A few Christmas projects

Now that Christmas is over, I can share some of the homemade things I did this year!
I have some cute, handmade stockings that I've been using since we got married.  Problem was that I only have 3 and this year I needed 4!  So, following the scrappy log cabin style, I made another stocking (along with some help from my mom!).  That would be easier and cheaper than buying 4 new ones, right?  The only problem is that seeing the beautiful quilt shop fabric I used on this one made me want to replace the others!! I loved the old ones until I saw the new.  And I cut this one a little small and sewed it more like a boot than like a stocking. So I guess next year I'll be making 4 new ones.  So much for easier and cheaper!

 fabric close up

with his buddies!

 My mom helped made this for me while I worked on my stocking.  My cute girl needed a new pillow for Christmas.  But what fun is a pillow without a sparkly pillowcase to cover it?  For the record, I know how to make these, but my mom has a serger and it is so much faster on that!

 I made 2 of these I spy bags.  One for a friend's birthday and one for my kids.  This is the first time I actually made one.  A few lessons I learned:
1. The hardest part is finding things to put in it.
2. Buttons are a good solution for #1
3. Don't line the back.  I sandwiched interfacing between 2 layers of fabric so the wrong side wouldn't show through the clear window.  Better to use flannel and have it be pliable - and it's ok if the wrong side shows!
4. Use hard laminating for the tag.
5. Make these square.  Seriously, what was I thinking with the circle?  Let's pick the hardest shape to sew.
6. Shower curtain liner will not work as the plastic.  Just buy some from JoAnn's.  (Or borrow some from  your sister who is also making I spy bags, like I did).

 Ours had fish on it.  For our little friend, I did a sports fabric that I've loved for a while but has needed the right project!

 Here's the contents list....

 but 3 year olds can't read, so I took pictures!

 I made table runners for some ladies at church I work with.  I was at the quilt shop buying fabric for my stocking and they had so many cute Christmas fabric, that I decided to make these so I had an excuse to buy some of the fabric!

 Love it!

 Some hooded towels for my cute baby! (In BYU colors, of course!!)

 A dolly blanket for my daughter's baby doll.  I used scraps from her brother's quilt.  Looking back, I wish I had added one more row on each side so it was a little bigger.  It works ok, but not quite big enough to sufficiently wrap the baby doll.  Or so I have been told.

 Backed with minky.  I wish I had a blanket backed with minky.  That stuff is so soft!!

 And finally I actually made some projects that I found online.  Its a miracle!! Big sister helped me make this one for little brother.  (I think the original is a little cuter, but I like mine too!)

 And a couple pom pom scarves for a cute niece! I hope she likes them!! I used variegated yarn for these, thinking that would give good color contrast.  I like how they turned out, but I think next time I would use 2 different colors of yarn.  They turned out different than I pictured, still cute, but different!