Yo ho Ho Merrrrrrry Christmas

Well  last of the craft fairs and rug classes are over until the New Year,  the present wrapping is all done and dusted, the rug's finished, the tree's up, the food is bought, the fridge is full, and so now,
I'm just waiting for the man in  the red suit to put in an appearance.

I've been writing a list...Starts with world peace, fewer hungry mouths,
fewer greedy bankers, better paid jobs, calmer seas
and warmer weather.

Do you think we can maybe start with a lottery win on Christmas Eve?

 
More realistically I hope you and yours have the best of Christmas's and that it brings you all that you wish for, and the New Year brings you joy, health and happiness xxx

Merry Christmas 

Pyjamas

is there are time when it's too early for Pyjamas? I think not. And the cold grey, grimbly miserable weather we're having at the moment makes me want to stay in them.
You can wear then till lunch time (maybe eating lunch in your PJs is a bit decadent) and then slip them on again in the late afternoon (especially while the days are so short and the nights so very, very long) So that's the etiquette sorted then ....

Christmas Time

What happens to time at this time of the year? The days fly by in an instant - I'm barely up before it seems that it's time for bed -  and each day is full to bursting with things to do, things that ought be done, things that really need to be done now  and things that fall off the edge and so will have to be done tomorrow - or the day after..or the one after that.


I have assumed for years that it is must be something to do with the amount of daylight - so the sense of urgency is an illusion - the shorter day lengths making me feel as if my daily schedule is crammed into ever fewer hours... or maybe it's just that I really am busier.

 


Whatever, yesterday was all well and truly Christmas, I blinged up the wreathes I've made, finished off doing the cards, presents, wrapping, writing as well as working - oh and doing the rug, which keeps on growing.

Happy Wednesday xxx

True Blue

Today's rag-rug update:

My stash of blue fabric is shrinking fast ...
ten squares done and thirty more to do.
I've just put out a blue fabric SOS on Face book!

Craft-Fayring

There comes a moment in every craft fairy person's life when you get sick to death of packing the same stuff away at the end of a craft fair.

I'm thinking that maybe it would be a fun idea if stall holders held a swap meet at the end of the Christmas round of fairs, set a value limit - say £10.00 or £20.00 or whatever and put a couple of things on a table that they know are nice but they are sick to death of and just swap them rather than pack the damned thing away again.
Next time I'm doing one I'm going to suggest it




Meanwhile I've hung up my hats,  baskets, bags, cheery smile and matching table clothes for another year.



I've got one workshop between now and Christmas and then I'm done till the New Year.

So next week it'll back to writing my new book (www.katelawson.co.uk - being funny and romantic -
which is my day job!)

 Monday our Christmas tree is supposed to be being delivered -

I'm wondering, given the weather in the far distant North whether it will arrive.
Being a natural born optimist I've got the baubles, bells and all manner of festive bugalooo on standby for when it shows up.


For me the tree arriving and being decked  is when Christmas really truly begins. And yes, of course there will be pictures !

Rag Rug Update

Two more squares done -
God knows how many more to go!
It will be lovely when it's finished.

Craft Creep ... or what happens if you haven't got a workshop!

I'm thinking that maybe I need a workshop .

Nothing too fancy, just a place which is warm with good light, a decent table, power and water - water would be good - did I mention a decent table(?) a radio and a stool that is just the right height.

I've already got an office where I write but it is tiny, certainly not any where big enough  for a work table, shelving, storage, a sewing machine, a shed load of books, paper, fabric, boxes, baskets and ...  well, you get the picture and if you don't, then don't worry,  I'll be posting some in a minute !

What happens is that I am slowly taking over the whole house
- okay, so maybe not that slowly...

I live with  a very lovely and very understanding man who rather likes the idea of being married to a woman who spins straw into gold (for straw, read rags, for gold, read riches ... I wish!) But even I'm getting sick to death of having a dining table full of stuff, a spare bedroom full of boxes and more stuff and a conservatory (tooo cold to work in during the winter) full of everything else and more stuff than you can wave a stick at... maybe I should take up Tai-chai instead .....

Temptation your name in Hotel Chocolat

Okay, take a deep breath....<user backs slowly away from large cardboard box> 

So the Christmas order from Hotel Chocolat just arrived, now remember,  all those things in that box are other people's Christmas presents, aren't they? 

And we remember what happened last year, don't we? <user nods> 

We had to order them all again, didn't we?  

.....Twice....

Let's get started

I'm aching to make something for me - to keep -  as well as writing running workshops and selling at Craft Fairs, which is what I'm doing with most of my time at the moment. 

It's that whole winter-night-cold-outside-wearing your-favourite-sweater-and-cuddled-up-by-the -fire kind of feeling, that makes me want to nest!

So last night I started a rag rug for the spare room. It's going to be around 3' 6" by 3' when complete and worked in random blue squares.

And it's going to be really simple, worked with a bodger rather than hooked, and I'm planning to finally use up the huge stash of blue material that I seem to have accumulated. 

Why so much blue left ? Well in one way I'm glad because it will go beautifully with the colour scheme in the guest room but really I've got no idea. Maybe it's because I've been making and teaching people how to make Christmas wreaths (mostly greens, golds and reds) or decorating tote bags (with either sunflowers or poppies) but whatever it's nice to be creating something I'm going to get to use, not sell, and make it for fun.

Which reminds me talking about teaching - I'm now taking bookings for post Christmas Rag Rug ' house party'.  It's a great way to lift those post Christmas Blues!

I've got quite a few in the diary all ready. It's a really great way to learn a new craft and catch up with your friends at the same time.  I'm happy to travel but outside a 25 mile radius of home add travel costs at the rate of  40p per mile. I'm happy to lead workshops for groups and organisations too - group sizes can then be from 10- 20

Rag Rug Courses:

All tools and equipment are supplied, participants are asked to bring along a pair of scissor that will cut fabric for all courses and additionally a needle and thread for the wreath course.

No experience is necessary. Everyone taking part can borrow a set of rug making tools, which are available to buy at the end of the session , although there is no obligation to do so.

The fabrics for the first two courses are all recycled materials – it’s a great way to use up all those old teeshirts that are destined for the charity shop or the ragbox!

So:

• Course 1: Rag bags from old Rags is a short course decorating a hessian tote bag using two different rag-rug techniques.
  

       The cost is £15.00 per head and 
        the course is two hours long.

• Course 2: Rags to Riches involves designing and making something that could be used as a cushion cover or small pet bed.
  

The cost is £15.00 per head and course is two hours long.

• Course 3: Rag Rug Wreaths is a slightly longer course designing and making a rag-rugged Christmas door wreath, using all new fabrics . The cost is £25.00 per head and runs for around 3-4 hours, ( say 10-3 with a long lunch break!!)

        Time is very dependent on how ‘ craft minded’ 
        your guests are.

        All of these can be done as a ‘house party’ with a

        minimum of 5 guests taking part. (max 12).  

       
        I need a fortnight’s notice to run a course.

       If you’ve got any questions or would like more details, please leave 
       email address in comments box and I'll get back to you ASAP
       Or take a look at my shop below and email me there

           http://www.folksy.com/shops/RagsBagsandBaubles