French Knots

What a night with The Alarm!

Last night was French Knots Craft Studio's long awaited Christmas do! 

 Oh it was good, Mike Peters and the guys gave their all and were clearly having a brilliant time. I also had a brilliant time, transported back the the first time I saw The Alarm when I was 17. There was just as much passion and energy both from the band and the crowd, though after 2 hours of leaping up and down like a lunatic I was a bit of a sweaty betty to say the least. While belting out the anthems, jumping up and down with my arms stretched high in enjoyment I had suddenly had a clear though ' The Big Sister would be horrified if she could see me!' Ha ha!!

It was the most fun I have had in a long time, loud and raucous, the music vibrating in your body as well as your soul. This knackered middle aged Mum hasn't felt so alive in a bloody long time!

Thanks to the boys for loving what they do and taking us along for the best ride in town last night.

Mike Peters is a cancer survivor and uses his passion for rock and his platform to make a difference through his Love Hope Strength Foundation We signed up for the bone marrow donation database and lots of other fans were signing up too, they are promoting Get on the List - sign up, get swabbed and save a life. Perhaps you could too?

Perfect Christmas do, I think I'll do the same next Christmas,

 

Enduring

This year has had it's trials, in addition to the usual mayhem of three children, a home and a business to run there has been the months of worry over Mr FK's foot (now happily healed) and the ongoing distress to my little family caused by someone I expected better of .

However I was feeling festive and hoping for a peaceful Christmas. But no, 2012 had a couple more steep dips on the roller coaster last week. I am weary and worried. But during the final part of Last Tango in Halifax last night Gillian said 'but you love someone warts and all' which really spoke to my heart, things may not be quite how we want them to be and of course there are no rose tinted spectacles in real life but love that endures even when tested is surely love worth having. It lifted my spirits and I will hold on to it during the weeks ahead.     

My events and workshops are finished now for Christmas ( December was my best month yet and I have exciting plans for my little business in the New Year) so I am going to choose some soothing knitting or crochet to relax with and some Christmas music to listen to by the lights of the Christmas Tree.  The worries will be pushed to the back of my mind while I enjoy this most special time of the year with those I care most about,

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas, thank you for your support this year

xx

 

 

Christmas 2011

So Mr FK got tendonitis and a foot swollen like a sausage for Christmas and I got a pinched nerve in my neck, lucky us! Thank goodness for ibuprofen :) My Little Helper got up at 4am and we manged to keep him penned in our bed till nearly 5am before he woke his sister, then downstairs for stockings and presents.  A lovely day, lots of cooking and eating repeated on Boxing Day with more family coming round. Then mainly sitting about waiting for Mr FKs foot to improve, plus a Drs visit then a quick trip to hospital for an xray - on such dark rainy days it's no trouble to snuggle up inside and play Uno, watch family films and chill out.

While rummaging around in the eaves for the Christmas decorations we came across a big blue Ikea bag, these vintage red velvet curtains were inside - we've been here nearly 11 years and they've not been used since we lived in our other house. What a find! They look fab in the kitchen over the french windows keeping the winter chills out.

Also in the bag were a pair of curtains made from some very old floral Sanderson fabric, High Summer, which I have no memory of what so ever! They are being remade and lined with old blankets for the living room as they go perfectly with the greenyblue walls. Thrifty me! What better bargain than using something you already own? I'm looking at our furniture with fresh eyes and planning some more thrifty makeovers in the New Year to cheer me up once all the decorations come down.

 

Merry Christmas

There has been a lot of making going on, mostly secret for now till presents have been given. Shopping is done, wrapping too and just some baking to do tomorrow. Time to relax! Except Mr FK has torn some ligaments in his foot and it's puffed up like a sausage so I'm doling out medicine and The Baby Brother keeps him supplied with cushions to rest it on.

The perfect excuse for us to all cuddle up and watch a Christmas film after today's Advent activity - making reindeer food. Bit of knitting, light the wood burner, ignore the rain outside and pretend it's snowy instead sounds like the best way to relax into Christmas.

Thank you all for visiting French Knots this year, it's been a busy and exciting one and I truly appreciate your comments and company.xx

 

Simple Advent Calendar

On Thursday it will be December, so this week my thoughts have turned to my annual advent calendar planning.

I have a string of decorated envelopes that are pegged onto ribbon, with a slip of paper in each announcing that day's activity or treat. The children enjoy taking it in turns to open the envelope and see what is inside. I do plan the more complex or time consuming things for the weekends so we have the time to enjoy them and the quicker things for busy after school weeknights.

It would be easy to make your own, either with decorated envelopes like mine or slips of paper tucked into a fabric advent calender. Activities range from a visit to the Christmas Market, decorating the tree, making salt dough ornaments or Reindeer food, colouring Christmas pictures or filling in a Christmas crossword.

Of course we have the annoying chocolate type too, otherwise there would be a riot!

When your fridge is full of festive food

 
...............you have to improvise!!

 

Happy New Year, I hope 2011 is happy and healthy for you all.xx

Merry Christmas

Watching my children's eyes sparkle in the candle light of the Christingle Service this evening I saw the spirit and magic of Christmas.

 
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, thank you for your comments and company this year.xx

Hello

 
My snugly new beret has been keeping me cosy during the latest cold spell, though generally I wear it outside! The weeks have slipped away as we have been visited by the lurgy with The Baby Brother, My Little Helper and Mr FK all succumbing, we girls are made of sterner stuff! With the whirlwind end of term - parties, Christmas Disco, Carol Concerts and so on - I can hardly believe it's only a few sleeps till Christmas.

 
As I sorted through my scraps of Christmas fabric they were begging to be made into little patchwork trees, so ignoring the 'to do' list for a while I enjoyed playing for a while. Often sewing is dictated by presents to be made or orders to be fulfilled, which is wonderful but it's lovely just to sew for fun.

Many years ago I started an embroidered Christmas stocking, 5 or maybe 6 years ago. The embroiderey didn't take long but then it languished in the UFO pile, once I got down to it the construction of the stocking took.....oh at least half an hour!

 
I'm really pleased with it, but I'm sure the children would be gutted to hang such a paltry little stocking up on Christmas Eve!

I'm coming to the end of my 365 project, some days it's been hard to find a picture in the general gloom and greyness of winter days but it's made me open my eyes to what's around me and notice more.

 
This was the ice on the inside of my car window the other morning, which I stopped to admire rather than just huffing and scrapping it off in a rush to get out and about.

 
A little cowboy, treasure that My Little Helper dug up on the allotment this summer.

 
and shadows, so pleasing and ephemeral.

Simple Advent Calendar

With December approaching I have been putting my list of family activities together ready for my simple advent calendar to start the countdown to Christmas Day

 
I am recycling my little envelopes from last year, each decorated with a sweet festive picture. I'll print off the list of crafts and treats and put one in each envelope, with the more time consuming ones planned for the weekend.

 
I'm going to hang the ribbon across the window again, which makes a super start to our Christmas decorating.

The activities for this year are

Find the Christmas Cd's and have a Christmas dance

Christmas crafting! Make paper chains

Make gift tags with old Christmas cards

Visit Father Christmas

Write our Christmas cards

Put the wreath on the front door

Make paper snowflakes and decorate the window

Make place cards and napkin holders for the Christmas dinner table

Make Christmas bookmarks

Read Christmas books & drink hot chocolate

Decorate the Christmas tree

Have a Chocolate fondue

Go ice skating

Stories in front of the tree

Make a Christmas collage

Bake a cake

Give Presents to teachers

Colour Christmas themed colouring pages

Wrap a present for your brother or sister

Print & do a winter maze

Make mince pies

Stay up late and watch a Christmas film

Make reindeer food

Put a carrot out for Rudolph

 
Ho Ho Ho, not long now! 

Handmade with love

I decided last year, or maybe the year before, to make as many gifts as possible to use some of my fabric stash and to enjoy creating something from things I already have. So for Christmas I made -

A dinky little quilt and pillow set for dolls or teddies, I made an appliqued bag to keep them in. Love the floral fabrics which I have had for ages and only use a little at a time as I love them!

I think I saw this on Martha Stewart, appliqued dresses mounted on a backing fabric but not stitched on the shoulders. You can use the hair clips to peg the dresses onto the ribbon washing line.

I had the plan for this in my head for ages, in fact I remember painting the frame on a sunny September day in the garden.

At the Baby Brother's Christening I drew round hands, some of my family live at the other end of the country so I had to grab them while I had the chance!

   I made the pattern then stuck it to the window to trace onto the fabric and made quite a few of these as I thought it was a lovely way to freeze time while the children are little.

 
A quilt for My Little Helper, just right for snuggling under on the settee, jeans cut into 5 inch squares and sewn with the seams on the right side.Snipping the seams then washing and tumbling gives a great textured finish.

 

A recycled bedspread made a perfect soft backing and it has been popular so far.

ok I promise not to mention the C word again till November!

Have a safe and snowy weekend, hope you can hole up at home and keep warm!x