I need to post these guys before I forget entirely (or it's summer and too late for posting Christmas things). I finally got all the eyes sewn onto my owls and hung them up in the living room just after Christmas (I'm the type that leaves the tree up as long as possible - it's so cheery). There are all sorts of fabrics making up these owls - wools and blends, corduroys, even a velveteen that was in my stash. Picking the eyes was quite the job - I'd never noticed before how many single buttons I had - but eventually I found enough. I love to see them in their great swag in the living room. They're a friendly looking flock.


Speaking of Christmas decorations, my parcel from The Small Fox Ornament Swap arrived the other day. I was hoping for some sunshine this weekend so I could take some really nice pictures of them on the tree before it came down but the weatherman promises snow so I'll just have to make do with the picture I took on the table after unpacking them.  They are all so wonderfully different; each with its own special character. I'm looking forward to pulling them out every year and remembering where they came from:


1. Clothspin Santa from *
2. Crochet Tree from Chicken Betty
3. 'Cecil' by Sarah
4. Garland (with teeny yo-yos!) from Julia
5. Woven Heart from *
6. Pink Penguin from *
7. Bird from Dawn
8. Owl from deetlesbird
9. Holly Berries from Keri

Thank you to all of you.

*Somehow I am missing three names - I'm hoping to add them as I learn them.

Have you seen these tiny oranges? (Regular mandarin orange included for scale - then I ate it.) They were at our grocery store this year. So cute. They came in a proper mandarin orange box too - but a quarter size one. They're so yummy and sweet. The sections are like jelly beans of orangy goodness.

I made Rob slippers for Christmas.

Like most dogs Abby gets the occasional hankering for a pair of shoes and a couple of months ago Rob's slippers fell victim. I wanted to give him a new pair for Christmas and I wanted them to be proper shoe-like men's slippers. I used pattern 2 view a out of this book (ISBN: 978-4-277-43077-7). I measured the remains of Rob's old slippers to find out what length they should be and enlarged the pattern pieces accordingly. They turned out a little tight at first but he says they've stretched to fit nicely.

The instructions are illustrated with photographs and were pretty easy to follow. The construction of the slippers is really lovely. It takes a little more work and there is a lot of hand finishing but the end result feels very sturdy and has no exposed edges. I was a bit confused about what some of the materials for the slipper sole were supposed to be; I ended up using some heavy felt for the lining of the insole and sewed a leather outer sole on after I'd finished the slippers (the actual outer sole is just cotton). I used cotton for the inside of the slipper, regular cotton quilt batting for the interlining, and a wool blend for the outer.

The leather outer sole was my own addition to the pattern since I was not sure that felt (my other option) would be a really good slipper sole. I was also able to get leather in town while I'd have to order anything else from somewhere south. The woman in the shop helped me find something suitable for slippers. I forgot to ask what kind of leather this is but think it might be moose. I had a lot more leather than I needed so I'll be able to replace the soles on Rob's slippers when they wear out (and I might even get around to making a pair for myself). I'm hopeful that, preserved from Abby, these slippers will last for quite a while.