day. But even I find myself succumbing to visiting the local supermarket in the last few days before Christmas for the last few 'bit's' we just "can't do without!"......of course this year was even more stressful as the forces of nature were also against those who thought they had escaped the need to join the throng by ordering their gifts and food on-line, with the white stuff was delaying or even cancelling their deliveries. Now try and tell me mother nature is not in charge of us all, and sometimes sends us a little reminder to prove it!


Why do we put ourselves through this every year? 

I really don't know, and as I sat thinking about what I could change for next Christmas, I remembered when I was a teenager and our village was cut off by snow for a few days, I overheard an old lady in the village shop who could understand what everyone was making a fuss about, she didn't have electricity so the power cuts were of no consequence to her, and she was almost totally self sufficient.  It was she who had the last laugh, whilst the rest of the village were wondering how they were going to manage if the roads didn't clear soon, how could they get to the shops? how could they manage without power? the only inconvenience she incurred was that she couldn't buy her daily paper! 
There is no way that I could contemplate going to the extremes of no power and water from a well, and realistically I will still need to buy household supplies, but  returning to Christmas, could I make most of my gifts, and Christmas food?  Could I buy what I couldn't make from one of the wonderful local suppliers I'm fortunate enough to have around me?  As I started to make lists, I'm an avid list maker, I love the satisfaction of ticking off completed tasks.... oops sorry digressing again, it struck me that this way of thinking  "could be for the whole year, and not just for Christmas!" So I'm setting off on my journey with excitement and good intentions, I work full-time so this is not going to be easy and will initially take some careful planning on my part, or should I perhaps say time-management, but I hope that ultimately this will be a fullfilling and enjoyable year. 

I thoroughly looking forward to it, I can remember from my childhood my grandparents growing all of their own vegetables, so I'm off to browse the seed catalogues and plan my patch which has been rather neglected.

I did already make a few jars of chutneys and jellies during the autumn, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing, and will certainly be making many more in 2011.....I see hampers at Christmas!

I've had, what I think is, the most fantastic book for many years.  I've dipped in and out of it over the years but can see that it will be a regular friend.

So off I go, hang on tight and enjoy the ride!  I know I will and can hardly wait.