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It’s that time of year again when our thoughts start to focus on Christmas. Family policy is that we don’t/won’t think about it until December 1^st, despite the persistent renderings of ‘It’ll be a blue, blue Christmas without you’ which have been miserably piped in stores since October.

I love Christmas and really enjoy every tinselly-bit of the preparation. Cards and electronic greetings go out during the first week in December and present ideas are requested from family members. 3 years ago, we started to limit our costs to £25:00 each, at our daughters’ suggestion, when they both moved house in the same year and increased their mortgages accordingly. It makes you much more imaginative about what you buy and where you buy it, and it helps to foster the real spirit of a family Christmas, one that’s measured in fun and togetherness rather than financial outlay.

We looked after our granddaughter for the day yesterday whilst her parents started their shopping so it seemed a good idea to get her to start the proceedings by dressing my patchwork tree. We survived!! Christmas will always be red and green to us so the same decorations come out each year.

Patchwork decorations

She enjoyed getting each decoration out of the box, studying it and then placing it on the tree. At 2, she could only reach the lower branches so Grammy ‘was allowed’ to help her reach the higher branches and to place the fairy at the top of the tree. No lights yet, I think it is a bit early for that. All the decorations are steeped in memories for me: teaching samples, techniques demonstrated, gifts from special people (‘I saw this and thought of you’) and reminders of places visited. By dressing the house gradually, I hope to establish our family patchwork traditions happily in Ella’s early memories. I know her Mum is making decorations with her and starting their own special festive traditions as a family, with of course the regular reminders of being good for Father Christmas .. (And I can remember what she was like as a child!!)

I was shown recently how to make a new folded patchwork decoration at the Nercwys Craft Group and this is what I am going to demonstrate this time. I can’t acknowledge the originator as it’s one of these demonstrations that has been passed down the patchwork line. I have made it in paper in advance of doing it with fabric.

Demonstration of a Folded Christmas Decoration

1 Draw a circle with a 4” radius. Use the same compass setting to divide the circle’s edge into 6 equal portions. Draw in the hexagon and the lines across the centre.

2 Fold each straight edge, in turn, to the centre line and crease with your nail (I have marked them with a broken line.

Stage 1 Stage 2

3 Fold in 2 adjacent edges so that they make a point.

4 Press down on the point to flatten it centrally over the 2 adjacent sides. Crease well. Repeat 6 times around the shape.

Stage 3 Stage 4

5 Fold all the sides towards the centre so that they from a 6 pointed star.

6 Fold the over-lapping edge underneath to form each shape into a diamond.

Stage 5 Stage 6

7 And this is what it should look like! If you haven’t lost the will to live, try it in Christmas fabric. I would suggest that you starch your fabric first so that it is easier to fold and crease. Enjoy!

Stage 7