Advent

A few years ago, when I first started sewing, I made a string of Christmassy bunting with pockets on the front to use as an advent calendar. The problem with early sewing projects, however, is that over the years you become increasingly aware of the not-so-little flaws in your rudimentary sewing, in a way that is only glaringly obvious to you, the sewer, but nonetheless has the power to drive you crazy whenever you look at it.

I decided this year, as we pulled the very rustic Christmas bunting out of the suitcase, that I would make a new advent calendar for our family. I've been struggling a little with insomnia recently, and therefore found myself at four in the morning looking through Pinterest at different advent calendar designs, and settling upon one that was actually far more work than my sleep deprived brain realised. In the couple of days since, I have cut and sewn 25 little drawstring bags, 25 little fabric circles and hand sewn the numbers 1 to 25 onto 25 little felt circles.

And I am very glad I did, because this little advent calendar is gorgeous, and looks lovely sitting in a cane basket on our rocking chair.

Nath and I wrote out 25 little messages with 25 different Christmas-related tasks for the kids to do and reflect on, and every day they open a bag to find out what their Christmas activity for the day is. Every three or four days, they even find a chocolate each!

The advent countdown is on!