The Stitch Up

Christmas Craft-A-Rama

I did my yearly Christmas craft exchange with my friend Teresa this year and the them this year was: garlands!

What I love about this exchange is seeing how we each interpret the assignment. My friend Teresa is so creative and she will often incorporate vintage items into her projects and they end up having a quirky and cool vibe - very much like my friend herself - that I love.

My friend Teresa used a garland she found on Etsy as the base for her design. 

She then modified a Danish pattern for the little trees as the trees were very tiny in the original pattern. She made the trees bigger and then used some of the vintage items she’s collected over the years to ornament them.

My cat is already a big fan.

I wanted to go with a forest friends theme for my garland project and realized that the patterns I have from Alicia Paulson for felt ornaments would work great for this. I made a few changes in order to give everything a cohesive "woodsy Christmas" feel and I also created a fox pattern to add another cute animal to the mix.

I also created a "snowy mountain" pattern, although that is pretty much just a couple of triangles put together!

Once again I love how different our projects are: what inspires us, how we put our own spin on the assignment and how it reflects our personalities. If you’re interested in our past projects you can take a look here, here, and here!

This year, Teresa and I were not the only ones getting crafty. Each year my husband and I trade off on who will decorate the fireplace mantle. I tend to be a little one note: I have a collection of Christmas deer and I usually make them the focus of my display.  Last year I had the deer having an "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party":

My husband on the other hand gets VERY creative. His last installation two years ago was an ode to the Christmas Truce in the Hurtgen Forest during WW2.

This year he completely outdid himself.  He created a full replica of Martinis restaurant from the movie "It’s a Wonderful Life".

This is our favorite Christmas movie to watch and Martinis is the location of some of the major moments in the movie. My husband made the restaurant replica from scratch, adding indoor and outdoor lighting and even a light up "Martini's" neon sign.

The special touches include the “Ask Dad – He’ll Know” sign, which graced the soda shop where a young George worked.

I expect this to be a treasured part of our Christmas decorations for years to come.

We're now in that final few days ahead of Christmas where the gifts have been bought, crafts have been completed, treats have been baked and we are ready to just relax and soak up the season.  Wishing a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to all and hoping your holiday crafting has been fun!

Crafty Christmas

It always seems like I don't completely catch up on Christmas crafting - and can't post about it - until Christmas day every year.  This year I'm even a few days later then that - I blame it on Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year.

Part of it is wanting to wait until the recipients of my crafting have actually received their gift - the other part is I'm usually stitching up until the last possible minute before slapping some gift wrap on whatever I've been making on Christmas Eve.  So - a bit late, but here are a few of the things I worked on for this Christmas:

First up, I did an elf exchange with my good friend Teresa:  We each got the basic face and form to make an elf on the shelf and then designed an outfit.  I decided mine should be "Elfis"

This is the way my friend displayed Elfis when he reached his new home at her house:

This is the elf that my friend made me - his little crocheted coat and shoes are so cute!

I also made ornaments for my nieces again this year.  I made a couple of very cute Christmas llamas from Maisie Moos shop on Etsy.

It was a great pattern and came together pretty quickly.  

My final project was a little something for my husband.  He is always jotting down notes or highlighting the books he is reading so I thought a "pen bandolier" would be a great gift.  I used this tutorial and this was also a pretty quick project to put together.  It makes a nice gift along with a new journal if you're looking for a quick hand made gift to give.

I felt pretty productive despite the fact that Christmas is always a hectic time.  I'm ready now to do a little slow stitching and enjoy huddling with some longer projects while I ease into the New Year - Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year all!

Christmas Doings

We kicked off Christmas this year right after Thanksgiving with a trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for the Christkindlemarkt.  It's a pretty impressive Christmas Market with a bunch of great vendors, local wineries and distilleries, and really good food.

The coolest thing about the market though is that it's located in the old steel works factory which was pretty amazing to see.

When we got back home we got to work on decorating.  The husband took over decorating the mantle this year.  In past years I have broken out my deer collection and gone deer crazy on the mantle.  For reference, my mantle from a couple years ago:

Peaceful and enchanting right?  This year the husband designed what he called "Christmas in Deadwood":

It's a little more violent than the deer display but it's pretty awesome.  There is, in addition to the culturally inappropriate shootout, an impending bear attack.  I'm choosing to believe that all participants stop fighting and sing Christmas carols before anything really dark happens. 

I also designed an ornament pattern this year!  It's a little rough and hand drawn, but it gets the job done.  I'm still working on my adobe skills so maybe next years version will be a bit more polished.  In the mean time, the pdf for this year is here Download Cactus Ornament.

It's a pretty simple ornament - just two parts.  You can really just decorate it however you want.  I took a few pictures as I put it together:

Feel free to get someone to help you with this project -

In addition to my own creation I made ornaments for my nieces using the first of the 12 days of Christmas pattern from mmmcrafts.  This is the partridge and pear tree pattern set:

These were fun to make and the pattern was easy to follow.  I'm not sure I'll make it through all twelve of the  patterns but they are so cute I"m going to try!

I've packed in a bunch of crafts so far but I'm still hoping to knock out a table cloth this weekend.  I do tend to overload my craft schedule around Christmas but there are so many fun things to make I just want to do it all.  

Of course my Christmas preparations were not complete until I broke out all my Christmas salt and pepper shakers.  I did get a little crazy and decorate my little display case to give it some extra holiday pizazz.

Now I'm just down to sending out cards and doing some holiday baking.  Putting this all down in one spot makes me feel kind of productive - but I'm ready for a little relaxing by the tree.  

I hope everyone's holiday is wonderful and peaceful.  Merry Christmas!

 

 

Thankful

I spent the last couple of weeks finishing up a section of an ongoing project and getting ready for the holiday season.

This is one corner of a sampler I'm working on.  The flowers represent state flowers from various places my family has lived over the generations.  It's taken me a while to get this portion done, so I'm taking a little break to work on holiday projects before starting back on this.

My first plan was to get my salt and pepper shaker collection organized so I can pull out seasonal shakers more easily.  I had some help on this project:

I've got everything organized now according to season/holiday which is very helpful since when I pulled out my Autumn/Thanksgiving shakers I realized I only had THREE sets.  Obviously this was not enough for any kind of display so I bought some turkey shakers to go with my pilgrims and pumpkins.  

I already know that my Christmas shaker collection is BIG so I'm looking forward to getting those sets out.  And speaking of Christmas I've got some projects planned already:

Currently I have some felt ornaments, a tablecloth and a wreath made of wine corks planned.  If this is like most holidays however, other projects will slip in as well.

I also have a project I'm working on for a contest - it's not holiday themed so it's going to be a little bit of a challenge to keep working on it while I want to just do Christmas stuff but it has a due date in January so I'm going to try and stay focused.

I feel like I'm not necessarily ahead of the holiday crafting game, but I'm at least prepared for it.  I hope everyone's Thanksgiving is great and you holiday season is filled with fun crafting!

 

 

Fall Wrap Up and Christmas Prep

We are firmly into Winter and I didn't post anything about Fall.  Some years are like that but this year in particular has seemed to fly by.  So a quick summary here of Fall and some of the stuff I made in preparation for Christmas.  This will make me feel like I'm starting the New Year all caught up and ready to start fresh - so bare with me!

I finished a few projects on my WIP list.  One was a cowl from a Wool And The Gang kit.  I love the color and it knit up really quick.

The other project was a wedding quilt I had hoped to finish BEFORE we went to the wedding in July, but at least I did finish it up and was able to send it just a couple months late.

I made a couple of trips.  One to central California where I did a short trip up to Sequoia National Park.  I am still awed by the size of the trees.  The whole forest at that elevation feels like something out of a German fairy tale.

We also made a trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving and hit the Kent State University Museum.  They have a really nice costume collection.  They are always rotating new exhibits so I look forward to going back soon.

I went a little crazy with pics there so head over to my Flickr feed if you love historical clothes.  I have you covered!

I made a few Christmas ornaments this year - I actually got them done before Thanksgiving so they kind of count as a Fall craft.

I had to modify a couple of patterns for the tiger and the hippo, but I also made on of Alicia Paulson's ornaments which are always a strong stand-by and require no changes!

I also tried my hand and making infused booze to give as Christmas gifts this year.  

It is...very strong.  I made pear liqueur using this recipe from Larder Love.  I actually like the recipe and her website in general, but I do think I need to play with the amount of pear etc. next time.  I'm kind of addicted to making flavored alcohol after this so I may try experimenting with a whole bunch of different fruits.  I'm still holding out hope that the blackberry bush goes nuts this coming summer and I have more fruit than I know what to do with.  For now, the pear liqueur is all bottled up and being given to unsuspecting friends and family.  

Whoo!  Which brings us to Christmas!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.  It finally feels like I have a chance to catch my breath and it has been a very nice peaceful day.  Looking forward to all that 2017 will bring!

 

Christmas Preparations and Wind Down

Despite not updating the blog about my Christmas preparations, I have in fact been keeping busy getting ready for the holiday season.  I made a couple of ornaments for my adorable nieces:

These are from the wonderful Alicia Paulson.  These are from the Snow Day and Ice Skating Afternoon patterns.  We also did some decorating and tree trimming:

The cat helped:

And I did a little baking for the neighbors:

I made white chocolate cranberry pecan fudge, peanut butter krispie balls, Nutella booze balls and the husband made an apple cider cake.  I saved all the recipes on my Christmas Inspiration Pinterest page if you want to take a look at any of them.

I also have a new favorite ornament.  The teacher from the tatting class I took back in October sent out ornaments to her students.  This arrived just in time to get on the tree for Christmas.

It's really cute and so thoughtful as I know she's a very busy woman.  And such a good thing to remember to stop and think of others even when things get hectic during the holidays.  I hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Christmas Whirl

This month is going by in a rush.  Luckily I have had some help in getting ready for Christmas.

I have made time to do some Christmas crafting.  I don't get my little assistant involved in any sewing despite her obvious skills with decorating.  She spends most of her time attacking the thread.

There are so many cute patterns and ideas for Christmas crafts out there that I want to make everything, but by the time the holidays get under way I'm happy to just get one or two things made.  

Next up is a little baking - I don't completley feel like I've celebrated Christmas until I've iced a few angel cookies!  Hope everyone's Christmas is going great!

Christmas Gifts

My favorite gifts to give really are the homemade gifts.  Not everyone loves to get home crafted stuff but there is nothing I like better than to make something and send it off to one of my friends (or my mom) who really love crafty gifts.

This year I finally used the Matroyshka Doll ornament pattern from My Sparkle.  It is so cute and the pattern was easy to follow.

I made this for my friend Teresa who enjoys making things as much as I do.

I had also bookmarked this very cool Christmas Tree Trivet pattern from Stitching and Bacon that I wanted to make for hostess gifts.  The pattern was pretty easy once I got going and these trivets came together quickly.  I made a few for hostess gifts and to send to friends and family.

I always have a long list of crafts I don't manage to get to - work can really put a cramp in my crafting time!  But it felt great to spend a little time with felt and fabric and make some gifts with my own hands that I hope will make my friends and family smile.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and that your Christmas crafting was successful!

Christmas Ornament Explosion

I was on quite a roll for a while and thought I'd make a HUGE pile of felt ornaments - some to give away, some to decorate the tree, some to stockpile for any kind of Mayan apocalypse.  But, as often happens, work, travel, and life have slowed me up a bit.  I did get a few done.  They were so much fun to put together and got me in the Christmas spirit.

Of course I made the little Jane Austen-y ornament.  You can get the pattern I made here.

I did make an ornament gift for my friend Trese.  And adorable squirrel made from a pattern by You Go Girl.

The rest of the ornaments I made are all from Alicia Paulson's patterns.  I managed to get all of the "Walk in the Woods" set done.

The house took a little while to finish, but it came out so cute!  I also started on the "Snow Day" set.

I made the bear for my husband as his ornament this year.  Hopefully I'll get to the cute winter jacket ornament with the rest of the set next year.  I also bought the Ice Skating Afternoon pattern set which I'll have to break out next year as well.  The skate and hot chocolate in that set are so cute - it may be tough to wait until next year.

There are a ton of cute patterns posted around the web for anyone looking to make some last minute ornaments.  This matryoshka pattern by My Sparkle is especially adorable.  I hope everyone's Christmas plans are coming together well!  Happy Holidays all!

Jane Austen-y, Little Women-y Christmas Pattern

I am officially in the Christmas spirit!  We broke out the decorations last night, cranked up the Christmas tunes, downed some Gluvein and made like elves.  But while the house wasn't really Christmasy before last night, I was actally doing some Christmas crafts - even before Thanksgiving.

This year the craft is felt ornaments.  I should have been making felt ornaments for Christmas a LONG time ago.  They are so fun to make and they are finished quickly so I can knock a few out each week.  I've been making some of Alicia Paulson's patterns which are so cute.  I've also found some other patterns around the web that people have been nice enough to share.  There are so many cute ideas out there.  I was inspired by the patterns everyone was sharing and also by the Feeling Stitchy December Stitch-a-Long to try my hand at making my own felt Christmas ornament pattern.

I love just about everything Jane Austen related and I also like to watch Little Women at Christmas time.  I realize these are two different eras, but the whole big skirts, big bonnet, fur muff winter look was what I was going for with my first ornament pattern.

I made a very basic pdf pattern,  Feel free to click the link and download it.  Just cut two of each of the pattern pieces and you're on your way.

I decided to go with a red dress for Christmas time, but I think you could use any color and it would be fun.  I also think you could replace the muff with a Christmas gift or wreath or something else.

First step, put a little glue on the top of the neck, place the bonnet on top and press the pieces together with your fingers. Then, blanket stich on the bonnet to the neck.

Next - a little more glue on the bottom of the neck piece, place the dress on top and finger press the two together.  Then, blanket stitch the dress onto the neck.

You may have to make some tiny stitch as I realize the neck area is pretty small.

Next step - a little fabric glue on the back of the arm piece and finger press it into place, then blanket stitch around the arm.

And the final piece!  The fur muff.  Place a little glue on the muff and press it into place on the arm and dress - the location is indicated on the pattern.  Blanket stitch this in place. I used white thread here.

And now you're ready for the fun part.  I think you could do whatever you want to decorate her dress and hat.  A big bold embroidery stitch, applique on some fabric.  It's also a great chance to use up scraps of ribbon or lace that you have lying around.  Go nuts!

Once you're finished, you repeat the whole thing on the other side.  Place the two sides together and blanket stitch around, leaving a small section in the bottom of the skirt to use to stuff with batting.  I changed thread color at the neck and the muff.  You don't have to stuff the skirt, but it makes it puff out nicely and look a bit more like she's got a wad of petticoats under there.

A little close up on the details of my ornament:

I hope other people have fun with this pattern.  Please remember it is being shared for personal use only, not commercial use of the pattern or the ornaments made from the pattern.  If you do make up the Jane Austen-y pattern please leave a link or a photo in the comments - I'd love to see what other people do with it!

Merry Christmas!