by Gabby Young - #SewingFrancoise, christmas, engagement, hobbes, holiday, home, homemade, sewing, tilly and the buttons, wedding -

Some HUGE news and Christmas present sewing…

Well hello and happy new year dear readers!!

I have to start with this news because if I don’t I’ll pop…

I’M ENGAGED!!!

Yes, my amazing boyfriend of over 7 years, Stephen Ellis, is now my fiancé and I couldn’t be happier!!
I won’t bore you with all the details but I’m too excited not to share the amazing proposal story with you all so please skip this bit if it’s the last thing you want to hear!! …

It all started at 6am on Christmas morning – both of us were wide awake and neither of us could sleep (me because it was Christmas morning and I’m a little kid, Stephen because he was about to ask me a huge question that I had no idea about!) Our little dog, Hobbes, was also awake and excitable so we decided to start the day and let him open his stocking… but first Stephen took him out to the garden and fed him his breakfast whilst I sneakily grabbed Stephen’s stocking and lay it on his pillow – he was taking a while but I assumed Hobbes was being naughty and not coming back in so I thought no more of it. Then Stephen discovered his stocking and was surprised to even have one (Gabby – 10 points!) and Hobbes ripped apart the wrapping on his toys and found his treats at the bottom of his stocking… I didn’t have one… but believe me what happened next was a million times better…
Stephen suggested I checked by our little Christmas tree for something and there was a card, with
“Christmas Day” written on the front of the envelope…
Inside was a beautifully written poem that I will shorten to “Go to your creative place, which today is an even more magical place” which already nearly had me in tears… so I walked towards the back door and was handed the keys to my summerhouse/sewing room and entered the kitchen… there on the back door was my beautiful Victorian style winter coat hanging up and my snow boots with added silver tinsel around them… I was overcome as I put them on and stepped out into the garden.
It was dark out still and as I crept down the garden path in anticipation I started to see lights at the end of the path… my summerhouse was lit up with hundreds of twinkly white fairy lights and candles everywhere (honestly just writing this now is making me shake with excitement) I think this is where the whole thing became like a magical dream and I had what can only be described as an ‘out-of-body experience’ as I glided into the room to find a closed miniature picnic-hamper style basket on the cutting table in the far corner of the room surrounded by jars full of fairy lights – I thought ‘what has Stephen got me for Christmas?!’ I lifted the lid to find this stunning blue metal / hot air balloon type egg that opened to reveal a piece of red wool… yes, I was confused too… I could blame the time of morning for my slowness though… I looked around for clues and back at Stephen who was standing behind me but he just said ‘look again’ so I turned around and looked again at the wool. Before I had time to think I heard Stephen say ‘Gabby’ and on this I turned around to see the love of my life on one knee holding up the most beautiful ring I have ever seen (ok now I’m actually crying writing this!) and all I could say is ‘is this a dream?’ because I can honestly say it felt like one – like the most magical, spellbinding dream I could ever have. Of course I said ‘yes’ – easiest decision I’ve ever had to make. I think I will leave it there but it was entirely perfect and I the happiest I have ever been since that moment.

I will have to explain the red wool bit another time as it’s part of something else that I can’t reveal yet but all I will say is Stephen found a genius way of discerning my ring size!! 😉

PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE SOPPY STORIES… YOU CAN START READING AGAIN NOW!! 😉

I know I’m a bit late to talk about Christmas but I’m only just getting a chance so please bear with me! I decided to make all my presents for my family this year… I tried this many years ago when I had the knitting bug but all I could do was knit straight lines and I was pretty awful at that so everyone got scarfs, simple bags or hats and I’m afraid most of them went straight to the back of the cupboard and never came out! 🙁 I felt this year I could actually make things that people could use and enjoy so I took on the crazy task of sewing everything, which would have been fine if I didn’t also have a massive tour all of December and not much time before that… I was still sewing at 2am on Christmas eve/Christmas day… oops!!

Anyway they went down a storm and I am immensely happy and dare I say it, proud of all of my homemade presents!

For my nephews- personalised rocket cushions complete with an angry bird zipper pull… this is Henry’s – Oliver was too wrapped up in his new lego to take a picture but the next day he said to me “thankyou for my homemade pillow Gabby, it gave me better dreams” AWWWW… best feedback ever!!
I made this appliquéd draught excluder for my brother’s family – the reason it says HeLLO on it is because of all of their names – HEnry, Larry, Laura and Oliver!! 🙂 My first foray into applique… might see a lot more of it from now on.
I also made my new mother in law to be- Stephen’s mum, Carole, a beautiful apron with a lovely lace trim that I put together at my sewing class but I don’t have a picture to share… boo!


This makes me so happy – all the ladies in my family in my homemade pajama bottoms! I used Tilly Walnes’ Margot PJs pattern from Love At First Stitch and chose special personal fabrics for each person and they all fit them perfectly. From L-R My sister, Nicky in cosy jersey cartoon animal (no idea what they are) fabric from Germany, Mum in classy foxes brushed cotton from Edinburgh, sister, George in scotty dogs cotton from ebay and Laura, sister in law in very soft floral cotton from Liverpool!! 🙂

They were such a triumph I’ve decided I’m going to start selling my homemade PJs soon so keep an eye out!

And the pièce de résistance that had me up all hours of the day/night and a tearful emergency phonecall to my sewing teacher for help is…

Dad’s robe/smoking jacket!! So suits the crown! 🙂
I found the vintage Vogue pattern at a car boot a few weeks ago for £2!
The fabric is from Liverpool’s Abakhan – a very luxurious think burgundy cotton with navy blue bias binding details!
I’m going to move those belt loops down but it actually fits and suits him really well- YAY!
HUGE thanks to Yuksell from Resurrection Boutique, Archway (my wonderful sewing teacher) for helping me put in the sleeves after 3 attempts of it coming out like a frilly ladies frock coat… you saved Christmas!
Also I did amazingly well this Christmas… 🙂
After such an amazing proposal that morning and making me the happiest girl in the world I would have been happy with that but Stephen spoilt me with top of my wishlist – An OVERLOCK MACHINE!! Woooh!! I am so so lucky! 🙂
My mum and dad nailed it with this amazing sewing box which I straight away filled with all my sewing goodies from other family members!! 🙂
Oh so much goodness from my amazing family – pom pom makers, pie dishes, pastry cutters, craft kits (including ‘Knit Your Own Beard’ which has been endless fun!) sewing books and an ipad stand for all those tutorials I’m using,  and Stephen’s parents were amazingly generous getting me a mini John Lewis sewing machine (to take on tour!) and a very good iron which I was really in need of! NB, All the books were Stephen’s presents- practically a new libary there and I got him a very special 1st edition his favourite childrens book.
OK enough Christmas… it’s time to start looking forward to what 2015 will hold!

Oh and one last thing… remember that competition I entered for Tilly & The Buttons #sewingFranciose with my dress?!  Well I so happy to report I was one of the 9 runners up and won £100 worth of fabric from Backstitch – which I am about to choose now! I am so honoured to even be alongside such fantastic stitchers and THANKYOU all for your votes!! 🙂

Right enough of me… how are you all? Did you have a good Christmas? What did you get? What are your new year’s resolutions? Mine is to BLOG MORE!! So let’s see how I get on with that. But honestly, I’d love to hear from you… did anyone else get shed loads of sewing/crafts stuff?!

Lots of love and new year wishes
Xox Gabengaged!! xoX

Hello I’m Gabby! When I’m not singing with my band 'Gabby Young' I’m mainly sewing, dreaming about fabrics, patterns or knitting and vlogging or blogging about it all! Come join me! Xox Gabby
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9 comments
  1. miss-minoes 04/01/2015

    Congratulations, Gabby & Stephen! What a beautiful proposal story (nearly had me in tears as well).

    And what an accomplished sewer you are. Amazing! Especially the robe for your dad. It looks so grand.

    <3

  2. endairagOth 05/01/2015

    awww CONGRATULATIONS!!! I’m super happy for you two, lovey doveys <3

  3. stephen shepherd 05/01/2015

    Congratulations to you both and well done to Gabby for making great homemade presents. Also well done to Stephen for being such a class act.

  4. Little Crochet 05/01/2015

    Congratulations, Gabby and Steven! And well done on making your Christmas presents, I did that too and it’s the best feeling 🙂 Love from fanimal Marie xxx

  5. mark baltzer 05/01/2015

    congrats to you both i also remembered your solo song married in my head on the free second memory cd now your just 1 step away from the real thing ..happy dayz

  6. Kerry Burnout 06/01/2015

    Congratulations, and well done on the lovely makes. Your dad’s robe looks especially awesome and he looks so proud and happy wearing it. Have a fab 2015.

  7. Anonymous 09/01/2015

    Many congratulations to you both. Such a beautiful proposal story, Gabby, made me feel all warm and cosy. The home made pressies are fab and I will definitley buy a pair of your PJ bottoms 🙂 Pauline x

  8. KnittyNora 27/05/2016

    Loving working my way through your old(er) blog posts. You have become my blogging hero 🙂

    Absolutely love your Christmas day engagement story ?

    KnittyNora xx

    1. Gabby Young 27/05/2016

      Yay thankyouuuu! Xox

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