ON MY CHRISTMAS TREE...

 An early countdown to...  make new Christmas ornaments.

This year project is to make some DIY decorations on handmade theme : sewing, knitting, stitching.I started with wool and felt, making funny unicorns for the girls and some small knitting bag.

Cette année, le projet de Noël est de bricoler quelques nouveautés faites maison sur le thème de la couture, du tricot et de la broderie et autres travaux manuels. J'ai commencé avec des licornes en feutrine pour les filles et un panier de tricot.

Voici les décorations testées ces dernières semaines :

- suspension étoile 6 branches en coton

- machine à coudre en feutrine

- petite couronne

Here are the three ornaments I tested those past weeks :

- hanging 6 pointed stars 

- felt sewing machine

- small wreath

Star

Thanks to Internet tutos, it's easy to make!

https://www.livecrafteat.com/craft/homemade-christmas-tree-star-ornaments/

The sewing machine

I took the inspiration on the net, felt and cardboard sewing machine shape, I used brads ? (clip?) for the thread spool and heart pin

See this funny garland of...

Santa's hats

Fournitures : feutrine blanche et rouge pour les bonnets de Père Noël, couleur pour la machine et les boutons de commande, attaches parisiennes pour le porte bobine et la manette, cordelette d'attache et épingle coeur pour l'aiguille.

Six petits strass pour la plaque de commande et de mini boules en laine feutrée pour les pompons des bonnets de Père Noël.

Forme de base en carton ondulé dans laquelle je pique une épingle coeur pour simuler l'aiguille de la machine, une attache enfin deux attaches parisiennes : une entourée d'une fine bande de feutrine pour la manette et la seconde enroulée de fil doré pour la bobine de fil. Pensez à bloquer le bonnet de Père Noël avant de coller les formes extérieures en feutrine puis la plaque de boutons de commande et la molette de sélection de points.

Wool wreaths

Green Bubble wool wrapped around plastic wreath was my first idea but it needed too much of this wool I only got one ball so I used first green standard wool and keep Bubble for the finishing rank.

I'll give some to the kids to make some tiny wreaths for their dolls, I'll add some small ornaments they will stick on them. 

So I have already make some tiny wool bag in crochet, a small knitting. I can't wait to try some tiny Christmas sweaters. There will be spools of threads and I hope small stitchings. Stars, hearts, bells, ribbons, tassels, poinsettias ... so many tempting decorations and I'll be happy to read new ideas in your comments.

GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS 11/20

Like every month on the 15th Jo from Serendipitous Stitching welcome all the stitchers who want to participate to the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL.

We meet on line on Jo's blog to share our progress on stitchings, sewing, all DIY made as a gift or made with the help of a gift. Everything about this event is explained here :

https://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-gifted-gorgeousness-link-up.html

First I got news from Clare and I'm happy to see how she finished her ornaments with our stitched flowers for her church Christmas tree, my cornflower on the right looks great!

I made more homemade reusable wipes with white bamboo sponge for DD2

Felt roses for winter wreaths

A new shaker card to send a wool scarf for Violette 2 to Soline

A Christmas chapter now as I have begun to make new ornaments. Some for the kids, the first one will be unicorn "ball" I saw on the net (a lot of tutos you'll easy found). 

White and rose felt for the head, yellow felt and orange thread perlé DMC for the corn, black thread to make pretty eyelashes and some small flowers and beads. Of course rose gloss on the cheeks.

Une jolie petite licorne comme boule de Noël très tendance.

One of this year Christmas project is to offer a DIY theme to my home with new homemade ornaments which means making decorations on sewing, knitting, stitching theme... no shoehorn needed to put on Santa's boots!

Small knitting, wool basket, wool ball, sewing machine, tiny hoop, small cross stitch are one my list.

I bought a nice green and white string visiting a rope fabric museum last September and wanted to crochet a small basket. But the result wasn't great so I have used a wool and only the string on the border and handles.

I'll have to add some tiny knitting needles (made with wooden skewer and wooden beads or if I found some when shopes will reopen "old" hair curlers picks).

Un petit cadeau pour ma maison, une nouvelle décoration faite main dans le thème des activités manuelles. Petits tricots, mini broderies et autres miniatures de couture.

Premières réalisations : un tricot en laine Bubble et ce petit panier au crochet pour mettre en valeur la cordelette achetée à la boutique du musée de la corderie Vallois.

YOU CHOOSE 11/20

Late but here I am with a new post about Jo's SAL on the first Saturday of the month,

November is already here!!!  with this link you have to visit Jo and all the bloggers participating the this magical SAL because people choose "magic".

https://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-people-choose-magic.html

C'est donc dans l'univers de la magie que nous allons pénétrer ce mois-ci grâce au rendez-vous mensuel du premier samedi du mois.

First of all, two family stories for this post!

The first thing I thought about was the "magic wallet" my Mum use to make for us.

I still have some hidden somewhere in my boxes (not found yet) I have kept to be able to make it again, as the trick is the way the ribbons are fixed.   .

I should make three of them for the kids.

Harry Potter was a guest of honor in a lot of posts last month with the wizard theme, a small wink to him again with some tiny books of Harry Potter as ornaments made for my son in law last year birthday.

The other family storie is on DH side, his grandfather before being a clockmaker was hoping to become a magician. He had a small theater scene in his attic, still gave some shows for the family in the 60's.

His scene name was "Faustino" and he participated in a national amateur contest in the thirties (1930) and finished in third place!   I wish I could add an old picture, sorry but some of his equipment has been given to the Museum of circus and illusion  (about 50 km far from here)  we'll be glad to visit when it will reopen.

Now, place to the shoehorns..  from my stitchings,

No rabbit in a hat but in a egg cup,

No magic wand, but chopstick!

Some magical characters : witch (made by my Mum), mermaid, unicorns

        What kind of magic will conclude this post...

        One dream, one children's soul, one goal...  be ready for the magic of Christmas

This year should have been different (for everyone of course), lot of plans for a new retirement but a virus has invited itself in our schedule. Between confinement and all the thinks we are allowed to do then not allowed to do, Christmas is approaching in a thick fog. I don't want to think now that we maybe won't be able to be together and prefer to focus on more time on making ornaments and new decorations for the house and the garden.

Usually, the Christmas tree is made on our Téléthon week-end (around December 5th) and depending on available time there is the Christmas village and many decorations to take care of.

But a few days ago, I was speaking about when to start decorating and DH said we could start early to be ready to switch on lights for the first day of December!!!! After asking him if he was kidding, I couldn't believed he agree with a "coming soon start".

So don't be surprised to see Christmas posts on the blog. I have to make a list (one more) of new ideas inspired by 2020 internet DIY ideas and will be back soon for some magic of Christmas to share.

Those unicorns felt ornaments for Capucine and Soline are officially announcing the beginning of Christmas season! Tada!

Cette année si particulière a vu mon planning de début de retraite exploser avec l'arrivée d'un virus inattendu. Tous les projets sont remis à plus tard (comme pour la majeure partie de nos concitoyens) et les fêtes de fin d'année approchent dans un brouillard épais. 

Mais la saison de Noël est officiellement annoncée en avance JB ayant proposé un début des installations plus tôt pour être prêts pour les illuminations dès le 1er décembre ! Sans rire, dès novembre on sort les boîtes et les guirlandes ? Très positif, je covalide donc cette décision et vais de ce pas établir une liste (de plus) des idées vues tout au long de l'année pour ajouter quelques nouveautés aux décorations traditionnelles.