I think I am going to make this a new thing for 2025!  As you know the sewing room has been doing double duty as a wrapping room and Santa’s Grotto over the last few months and next year I am going to be a little more organised with things.   As I said yesterday I am now buying for more people than ever before and especially the children’s gifts some of the things are in big boxes which take up a lot of room!  It has been fun buying their gifts and takes me straight back to when our Boys were little, especially when their presents do not always cost a lot but they absolutely love.  Of course as they get big their parcels get smaller but more expensive!!!

Anyway back to the sewing room.  I have been sewing for Christmas too and again I will show you after the Big Day as they are gifts but it needs a good tidy up and put the fabric away that I have been using and cottons and all that stuff.  I did do a bit of tidying and this is one of the things;

Two years ago DH and The Boys bought me a lovely box of chocolates for Christmas from Charbonnel et Walker in London and this was the box they came in.  I just love the colours and the picture on it so when the box was empty I kept it and put it in the sewing room.  Now I don’t know about you but my Grandmother, who taught me to sew, always had a button box.  In fact it was a wooden box that my Grandfather made for her and it was full of buttons.  I don’t think she ever used more than one or two a year but having been born in 1904 she was brought up to never not save and re-use things, so if you got rid of anything that had buttons on, because it was old you, always cut the buttons off and saved them. 

These days I don’t do that but I do save all the buttons that come with a new item of clothing. I take them out of the plastic bags they usually come in or cut them off the labels in the clothes and have started storing them in here.  It is not full but I do use it when I am making quilty things that need a button or if DH or The Boys loose a button off a shirt or anything else.  I don’t know about you but I love sorting through the buttons and the sound they make when you do so. 

Back to Christmas now and if you are in the UK there is still time to post cards or presents with last posting dates being………

2nd Class Post by 2.00pm on Tuesday December 17th

1st Class Post by 2.00pm on Thursday December 19th

I have got all our cards posted and the Christmas parcels that need to go by post have gone so am ahead of the game there.  I did read that some people have decided not to send Christmas cards this year due to the cost of postage; 1st Class Post stamp for letters and cards now costs £1.65 and 2nd Class Post Stamp for letters and cards now costs £0.85!  I can understand that these prices are steep for the elderly who are on tight incomes but for the rest, who do work, I think it is a good excuse not to send cards!  I love sending and receiving cards at this time of year, but I did post all of those that we send in the UK by second class post!  Things have certainly changed since the first stamp ever used which was a Penny Black!

Today I have some more baking to do and some more quilting to do and, if I get chance, some reading too!  I hope you lovely lot have had a wonderful weekend and will have a great week to come.  This coming week I am off and am only going to do the minimum of work so that I can get Christmas jobs sorted as I am determined I am not going to be ill over Christmas this year.  Last year I had shingles on my face so I am really hoping that I am going to avoid all the colds, flu and everything else that is going around.  Well its a plan and it may work!!!

Christmas Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx