Merry Christmas 2023

XMas 2023 - 1

The year is almost over and so much has happened.
I already wrote that “my” fabric store, where I had my sewing course, is closing.
We were really lucky that a man who wanted to buy some of the furniture and sewing machines for his wife found out that these sewing courses were available.
His wife is also a hobby sewer. He made a studio for her where she can sew in theΒ  Β  Β  evenings. During the day, he rents out the studio for sewing courses. Win-win decision πŸ˜€

The course takes place with our old teacher and the other hobby sewers have all been taken from the old store. I am really happy about this solution.

I didn’t manage many projects. I made a yellow rain jacket for a friend similar to the one I made for myself. That was very time-consuming.
I’m currently sewing a windbreaker but, as always with me, it’s taking longer than I’d hoped. Somehow I always think of things during the sewing project that I want to have differently or in addition. Hehe

I had sooooo many plans for sewing Christmas presents and what happens? My machine breaks down 😦 Unfortunately, there is no longer a dealer here in town who can repair my brand. The dealer in the next town said he had so many orders that I didn’t even need to bring my machine in this year. Crap!!!

In August I had corona for the 2nd time this year. But luckily it was only like a very mild cold.

All in all, it was finally a good year for me again.
When my sewing machine is repaired next year, I finally want to sew more for myself at home. Apart from the windbreaker, ALL the projects I made were for other people πŸ˜€

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ❀

XMas 2023 - 2

XMas 2023 - 5

Merry Christmas 2020

Merry XMas 2020-07

And the angel said, Have no fear; for truly, I give you good news of great joy which will be for all the people:

For on this day, in the town of David, a Saviour has come to birth, who is Christ the Lord.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Here are a few Christmas photos from me. Like every year I have increased my porcelain collection πŸ˜€

This is the first Christmas where I do not visit anyone, or do not get a visit. I was sick for 2 weeks, luckily the test was negative, but I don’t want to risk anything because I am not 100% fit yet.Β 

But luckily there is the internet. There you can see your people just like that πŸ™‚ Instead, we open the gifts during a video conference. That’s bound to be fun.

Stay healthy and save ❀ ❀ ❀

Merry XMas 2020-03

Merry XMas 2020-02

Merry XMas 2020-01

Β 

Advent, the 4th candle is lit

Is today really already the 4th Advent and in a few days Christmas?
I had so much planned, all the things I wanted to do. But then unfortunately a nasty cold came in between. Fortunately, the C-test is negative.
Last year a cold was just that. A cold. This year I’ve already had 4 tests and each time the wait with : do I have it or not?

Actually, I wanted to make a new picture with my Advent wreath and candles every Sunday. As I said, the stupid cold came in between. But today at least the wreath with 4 glowing candles πŸ™‚

Merry XMas 2020-05

Last year I had Hanna knit me beautiful sweaters, because when I knit myself, it just doesn’t look nice and even. She even embroidered maritime motifs on my last sweater.

https://justelly.com/2019/10/25/my-wish-sweater/

That gave me the idea to have something made for the Christmas season. An embroidered Advent calendar.
Even if I can not embroider myself, I love the designs of V. Enginger. They are so cute and retro. I even have some of her books.
Hanna and I picked some designs for my Advent calendar from the books.

I waited almost a year for it. First, because there are quite a few parts and second, because Christmas was soooo far away. πŸ˜€

What do you say? Aren’t they just adorable?

Cross stitching Dec 1-3

Cross stitching Dec 4-6

Cross stitching Dec 7-9

Cross stitching Dec 10-12

Cross stitching Dec 13-15

Cross stitching Dec 16-18

Cross stitching Dec 19-21

Cross stitching Dec 22-24

Originally I wanted to make little bags out of all the embroidery. But when I picked up all the pieces, I noticed that some motifs are very large.

When I sew a little bag from it, you can no longer see the motif completely.

I’ll have to figure out the best way to do that. Maybe sew little bags and then sew the motif on the fabric.

Could look interesting, depending on what color the fabric has. Maybe red or green or even tartan I can imagine.

Stay healthy and safe ❀ ❀ ❀

Β 

Tutorial for my Christmas tree skirt

Yes, yes, I know. Christmas is long gone πŸ˜€
But if you have to stay at home almost all the time, you get the idea to sort out the photos from your mobile phone. And then you can also see the photos of things you sewed for Christmas presents.
Maybe some of you like my idea for the next christmas πŸ™‚

I am writing my tutorial for a Christmas present while I am already sewing Easter presents.
Even though I don’t think I can meet my friends before Easter to give them the presents.

I love the colours red, green and gold for Christmas decorations. So often I have decided to decorate differently, but I always come back to this colour combination πŸ˜€

That’s why I have chosen these colours for this present. I have found a similar Christmas tree skirt on the Internet. But it looked so cheap that it would have been guaranteed to last only one Christmas.

In my fabric shop I found this very special fabric. On top it looks like satin, but it is thicker and has a black “coating” on the back. No idea what this kind of fabric is called.

But the colors looked so great that I had to buy it even though the price was so high.

Here my tutorial:

First I downloaded a beautiful free Christmas font from the internet.
Then I wrote Merry Christmas in very big letters, mirrored and printed it.

Now paint the whole thing on Bondaweb and iron it on the fabric. Here I had to be very careful with the iron, because I didn’t want to risk the fabric. Then cut out your motifs.

DIY XMAS gift 01

DIY XMAS gift 02

Actually I had planned to sew the letters directly onto the red fabric. But after I put them on the fabric and walked a little further away, I could hardly see what was written there.
So I decided to buy the same fabric in white for a better contrast.

Here you can easily see how much the fabric shines.

DIY XMAS gift 03

I don’t think I’ve ever cursed as much when sewing as I have with this fabric. I had so much trouble applying it because the fabric was so slippery.

You can see it especially on the red berries. With any other fabric the circle or the outlines would have been perfect.

DIY XMAS gift 04

DIY XMAS gift 05

DIY XMAS gift 06

As always when I apply, I do not rely on the bondaweb, but always sew on each piece for safety. Otherwise it would be annoying if a piece got lost in the washing machine later.

It has taken ages to remove the Bondaweb on the back of the white fabric so that I can iron it onto the red

DIY XMAS gift 07

Now the motif can be ironed onto the red fabric. Then sew the outline again as usual

DIY XMAS gift 08

DIY XMAS gift 09

My Christmas tree skirt has a diameter of 35 inches.
So you can calculate how long the ribbon for the edging must be. I used the same fabric for the backside.
Here are photos how to extend such a ribbon! Lay the ribbon like on the photo and sew as you can see the pin.

DIY XMAS gift 10

DIY XMAS gift 11

I wanted the border more three-dimensional. Therefore I have a cord (it is a coincidence that this is gold. It just had the thickness I wanted) and sewed it into the ribbon.

I sewed it with red thread so that I could see better later where to sew it on my Christmas tree skirt.

DIY XMAS gift 12

DIY XMAS gift 13

Now sew the ribbon onto the red fabric. Then cut around the edges. IMPORTANT: only cut the golden ribbon, not the red fabric

DIY XMAS gift 14

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Now pin the back of the Christmas tree skirt with pins. But sew on the red side, because you can see the seam where I sewed the ribbon on. You have to leave a piece open, so that you can turn the whole thing around afterwards!

Close there after turning. It doesn’t look so good here, because I wanted to have the skirt ready that day and it’s just faster with a sewing machine than doing invisible stitches with my hand.

DIY XMAS gift 16

Here you can see how the ribbon looks like at the end. I definitely like it better as if it was flat

DIY XMAS gift 17

And now the finished Christmas tree skirt. I like it. Maybe that would be an idea for myself, too. But I still don’t have very good memories of it because of the slippery fabric. Although the result is worth it hihi

DIY XMAS gift 18

In retrospect, I would set the motif a little further towards the edge.
But whatever. Mrs. H. can decide which side she wants, the one with the motif or the plain gold side.

❀ ❀ ❀

 

Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year πŸ™‚

Merry Christmas 2019-1

Last year I made an Advent calendar, which I still like very much.

For this year I had planned to do the same, but unfortunately I remembered too late to see how to do it practically with Photoshop. Above all I did not consider how time-consuming my idea was. Too bad.

I won’t write what I wanted to do now (maybe I’ll like the idea for next year), but for next time I have to remember to to start earlier.

Merry Christmas 2019-2

The last two weeks I was in bed with severe flu. Therefore I could not go shopping or decorate my apartment properly. Too bad, because I didn’t have time to take care of it before. I didn’t even get a tree this year. Didn’t feel good enough to go outside.

But look what the mail brought in yesterday ❀ ❀ ❀

Normally I would have hung the ornaments on the tree, but so I just photographed it as if it was a breakfast table.

The plate is only a little bit bigger than 2 inch. This “doll’s dishes” looks exactly like my real Christmas dishes. Isn’t it cute?