Better Than Chocolate!

The grandchildren are enjoying their Advent Calendars - both families have a "Jesus" one and a "Chocolate" one. George insists on opening Grandma's Jesus Calendar picture first.

But I too have a splendid Advent surprise each day - it was my Christmas gift last year from Liz. She wisely checked with me in late October that I knew where it was.

It is a Crafter's Advent Calendar from Corinne Lapierre's company up in Leeds. The box contains an instruction book, felt, and threads [the needle packet was sealed, but empty - but I have needles]

The largest piece of felt is the blue background, and every day you cut out shapes from the coloured felts, and stitch on another piece of the picture.

There is an elastic band round the book so you do not peek at what lies ahead. The book says "about 30-60 minutes stitching per day". I'd thought I would be at the 30 mins end of the scale, being relatively practised at stitching. Actually 3 out of the 4 days to date have taken 50+ minutes.

But it is such fun. Each day there are templates to cut out [I'm tracing mine and keeping the book intact.] with clear instructions about which of the 10 sheets of felt to use. So far I have needed whip stitch, running stitch and cross stitch. Nothing too complex.

Day One - two white hills [easy start!]

Day Two - three pine trees

Day Three - a Yule Log

Day Four - three little cottages.

There are specific measurements for where to put things ['top of hill 7cm down the side', 'Pink cottage up against the right hand edge' etc] so that everything will eventually fit in. And instructions about which stitch and shade of thread to use

I am absolutely loving this project. It requires concentration and I can chill out with it.  Liz you are a genius, thankyou.

I am not looking at the CL website, in case she has posted a picture of the finished article.

I will post more photos as the winter scene builds up...