My handmade tablet case

Hooray!  I finally managed to make something for myself. I don't actually remember when was the last time I actually sew something for myself ( I am not counting the lace I sew to a dress to lengthen it this summer).
In fact the main reason to make that case was because I was going to travel and needed something to protect and store my tablet. And why should I buy one when I could sew it? Well, it doesn't fold into a practical stand or have corner protection like the bought ones, but has another invaluable feature - it is bespoke. I have always thought that bespoke things are much more interesting and charming.
I would probably have been able to make it folding into a stand, if I had more time. Anyway, I like it the way it is.

I have realized that choosing the fabrics for a project sometimes takes up quite a lot of time. That's what happened with this case. I played with the fabric, trying to figure out which two would make the perfect combination.

From my previous experience I could tell that sometimes even when you are sure that the chosen fabric(s) would be perfect for a project, when you finish it , you feel somehow disappointed when you look at it. So to avoid disappointment I prefer to allow more time on choosing the right fabric.
At first I intended to make the case with elastic strap to keep the tablet secure, but after mentioning that to a friend, she suggested to use sticker tape, which made things much easier for me.

I encourage my little son to make things and craft. He enjoys crafting but as long as we do it together. I usually let him choose which colours to use, which often results in something quite mismatching but even then he gets lots of praise. Here is what he did for his sister's first birthday. He was so impatient to show her the card that I had to persuade him to make another one to show her today.

A birthday card

we wrapped up together some presents and he decorated them

Hama beads circle

Christmas time

Christmas has always been special time for me. There is something very exciting about the whole preparation for it- taking out the decorations, choosing the dominant colour to decorate around the house, buying presents and wrapping them..
Then it comes Christmas Eve and it's time to set the table. In my native country of Bulgaria certain traditions are followed when setting the table. The number of dishes on the table should be uneven number, ideally seven or nine. There are foods like cooked beans and rice, dried fruits, nuts, garlic, honey, wine and bread which should be present on the table as it is believed that this would bring health,  luck and profusion in the home. The bread should be with round shape and a coin is hidden inside it. The person who gets the chunk of bread with the coin would be the luckiest in the house.
When the meal comes to an end, the whole family should leave the table at the same time, which is believed to keep them united and close in the new year. The table shouldn't be cleaned but left like this for the whole night. I especially like that part as all you have to do is toss down the last of the wine and head straight to bed for a well-earned rest. Of course the next morning you wouldn't want to get out of bed knowing what a mess you have left.

                          
But let me get back to Christmas decorations and gifts.
Last year I decided to make some felt ornaments for my parents' Christmas tree. My mom has always loved everything I have handmade, so i love making things for her. Here you can see some of them. The funny thing was that once they were ready, I put them aside, ready to be sent (unfortunately we couldn't spend the festive days with my parents so I had to send them by post). Half an hour later they were nowhere to be seen. After spending almost half an hour looking for them, I finnaly spotted them crammed in one of my son's trucks, ready to be "delivered" to his granny (at that time he was 2 years and 8 months).