A Christmas Summary

Whilst Christmas has now been and gone, with presents dispensed and unwrapped it is finally safe to show a few of the presents that I gave. These were the little projects I need to keep under wraps as I didn't wish to spoil the surprises. First up is the little baby jacket I made for my youngest nephew E who joined us in August:

The pattern for this was taken from a new magazine which I received in October/November and is from the same people behind Quilting Arts. It is right up my street and if it becomes a regular publication I may be switching loyalties from its mixed media/quilting cousins. There are plenty of other projects in there which I am itching to try as well. The instructions for drawing up the pattern and making the jacket were reasonably straightforward but did require a bit of intuition and initiative to think "hmmm, I think they mean this" or "I think it would be better done this way". The result, however, was successful as well as warmly received by the recipient's mummy. Oh yes, did I say..... it was done on the overlocker! (I couldn't resist)

Another project (this time overlocker free) was a present for my friend G who had joined the crafting community by taking up crochet this year. I am especially pleased as it means that she has been proven corruptible, it ticks off her other half and I am hopeless at crochet - so she can teach me! I based this neat little roll on the instructions over at this blog. I liked the extra pockets for some scissors (to which I added a little yoyo scissor charm) and dinkier pockets for the darning needles and bodkins which crocheters require for weaving in ends.

To keep Mr.T sweet I decided to make him something he had been hankering after for a little while (here modelled by M):

An Imperial Gate Monkey Cape. Thats why its purple. Don't ask. If you want to know more you would have get up early(ish) of a Sunday morning and go for a cross country cycle ride (none of that namby pampy road riding stuff). It would be fun. You would get gates opened for you.....