OS Christmas Support thread & timetable

AussieLass

Hi Tootles, :wave:

Were the quilter cushion covers hard to make? They sound an excellent idea.

elona

Lillibet

Tell MIL and SIL that you have already made or are making their presents and have already bought the materials etc.

Just because they have come up with a suggestion it does not make it a law!

I would cringe at telling someone what to get me for Christmas.

kscour

Hi Lillibet

If possible I'ld just slightly change what I'd got to something with a gardening theme - they've said they're thinking of you and they obviously like gardening so they should be dead chuffed if it looks like you've put a bit of effort into making their suggestion a bit more special - and if they aren't then tough!

I hate having to get vouchers even when it's what people want because they seem so unpersonal

Loadsabob

Pat_ wrote:

Yes great thread Loadsabob.

I mentioned this a couple of months ago and I think people had thought I'd lost it, the idea about a christmas thread etc see I knew I wasn't going mad Squeaky and I think Judi was still BG'ing then.

Great to be organised.

Thanks Pat, I may have missed your previous Christmas post (it may have been before I fixed myself in OS!). Well, I managed to hold out til July! Perhaps we're ALL mad! But I feel really excited about getting ready for Christmas now! Expecially with being able to catch up with what you guys are up to, too.

Latest Christmas task - I am about to order from magnetic paper to make a few sets of fridge poetry, as featured on OS before my time! Really excited about that, and am starting to form themed sets in my heads, to personalise them to friends and family. That's something I can start working on now, but print out later in the year when I have the lists honed (thanks Galtizz!)

Also looking through my homemade beauty book for things I can make in November which will keep a few months - things like bath teabags (full of herbs and oatmeal and things). Yum! Also lip balms, there will be a few of those going out with gifts this year!

Loadsabob

kscour wrote:

I hate having to get vouchers even when it's what people want because they seem so unpersonal

Lillibet - I'd tend to agree with kscour and Elona's suggestions. Your rellies are trying to think of you, but perhaps they should have added at the end of their suggestion "if it's easier for you...".

I tend to feel okay giving vouchers for birthdays, but not for Christmas, for some reason. I think it's just a psychological thaink that I want to wrap lots of things up!!! Selfish really - "You will ALL have odd-shaped presents so I get the fun of wrapping them up!"

I'm not warning anyone about the onslaught of homemade gifts this year...I'm feeling that if anyone objects, bad luck. If anyone vocally objects, that's one less to make next year!! There will still be some bought presents - my Mum rarely has the cash to treat herself to things she would like, so I enjoy giving her something she wouldn't buy herself. Then I'll supplement it with HM things, too, I think. But friends, cousins, Aunts and Uncles...HM all the way! Actually, if I was them, I'd be DELIGHTED, looking down my list of all-natural bath soaks and lip balms, fridge poetry, fair trade chocolate covered brazils, shortbread, truffles, wooly hats (I'm not quite up to mittens, but my favourite gift last year was from a German friend who knitted me the BEST mittens EVER!).......! I must remember to make ME some pressies, too!

Loadsabob

Tootles - way to go with the Tesco Vouchers!! Sounds as though you have Christmas well and truly covered! The quilter cushion covers sound lovely!

Loadsabob

Queenie wrote:

If anyone is thinking of putting their sewing machine to use but have lost the intructions, need beginner sewing lessons, or looking for project ideas - check out this older thread too
Hobbies/Crafts and Moneysaving ..

Thanks Queenie - time I wrote down that sewing machine model number I think...I have so many projects in my head but have never used the machine. I sort of inherited it, but no manual...what fun I will have!

tootles_2

sorry, should have read hand quilted, I had just got up......

They are simple to make, Cut 2 x 18' squares of plain fabric and a piece of wadding the same size.You trace a design on one of the 18' sqaures of fabric leaving about 2 1/2 inches around the edge, I use cream 100% cotton curtain lining from Dunelm, if you root in their bin you can often find ends of rolls really cheap. I wash and iron it first, do not use fabric conditioner on it, vinegar in the rinse water is fine. A piece of wadding, also available from Dunelm and another piece of fabric on the back.Baste the three bits together either using long basting stitches, spray baste or safety pins. Use a quilting frame and stitch through all three layers, or if you want you can use the machine and just quilt diagonal lines, start from the middle and draw a faint line across the fabric from corner to corner for your first one, stitch and then using the quilting bar machine approx one inch from the first line and so on until you have sewn down to the corner, turn the fabric round and do the other side. It is a good idea to use a walking foot if you have one....... you can hand stitch this way as well if you want to, use masking tape to mark your lines and stitch along the side so you get evenly spaces lines. If you hand stitch try and keep your stitches even too. When you are quilting you need a small knot on the end of your thread which you need to bury in between the two layers, so put your needle in the fabric a little way from where you want to start stitching and pull the knot through so it lodges between the layers, not on the back. When you near the end of the thread, make a small knot by winding the thread around the needle and pull it through to make a knot then thread through where the last stitch came out, bring the needle up a little way from the last stitch not going through to the backing fabric and pull, the knot should once again bury itself in between the layers, snip off the thread.

Once you have finished your quilting, cut two pieces of fabric 2/3rds of the length of the cover, pin from the top and bottom with right sides together, when you get to the middle make a deep hem on the top piece(for your button holes) and a narrower hem on the bottom, so that when you have worked the buttonholes, the buttonholes just overlap the piece on which you are going to sew the buttons, then pin the overlaps to the front and stitch all the way round with about a half inch seam, trim the fabric away from the seam and across the corners, turn to the right side and you have a finished cushion cover, it needs an 18' pad, covers should always be about an inch smaller than the pad, this means they are nice and full when the pad is in place. Sew on the buttons and you are done.

You can use a stencil design just trace with a pen which will wash out, try it first to make sure it does or a very fine pencil, if you use a pencil do not mark too hard.

I have some photographs, for anyone who is interested if you e mail me your address I will try and post them on webshots. Not sure how well they will come out.

jue

For christmas this year I've taken Martin at his word and started saving in January, by standing order from OH wages. Every week we are saving a set amount and it's adding up nicely. As Martin says you know christmas is coming all year and trying to pay for it out of one months wages is mad. Its only taken us 20 years of marriage to work this out LOL. I am also saving saver stamps at the supermarket and have £60 already for xmas food It's gonna be different to last year when in December OH said to me ( I handle all our money) where's the money coming from to pay for pressies etc?

badgermonkey

I had a mad Amazon selling binge in Jan/Feb and banked all the proceeds - made £200! Opened another ING account called Christmas and haven't touched it since. Today I saw the thread on Boots.com bargains and bought three presents - that £32 gone but I'm not complaining! Now have plenty of time to find cool/original things instead of the same old stuff I buy every year.