Christmas? What Christmas?

Shops are preparing for Christmas, Nature feels like winter, but I really don't feel in a Christmas mood. 4 weeks before the holidays and 2 weeks of French stitchy madness.

I need a break, and it's frustrating that it doesn't come sooner. oh well ! So I'm not really in the mood to stitch strictly Christmas stuff, although I will stitch winter stuff.

The advantage would be that they will decorate my home until Spring at least ;)

I'm nearly finished gift/secret stitching, so I might be able to show you some stuff soon.

In the meantime, I spent all tomorrow making this "panier de brodeuse" (needlecraft basket). I discovered the tutorial here and nearly a hundred people already made that bag !!!

Originally I thought it wasn't for me. But then I thought about the holidays, and the fact that it would be perfect to get all my stuff in one place at DBF's. Here I just have stitching stuff all over the house with noone to complain about it, so.... it's not so much an issue.

But it might come handy when I switch from "cross stitch lounge" to "sewing craftroom". So far it's an original "naked" version. I think I will decorate it a little bit further...

The pockets are made in "japanese" fabric. Note the same motif but slightly different colour for the small pockets. Lili will recognize the fabric from the big pockets...

And the rest of the bag is made out of a huge piece of fabric I got ages ago. I found the purple "croquet" in a local LNS, and I had the buttons since ages as well.

I think it's the fancier piece of sewing I've done so far, with biases and a round form, not to mention the pockets !!!