Christmas Sewing

As usual, I hoped to get many more things made for Christmas gifts this year.  I started early but you know how things go.  I did get a few things made, though:

Jammies.  Every year I make them whether they need them or not.  Well, J. always needs them, K. not so much.  (In fact, she has so many choices that it sometimes results in tears at the end of the day because she's too tired to decide!).  K.'s are McCalls M4646.  This pattern is so huge, I've been making the same size (size 3!) for ages, and just adding more length each year.  

Since J. will wear pj pants, I bought the sleepover pattern this year.  I cut out the top but it got put aside when I decided to make J. a dress for Christmas Eve.  I may finish it.  But then again, I may not.  I had already made a field trip tee for her to wear to school on her pj day so she doesn't really need another top. And she would likely choose a comfy knit top over one with buttons anyway.  Look how happy she looks, what a ham!

K. wore this playtime dress for three days straight so I'm glad I got it finished.  The fabric is a Michael Miller knit and it was a steal from Fabricland at around $3.50/m.  

 A couple of months ago, my mom put the word out to her friends that I was always looking for buttons.  Several of them have sent some pretty fabulous collections my way and K. is always almost as excited as me when they arrive.  When she found this one, she told me it had to go on the next thing I made her so she was thrilled to see it, even if it doesn't have any function.

I had planned for this hopscotch shirt to be a pj top and I was going to make pj pants but K. told me in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't wear pj pants (I should already know this -- she didn't wear the ones I made last year or any of the ones that J. has grown out of).  So this top is pretty bland but that might work well as she's got lots of colour in her wardrobe already, including these playtime leggings (also in the cheap-o Michael Miller knit).   It is so hard to get a picture of her these days when she's not being a clown!   She insisted the water bottle stay in the picture!

Finally, a linen tea party ruffle skirt for J.  The tutorial was originally posted on From an Igloo but it seems to not be available anymore.  Way back in 2010, it was one of the first tutorials I found and the skirt I made J. from it was one of her favourites for a long time.  And J. was impressed with this one, too: I make lots of things for the girls and things that are much more complicated than this but she asked me twice if I actually made the skirt or if I bought it :). 

So although I didn't finish all that I had planned, I think the stuff I did get done will be worn.  Success!

Stamped Placemat (singular!)

When I was home in September, my mom showed me some placemats that she'd bought years ago at a craft sale and said she'd not been able to find anything similar since (hint, hint!).  They were made out of a cheater print so I immediately thought of the Stamped yardage I'd won in a giveaway at the Long Thread few months ago.

I cut them out early (like in October!) and thought hand quilting them would make a nice relaxing project while watching TV or waiting at the kids activities.  Ha!  There clearly hasn't been enough TV watching and when my kids have been busy, I've busy too -- grocery shopping, Christmas shopping, running errands.

My dad was here on the weekend so I madly finished one that he could take home for Christmas.  His comment was that I might get the others finished in time for next Christmas.  Haha, Dad!  I hope not but now that they are definitely not going to be done in time for this Christmas despite my best intentions that might prove to the be case.  I need deadlines!  But not unrealistic deadlines as I don't work well under pressure.

Sewing with the kids

My littlest has shown a lot of interest in learning to sew; she makes things alongside me whenever I'm working. So far it's mostly been handsewing -- buttons onto scraps or small shapes into doll "blankets" -- but she's been asking to use my sewing machine for a long time.  She's five right now (and a fairly mature five) so I decided it was time.  Our first project is tissue cozies for teacher gifts and it's been perfect -- all straight seams and not very many of them.  Plus they don't take much fabric so I get to make a dent in my overflowing scrap bin.

Both my girls have gotten involved (my eldest is 8) and they have been enjoying picking the fabric and, because each one is quick to sew up, the sewing, too. I don't think they'd have the attention span for anything more involved than this right now.  We've sewing up one or two and then they've been decorating them with fabric paint and markers.  They're really proud that they've made them themselves and have been compiling a huge list of people they want to give them to.