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Gaynor Marshall Designs

Illustration and surface pattern

All Things Christmas

Christmas celebrations

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As you settle down with your loved ones to enjoy the Christmas celebrations this year, I wonder if you’ve ever thought about why we celebrate Christmas the way we do?

It’s easy to get caught up in the here and now, the hustle and bustle of present wrapping and food shopping, without ever thinking about the rituals and traditions that make up many family Christmases.

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Christmas celebrations

I know people around the world celebrate Christmas in many ways, but I’d like to share a few traditions that make up part of my family’s traditions here in the UK.

Why do we celebrate on the 25th December?

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The short answer is, no one really knows.

It is likely connected to the Winter solstice and the Roman pagan mid-winter festival of Saturnalia as both took place around this time. They were a focal point in the darkest months and offered hope for the lighter months to come.

Surprisingly, it was 200 years after Christ’s death before his birthday was actually celebrated.  Then it wasn’t until 440 AD that 25th December became the official date.

Why do we pull Christmas crackers?

From the utterly naff to the extremely decadent and everything in between, crackers are such an intrinsic part of Christmas. The awful jokes and the paper hats all add to the fun, and yes I do wear my hat all afternoon!

We have been pulling Christmas crackers in their current format since 1847.

It all began in 19th Century London. Sweet shop owner Tom Smith copied the French idea of selling sugared almonds in a twist of paper.

Before long he began wrapping small toys and novelties and added the snap after sparks and pops from his fire inspired him.

Why do we send cards?

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It all started as a marketing ploy to get ordinary people to use the newly formed Public Post Office.

In 1843, Sir Henry Cole and his friend John Callcott Horsley, got together and designed the first Christmas card.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Lots of people send emails at Christmas instead of paper cards, but I don’t think real cards will ever really go out of fashion. Responsibly sourced paper from certified manufacturers ensures we don’t need to harm the environment either.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the history behind some of our favourite Christmas traditions and celebrations.

Merry Christmas to all

I look forward to sharing lots more creative adventures in 2018 and I would love you to join me.

Before I go, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

Until next time…

Gaynor xx

I Made a Patchwork Santa

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This week I made a patchwork Santa.

He’s been on my to do list for a few weeks, and I have had to find time to make him, but, he is finally finished.

The Tilda Patchwork Santa is a present to myself, really. I had seen the kit a while ago on the craft channels on the television but I had resisted buying it. Until now.

Sewing a patchwork Santa

I love Tilda fabrics. The soft colour palettes and the delicate designs are always a joy to work with.

tilda_santa_kit

Tilda figures are very cute and very quirky. They have large bodies and very thin arms and legs. This does present a challenge when sewing and care needs to be taken with seams and seam allowances because it can be quite a tricky job turning things through to the right side.

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I took my time and enjoyed the process.

It was a complete change for me, as I don’t normally work with patterns. There were a few things I would have done differently, and the instructions on the whole could have been a little clearer, but maybe I’m just being overly critical.

Creating the patchwork fabric for the front and back of Santa’s coat was quite time consuming but worth it.

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tilda_santa_back

Once you reach this stage, it starts to come together quite quickly.

The finished Santa

Here he is in all his glory.

I think he’s lovely and I’ve decided he can sit on the bookcase in the hallway to welcome visitors.

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The green bauble in the centre of the dish is one of my heirloom decorations from my childhood, I also have a matching blue one. I love the way that old and new decorations can sit happily together, almost like the generations of a family.

All in all, I rather like my festive patchwork Santa. I’m looking forward to bringing him out and making him part of our family Christmas celebrations for many years to come.

If you’d like some more festive reading, you can find all about my first festive, patchwork quilt here.

Until next time…

Gaynor xx

The Christmas quilt

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I’ve wanted to make a Christmas quilt for years.

I’ve sewn lots of festive things in the past; sacks for my sons (that I still bring down for them today); stockings; cushions; decorations; but never a quilt.

Last year I decided it was time. I bought the fabric and cut it out but didn’t get any further. To be fair, I had a very poorly dobermann and everything took a back seat.

This year I decided it was now or never.

Planning the design of the Christmas quilt

My journey making this Christmas quilt has been interesting, to say the least. Not having a clear plan of action and having a limited amount of fabric to play with is not something I would recommend, especially for a first foray into sewing a patchwork quilt.

That said, those who know me, know this is generally how I roll…not the lack of fabric but deciding things as I go!

I had bought a lovely festive fat quarter bundle that I wanted to use and jumped straight in.

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Having settled on 4″ finished squares when I originally cut out the fabric, I played with the placement of them until I created a design I liked.

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It was going to be a lap quilt. Perfect for keeping the out the draughts whilst watching television. I decided to add a white border to increase the size of the finished quilt slightly and added some of the white into the quilt design too.

The next decisions to make were regarding the binding and the backing fabrics. Not having made life easy for myself, I now had to find fabrics that complimented the existing selection.

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I have to say I was really pleased with my choices. They really blended well, adding just enough contrast to the overall design.

Bringing it all together

This is where a plan of action would have been extremely helpful and it would have saved me a lot of time and effort. I initially decided to do straight rows of narrow quilting, but half way through the process I thought it looked too busy and spent a good couple of hours unpicking it all. In the end, I still used straight lines but in the middle of the squares only.

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Finishing touches

Next came the binding.

A breeze to cut out using my Accuquilt Go machine and well within my comfort zone when it came to stitching it in place.

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quilt_sewing_binding

Binding was also made easy with the use of my Wonder clips. These clever little tools keep the fabric in place without the distortion that pins can create.

The finished Christmas quilt

Here it is in all it’s glory.

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Is it perfect? No.

Would I let you inspect it closely? Definitely not.

Am I happy with it? Yes.

Will I make any more? Of course.

I’m looking forward to snuggling under my new Christmas quilt this year and hoping it keeps my family nice and warm for many, many Christmases to come.

Until next time…

Gaynor xx

 

Treasures from Christmas past

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As we look forward to Christmas and all the excitement of the festivities to come, I want to take a peep into the sort of Christmas countdown I experienced as a little girl.

Christmas countdown

As in most homes today, when I was little, the Christmas countdown always started with the appearance of the advent calendars on December 1st.

Simple paper calendars; no chocolate; no treats; just pretty, festive themed little pictures behind every door. All 24 doors, by the way, not 25! Advent is the lead up to the big day.

The excitement of opening the doors never ceased, even though I knew exactly what was behind each door. It was the anticipation and the tradition that I loved.

Advent calendars

I had three much loved advent calendars; a pretty angel with silver glitter; a really old Nativity scene that had been handed down from my older brother and sister, that always stood on top of the television; and a very modern one (at the time!) that had Father Christmas stuck up the chimney with a paper lever that moved his legs. I know what you’re thinking…very cutting edge indeed!

Tradition

The same decorations were brought out year after year, each one with a special memory. Even untangling the fairy lights and testing all of the bulbs had a certain magic about it.

This Nativity scene is one of my oldest and most precious Christmas decorations. It was a present from my Nanna when I was about 5, and I treasure it.

wind_up_nativity

Once upon a time it played Silent Night as the shepherds and the three wise men travelled around Baby Jesus…the mechanism broke a long time ago but it still holds a special place in my heart.

It makes an appearance every Christmas along with a host of other very old and very special trinkets.

The gold bauble below is older than I am and looking at it brings back so many happy memories. It fits perfectly on my tree and I hope I have it for many years to come.

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The wicker Father Christmas above was made by my late sister-in-law. She was a very talented sewer and a huge inspiration to me. She made many things for me over the years and the decorations that come out at Christmas time are some of my favourites.

To some people these treasured family heirlooms are simply considered vintage decorations. To me they are very much a part of my family history and are much loved reminders of many happy Christmases from my childhood.

Do you have any special decorations that you bring out year after year?

Use #gaynormdesigns over on Instagram if you would like to share any photos, I’d love to see them.

Until next time…

Gaynor xx