New stockings

Finished on Christmas Eve and made mostly by Mum. Though I think the amount of time I spent umming and aahing over the different fabrics in the shop deserves some applause. As does Mum’s patience while I did so.

They’re all about a foot high (which seems appropriate) and are based very loosely on this free pattern.

Top row: (L-R) Dad, Mum, Lee, Debbie
Bottom row: (L-R) Sam, John, Sarah

7 Days: Day 7 – Hair-raising

Well that’s it, another 7 Days run is over. I hope it hasn’t been too hair-raising for you all, finding time to fit in a self-portrait every day over the busy Christmas period! Lord knows I’ve been pretty exhausted this week and am rather looking forward to the 2 hour journey to see Russ and his family on Sunday: mmm, snuggly car nap. For me Christmas and 7 Days are quite similar in that while it’s great while they’re on and happening, you’re quite relieved when it’s all over and life can return to normal. Thanks to all of you who played along, whether it was alone among a sea of non-internetty people who just didn’t understand why you’d take the camera to the toilet with you, or with eager friends or coerced family members. I’ll post the traditional mosaic in the new year.

7 Days: Day 6 – Happy Christmas

Nice to be out of the glittery suit at last ;-) It’s been a good day and I’ve stuffed myself full of food and good cheer. Happy Christmas to all!

7 Days: Day 5 – Where am I?

Today’s theme: Where am I? I don’t know who came up with this silly idea. Oh wait, that would be me.

7 Days: Day 4 – Progress in Stocking Land

Today has slipped away from me somewhat. I’ve finally managed to get my Christmas presents done and as a bonus I’ve done something towards the January birthdays too. Mum and I are now making progress on the new stockings. The pieces have been cut and the green toe and heel patches have been pinned and are now being sewn on. By Mum. While I type this. You see how you people who live in the internet are to blame for my lack of Getting Things Done. Thank goodness we celebrate Christmas on the 25th, not the 24th like our continental chums. That was very clever of us to give ourselves more time to procrastinate.

7 Days: Day 3 – Stockings

In addition to the usual presents under the tree on Christmas Day, I started a new tradition some years ago of everyone having little stockings, to which we would all contribute a little something. The original stockings were lovely and have been in use eight years, but the time has come for something a little bigger. A cheap stocking filler often isn’t a small stocking filler and gradually fewer and fewer presents were actually making it into the stockings.

Mum and I headed to the local sewing shop a few weekends ago to choose our fabrics, pulling out bolt after bolt (Mum) and umming and aahing about what would be just right (me). The fabrics were chosen and now with just a few days left before the stockings are needed, we still have to put them together!

The pattern has been found, enlarged and cut out and the first piece has now been pinned to the first piece of fabric with the first pin. By Mum. My involvement above is purely for show. Maybe tomorrow we’ll finally make some progress that’s worth mentioning?!

7 Days: Day 2 – Solstice dinner

Not once this evening have I managed to spell Solstice right on the first go; the e always drops off. But anyway. Today a big pile of family members gathered together for a pre-Christmas meal, which for the sake of the 7 Days theme I’m calling a Solstice dinner. Sam arranged for us all to eat at Hurtwood Park, where the wedding reception had taken place in August (I wonder if my hair clip noticed that it had returned to the same place?) and there we stuffed ourselves full of good food and drink before going back to John and Sam’s place … for a bit more good food and drink.

Admittedly I didn’t put a devastating amount of thought into interpreting the theme today, so there are a couple more self-portraits from today, just to really underline the point that I wasn’t sure what I was aiming for exactly!