Happy new year, and best wishes to you !! I hope you’ll have a healthy and creative year !!

This year I made the presents for my daughters. Can’t say I was very organised though. Because of the Xmas markets and all the preparations ahead, it only occured to me 2 days prior to the big day that I wanted to make things for them.

Not to worry though. I locked myself in my new crafting studio, and let the sewing machine roar. Here’s what I made :

For my older daughter, I transformed a plain t-shirt into a pretty nightie. Added fun ruffles to the (priorly cut for some Barbie clothes I guess) sleeves with funky orange/fushia striped jersey knit. Used this pretty raspberry vintage fabric for the skirt, from my grandmother’s stash of fabrics. And added some mushroom and owl appliquà©s. Of course she loved it !! And I was quite proud too.. always this moment at the beginning of such a project when I have NO idea of what I’m making… but excited to see what will come out of it !!

The younger daughter was going to have a tablet this year (I know, crazy !! I finally let my geeky husband have the last word.. and the worst is I’m now glad I did, those tablets are cool toys !).
So I made her a tablet cozy. Used a padded ecru skirt, also from my grandmother’s, double-layered with some thick-but-ugly fleece. Added some striped grey and neon pink jersey knit and a pretty heart for decoration, along with my favorite Liberty fabric to cover the edges.
A bit of plum leather with press studs made the closure, and a leather belt got repurposed into a cool and sturdy shoulder strap.
Now she can run around the house safely carrying her tablet… And again, I’m so very proud of the result !

And last but not least, when my brother came to say hi on one of the craft-markets, he said he’d love a pair of felted mitts to play the saxophone during their outdoor events. We agreed it’d make a nice present. So here’s the pair I finally found the time to make him on the 28th, just in time for our last family meetup : turquoise, with a dash of neon green, orange and red. Full of colors, as per his request !

Because I had only made women’s felted wristlets so far, I enlarged the template playing it by ear… and it worked !! So happy I may make more. :-)