Quiet? Not quite…

You will have noticed that the Stitching Sheep’s blog has been rather quiet for the last two weeks. It is not because I have not been doing anything craft-related as my frequent Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts will testify, but they are rather a mixed bag of things so this will be kind of a mixed bag-post.

One of the highlights of the past two weeks has been the arrival of the 3 crafty-advent calendars I had ordered.

Like last year I have ordered Once Upon Une Fois’ ‘Avent de la Brodeuse’. Even though this calendar is a real mixed bag of presents, it is really fun to take part as it does contain some lovely Au ver à soie goodies and other fun items. The wrapping (pages from magazines) though is rather novel. After last year’s calendar, I had intended on making a bag-style advent calendar where I could pop them into but that never quite materialised. Another goal for next year!

 

 

The second calendar I ordered is from Devere Yarns after I had seen some lovely pictures of it from fellow embroiderers. I ended up ordering the calendar with different kinds of threads. I am not familiar with Devere Yarn’s threads at all so I thought this would be a good way to try them out. The little parcels are beautifully wrapped in tissue and popped in a muslin bag accompanied with a numbered wooden tag. Some of the bags even have a stick of cinnamon attached to create a lovely Christmas atmosphere. The parcel even contained string and pegs to hang the little bags and a personal Christmas card. Such a lovely touch!

 

 

The final advent calendar I ordered is the Ed’s animals advent calendar by Toft. When I saw it advertised I wasn’t sure about ordering it since I had already got two, but since I spotted so many fellow #edsanimal’s fans in the Facebook group writing that they had ordered one, I knew I didn’t have long to think about it so I ended up ordering one. That was a good choice as the calendar sold out the next day!

It is a different calendar to the other two since it is more like a CAL. Behind every door is a skein of yarn which you need to use to crochet that day’s pattern (which you will receive in your e-mail. At the end of it, you will have made an entirely new animal called Gloria. What kind of animal it will be, is still unknown, so that is part of the fun.

This is the first time Toft has done an advent calendar or a CAL for that matter, and even though the packaging looks great, it wasn’t very well designed. The stickers keeping the advent calendar shut had come undone during it’s journey here, meaning the skeins had moved all over the place. Lots of people had the same problem and Toft ended providing a list of which colours should go where. However, this has taken away some of the surprise. I am sure they will have rectified it for next year’s batch.

 

 

I am posting pictures of my daily haul on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter if you would like to see what I got. At the end of the day (or the next day) I will post a picture on Instagram and Twitter of the Ed’s animals CAL so not to ruin other people’s surprise who are joining in the CAL as well.

I will review all three calendar’s once they have finished at the end of the month.

The other thing, which I have been busy with is, of course, my crewelwork project for my RSN-certificate. I am pleased to report that I have finished the stem-stitches on my big S-shaped branch, at least for the moment, so it is now time for some more exciting stitches. I can’t wait to work on them next weekend. Now I have finished the central branch my project is really taking shape. It is surprising how much difference this is making.

 

 

In other news, I have had something really exciting made by a local company called Creative Use of Technology. I am currently busy putting them together and doing a little bit of consumer testing. I am hoping to reveal all by the end of the year in time for the Stitching Sheep’s first anniversary!

 

 

I have also booked my next trip to Hampton Court Palace to do the final three days of the crewel work module in February. Straight after I will be off to Paris for the Nuit de la Broderie at Au ver à Soie and the Aiguille en Fête show which I am really looking forward to.

So, all in all, lots of things happening at the moment and sorry that I have only just found time to report on them, but I hope you have enjoyed reading my little update.