It's only 206 days to Christmas!

 

It's true! Christmas isn't far away!

 

Well....if you're a DIY-er that is.

 

This Warrior Princess inspired headband, styled on similar ones by designer brand Mimco, was something I made for my daughters Dance Troupe, and I've already had a dozen requests for similar ones just to wear out! Tip your head to the left, and imagine this one worn headband style, with the stunning applique` on the left of the wearers head, and the gold tipped black feather facing back and pointing down behind the shoulder. It's rather fabulous!

 

So these are definitely on the to-do list here.

 

Here's how I made mine....

 

I needed:

 

1 wide plain black headband

1 sheet gold temporary tattoos

1/2 metre (approx. 1/2yd) two different types of small feathers on satin binding, usually called 'feather trim'

6 large feathers of varying sizes and colours

Metallic gold acrylic paint and a small paintbrush

Sequinned or rhinestone and beaded long applique of choice approx. 15cm/6 inches

 

So the first thing to do is to cut a length of each of the types of smaller feather trim, long enough to glue to the rhinestone applique`. That's the feathers attached to satin binding. Use a hot glue gun, to glue one row lower when viewed front on, and the second so it peeks above that one. I left some of the fluffy, lower tufts showing but you could just have the silky tips visible if you preferred. So you have a rhinestone applique`, with two rows of feathers attached all the way around, making it significantly larger.

 

Now, the larger feathers. I bought two each of large black Coque feathers, one white Coque feather, some oilslick feathers with vivid blue bases, and a purple and black flecked one. First position them in their approximate spot on the headband (halfway down on the left for us), and trim them so they don't dig into the wearers neck or shoulders. Trim the spines to fit the width of the headband so they're not showing at the front once glued into place.

 

Using the small paintbrush and resting the feathers on a surface you don't mind marking, such as an old dinner plate or chopping board, paint the tips and edges gold. As much or as little gold as you like. Set them aside to dry. This takes about 30 minutes.

 

 Once they're dry, take your plain black headband and your hot glue gun, and carefully glue the large feathers into place, facing them so they point to the back and down behind the wearers shoulder blades, or according to how you want them positioned.

 

Now take your embellished feather and rhinestone beaded applique`, and glue it over the spines of the glued feathers to hide your handiwork.

 

Now take a metallic gold temporary tattoo, and following the instructions, apply this to the unadorned side of the headband to make it look finished. Alternatively, you could paint it gold with your metallic paint, or simply buy metallic headbands to begin with.

 

And you are done!

 

Similar Mimco headbands sell for between $75 and $95, and my daughters dance teacher loved these so much, she has commissioned one from me for herself!

 

I adore making gifts, and I make a list about now, and decide what is going to whom.

 

Starting early on Christmas planning saves money, sanity, and time, and gives us the ability to source gifts and treats that are truly meaningful.

 

How do you know what special thing a special person longs for, if you don't ask?

 

Now sometimes the best way to ask, is not to actually 'ask', but rather to be observant and attentive.

For example, it's only through looking at my daughters Pinterest boards, that I know she adores sloths (of all things!). So I am in the process of making her a little sloth made from grey tipped white fur.

 

It's only through watching my sons Facebook feed that I know he really loves a particular whiskey...something I can plan to buy when it's at a good price between now and December.

 

My husband only mentioned yesterday how much he loves a particular Cinnamon and Citrus soap I gave him a few years ago. It's hard to come by, so I have plenty of time to find some.

 

I make little entries in my notes on my phone all the time, as ideas arise in conversation. A particular plant for this person, a book by a favourite author for that one. A silk scarf, $32 at a designer shop nearby, can be found for less on eBay or at the sales, and a gorgeous wallet my sister admires, can be a special purchase.

 

Some things like pencils with pompom tops, adored by my younger nieces, can be purchased on eBay for mere cents if sufficient time is allowed for the 'free shipping' that means that they must come via Outer Mongolia and the North Pole, judging by the length of time they take to arrive!

 

And then of course, there's the lovingly crafted hand made gifts and cards that take time to create, but sometimes are the most valued of all.

 

This year I'm making Viking themed gifts for many family members as they are all fans of both the Vikings series, and Game of Thrones. Bib style necklaces adorned with rhinestone and beaded appliques for the women of the family, and regal throw rugs for the men, in rich brocades sourced from the remnant bin or when Spotlight have a sale on those fabrics. Again, it's having the time up your sleeve to gather the materials at a comfortable price.

 

My little granddaughters will get vibrant pompom trimmed linen for their beds, and very special nightgowns to match, trimmed with all sorts of pretty ribbons and braids. I'm also going to attempt some 'just-like-me' rag dolls, meant to look like the girls themselves. I'm starting to think it's a rather ambitious project though, so I'll have to see how I go. In the end, it might just be rag dolls or a softie, depending on time constraints. See? I'm already thinking I don't have enough time!

 

So let's start now. Let's make our lists, check them twice, and start looking for those special somethings, or the materials to make them. Let's give ourselves and those we love, a special Christmas, not from a store, but rather, as The Grinch says, something a little more.

 

For me, this is an opportunity to really be creative. As you would all know, my gifts have been almost exclusively food based for many long years, but I feel it's time for a change. There will undoubtedly be some last minute foodie gifts come November-December, but I'm not planning those just yet.

 

The joy of my new craft and sewing room, is the ability to have the sewing machine set up permanently, with materials at hand, to drown your thoughts in at a moments notice. The other day, I made a little Babushka inspired doll, scented with lavender flowers hidden in the stuffing, and trimmed with fur and lace, for my granddaughter. A little face was appliqued using some scraps of pink sheeting, and a face stitched in black for the eyes, and red for the mouth in mere minutes. All up it was a 30 minute project and my darling little girl, at 3 years old, has not let the funny little thing out of her sight since!

 

Don't let your lack of skills stop you from being creative. I believe everyone has a creative gene in their heart somewhere, and it's just finding the 'right' creative, that slows us down. I know after many years, that I am best with small projects that are finished quickly. Not for me the long haul, unfortunately!

 

Pillowcases and trimmed sheets, simple nightdresses, softie toys, beaded appliques (where the hard work is already done for you!) used to embellish cardigans, jeans, bags, headbands, cushions and decorative bed scarves, scarves cut from vivid scraps of silk and trimmed with neon pompoms or fringing are hot at the moment too, and sell for wild prices in the boutiques. Gucci recently released a denim skirt embellished with rhinestones, and selling for $1600, and Dolce & Gabbana showcased ripped jeans, with chinese brocade showing through the rips for over $1000. Gosh. I can steal that idea and make it my own!

 

You really don't need more than the most basic skills, a sewing machine and a hot glue gun for any of those, take my word for it! I am actually the laziest of seamstresses and crafters, and if it ain't finished in 30 minutes, forget it!

 

I love the Bead, Trimming and Craft Co. for my bits and pieces, but mainly because they're not far from me, and I don't have to factor exorbitant postage into the equation. I also find the owners there really accommodating and helpful, and willing to work within my budget on projects.

 

http://www.beadtrimmingcraft.com.au/catalog/

 

Just walking in there is inspiration personified, and you must (if you're a local in my city) see the divine samplers, supplied by the Swarovski company to showcase their new products, displayed on the walls. Much like the old embroidery samplers I did as a child, they are just a series of pretty effects on calico, made into a wall hanging, but with SPARKLE! The crystal studded front door step is a thing to behold as well.

 

For me, it there is sparkle in the way of beads, rhinestones and sequins, textural interest in the form of brocade, silks, satins, braid, ribbons, pompoms, ric-rac or other trims, or detail in embroidery or lace, I'm hooked :)

 

What's your 'thing', and why do you love it, how do you use it, and where's the best place for the rest of us to follow your lead?

 

 

We can all be someone's Miracle.....

 

"Women work a great many miracles".

Louisa May Alcott

 

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby, some have entertained angels unawares".

Hebrews 13:2

 

I love these two quotes.

 

How many miracles do we all work in a day? How many angels do we entertain unawares?

 

From balancing a tiny budget, and sometimes feeding our families on a wing and a prayer, to nursing those we love when ill, to passing on skills to our children to sustain them in adult life, to counselling those around us when things go wrong, to being the hub of the family wheel for information and support.

 

Then of course there's the lesser 'miracles' of meeting a million little deadlines from getting children to school on time with homework, hats and lunchboxes intact, to meeting with bank managers, maintaining our careers, driving children to appointments and lessons of all kinds, to improving our minds, and keeping our hearts and hands busy and happy.

 

We grow food, even if like me, it's really only herbs. And in saying 'only herbs' I immediately chastise myself, for herbs add so much to our mealtimes. The going out to the garden to clip them and inhaling their freshness as they're cut. The chopping or tearing into smaller pieces to add to a home cooked meal. The aroma as they mingle with the hot steaming food, and the incomparable flavour when the food is transferred blissfully from plate to tongue. That surely is too, a miracle. How can a tiny insignificant plant, add so much to our human enjoyment of a simple meal?

 

And of course, what is it about women, that even when we are ill ourselves, we still put our loved ones first. How many times do we rise from our own sick beds, to tend to the needs of those we love. be they children, beloved pets, husbands, siblings or ailing parents? I know I've done it more times than I can imagine.

 

And then of course, there are those who do not have the gentle and loving hand of a Mother or even a female mentor in their lives. Some never have. Can you imagine that? Who guides these young people...yes young men too. Who is the soft and kind influence in their lives? What opportunities to we have to 'entertain angels unawares'?

 

I went searching for an opportunity to mentor a young person who may not have the gentle presence of a mother figure in their lives.

 

Volunteering Queensland was the first place I looked.

 

Well, I was astounded. There are literally thousands of volunteer roles on their website and many of them noted 'urgent'. There are Breakfast Clubs where you are involved in cooking and serving food to students in schools who may not otherwise eat breakfast for a variety of reasons. There are calls for editors of special interest magazines for the disabled, bus drivers, companions, conservation team members, baristas, receptionist for a Christian radio station, gardeners, cooks, even co-ordinators and cooks to help with classes for Jamies Ministry of Food (yes, of Jamie Oliver fame).

 

There were also many calls for Palliative Care support which is particularly poignant for us at this time as we sit bedside with a much loved terminally ill Uncle. There are two men in his ward who have no-one to visit them. No-one to hold their hand and tell them they've lived their life well. It's heartbreaking.

 

Look here at Volunteering Queensland.

 

What miracles could the women who live in my area work, by giving just a few hours a month to one of the many organisations seeking support? What miracles could you work by seeking an opportunity to volunteer in your town?

 

Today, I'm writing three letters to three women I know, who go largely unacknowledged for their kindnesses to others. I want them to know that they are miracle workers in their own small way.

 

I've also chosen my volunteering role, and I'll be putting that in place for when we return from our trip next month. That will be something to look forward to.

 

What will your miracle be today?

 

 

Let us be elegant or die....

  I'm snuggerising here.   This is a term I picked up from the a lovely friend, Helen, who posts on The Bluebirds are Nesting, and it's just stuck with me.   It's sort of like Spring Cleaning, but it's to make the house warm and welcoming for Winter.   I received the most beautiful copy of Little Women from my son for Mothers Day. Snuggerising sounds very much like something the March family would have done.   Here are two favourite quotes...   "Love is a great beautifier"   "Let us be elegant or die!"   I mentioned the first in a post on Mothers Day.   Everything my Mother touched with her hands and her love, was made more beautiful or elegant for her having done so. She had a way with making do that went beyond the merely functional.    Mending...dispatched with a ribbon here, a bit of lace there. A single rosebud from the garden in a tall slender vase on the kitchen bench or the divider that separated the living area from the dining area. A beautiful tea set acquired by inviting all the neighbours to a Tupperware party and exceeding sales of a certain dollar value, proudly displayed on the same divider. Home made icecream in our tiny freezer...the one made by whipping chilled tins of evaporated milk and adding other ingredients...the recipe appeared online some years ago, and I recognised it immediately. A longed for bedroom chair with an orange faux fur seat at my dressing table. Crepes with lemons from our own tree and caster sugar, for afternoon tea. Any wonder our friends wanted to come home with us!   So my lovely friends, let us beautify what we have with a loving touch, not an expensive one. Let us be elegant, no matter our circumstances as the March family were. Let's make the most of what we have. Let's do as a friend of mine is doing and refashion something no longer useful into something valued and treasured. She is turning polar fleece dressing gowns that her family have grown out of, into throw rugs. Gorgeous!   For me it means trimming my pillowcase with scraps of lace today. It means baking red velvet cupcakes for daughter to take to work experience. It means continuing to stitch sequins and crystals to my faux Moroccan wedding blanket. It means polishing everything with home made jasmine scented furniture polish.   I make my own furniture polish as I have lots of lovely antique or antique style wooden furniture in my home. I just melt a little coconut oil, and add several drops of jasmine or frangipani essential oil to it. I put this in a small container, and take just a dab on a soft cloth (not microfibre in this instance), wiping it on in horizontal strokes, then polishing it off the same way. Don't go round and round with it or you'll end up with swirls on your surfaces! You need to dust with a microfibre cloth first too, so the dust and grime doesn't get trapped in the polish. It's a little more labour intensive, but smells waaaaay better than spray on commercial stuff, and makes the house glow :)   It means remembering another beautiful quote from Little Women...   "Be comforted dear soul. There is always light behind the clouds".   Love to you all today...xxx  

Mothers....

 

“The humblest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them.”

― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

 

Everything my Mother touched was beautified by her having done so.

 

She taught me so much.

 

She was kind and wise and giving.

 

I can only hope to emulate her.

 

Gone 12 years now, but forever in my heart.

 

Happy Mothers Day.