What Katie Did

Signs of life and some more felting

Short days, wet and cold, not much incentive to go out. But just occasionally there is a sparkly day and Poppy and I head off to the woods. This would be fun to make as felt!

But I have been making felt - some new scarves and some smaller flat pieces to make into book covers
Here they are

lots of lovely colour, some silk scraps, a bit of Wensleydale for some curly and mulberry silk for shine

The scarves are nuno felted for a light touch and extra soft drape

I'll show some more when they are finished.
Now I'm getting ready to have a birthday - very old indeed! But I think I have a treat or two in store.... more later!!

Paper making with five year olds - it can be done!

Hello! I set Typepad to post a Secret Santa every day while I was .... WORKING ..... and I was a bit disappointed when I checked in on Saturday morning and there was no new post! I enjoyed being a spectator on my remote controlled blog!
Anyway - work! I was doing a week of paper making and book binding with a class of Year One kids for the school project - Inventors and Inventing. It was magnificent.
The kids are five and six years old.

Tearing - we used old envelopes with lovely blue patterns which gave the finished paper a blue tinge and some tiny bits of interesting patterning
Pulling a new sheet of paper from the pulp
Couching - a bit of cooperation here - they worked well together

Drying - thought it would never dry!!

Binding - such concentration! 30 kids made new books from old scrap paper - result! And now they are going to put freshly minted stories into these amazing books - what talented kids. A joy to work with.
Five and six remember!
I got them to tell me their favourite jokes

Q why did the toilet roll fall down the hill?

A - to get to the bottom

this caused a huge amount of hilarity - wonderful

Now - we have a lot of January ahead of us and new things to do - not sure what yet - I'll be back to let you know. Thank you to all who call by and leave comments - I love them! Secret Santa was such fun and has been voted a hit all round - so we will be doing it again next year!
Happy week!!

If you are following this, you will realise there is only Geoff left

So here we are - what did I make? Well, I thought Geoff might need a felted diary cover which would have taken me a couple of hours to make, but instead I decided to warm him up with a sleeveless jumper. Ages ago I was given a huge quantity of fabulous handspun wool. I chose a simple pattern in two colours and knit as far as his armpits on circulars. When you knit garter stitch on circulars you have to knit a row of purl - you knew that though didn't you? The pattern I chose was a row of brown and a row of white to produce this effect - Nice?
BUT!!!!!! what happens when you revert to two needles to knit the top? The brown is always at the wrong end of the row, as is the white! I pulled these first few rows back so many times! And anyone who thinks you just need another ball of each wool - wrong again - the brown is always at the wrong end! I was at my wits end trying to sort this out and the compromise I eventually came to was extreme - I can't talk about it - it is still too painful (it involved the use of my overlocker - arrrggghh!!!!). But it worked!
I am pleased with how well it worked - and Geoff is warm! (there is Poppy's nose)
And so there you have it - a week of Secret Santa - and while these posts have been unfolding I have been WORKING!!! More of that later.
These are all gone - the handmade sweets from Martha and co

and we are enjoying these, with the promise of many more to come

What did the Cabinet Maker make?

Writing these posts has made me realise that I live with some really talented people! All through November and December there was secret activity and a bit of guessing. Who had me? Did the person I have suspect? Well - any thinking I might have done was scuppered when Geoff handed his gift to ... Martha! I was convinced he had me!
Here is a gift from a father to a daughter - her own meditation stool!
 
and the most amazing carved spoon
simple, beautiful.

Martha makes for ME!!

A while ago, I wrote about how I collect blank books and hardly ever get round to using them. Well, I am going to have to alter that now that I have this amazing book

no picture could do justice to this book. The pages are a creamy smooth joy, the cover is a lovely fabric (not a single wrinkle - I have never managed that!) the binding is so expertly done - just take a look at that!
But what on earth can I use it for ? It is so beautiful! I love it! So I can snuggle up with This Wonderful Hot Waterbottle, which was also part of my gift, and write important things!
This used to be the sleeve of a (huge) charity shop jumper. Clever Martha. Tomorrow, you can see what her gift maker made for her... are you keeping track - who is left?

Matt makes for Owen

Matt and Martha are living in London so I had no idea how things were progressing. They have access to Matt's Dad's workshop and his expertise as a Printer and Bookbinder. Matt took this leather wallet and personalised it for Owen and added a bit of gold leaf too - smart!

Hopefully, he'll carry this message with him!
Martha had a bit of help from Matt's Dad too and tomorrow I'll tell you about her Secret Santa

John's Secret Still

John drew Matt's name from the Secret Santa, though of course none of us knew this. I really enjoyed the plotting and scheming that went on around the place in the weeks before Christmas. John got started straight away because his present had to mature. He made these
One cold night in November, I went into John's room to put a hot water bottle in his bed and saw jars and jugs full of fruit soaking in .... water? not really ...so I had an inkling of what was brewing! Matt was happy with the result!
John made the labels and the helpful fact sheet that went with this present including Fun Facts and appropriate illustrations. Thoughtful.
Tomorrow, I'll show you what Matt made for his Secret Santa.

All over now

A Solstice Party, Secret Santa, New Year... all there in my memory now. This was the strangest Christmas ever, with no lists, no hoards of secret presents, just nice food, the children home and the long anticipated Secret Santa. This year we decided that we would buy No Presents At All, but draw a name from the six of us - the Jacksons plus Martha's boyfriend Matt, and MAKE a present for that person. We had about six weeks to prepare, but some of us were still finishing things at five to midnight. Who was that then? (I confess.... it was me)
It was all very secret, though help was sought and given when asked. Here is Owen getting to grips with the sewing machine for his gift.
He has never sewn before, but had an idea he really wanted to do. I love this picture

All was revealed when John opened this

Owen had bought a bathrobe from a charity shop and cut it up a bit then, with only minimal help, transformed it into this.

and John has worn it every day - I suspect he may even sleep in it.
Tomorrow, I will show you what John made for his Secret Santa.
Happy New Year to you - the Winter Solstice has passed and now the days are getting longer. This is good. I can knock two minutes a day from the time I sit in front of my Light Box!!