Christmas Toy Sacks

Is anyone else feeling like Christmas is just around the corner or is it just me?

This year I am determined to be more organized and here is why.  Last year (the day before Christmas) I decided that I NEEDED to make my girls a Christmas Toy Sack each.  I had made one for my eldest way back for her first Christmas

so only had to make two.  It shouldn't be too hard right?  Well when you are going out catching up with family having a wonderful time and working out the design specifics and measurements for the first time making two was a bit much.  I managed to make one and our youngest daughter was able to 'borrow' daddy's from when he was a child.  Santa doesn't come to adults in our house anyway ;p


When it came to the design I knew exactly what I wanted to make.  The design had been in my sketchbook for a.g.e.s.  Like seriously - embarrassing ages!  Every year I think 'I really need to make that Toy Sack pattern' then the time gets away from me and before I know it Christmas has come and gone and it is too late.  No one would want the pattern in the February (am I right?!).  So this year when I saw the gorgeous Christmas fabric line Pixie Noel by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake Fabrics I fell in love and knew it was the perfect fabric for the Christmas Toy Sacks.  What better motivation did I need.  So I got to work and am very happy with the end result and I hope you are too.

The Christmas Toy Sack is very spacious 25 1/2" (65cm) tall and 13" (33cm) wide and 

comes with four beautiful applique designs to choose from to personalize the Christmas Toy Sack. 

You can find the Christmas Toy Sack pattern available in many stares across Australia and overseas.

The Christmas Toy Sack is also available for wholesale through Creative Abundance,  or Checker distributors in the US  

 
If you make this or any of my Clare's Place patterns I would love to see them :)  

Scrappy Christmas Tree

My mum cleverly made this Christmas tree using some scraps from the Rubies for Grandma quilt.

Want to make one yourself?  Easy, you will need:

• 1 foam cone in desired size (mine is 14" tall)
• 1 star Christmas tree decoration. 
• Small metal head pins (so you can remove the fabric later if desired) OR  a hot glue gun and glue sticks (for a more permanent ornament)*
• Assorted fabric scraps 1/2" wide x 15" long (length will vary according to sized cone used)
• Assorted beads (optional)

1. Starting at the bottom of the cone take one strip and loop it around the cone, trimming the length as required (both ends should overlap slightly). 
2. Secure both ends of fabric with a pin or a small blob of hot glue placed onto fabric * (this will become the back of the tree). 
3. Take another strip and slightly over lap the top of the first strip, trimming as required and  securing ends at the back of the cone. 
4. Continue in this fashion until you have completely covered the cone (the top strip may require more pins to secure.    
5. Fix the star at the top of the cone using more pins or the hot glue gun as required.

*  Please follow manufacturers instructions when using the hot glue gun and avoid having the glue come into direct contact with the foam as it will melt and distort the foam.

If you want to jazz your tree up why not add Christmas tree decorations by using beads as baubles and pinning or gluing them into position as desired on the fabric strips (not pictured).

There you have it - a simple, cheap (if made from fabric scraps) and easy Christmas decoration.

A Very Merry Christmas

Christmas in our family is quite a full week. We have quite a few family traditions (some old some new) and many memories and things to reflect on.


The 23rd of December has become a memorial dinner and a time for reflection as my grandmother passed away during our meal three years ago, a year later my grandfather passed away so for our family it is a time to reflect on their lives and the examples they set for us of hard work, education and kindness. I miss them greatly and particularly am saddened that our princess is not able to know her great grandparents but I know they would be proud of who we have become and what we have achieved.

The 24th of December Santa drives around my mothers suburb in a fire engine and throws out lollies to the kids as he passes by. The children all scramble to collect all the lollies and wave to him as he passes. Our princess doesn’t understand the need to collect all the lollies and is more than happy to start eating the first one she picks up (until she finishes it). After Santa has been, friends and family meet at my mums for slices and nibbles, Christmas stories and even some singing!




Christmas morning we had a yummy breakfast at our place (normally at mums) and we usually head to hubby’s parents for the rest of the day to catch up with the cousins. This year however most of hubby’s family were going to be away (visiting family) so we decided to have Christmas lunch at our house so our princess could play with her pressie from Santa (a swing set). It was a wonderful (casual) day! Our princess had a blast playing with her cousins, eating heaps of lollies and chocolates and getting as dirty and messy as she pleased as she wore her outdoor daggy clothes all day- yep no special clothes for her this year. But the main thing is she had fun, we had fun, we ate too much and we were able to catch up with the family on such a special day.



We hope you had a wonderful Christmas this year too!