Tiny bears, jar covers and a free pattern...

How was your weekend? Did you get out and about to enjoy the sunshine and breathe in some clear fresh air? 

UNEXPECTED THINGS:

Our weekends are usually spent that way but alas, this past weekend was overflowing with unexpected home maintenance work for my husband - I was there to hand him a cool drink, and to hold a flashlight, but not much else. There's a rather large hole in the kitchen ceiling now due to heavy rain and a leaking skylight the previous owners covered up and never secured when they plastered over it. We've had torrential rain for days, and hubby had to climb on the roof in that rain to see where the leak was coming from. Turns out the old skylight had cracked open, so when he removed it to cover the roof with a temporary tarpaulin, the other end of the skylight, hidden unsecured above the thin plastering of our kitchen ceiling, fell right through the plaster and shattered over the floor. Aah, the fun of it all. And I won't bother to explain about the water coming through the bedroom...just know that he fixed that problem and all is well in that room again. Until he can fix the roof, he's temporarily screwed a slab of wood over the hole in the kitchen ceiling. So we're nice and dry again, but unsure about how things will go now that we're in the tropical wet season and the rain is not letting up. 

I just laughed by the time the bedroom welcomed rain without my permission, and handed it all over to God. After all, He sees all and He will guide my man along his maintenance journey, just as He always has in the past. 

TINY BEARS:

So what was I doing while my beloved was on the roof, inside the roof, and mending ceiling holes?? In the sewing room of course, out of his way, just as most men like us to be when they are in the midst of a challenging project. 

And this is what I was making...

Tiny Tilda woodland bears for Rafaella's Christmas gift. Oh my goodness, these are barely 5 inches high, and so fiddly with all those wee bits and pieces that need to be stuffed and sewn on individually. My plan was to make the bears, the fox, the deer and the bunny, and lots of little skirts and scarves that she could mix and match with because she adores little things like this and they help with her sensory issues...but to be honest,  after the first one (below)...

...I was not going to make another. It was just so fiddly and my fingers hurt, but by the next morning I was ready to begin another, and found it slightly easier as this time I knew what I was doing.

I am so thankful for Olesya's videos on YouTube as apart from homemaking in Belarus, she cooks and sews, with wonderful tutorials within some of her videos. I watched her step by step making four of these tiny woodland creatures on Saturday as I worked on the first bear...

They are found in this Tilda book....

...but the instructions are not very good. So Olesya's skill shone forth on Saturday as by watching her I "got it". She's made quite a few Tilda dolls in her videos over the past couple of years and once I have finished these little ones for Rafaella, I'm going to make myself a doll, but a much larger one. ;-)

JAR COVERS: 

Earlier in the year I showed you the lovely jar covers I was making, and then I progressed to crocheting the edges which made them ever lovelier. But then I was cleaning out my sewing supplies and found that I had far more lace than I'd originally thought, so I began using it to trim more jar covers. 

I have made plenty as gifts, and I highly recommend you consider adding this idea to your own gift making this Christmas and through next year because they're very pretty and liven up a drab pantry full of jars. 

I hand-sew the lace into the very edge of the cover so that it looks the same on both sides (the covers are lined)...

Sometimes I make an embroidered side, while still keeping the other side floral or check or spots. Lining all the jar covers gives you a lot of options. 

I have completed all the covers needed for gifts now, so I'm working on a lot of gingham and spots for myself as I love a vintage look to the kitchen pantry, and spots and checks really do add that feel to the space. You can see in the first jar cover photo some of my checks and spots, but I have many more to make, and they're really simple once you get going. 

Once again it was Olesya whom I watched make one of these, and from there I changed sizes for different jars, and began adding crochet or lace, or embroidery. 

If you'd like me to do a quick tutorial here on the blog just let me know in the comments. 

FREE PATTERN: 

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing a number of free patterns with you. Today's can be stitched up rather quickly (I tend to stitch while listening to an audio book or 'watching' a favourite episode of Marple or Poirot to avoid having to look up very often), and finishing it simply as a pincushion would make a lovely gift for Christmas. But you could also pop it inside a little hoop as an ornament, or use it in a handmade card. If you have other ideas please share them in the comments as we're all welcome to ideas, especially at this time of the year. :-)

Use the link below to download the free JOY pattern.

DOWNLOAD Joy Pincushion Pattern

Okay, that's enough for today, as my tummy is rumbling and I need to make some lunch and probably a lovely decaf soy cappuccino before I finish another project to share soon. I'll be back tomorrow or Friday with another freebie, and if you would like to stay on top of things and not miss any of my blog posts or freebies, just click on the photo below and subscribe to my new Free Friday Newsletter...

Did you notice the Christmassey new blog dress? As hot and wet as our summer is here in the tropics, I still love the look of a cool wintry Christmas. 

God bless you, one and all, and may this season of contemplating our Saviour's birth be more vivid and life-giving than ever this year. There may be wars and struggles and darkness around us in the world, but HE is the Light of the World, the Light this world needs. Praise Him always, dear friends, and walk in His Light. 

Love and hugs