Hello friends, I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.  

The decorations are still up for now.

 We've spent lots of time with family and friends - eating, drinking and making merry.

The mince pies have been devoured.

The stollen is half gone and going down well despite the sloppy homemade marzipan inside.

The handmade present has been given and much appreciated (a laptop bag). I shortened the zip overhang and recovered the end before gift wrapping it (in case you're thinking it's a bit long).

I used a zip insertion method I haven't used before.  It turned out quite well but I will make a few modifications if I do it again.  

Progress since last time:

I had to clean off the kitchen table for the season and everything was put away in the shed, so recent progress has been limited to some fiddling and experimenting.  Hopefully, there'll be something to show for it next time. 

I've just been emailed my Ladies Group financial records after being persuaded to become the Treasurer/Joint Leader so I'm signing off now to try and get my head around it all.

(Thank you so much for the help and advice regarding my Blogger and photo issues,  I'll keep it all in mind.  The other day I accidentally found out how to reduce the size of photos while still on my camera so that will help)

Bye for now 

Teresa x

A Couple of Connected Hitches!

No, I'm not refering to a new type of knot!  Blogger told me recently I had reached my 1Gb photo limit in Picassa and that I would have to pay to increase it.  It put me in a bit of a quandry for a while; did I continue without photos, pay for more space or give up this blog (none of which appealled to me)!  There was one other option - delete some older, unused photos and hope the free limit is increased again soon, or I will have to seriously consider paying for more space.  So that is what I've done for now!

A few days later, I was taking pics of the map boxes when I dropped my camera.  The lens was out at the time and it bent and broke, so although the power still turned on, I was unable to use it anymore!

So, there I was, back with the same dilemma but for a different reason.  It did, however, solve a problem for OH.  The problem of what to get me for Christmas!!  A couple of days later he came home with an updated version of my broken camera and normal service was resumed. Well........ he couldn't wait until the big day when my need was so urgent.

Now, I'm able to show you the random items I've finished recently that you haven't seen yet. Top pic is a selection of felt and fabric brooches.  Next are the map boxes mentioned last time.  They are actually sets of 3 tucked inside each other, with the largest being about 4" square.  The odd yellow one is made from handmade paper a friend brought from abroad and didn't want any more.

This is the little bag made from a pair of child's jeans with a belt handle.  The purple crocheted/knitted bag had two previous incarnations as scarves but never really worked like that, so this is it's final re-form.

Finally, here's a big pile of potential given to me by my auntie (next-door-but-one) who used to make soft furnishings, and has lots more where this came from.  I had a great time going through it all and sorting it into piles. It took much longer that it should have as my mind whirred with what I could make.

Progress since last time:

More map boxes cut and glued
Purple bag finished
Christmas present started.

There'll be only one handmade gift made this Christmas (unless someone buys something I've already  made) and I'm not going to reveal it until after it's been received (I won't make that mistake again!)

Bye for now
Teresa x