Impulses...

About a month ago, Jan and Di and I had a day together.  An hour at the Shopkeeper Gal's emporium, a quick scout around Amesbury and then to a small Craft Centre at Weyhill for lunch and browsing.  Apart from the jewellery and gallery and chocolatier and wool shop, there's a quilting shop.  Jan wanted to have a brief rummage and check out threads.  Di, for reasons of a personal nature, wanted a large bodkin.  I don't know either.  Well, I was utterly entranced by all the fabrics.  Lots and lots of them were by companies that I know as scrapbook paper designers, so I spent an awful lot of time trying to decide what I could make.  If I needed anything.  The first and most obvious answer to me, was a nice bag.I don't need or have room in my life for any more bags.  So I came over all sensible and decided to have a look around for a pattern or idea before buying some fabric.  Because otherwise, it could sit around for, well, months.  The same week, my recipient in The Coven's Secret Santa was revealed and I had my answer.  Make something from some of the gorgeous fabric you wanted to buy.  So I did.  Scraplady Ally has a thing for purple, she's a quilter, so has a fabric 'thing' and I found two projects that I thought were marvellously clever...a camera strap (for she is a fantastic photographer) and an iPad sleeve.  Satisfied my need to have fabric.  Satisfied my need to make.  Satisfied my wanting to find her a relatively out-of the-ordinary present.

I am utterly indebted to Lindsay at The Cottage Home for tutorials and ideas that I've found really inspiring and stress free. I know that this isn't spoiling a surprise, because we met and exchanged presents last night. We didn't even consider not opening our gifts.  Not even for a second, not a mention of the idea.  Love that about Christmas - I think it's because we're pretty sure that there will be another gift on another day.  Ain't life grand.