Merry Christmas

What a busy old time of year this is indeed. 

Plans to relax sipping festive drinks and gazing into the fire remain a dream still to be had.

Well presents are all wrapped (nearly), handmade gifts finished (almost) and the cake's still waiting to be iced!

Before I tell you all the news of the last month, there's something I need to share with you. I spoke of this on Instagram at the weekend and you can find it on my page at Bobobun68 to read more.

I received the dreadfully sad news of the death of Vanessa Cabban on the 17th December in a train accident. I know a lot of people know her through her blog Do You Mind if I Knit where she shared so much of her incredible talent, joy and life. She also is known through her illustrations of many children's books of which we have a few. 

I got to know Vanessa initially through her blog. I asked her when she started creating her amusing and jolly papier mache creatures if she would create something for my daughter Millie's 9th birthday. I would link to the post but I don't know how (you'll find it in March 2011). Vanessa created this amazing papier mache artwork for us and we will always look upon it with such fondness.

She was a genuinely beautiful woman who will be remembered with love by so many of us. 

Her funeral in on the 30th of December.

 

 How do you move on from such dreadful news? I wanted to tell you at the beginning of this post as Vanessa shouldn't be left to the end, but she would want to celebrate the joy in life too so I shall too.

 

 I'll start off by showing you last months Townie dress I made from Cath fabric. 

Her dresses are too short for me, rather expensive and I don't usually like buying mass produced but this fabric really grabbed me big time. So I bought a couple of metres and whipped up the trusty Megan dress from Tilly's book. The only change was that I made capped sleeves with a pleat at the shoulder.

 

I've loved wearing this, it's my favourite dress of the moment.

I also drafted a pattern from a favoruite  blue linen top to use up some tartan that's been in the stash for three years.

In one rare fireside moment, watching a film with Miss Millie, I brought an idea that's been in my sketchbook for a while to life.

Tallulah the Bugsy Malone Moll Brooch cheers up a day no end with her ringing bell.

I've also inherited a 50 year old Ercol table from my mum. It was a wedding present from my aunt and uncle and now we're the proud owners.

There have been quite a few christmas makes, although the girls ones can't be shown as yet.

 

Brogue Bag for my man's Birthday on the 20th and a hottie cover for my mum to go with all the knitted hangers I'm still working on.

On IG I saw on Carter and Brown's page these wonderful reindeer heads so I went off in search of a pattern. 

Two were hooked up for the girls and instead of going on the tree they've hung them over their beds to wait for the man himself.

 The autumn hedgerow pickings have been decanted into bottles and now there's only one and a half left. yum.

I finally finished Miss Millie's Emery dress (fabulous pattern from Christine Haynes) in time for Christmas. I'd whipped most of it up in a day and then had no other free days for a month. How agravating to an addicted sewer.

She's thrilled with it. There'll definately be more made using this pattern.

 

 One night when I couldn't sleep last week I made this at 1am. There's been so much happening that it's thrown out my sleep patterns so keeping busy helps my mind.

Now we've reached the end. 

There will be much more of me next year and probably even after christmas too.

Have a wonderful christmas won't you. Hug all your dear ones close.