I finished cross stitching the three little Christmas tree decorations and have completed two using the ribbon and bell from those Lindt bunnies (which by-the-way were Far Too Much chocolate! so it's a good thing they are too expensive to buy anywhere other than a car-boot sale!)
My original tree decs like these from many years ago used cotton backing and were stuffed to make them really plump, I've not done that with these. The felt backing, and just a thin layer of wadding and the bell are enough. Don't think they are good enough to give away. I'm better at the X stitch than the putting together bit!
What a waste of time the year of Latin I did at grammar school was and how much more useful it would have been to do sewing and knitting................ Although in reality I'd rather be reading!
Don't knock Latin - I learned far more about English language and structure in three years of Latin than in the formal English language lessons we had at school!
ReplyDeleteThey made me do Latin instead of Art in my second year at Grammar as I'd been good at French in 1st year. Ha! I missed so much basics of art in that missed year, hated French and failed O level, never remembered a word of Latin two minutes after the lesson but went back to Art and managed an O level.
DeleteI quite enjoyed Latin as well. A year of needlework made me good at making curtains!
ReplyDeleteI made curtains for our first few homes, that was back when there were actually fabric shops in towns! I could manage them as they were all straight lines.
DeleteI chose a year of Latin to escape the tyranny of sewing and cookery lessons!
ReplyDeleteOh dear!
DeleteWe had a crazy Domestic Science (as it was called then) teacher. I survived until we could drop it - but she was totally nuts and would throw things out of the window if she didn't like them!
No choice at my school, if you did OK in French, then you did Spanish as a second language, and no chance of sewing or cooking! Using the bunny bells on the decorations is a Genius Idea. Don't do yourself down, they'd make great little gifts.
ReplyDeleteI'm awfully bad at putting things together, terrible wonky stitching!
DeleteHow can a chocolate bunny be too much chocolate. Surely the answer is in the name, a chocolate bunny is going to be chocolate. What else were you expecting? Just eat a little at a time if it is too much for you to eat in one sitting. As most people do!
ReplyDeleteThank you for such helpful advice!
DeleteYour little decorations are beautiful and the bells are the perfect finishing touch.I too did Latin and I really enjoyed it but had to drop it as I wanted to do Home Economics. I enjoy both crafting , reading and chocolate so guess both subjects were useful. Catriona
ReplyDeleteOur Latin teacher was so old he had taught my Mum in the early 1940's! I never understood any of it.
DeleteWe "suffered" a year of Latin at school and the rest of the time was French which I got an O-level in don't know how. I did do needlework for two years which I enjoyed and has been more useful to me than Latin! I did do art which I loved but wasn't very good at, but as an adult I took History of Art A-level and I loved it. Your tree decorations are lovely and you could give them as presents. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteI wanted to do A level Geography as an adult and even started it at a F.E College but they dropped the funding for adults and that was the end of that after 1 term
DeleteNever did Latin but got O levels in French and German. I loved languages but now wish I'd learned to sew. It wasn't an option at the time. Your little cross stitch decorations are beautiful 😍
ReplyDeleteRe the Chocolate bunnies: I'd feel far too guilty biting off the ears and then leaving the poor thing for another day 😢
Angie
I think we did 1 term of needlework in among the cooking for Domestic Science - wasn't much help really.
DeleteI chose a dressmaking 'O' level instead of German or Physics. The headteacher, who taught me German, told me in front of the entire class that I lacked ambition! I achieved an A in my 'O' level French, and could have achieved well in German, but the dressmaking stood me in good stead as I made clothes for me and my children, and innumerable soft furnishings and craft items, which both saved and earned me money. I've never regretted my choice.
ReplyDeleteTeachers always wrote in reports that I should join in more! Funny how reserved I was then - no idea how I was a Cub Scout Leader for years and spoke about smallholding on the radio several times and have no problem standing up and speaking in front of a group!
DeleteIt's a good thing we change from our teens to adult.
I empathise with Scarlet above, several times during my school years I had teachers saying negative things to me about lack of ambition etc, not helpful, I’m sure these days it would be worded more positively . Those Lindt bunnies are delicious but I agree, too much chocolate 😉😂
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Thankfully anon above has advised me what to do about eating the Lindt chocolate bunnies!!
DeleteThe ornaments look cute and colorful! I use iron on fusing to make the backing stick and fray the edges so I don't have to stitch around.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a good idea.
DeleteI just used what I had - but I'm not happy with my finishing.
I have always felt guilty for throwing away the little bells and ribbons, so that is a really good use of them. Oh and I'm sure you will be forever grateful for 'Anon' telling you how to eat your chocolate bunnies ... you'll know better next time . ;-)
ReplyDeleteSome anon comments are just hilarious - keeping me entertained on a dull Wednesday!
DeleteYour cross-stitch decorations are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThey say Latin is the basis for all languages and if you know Latin other languages come more easily. French was my language of choice.
Our sewing and cooking class was called Home Economics. Nothing much was cooked or baked. I recall chocolate cookies. For sewing each of us had to make something we could wear. I made a skirt, wore it once to class and when I put it in the washer it came apart. (Thankfully it did not fall apart when I wore it!) The class was not useful and could have been so much more.
Susan
I remember taking the ingredients for cookery to school in a basket covered with a cloth and my Mum being annoyed she had to buy expensive items that she wouldn't usually use
DeleteI we n t to Grammar School in Co. Durham and Carmarthenshire back in the days of 11+. I live in the USA now but still remember the white shirt we had to make in Home Ec! The collar and neck didn't line up, the button holes were ugly and she told me my running stitch looked like a dog's hind leg! I quilt but have never attempted anything with automobiles since. I had years of French and Latin and find them useful in doing crosswords, etc. Soon after meeting my new FIL I was able to help him with "defenestration"!
ReplyDeleteI remember making a summer dress with zip up front, not sure we did anything else useful
DeleteThose are lovely and would be appreciated as gifts - you are not being marked out of 10 on the sewing together!
ReplyDeleteI did one term of Latin when we were doing Paleography at Uni. I quite enjoyed it but we were doing it in a Medieval documents sense (translation) rather than learning it parrot fashion in different tenses.
2 out of 10 for the making I think.
DeleteNot one bit of Latin ever stuck in my head
I love the decorations, I like quilting and cross stitch but was never any good at constructing useful things like clothing 😂 We had to make an apron, headband and oven mitt in year 7 (then called form 1) before we could do home economics the next year, which I was good at. JennyP
ReplyDeleteThey look really lovely. I really need to make some more ornaments. I'm not good at putting them together either!
ReplyDeleteThese are awfully cute and the little ribbons work perfectly. I hear you on the Latin -- me, too!
ReplyDelete