A Handmade Xmas....

I love the process of making something special for people that I love for Xmas, be it baked goods, preserves, freshly picked flowers arranged in a pretty bouquet, hand-knit garments, crochet keepsakes, sewn treasures, I love them all...

This year as well as the usual home-grown preserves and baked shortbread, I've been creating a few special things with fabric, fibre, and thread to gift to those that are nearest and dearest to my family and I.

There's this sweet cotton table cloth in the loveliest shade of green.

I followed this great pattern by the fabulous crochet designer Sonea Delvon - only difference being that I used 8ply yarn and a 3.5mm hook instead of the 5ply and 2.5mm hook that Sonea suggested.

My finished table cloth measures approx. 75cm in diameter (before blocking - but to be honest, I won't be blocking this tablecloth as I have designed it to be machine washed and line dried, hence my choice of yarn). I followed this pattern EXACTLY (not like me at all) and it turned out simply beautifully!!!!

For the yarn, I used my all time favourite 8ply cotton blend (the same yarn that I used for my rainbow granny blanket back here). This yarn is AMAZING!! It washes so well and wears even better. I love that the more it ages and is washed the softer it gets.

I'm also weaving a special little something for an equally special person. This is my very first weaving project and I must admit, I'm absolutely hooked!!! The pattern I'm following was part of a kit made by the very clever team at Mollie Makes and I simply love it. If you've never heard of Millie Makes before then please go check them out, they seriously are amazing and a huge source of inspiration for me and my crafting.

I'm also working on a wee little quilt which I'm backing with old fabric bread flour bags. This quilt is to be used as a tablecloth also. The fabrics are from my stash and there's not really a pattern, I'm just sewing 5' squares together in strips in a colour combo that I like. I'm making this quilt light weight and durable - hence the muslin/calico bread bags that I'll be using for the backing fabric.

And on the right of the quilt is the makings a flower pillow. I'm only half way through this pillow but am hoping that over the next week it will double in size and be well on its way to being finished in time for Xmas gifting.

I'm using the Blooming Flower Cushion pattern by Lucy of Attic 24, a 3.5mm hook and that same gorgeous cotton that I used for the green tablecloth above (just in a different shade, of coarse).

That's my Xmas crafting so far... There's still so much that I'd love to create but with the days clicking by much faster than I anticipated (as they do every year) I doubt that I'll get to them... But, I'm okay with that, I really am! A sweetly baked cake or some pickles pulled from the back of my pantry will make just as lovely a gift if my time does run out...

So, how about you, do you love a 'handmade' Xmas?

Are you crafting up a storm, so to speak... Creating lots of lovely things for your loved ones this year too?

Do you have a 'back-up' plan if you run out of time and don't quite get that special something finished?

Or maybe you're taking it easy, not worrying about the material objects this year, focussing on spending 'quality time' with loved ones instead?

I'd love to know! xx