The festive season is definitely my favourite time of year; I love all the decorations and nice things in the shop, the air of excitement and all the over-indulgent food. My very favourite part of Christmas is simply having a few days off work and enjoying precious time with my family and having some ‘me time’. When I say ‘me time’, I obviously mean time to sew! Every Christmas Eve, I take myself to Calico Laine and treat myself to a big bag of Dressmaking Fabric and several new patterns, then I go home and spread out admiring my new purchases while deciding what to make first. This year I’ve been surprisingly organised and I’ve almost decided what I’d like to make over Christmas. This year Calico Laine has excelled with its Dressmaking wool fabrics so I feel a brand new woollen jacket is a must. I particularly like the clan tartans; they’re colourful but classy and very fashionable at the moment so I doubt I can go wrong with that combination. My son is two after Christmas so I’ve bought him a man cave for the garden. The good thing about Dressmaking Fabrics is how versatile they are - I’m going to use some of the Rose and Hubble cotton prints to make some manly curtains and bunting for the cave. I’m going to use a combination of blue and red spots, stripes and stars. I can’t wait to see his little face on his birthday although I know he’s too young to appreciate my efforts. I’m undecided as which other Dressmaking projects I’ll take on over Christmas but I’m never short of inspiration when visiting Calico Laine. Perhaps I’ll tackle a dress for New Years Eve or an outfit for a summer wedding I have been invited too. Stocking up on Christmas Eve is definitely a favourite festive tradition for me! Merry Christmas, and happy sewing.