Holiday Crafting in Kent

We've just returned from a break near Canterbury, in Kent, South East England.

We ventured forth during the days to visit some interesting places in an area we had never before explored and stayed in the countryside, in Broome Park, in a super luxurious log cabin. 

In the evenings and whilst travelling I did some crafting and made quite a few Christmas gift items and decorations.

I took my sewing machine so I could get these good sized, handy, shopping bags made from some Cath Kinston fabric I bought at a reduced price. I finished 8 and the price for each was a fraction of the price of the shop bags.

A Great IKEA Fabric idea.

I made 2 shopping bags, a cushion and a small shoe bag from this fabulous illustrated fabric (below) from Ikea. The fabric is intended to be coloured in using the pens they sell and it has been a huge hit with children and adults alike. I have given so many pieces away as gifts and children have really applied themselves to doing the colouring with the added benefit that it can be turned into useful items that they can be proud of as a result. 

Bags, cushions, pillowslips, aprons, or stretched over a canvas or framed. 

The pens need to be heat set to fix the colours and I do it simply by ironing the fabric between paper. (So the ironing board isn't dyed!)

Now I have started making the articles ready to colour.

The fabric is £7 metre and all these items were made from only a half metre. 

The colouring pens are £2 for a box of six colours. 

It makes a good value, worthwhile gift, to give fabric (or a ready sewn item) and a packet of pens.

These two gorgeous little Curly Girlies were happily occupied on their recent train journey home, all the way from the North to the South of England.

Here's the log cabin, alias my temporary sewing factory....

The lodge is so spacious and comfortable inside 

Below, is the Mansion house, Broome Park which provides the leisure facilities to the lodges. Restaurants, bar, gym, swimming pool, games room etc.

Set in splendid grounds of a huge country estate, which is also a golf course.

Broome Park was first built around 1650 then greatly renovated by Lord Kitchener of Khartoum. Kitchener was a prominent figure in the history of WW1 and most people remember him from these famous recruitment posters....

The interior is magnificent and has been beautifully restored.

It was so amazing to relax in such opulent surroundings and imagine how life must be at grand places such as Downton Abbey. Without servants! 

I loved this cottage where Kitchener lived during the rebuilding of his grand mansion. It was originally the estate managers house.... Flint Cottage and our lodge was just opposite.

I also made some felt Christmas decorations and crocheted several items during our stay but we had so much time to spare that it was the ideal situation for crafting...... but I'll save those and some more of the places we visited for another post.