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!

My ambitious sewing project

In January, I decided I needed a new project.  So I started making this quilt for my daughter's birthday.  I've still got a long way to go, but after 4 trips to the quilt shop and countless hours, I'm making good progress!

I started with this fabric.

And this pattern

I spent a lot of time cutting

 more time piecing

 I made 15 "friendship star" blocks and 24 "churn dash" blocks, cut a few setting triangles....

 I think it's going to look great!!

Now I just have to sew it all together, back it, quilt it, and bind it.  My daughter's birthday is in 1 week.  I think this might be a Christmas present....

Why I don't make toys

 I worked really hard at making my daughter some cute paper dolls.  I found the fabric at the quilt shop, cut out all the dolls and their clothes, backed them and even made a cute carrying pouch for all the clothes and dolls.  I knew it would be so much fun for my daughter to play with and keep her quiet during church. 

But everytime I get them out, my daughter looks at me and says, "no, let's just clean them up."  Fine, I'll just play with them by myself because I think they are cute and fun!!

What I've been up to....

I recently turned this

and this....

 into cute "paper" dolls with clothes.  And had some leftovers to use for gifts for other little girls that may like them!

 

I made a table runner for my MIL and one for myself for Christmas.  

My quilt class is finished now, so I have turned my eyes to making Ellie a big girl blanket for her big girl bed.  Imagine this....

with this fabric...

Here's hoping I can pull it off!!

Latest projects

Lately I've been giving my sewing machine a good workout with:

• blocks for my block of the month class at a local quilt shop. I love going to this class! I love spending the morning with my mom and looking at all the fabric.  And I love pretending I understand all the terms everybody uses!

• Working on ornaments for my tree this year.  I've made good progress in getting the background stars cut, most of the pieces traced and cut out of the fusible web.  Still need to fuse to fabric, cut them out again, then piece together on the star.  Think I can finish by November?

• An awesome project for a friend who just had a baby which I can't share yet, because I haven't sent it yet and she may read this!
• Happy thoughts about the project I bought the last time I went to the quilt shop....guess what I'm making!

It's time to start preparations for next year!

Before December was even over, I found what I must have in my house for next Christmas. Some darling ornaments found in this book that my mom owns - Star of Wonder by Nancy Halvorsen. Ok, I really want everything in this book, but seeing as how I didn't inherit my mom's sewing gene, I am going to start small. Thanks to my mom's endless stash of fabric, the cost for this project will be minimal. And I'm hoping that the addition of 21 little handmade ornaments (3 of each of the 7 patterns) will make my tree a little less depressing next year! Here goes nothing!

If you can't be crafty, know someone who is!

One thing I love about putting up my Christmas decorations is all the memories they hold. When I was in college, my mom used to make decorations and send them to me, so my drab college apartment would have a little holiday cheer. When I pull them out now, I rememeber hanging them up in all my apartments (a different one each year of school!), in our newlywed apartment and now our first home.

Did I mention my mother is an AWESOME quilter/seamstress?

Here's a few things she has made for me. Oh, and she makes matching things for each of my 4 siblings too. Yea, she's awesome!

Advent Calendar

The pieces still to go up

I love this one!

The advent calendar (after I ate all the candy off it!) :)

I love my mom!