My handmade Christmas!

Did you survive the Christmas lunches and dinners? Yes, I did! But above all I survived the crazy days that preceded my handmade Christmas. Oh yes, that because, for the first time, I made some handmade presents this year.

Let’s start from the first one… I made a stylish shawl for my mom, I wanted to give her something special! I used a haute-couture black silk georgette with white polka dots and acid green edges, bought at Gandini Tessuti in Milan and I hemmed it up by hand. The seam is a bit imprecise somewhere, especially in the first parts I sewed up, but all in all I like it. Then I’ve realised that a presser foot for the rolled hem exists, so I’ll try it for the next foulard in order to see the differences.

I instead sewed up a tool case for Filippo’s Vespa, matching with his safety helmet. It’s been a long time since he last asked me for one and I’ve finally make it 🙂 I used two old polyurethane coated cotton canvas fabrics and a 4 cm high elastic. I used a 1,5 cm high elastic for the clasp. It was very difficult to sew them up so I put my sewing machine to the hard test! Luckily “she” survived this proof 🙂

For Giorgia, Filippo’s dauther, I sewed up a skirt made with an italian tweed wool fabric that looks like denim, double coloured black and blue bought on Supercut.it and embellished with an old acid green ribbon. I also sewed up a bow with the same materials and I put it on the skirt with a safety pin. The skirt with an elastic waist is very simple, fast to make, and it’s even perfect for little girls as it can adapt to their size (Giorgia is 9 and a half, but this skirt should be perfect for the next few years).

I eventually took part in my first Christmas swap, organised by MakeitLand. The swap consisted in a gifts’ exchange between drawn partners…it’s been very nice and fun to meet Valeria (Rosa e Turchese). I made a pochette of wool and cotton, with some studs on the front side and a chain. I used a scrap of wool from my retro skirt, while I bought the cotton at La Volpe Rossa stand at Abilmente Fair in Vicenza. It was my first experiment of this kind. Instead Valeria gave me a very nice Christmas painting.

I didn’t only create on this Christmas, I gave myself a very nice present…my new Juki overlocking machine. And I also got some beautiful gifts:

• the inizial letters of my logo LaDulsaTina (LDT) made by hand by Filippo
• The book Bloggin for Creatives from Dany, my brother
• The book Il Modellismo from my parents

…2015 is gonna be full of sewing!
Did you give handmade presents this year too?