the countdown has begun

i had been planning to make an advent calender for such a long time, it was one of those things i always thought i had lots of time in which to make it, so then never actually got round to making it! 

then what with last weekend being taken up by more pressing matters, i had two days to just get on & get it made, 

it turns out i didn't make the version i had been carrying around in my head all that time, what i did make was a rather scrappier, happier version

a brief 'how to'

i just pieced together four rows of five squares & one rectangle, hand sewing a number onto each, i then backed each of these strips with some muslin (sewing right sides together, leaving a small gap for turning,  then turning right sides out, pressing & sewing up the small turning hole)

then sewed each strip onto a larger piece of fabric, going down, along & up three sides of each square, so as to make them into 24 pockets, i did this in one continuous line for each strip, backed it, having made a few strips to pop into the top, with which to hang the whole thing up, i have been popping a treat into the pocket each evening, as it is hanging at child level, so i know if i had filled it all it would have been emptied on December  1st! i am so happy with how it turned out, as at one point i really thought i wouldn't & was already thinking about how i'd make another one for next year, but happily it all came together & the children think it's just perfect