Handmade Quilty Xmas

We dug out our Xmas stuff this year (we were in the Galapagos last year), and though we didn't do much decorating (Little Miss Bella appears to be fairly dangerous to trees and ornaments), I got out a couple of items I made when I was quilting a lot (and Mohammed was making my clothes, not me!).

This first was a quilt I saw someplace, but I decided to turn it into a Christmas item, using up some of my red & green & Christmas fabric. 

The second, a table runner, is made using some quilt blocks I really like because you can do so much with them.  The Around the World Quilt I made uses the same quilt block.  I'm still amazed at the amount of xmas fabric I was able to buy in Abu Dhabi!  

Happy Holidays & Best for 2013.  And a 1963 TV clip to get you in the mood!

Handmade Indian Princess Shoes

This is what my life is like...I go down to the basement to look for something (something not interesting) and head over to the bookshelves where something much more interesting catches my eye.  I proceed to bring those up, and never get the thing I was looking for (can't remember what it was right now).  But I think you'll agree that these handmade shoes from India are worth forgetting about everything else!

Handmade shoes are a rarity in my world (though a fellow-bloger, Zo, who takes Me Made May very seriously has tried it), so they seem extra special when I do come across them.  I got these in Dubai, in the old (Bur Dubai) souq.  An Indian craftsman there turned these out regularly.  The shoe design is fairly simple, so it's the embroidery & decoration that caught my eye.

They are all little-girl sized.  I could have had some made for me, but the little ones were irresistible; I'd probably never be able to bring myself to wear them if they did fit me!

I find the little details & the perfect stitches fascinating.  For example, look at the backs of the shoes! Just as pretty as the toes. I hope you enjoy these photos.