Christmas Gift Sewing

This will be one post about all the Christmas gifts I sewed this December.  This probably is the most gifts I have sewn in quite some time, which makes me so happy

Gift Sewing Day 4 - Pillows and Table Runners

Last day of gift sewing - three sets of pillows and table runners.  I have already given one set to my mother and a table runner to my mother-in-law so you are seeing two pillows and one table runner.

Christmas Modern Barn Raising Quilt

Third Quilt in this pattern is complete and off to Kaitlyn's house.

Christmas in July

You hear that phrase quite a bit - Christmas in July, right?  Well, this year I actually sewed ahead of schedule for the holiday season.  This beautiful tree skirt is for Kaitlyn and Jake and will be perfect in their home for the Christmas season.  By the way, can you believe it is almost their one year anniversary?  See wedding details here

Christmas Ornaments

My girls and I are always ready for Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel.  The first one of the season for me was, The Christmas Ornament.  In this movie, one of the supporting characters tells the story of their ornaments and how so many of them are from gift shops, marking the events of their life.

Later in the weekend, I was putting up a tree in my dining room.  This tree is metallic and red ornaments, many of them angels.  In previous years, I have had help with this tree but this year the twins just wanted to relax during their break from college and the older two girls have family trees of their own.  I understood and started a new chapter, decorating this tree by myself.  At first I was a bit sad, then as I was pulling out the ornaments, I remembered all the events that were connected to the ornaments.

Here is one my brother brought me from Europe,  when he studied abroad, many years ago.

Then my brother and his wife had made a very special  ornament painted for us.  My sister-in-law called one snowy morning and said, "don't go outside for an hour."  She didn't say why but we did as we were told.

After seeing the ornament, I realized the importance of not disturbing the snow.  My brother took a photograph that morning.

Then there was the trip to Disney World, with the entire family, Paige included.

From the gift shop at Ellis Island on a trip with Erin

With the twins at Mount Vernon

Add to this some angels

And I have a tree full of memories. If this is not enough memories, the family room tree is amass with memories.  More trips, school events, first Christmas, ones I have made (sewing and cross-stitch)  and many more.

What about you, do you have a favorite ornament?  An ornament you like to make as a gift?  Do you like to watch Hallmark Movies, too?

Joy to the World

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Last Gift Completed and Wrapped

I wanted to make something for my older two daughters, Paige and Erin.  They both have beautiful homes and really enjoy decorating for Christmas. 

I started out with these pictures, purchased for 10 cents each at Dollar General

I painted the entire picture and frame in the same paint.  For the past 12 days, Silhouette has been graciously giving a design a day for the 12 days of Christmas.  I have been downloading them each and every day.  I used a free design on each of the girls' pictures.

Here is Paige's:

Next Erin's:


                                   

I have a couple of gifts (sewing ones) that I will share after Christmas, I don't want a couple of people knowing what they are getting. 


With these two gifts, I am finished crafting and sewing.  The presents are all wrapped, the food is purchased, cookies made and sampled!

Tomorrow is the day for my older two girls to come home with their guys and we have Christmas with them.  Then off to my mom and dad's for Christmas Eve with 16 of us.  I can't wait, it will be so fun.

Deck the Halls

All my projects are completed, the presents are wrapped, the cookies baked, groceries purchased for the dinners and the house is all decked out.  So I thought I would share some pictures of my home ready for the Christmas celebration.

I will start with the dining room.

My newest addition, a banner found at my local drug store

Buffet with a collection of white Santas, my aunt gave me one each Christmas for many years.  Cross stitch picture made by my Mom. 

Close up of Santas and cloche

Hutch with mercury glass, red plates and ruffled trees (made by Kaitlyn)

Trees

Reindeer and mercury glass tree

Dining room table.  The tree in the background is artificial and we don't put some of the branches in the back on the lower part.  This allows the tree to be closer to the wall and doesn't stick out into the room.  Ornaments are glass, silver and gold, mostly angels.

Now to the family room:

I just put these in new frames, so updated my pictures.  I made the middle one and my mom made the other two for me.  Each year when I pull these out, I think I should cross stitch again.

So happy I painted this aqua, it really looks great with all the red accents

Red accents

These beautiful gourds were painted by my aunt (same one who gives me the white santas)

The girls started giving me these wooden santas and snowmen years ago. 

My mother-in-law started the collection with this Santa

Now the bedroom:

Ornament wreaths and PB inspired pillows

We have a small electric fireplace in the master bedroom and here is the mantle - I made the cross stitch Santa, my aunt has moved onto blue santas for me.

Close up of Santa

Small tree in the room.

Merry Christmas!

Cupcakes Anyone?

We have been busy baking the last two days.

Here is a sampling of the cupcakes the twins have made.

Meredith went with Rudolph. Found at Family Fun

Kaitlyn's choice was Christmas Trees

Candy shaped stars were called for the topper on these trees but we couldn't find anything like that.  I cut stars with my Silhouette and we made cupcake toppers with toothpicks.  Find the instructions here

Quick Gift Idea

Are you looking for a quick, easy and very useful gift idea?  This morning I made just such a gift, two, in fact.
At the first of December, I printed off these Circle Zip Earbud Pouch Tutorial for the twins.  They never can find their earbuds and this little pouch would be the perfect solution.  Fast forward to December 22nd and guess what I hadn't made yet.  Thanks to Stacy Sews wonderful Linky Thursday, which the earbud pouch was one of the links, I was reminded that these were on my to-do list.

I had 30 minutes to spare this morning before work and the girls are still sleeping (Christmas break).  I made two of these in less than 20 minutes.  Now they can fasten them to their backpack or car key ring and always have their earbuds handy.

Two More Poinsettia Pillows

One for me and one for a friend.

One More Gift Completed

This is the Bungalow Bag pattern, wrapped and ready to go now.

Poinsettia Pillow

I used a combination of two patterns.  The first, Amy Butler's Snow Mum pillow (free download)   and the second, Censational Girl.  My first intention was to use only the Amy Butler pattern but it was too much aqua and tone-on-tone.  I remembered the pillow from Censational Girl and used the petals for a base.  After sewing on the larger petals, I then attached my snow mum.

  This one is for Erin for Christmas and her color scheme for the holiday is aqua and red.

December - Month of bags and Purses

Bags and Purses might be the only thing I get accomplished this month.  Here is a bag I was hired to make for a present, actually two but I only photographed one.  They have been delivered, mark those off the list. Late last night I finished a bag for Erin, she wanted it for a gift for her future sister-in-law (photograph soon)

Tonight I should have worked on Kaitlyn's Weekender bag but I just couldn't find any mojo.  Instead I watched television with the girls and then photographed some of the ornaments on my tree.  

This is one I made years ago, using my embroidery machine.  Beautiful digitizing on these designs.

I hope my mojo comes back and I can finish that bag, Christmas is coming quickly.  What makes it harder is sewing when the girls don't come into my sewing room, that leaves early in the morning or late at night.

Poinsettia Wreath

A new wreath for my front door was needed this Christmas season.  After seeing, V and Co. Poinsettia Wreath, I knew just the one I needed.

My only change was to cut the stems a bit longer so I could wrap them on the back of the grapevine wreath and hopefully keep the flowers on the wreath with the wind.

If you need a wreath this one is fast and easy.

Stockings

A sunshine filled day and I wanted to play with camera settings.  I have reading on all my camera settings and trying to snap in manual instead of auto settings.

The stockings were my models.

Next year's project, another stocking for my soon-to-be son-in-law.

Stocking holders

Using U Create's November Project for inspiration, Erin and I (and her dad) made her stocking holders for her new home.

We got a 2 x 6 scrap board, cut each four pieces 5-1/4" each. Mike used his router and made a groove for the frames..  The frames are 4 x 6 frames from Hobby Lobby (50% off) and with the routed groove, Erin can change what is in the frame.  A little bit of paint on all the wooden surfaces, she has mostly turquoise and red ornaments for her tree.

The frames have scrapbooking paper background and initials cut out with my Silhouette.  She bought hooks in our small town but they were the wrong color, so she painted them her trim paint color.

take a look

Stocking found at Hobby Lobby and yes one for their dog.  I am going to embroidery their names on felt and then stitch it onto the stockings.

Her fiance's holder

Her holder

 Aren't they cute?  And very inexpensive to make.  I might need new ones, I really like Shanty 2 Chic's holders with the clothespin.  I am thinking a cute picture of the girls when they were little, dressed in their Christmas finest.

New Camera

This picture was taken with my camera, given to me by hubby on Christmas morning.  Another Canon Rebel to replace my 8 year old rebel.  It is amazing and I played with it all Christmas afternoon, with a break to sled and play in the snow.

I have high hopes for much better pictures on the blog.  Hurray!

I have plans for sewing tomorrow morning then we are putting down new flooring in the basement family room, so all the furniture will be piled in my sewing room tomorrow night.  I am hoping it will only be 3 days and I can have my sewing room back.

One of My Christmas Presents

Look what Paige made me for Christmas. Isn't it beautiful? She has been working on this for 2-3 years during college breaks and it was my Christmas present. I opened the box and saw this picture and yes, I cried a bit. All that hard work and it was for me. I have put away all my other Christmas decorations but not this. I want to admire it for a few more weeks. Paige has started on a second one of these and it is for her. She does the most amazing cross stitch. I had a hard time getting a good picture with the reflections.





Off to finish a birthday cake, Erin is 20 tomorrow and then finish cleaning house for a small New Year's Eve Party.

I wish you a Happy New Year!

Reindeer Pops

Have you ever visited Bakerella? I found this site about a year ago and since then Kaitlyn has been fascinated by her creations. Today, Kaitlyn decided to try the reindeer pops. It is quite the undertaking but in the end they turned out very cute.

First we had quite a few mishaps.

*Two pops ended up on the floor while the chocolate was still wet
*Kaitlyn burned one batch of chocolate bark
*Then you are suppose to make the cake balls the size of a quarter. Kaitlyn always likes bigger, think golf ball size. Good for eating, I don't have a problem with bigger but the pops and the sticks have a problem with bigger.


Here are the cake pops on the sticks drying.

Bad photo but this is what happens when the pops are too big. The weight of the chocolate coating is just too much and plop goes the reindeer.





So Kaitlyn ditched the sticks and just put the pops on a large plate. These turned out very cute and will taste just the same.






This will be my last post for a few days, Christmas celebrations start tomorrow for our family. I can't wait to see all my family.



To you and yours Merry Christmas