Living by the Dartby Heather Long Crafty Christmas
I’ve always been proud of the pincushion I made for my Mum – neat little stitches carefully crafted by hand. She cherishes it – and has done since I was seven. Sadly that’s the last time I made anything for her – or for
anyone. I’m not known for my creativity. My sewing has been confined to patched knees and name tags. I did try a curtain once – just the one… That’s all about to change though – and Christmas is the catalyst. Christmas, Kirstie, crafty friends and a need (like everyone else) to keep an eye on the purse strings. I am going to start making things for Christmas. I will save a fortune, I will feel fulfilled, I will create beautiful and unique gifts, and everyone will be delighted to have something I have taken the time to make. Bespoke pressies – how very now! I’ve watched Kirstie Allsopp and according to her I can
make ANYTHING. All I need to do is have a go. She has a whole house full of lovely things she made or found in junk shops and embellished. She’s also made a career out of chatting about the fun she’s having – genius! I watch and feel inspired. Inspired to lounge about on the sofa and watch telly, but one day I will make something…I will. In friends’ houses I find fabrics draped, sewing machines poised, sparkly thread, beads and sequins to titivate. They dish out quilts, knitted slippers, handmade cushions and stitched hearts as gorgeous gifts. My mother-in-law has whole trees full of home-made decorations. Cousin Nicky has an entire snow scene self carved out of polystyrene packaging. They’re beautiful, made with thought and time. I’m delighted when I receive woolly slippers from a friend, and a patchwork doorstop from my sister-in-law. She makes all her own Christmas cards every year. How does she find time? “The secret is to start early,” she says. A bit late to start early as it is already December. It takes ages to write them let alone make them! Too late for cards maybe but I have already started actually making gifts, in the form of little hand sewn Christmas decorations. I learned how after being bullied along to a craft workshop. We had a super time and all agreed on the benefits of a personalised Christmas. I felt inspired to create and create I did…one decoration…and it took me all day! Don’t misunderstand me I had a lovely time nattering
away. But the voice in my head kept yelling “the washing!” “the hoovering!” “work deadlines!” I retorted with counter thoughts like “work/life balance” and “everyone deserves a day off now and again alright!!” Around me fingers flew and decorations piled up in a festive heap on the table. But as I tried to rethread my needle yet again and untangle the miniature birds nest of cotton blighting my little yuletide fabric heart, I thought maybe I should have just gone to the shops. There are lots of things in Dartmouth that clever talented people have made by hand, that I could just buy and give out as pressies. Something tasteful rather than a guess-the- mystery-gift competition. But then Georgia, who’s nine, announced she had made something for me! Her Mum, the slipper knitter, was at the craft workshop. Georgia hadn’t picked up on my feelings of inadequacy at having only made the one bauble. She’d realised I didn’t have things like scraps of fabric or beads in my house, and she had decided to help. She appeared on the doorstep with a bundle of pretty material and a jar stuffed with buttons, beads, thread and ribbon, a generous helping of PVA holding in place a glittering crust of sparkles on the lid– just to make it look lovely for me. Georgia was convinced my one decoration was not about to remain a one and only.
How kind, how thoughtful – I was delighted. Inspired,
I decided to forge ahead. Decorations, puds, cakes and table centres I would make them all. I remembered the Good Life – Tom and Barbara with newspaper hats and the peapod burgundy jollying along poor Margot when the department store failed to deliver Christmas. Christmas can’t be bought, it doesn’t come on a lorry, it’s what you make it – quite right Tom Good I will do it myself. It’s going well so far. I’ve had a good look through the jar and there are some lovely things in there, and some of the bits of material really are very pretty. And it’s not just the one decoration now – I’ve been at the gold thread and I am proud to report that I have doubled my output. Yes I have made two hand stitched Christmas decorations. The trouble is they take me ages, and by the time I’ve sorted out the dishes, fed the dog and shouted at the children, I’m too bug eyed to thread a needle. So I tend to pour a nice glass of wine and settle down to watch Kirstie. Maybe I’ll just get a few ideas – for next year…
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