And now for something a bit different

Just to prove that I don't spend all my time making Christmas cards (plus a few birthday ones and some ATCs), I thought I'd share two ongoing projects that I have finally completed. Some of you are already aware that I am learning to make bobbin lace. Several months ago I visited a lace day in Cartagena, and from one of the trade stands I bought the pattern and 'bones' for making this little fan. It was a 'Spanish' pattern which are notorious for not having enough pin holes and this was no exception, so it took me the first week or so to put the pattern right and work out how to do it. Then I chose the threads and wound the bobbins (believe it of not it took 68 bobbins for this little piece of work!), but somehow I never found enough time to sit and actually make it. But now it too hot out here for my other activities such as knitting and crochet, so I returned to my lace and managed to finish it off. Of course, having cut off 68 bobbins at the end, I then had 68 ends to sew in, and that is my least favourite bit.

Last night I laid it over the little wooden bones, spread them out evenly, and glued it in place. These little fans are purely decorative and are not meant to be functional, but it folds up just like a full size one, though in retrospect I think it would have been better worked in finer thread. Maybe I'll have another go some time. I also have a kit to make a larger one which I'd love to get on and do, but I have other things I need to make first.

Just as I am getting ahead with making Christmas cards for challenges, I am also trying to get ahead with making a few craft items to sell at charity stalls nearer to Christmas. I want to make some more lace tree decorations in a bangle (see my earlier post here), and also some bracelets. I have just made my first one of these, and here it is.

Again, it took me a few days to understand how to interpret the pattern. My lace 'teacher' is on an extended holiday in France and UK, so I had to figure it out for myself, which was a good thing really, but it did take me a while. The most fiddly bit of this was joining in the second half of the fastener at the end. i hope to get several made in different colour combinations, in time for Christmas. I made this one as a trial run for myself - I have big wrists since having surgery several years ago, so I had to make it three centimetres longer than the pattern. I wore it to church this morning and already I have taken an order to make one - for next week! So I had better get back to winding bobbins.

Although I didn't intend to enter this post in a challenge, I am going to link it to Inspire me Fridays 11, where a wider variety of crafts are included. It is great to see all the different things that people around the world are enjoying making. Have a peep and be inspired.