Carol, don't read this :o))

Carol, my very bestest friend, if you are reading this you shouldn't be, so go away or the surprise will be spoilt, ha ha. Anyone else can look now. I am going to be visiting Carol over the festive period, so I thought I would make her a pressie, rather than worrying over what to buy her. It would be hopeless trying to find anything anyway, she can well afford to buy whatever she wants for herself, she doesn't need any tat I might pick up at the shops.

Me and Carol go way back, about 55 years in fact. We were friends at junior school and people thought we were sisters because we looked alike. We chose completely different career paths. She had the brains to further her education and carve out a career in company finance, whereas I chose the practical hands on type of work. Another difference is that she has been married and I have not. We do have one thing in common though, we both chose not to have children.

There have been long periods of time when we have got on with our own lives, but always coming together through phone calls, emails, and meeting up a couple of times a year. Today we lead completely different lifestyles. She still works and has an active social life with lots of friends, I have a more sedate outlook, bimbling along, doing my own thing, with a few good friends. She is part of a big family, I have a very small family. When we come together it's like I see her every day, we chatter ten to the dozen and have lots of laughs. So I am looking forward to a jolly time this festive holiday.   

So, you saw a snippet of the pressie I was making, here is the finished article. There is no plan, no pattern, things are just made up as I go along. Ideas pop into my head and I think, I wonder if that would work, or what would that look like. I bought some pieces of colourful felt about a year ago from the Hospice Shop. Thank goodness she has only five letters in her name. I don't think I would have attempted Stephanie or Elizabeth. My first idea was that the letters should have a gusset and would be freestanding, but I didn't have enough time to sew all those seams. So I decided on cutting two of each, sewing them together with a blanket stitch, and stuffing them. Then mount them on a fabric background.   

I made all the letters first, then I gathered a few materials. Plain green fabric, a piece of sponge which just happened to be the right size, a roll end of some stiff window blind fabric, and some floral fabric. As it was I didn't use the floral, I changed my mind.

I needed some stuffing, and I remembered I had bought a white crochet shawl for 50p from a clearance sale, the shop was closing down. It is nice and soft, and I thought it would come in useful for something. I removed the tassels and chopped them up.

Here are a few close ups. Small pink beads in the centre of the flowers, and some even smaller red beads dotted around. I stitched the letters on to the pale green fabric and the stiff backing, before I added the sponge, and lastly stitched the back on.

 

On the back I attached two brass rings for the hanger.

The white cord all around the edge I seem to remember, came from a gift of flowers in a bag, that someone gave me for my 60th birthday. Something else that has come in useful. It took ages to stitch it all on.

 

I hope she likes it.

Enjoy your weekend. Toodle pip.