Etsy update

Just to let you know I've popped some new makes in my etsy shop

Let me introduce you to the Winter Bunnies

Similar to their cousins the blankety bunnies but more wintery!

They love to snuggle up against the alpine cushions

 and hey presto

they match the cushion back!

 

These lovely old Christmas postcards dated 1909 were the inspiration

for Christmas lavender pillows

All stuffed with 100% lavender and embellished with bells, bows and hand stamped tags

Naturally they are all backed with vintage fabrics

Well you wouldn't expect anything else would you?



 



Elsewhere things have been too quiet for my liking at Custard Hall so I've desperately been filling the shelves with all things festive and wintery

  

Whilst customer orders have helped keep me ticking along

Thank you to everyone who 'likes', 'shares', orders, pops into Custard Hall and helps keep this little bit of my life going!

Stocking up and spooking out

 This half term I've been trying to stock up on Christmas makes in anticipation of a busy time ahead.

 Stockings trimmed with vintage children's fabrics

 Lovely vintage Bambi barkcloth

 Shirefolk by Burgess Ledward

 This gorgeous old zoo fabric

 and vintage racing cars

both teamed with old gold velvet!

Meanwhile there has been making of a different variety going on

Eldest Jammer spent the week showing numerous pictures of intricate pumpkin designs "We could do this Mum!".

We settled on buying her her own pumpkin and I was then really impressed with this. All made with her 12 year old hands and fingers still all present!

 I made an owl. Bit of a cheat really as I chose it because I thought it would be the quickest option with minimal cutting involved.

 And Little Jam had a 'here's one I made earlier' moment. Her pumpkin has been sat in the fridge grinning at us for a week since she made him at a friend's party.

Happy November to you!

 



Thank you PJ!

Today I received a lovely email from PJ my Advent Swap partner.

It's funny now it's all over as I felt I'd got to know a little bit about her. From reading her blog whilst preparing the swap I noted she was a very talented knitter and crocheter. I crossed my fingers and hoped she might make me something...

I loved these snowflakes that found their way onto the Christmas tree along with the colourful stars PJ made me.

 These coasters were probably the present that made me laugh the most.

You see a few days earlier PJ opened a present from me and I expect, laughed as much. I sent her the Mollie Makes kit for crocheting these coasters. It had come with the magazine and I thought she'd be able to put it to better use than me! Little did I know she already had the kit and had made the coasters and sent them to me! Great minds...

  This gorgeous lavender filled knitted heart is filling my drawers with scent and matches my clothes a treat. I love looking at it snuggled it there.

 On Christmas Day itself PJ's were the first presents we opened at the breakfast table. Usually I make the little jammers wait until after breakfast before we open presents under the tree but opening my swap present at breakfast had become a bit of a tradition over the previous 24 day. You'll note I said 'we'. PJ was kind enough to send each of my daughters their own Christmas present as well as including things for them along the way. They each recieved a Cath Kidston purse full of chocolate coins.

 I was spoilt with a lovely photo frame

 and this stunning scarf that I seem to have worn quite a lot over Christmas.

Here are the bits and bobs I sent PJ. I couldn't show them until I knew she'd opened them all!

 Whilst shopping for some edible bits for PJ and her family I visited my local chocolate factory. A colleague had told me about their factory shop - what a mistake! I made several trips on PJ's behalf. I had to test and find out why they were mis shapes - they seemed fine to me. So after much testing I decided it would be fine to send PJ some!

 

And for Christmas day...

 Huge thanks PJ. It's been fun getting to know you and making another bloggy friend!

 

PS If you fancy taking part in a swap, the lovely Lisa at Bobo Bun is having one and it sounds like lots of fun.



Christmas bits and bobs

This is the post I started writing on 23rd! It was titled 'Christmas Eve, surely not?' in readiness for the next day. That was about as organised as I got!

Sunday 23rd was Littlest Jammer's 7th birthday party. It's always hard trying to host a party near Christmas and I did in a rash moment offer a party at a play place, thinking anything for an eaier life. But no, my girl had other plans. "A party at home" she requested, followed by "a making party"!

Like mother like daughter.

So my sister and I hosted a slightly shambolic making party for 8 little people for 3 whole hours. They made pompom wreaths, collaged their initial, baked stained glass biscuits and made bizarre Christmas tree lollies.

Thank you Auntie Layla!

 

I took delivery of a lovely set of Chipper Nelly blocks that I won in Fee's giveaway.

Much fun has been had building, and that's just me.

In amongst the excitement our elderly feline Hectic got a bit poorly. Peeing on the presents didn't go down well so a quick call to vet, yet more medication and she's back to her normal self.

 My only Christmas tree photo due to the camera packing up on Christmas morning!

 Now this is what I really wanted to share with you...

My littlest jammer absolutely loves hedgehogs and inspired by the cover of Mollie Makes a few months ago I decided to make her a hedgehog home. I had a cunning plan to start sewing early and make about 50 of the lovely wired and quilted leaves for her hedgehogs to play in at Christmas. In reality I ordered some nice fabrics and started on the night of the 23rd!

So on Christmas morning this is what she unpacked. Yes, just the 8 leaves so far! Topped up with needlefelt acorns I bought on etsy, wooden toadstools, Christmas fircones and toadstool fairy lights hand delivered by Ruby Rock Cake on Christmas Eve - thank you Caroline!!

 Anyway I love the fact that it is her favourite present and that I know her so well I knew it would be. To watch her squash in all the toy hedgehogs at bedtime and cover the front of the flowerpot with leaves, "to stop the frost getting them" is just delightful. Long live proper play!

Opening a new shop in December played havoc with making Christmas presents so tonight I sewed this panel of vintage sheet squares. Something I meant to do weeks ago and have ready for Christmas...

More to follow tomorrow with new camera - hurrah!!



Happy Christmas

from Emily Button and her growing family.

I've a feeling it wont be long now before their stockings are filled!

 

Merry Christmas to my followers and readers. Hope yours is a truly lovely one.

x



Red and white love

 This week I am loving using my vintage alpine barkcloth. I was so pleased with my bags I started dreaming of all sorts of things I could make with the rest of it! so before I dare chop into the final piece I've been using up smaller pieces to make purses and lavender pillows. Everything is being embellished with the vintage buttons I picked up at the boot sale on Sunday.

 On the red and white Christmassy theme I've made some festive patchy hangers.

 I usually finish my hangers with a little corsage but these have got festive bells.

All will be accompanying me to Mrs Darling's Festival of Christmas in Upwey, Dorset on Saturday 1st December.

Keep scrolling down for details.

If you haven't seen it already, fee at Chipper Nelly is hosting a bit of a giveaway. Click on the picture below to have a go.

Lots more finishing off to do...

and possibly a big surprise next week....!



Forthcoming event

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my winter bags post and for all the email and etsy enquiries. Yes, I'm making more stuff from the alpine barkcloth! I'll let you know when I'm done and pop some things in my etsy shop.

In the meantime, posters for this fayre I'll be at have arrived so I'm passing on the details. If you're local please do spread the word.

Mrs Darling's Festival of Christmas

Upwey Old School Village Hall

Saturday 1st December

11-4pm

 

Back at the end of the week with more making.

x



Emily in the Lyme Light

Well it's drawing to a close. I mustn't complain as it's lovely to have a whole fortnight off but I do hate the last day of the holiday feelings. Last night I couldn't sleep. Not because I don't want  to go to work or love my job but because I'm a lazy old bones and being at home is easy peasy! So this afternoon we made an effort not to let the last day together slip away too quickly. We headed off to Lyme Regis as we realised we hadn't managed to get there to see the lights before Christmas and I had some new stock to deliver to Caroline.

 

 

 I love the pretty trees on the shops with decent size lights that show up - take note Dorchester!

And of course Emily Button came with us as she does now.

It was her first trip to the sea and she'd been wrapped up in a borrowed cardigan but still found it a bit nippy.

How she wished she had new snug long socks like smug Mrs Jam...

 She admired the houses and dreamt of living in this beautiful blue one.

And then in a flash the peace and tranquility of Emily's first trip to Lyme were dashed. The jammers spotted an amusement arcade.

The lure of the 2p machines beckoned and Emily was led astray. Led into the colourful neon world of gambling only to emerge a short while later with her pretty apron pocket £1 lighter. Poor Emily she's a lot to learn!

 After that we thought things couldn't get much worse, so chips it was!

 

Finally it was dark enough for a look at the lights. Loved the tree!

 But prefered it when they used to string loads of bulbs on wires across the street instead of the stars. Maybe I just don't like change!

As we headed back to the car I spotted Caroline had put my favourite Foxy Lady in the window of Ruby Rock Cake.

Now life will take over and posts will go back to being infrequent watch and see!

x