Odds and Sods

I’m out of my moonboot and able to walk around, carefully. I’m still in pain and still walking extremely awkwardly. I’ll have to do the bulk of my Christmas shopping online this year as I found that even a little trip out is too much for me. I’ll have to build up slowly but build up I’ll have to do.

I arrived back from the dental hygienist today, after ‘just popping in’ to pay in a couple of cheques, have a coffee and check to see whether I could buy Helen’s present in store. Then I was absolutely shattered. That’s when I was glad that I’m making some Christmas presents.

I asked my friend Mary for a recipe she previously gave me - for Swedish Swiss roll which is gluten free and therefore suitable for Joanne. She very kindly offered to make one for me while she was doing some for herself and I grabbed at this offer! The roll is in the freezer, but I need to make the filling - it can be frozen too. My attempt a couple of years ago tasted delicious but threatened to flow out of the oven it rose so much - not at all what a Swiss roll is supposed to do! 

It's much more delicious than this photo (from the recipe) looks

I’m not making my Christmas cake as only David and I like it and we’re left eating cake long after we want to. Most of the family dislike Christmas pudding (hence the Swiss roll) but David and I love it and I think my Mum does too. We particularly like my homemade light weight pudding and it doesn’t last beyond Boxing Day. I lost my recipe, though, so I hoped to find it online, but fortunately found that I’d previously scanned it for someone.

I’ve already posted about the book cushions and notebook covers I made for Ben and Jack.  I decided to make another cover with some of the leftover Daily Prophet fabric, but with no embroidery. This should have been easy as I had all the pieces already cut out but I managed to make a mess of it. I was too tired and sore to concentrate properly. However, I had enough fabric to recut the pocket which I had accidentally cut through and Dan kindly gave me a replacement black zip - I had damaged that too. I got it to the stage of adding the lining, which I hadn’t taken with me (I had intended to work on the blouse I’m making but realised that was simply not an option!). Tonight, although still tired, I added the lining and finished the notebook cover and even inserted a notebook. I think it might be a little extra for my son-in-law.

Zipped pocket - same fabric, Daily Prophet, throughout.

Inside, with notebook in place

Showing the pocket more clearly

Alison bought bargain curtains a while back for her new house but they were too long to hang. She asked for a quote for shortening locally but was horrified that this was for twice what she paid for the curtains in the first place. She asked if I’d take them up. I agreed - this was a while ago but I only actually got the curtains at mid term when they were up visiting. I had to ask for the required length and when Alison told me I thought she was some digits out. Steven had said they needed shortened ‘4 or 5 inches’ but it turned out to be 14 or 15 inches which was a more difficult procedure. I had to alter from the bottom as these were large eyelet curtains.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I got there in the end. I did have a few problems because it transpired that the curtains themselves were not square, not the same length and the eyelets were all over the place. Anyway, they’re done. With the section cut off from the bottom, I was able to make a couple of oblong cushions.

Interestingly, I found I had some of the perfect colour of thread - this was the thread from the bridesmaids’ dresses from Helen’s wedding in 2016. The dresses were ‘Cambridge Blue’ or I would have said ‘Duck Egg Green’. When Alison went to buy more thread, it was in the grey not green section. The colour doesn't show up well in the photo.

I’ve nearly finished Helen’s silk dress (update - finished).  I have a few other gifts I’m planning on making. If I get them done, fine -  if not, that’s fine too.

Other than that, I’ve been repairing, mending and trying to clear up my sewing room which has to turn back into a dining room for Christmas - another reason I’m not starting any major projects until next year.