A joint effort

Fathers day is a real pain in the bum for me.

Trying to find a gift for the two most difficult people in the whole family. Well them and my husband that is, although I ahve been lucky and struck gold with a gift for him this year.

I thought and thought and thought for days on what to get them. Now my father in law is a big chocolate fan, so I went straight to Montezuma's. I was very lucky that on my birthday last year a friend bought me a gift box from there and their chocolate is divine. not only that but their prices are quite reasonable too comapred to some other foodie websites.

So father in law gift, tick.

Now my dad.

Him and my mum are very strict with what they have in the house. They get rid of any junk they dont want. Nothing is kept. No "oh we'll keep it just in case", nothing. They are both very strict vegans and look at ingreadiants of most foods they buy, so sweets and such like were out the window. My dad has his allotment and his beloved pond with his precious Koi Carp and little hut and apart from his very strong political beliefs and art course I was totally and utterly stumpted.

His birthday was only last week too and I just managed to buy him the book "Young Stalin" by Simon Sebag-Montefiore, and that was only because my mum had seen it reviewed in the paper.

So whilst blog hopping, as you do, I came across a book cover tutorial and I thought thats it! I will make a cover to go over his sketch book for collage.

My mum sent me the measurements but I just could not get my head round how to do it. I think if I had the actual book in front of me it would have been easier.

Anyway by that point I had resigned myself to the fact that I would have to make him something.

Cue M wandering up to me saying she never made Grandad a picture for his birthday.

Ah haaaaaaa!!!!!

So this is what we came up with

and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the results and my mum loved it.

I got M to draw a picture on some Calico and I embroidered over the top. I was going to let her sew it herself but she really struggled with the needle, so it really was a joint effort. M picked all the colours and told me where to put what, so its her picture really.

I just hope my dad likes it!