Get Prepared for This Holiday Season
Start your planning to stay ahead of the curve with some festive sewing.
The end of November will be upon us this weekend and this will signal, for many, the mad stampede towards Christmas. But does it have to be this way?
The word ‘advent’ means arrival. The season of advent runs from the fourth Sunday before Christmas up to Christmas Eve. This is the season of preparing, and the Christmas season, which runs from Christmas Day and includes the 12 days of Christmas, is the season of celebration.
So, in the spirit of Advent, I am planning and preparing to avoid the panic buying and last-minute-madness leaving me calm and serene and ready to enjoy the season of celebration with my family and friends. l will be filling my home sewn advent calendar with chocolates instead of my usual cardboard one in the traditional countdown to Christmas Day! Perhaps you too are beginning to plan, or perhaps you are already on top of it all and have time to spend devoting your spare time to hobbies and crafts?
An important part of planning for most people, including me, are lists. They allow us to set out important things to remember or tasks to complete. In the run up to Christmas, I will have multiple lists on the go ranging from recipes I plan to make, food to buy, gifts to give, places to be … you get the idea. This year is no different, except that I am planning to make some of the gifts for family and friends, and so this will be my first list of the season. Writing down what I want to make, the fabrics and supplies I will need, and allocating dedicated time to the making of each gift will give me a structure that I can follow to keep me on track. It’s a simple plan, but will ensure that nothing is forgotten and I can monitor how I am progressing and tick off the completed gifts as I go.
One of my lists I have details what gifts I will be giving to my friends and family. Making the gifts is one of my favourite things to do, throughout the year and not just at Christmas. This year I have decided to use patterns from our beginner friendly Christmas Sewing Bundle. It has a gift for everyone - make up bag, wash bag, wallet, tote bag, laptop sleeve, bookmark - too many to list here! There are, in fact, 17 patterns in this fantastic bundle plus alphabet templates for personalisation, printable labels for storing your patterns, our Basics of Sewing Guide and a printable guide book, enabling you to make gifts and home decor for the holiday season and beyond! The bundle is currently discounted for Black Friday, but you can receive it for FREE if you choose to upgrade to paid subscription on Substack.
During the holiday season we can find ourselves in a frenzy sorting everything out, but try and take some time for yourself. We find the best way to do this is with friends and family creating some simple handmade decorations for your home which can be used year after year, possibly even becoming heirlooms for the younger members of your family. I have a few decorations which, in spite of their tattered appearance, will ALWAYS make it onto our Christmas tree because they were handmade with love and evoke special memories. For me, this is the essence of a happy Christmas.
Happy sewing!
Suzanne, Charlotte & Rebecca