Sewing Up Christmas

Last week was a spinning vortex of stuff: life, work, making things, seeing people. Here are a few edited highlights:

Driving Lesson No.4: Did five Three Point Turns and managed not to mount the curb. Still no mention of me driving with anyone other than my instructor. Ahem...any day now, I'm sure.

Bear Two bought me a Sewing Machine for Christmas! I'm so thrilled.

Friday night we tackled a mega shopping complex in search of a Janome store. The shop assistant was very helpful. Her first question was "What do you want to sew?". My reply was something like "I don't know. I want to make cards, more toys - but with clothes and sort of crazy stuff, but with strange stitching. I want to sew fabric onto things: like paper....".
"Righhhhhhhhhht". The computer machines looked snappy but I was scared off by all the bells and whistles. In the end I test drove about five machines and picked a sturdy, no nonsense machine with a front loading bobbin. I'm going take advantage of a few free lessons - then I will UNLEASH myself onto the motorised craft world.
Friday night I actually dreamt about sewing...mad!

Modest christmas tree is up but I couldn't resist creating a Woodland Creature Christmas on the mantlepiece as seen in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living. It's quite strange really; outside it boiling hot, crackling sun bearing down on our little house, while inside polar bears roam and elk ponder a fir tree. Photos soon.

Still making Robins. Molly Chicken's tutorial is great. I made three on the train this morning.

Here is the cover of a wonderful book: WINTER by Aoi Huber-Kono. Deceptively sparse, beautifully illustrated - it's one of my favorites.

PS More pics soon.