Doctors and Anniversaries

Doctors and anniversaries don't mix. Something I forgot when I tried to plan a week or so with my boyfriend. Nothing super special, just a nice meal at a better class of restaurant than we'd normally bother with, and getting a bit dressed up. Of course, an 'impossible to move, you'll have to wait MONTHS for another one' (to be told, 'um, not sure, fancy some more tests?') doctor's appointment comes up. In another part of the country. After discussion and a lot of grumbling (my side, naturally. I grizzle on automatic. Everyone else is fine until they throw a strop to end all strops.) we moved our anniversary celebration forward a week so I could sit in the dark in a surgery somewhere (it was being locked up at the time.. Spooky.)

Which was fine, as I'm not a man in a comedy sketch who buys everything the night before. If I was, I'd spend most of my life - with its shifting schedules and confused drift - in trouble with somebody. Instead everything is done - to the letter - about a month before. Which is why I only have three Christmas presents left to buy. And why the card I gave my boyfriend had been dreamt up, sketched out, materials ordered, materials not turned up, Hobbycraft treated to a couple of very snippy emails and publicly abused on twitter, voucher been given by said craft firm, alternative items sought out, and finally made, weeks before it was required.

I quickly forgot quite why I'd decided to make a fabric card, just like I'd quickly forgotten my atrocious sewing skills when I'd planned it. I had also forgotten that 'extra large means extra time' - and this was an A4 card, rather than the A6 things I normally mess about with.

Anyway, I was reasonably happy with how it turned out. The pouch on the front contained a present and some chocolate truffles (heart shaped, of course. I am forever the romantic.) The hardest part was to get the edging to the 'G' to stay sewn on vaguely straight.

As you can see, I went back to very simple papercraft on the inside, gluing the card inserts over the fabric 'envelope' to help secure it in place. I used brads to secure the letter I had written and allow for the pages to be easily turned. (I do like a good hand written letter! - and yes, this being a hand made card blog, I know that doesn't surprise you in the least.)

I got a bit overexcited about making the first heart and ended up making another. Don't do this, it means your card will never be able to lie down flat and sewing it on may drive you to an irritated distraction. (Well if you attempt to just sew the centre of the heart to the centre of the card, anyway. The two 'breasts' of the heart insist on flopping about mournfully unless you give them a bra. Or at least attach them to card too.

My recommendation? You better absolutely, bloody adore him* if you want to make something similar. Or be a better needlewoman than me.

*Not my him. That's my job.