More waffling on about stitchy stuff ...

Friday's here before you know it, and I'm starting to think about Christmassy stuff. Compiling lists of presents to buy, that sort of thing. I won't put the decorations up yet though, despite lots of homes and shops near me already being decked out in twinkly lights and baubles. The artificial tree will stay in its cupboard for another week at least. I'd love a real tree as they smell so good, but I can't be doing with hoovering up pine needles for most of January. On the crafty front I've been playing about with my Jessie Chorley style 'doodle cloth', and really enjoying seeing where my needle and thread takes me.

I've finished a couple of these Christmas tags, which are made of calico. I might try making more on a different coloured background as otherwise the names don't stand out enough. I was trying for a homespun vintage-y look, but maybe I should go for shiny and sequins instead?

Speaking of shiny ... I also made a little coin purse in a boho kind of style. It's lacking a closure, so that's why there's a dressmaking pin stuck in it. I'll burrow around and see if I can find a snap fastener or hook & eye to sew on.

It's a calico base, on to which I've stitched scraps of material and decorative braid. I've then embroidered and added a few seed beads.

It's lined with a printed cotton from an upcycled top. By the way, the black floral fabric you can see was from an Accessorize handbag. I wasn't using it as a bag, but it was too pretty to discard, so it ended up in my fabric stash. The flowers and leaves would've been machine embroidered, probably in a factory, but I've added my lines of simple running stitch.

This sort of purse is so easy to make, and you can enlarge the pattern to turn it into a clutch bag. I can see a version of it being made in dark blues and white with lines of sashiko stitching, for those who appreciate Japanese style boro textiles.

Well, I need to crack on with my online shopping, in order to allow Santa and his reindeer (a.k.a. the Amazon and Evri delivery drivers) the time to deliver my parcels before the festivities start. Happy stitching, or drawing or painting or wherever your creative urge takes you. Have fun!

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