Lila's Christmas Stocking

I guess third time is the charm, since that is how many times I had to make this stocking before I got it to hang the right direction.


But it is done and just in time to hang it with care...


...because St. Nicholas soon will be here!

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your Christmas crafting was successful and you are ready to enjoy a relaxing holiday.

Christmas Crafting...one week to go...yikes.

What is it about crafters of any kind, sewers, knitters, crocheters, etc., that we consistently underestimate how long it will take us to make something? Every year, at about this time, I find myself scrambling frantically from pile to pile of unfinished fabric, yarn, and ribbons. Today I realized that one week really only has 7 days in it, and since most of these things are meant to be wrapped and under the tree or tucked into stockings, that is really only 6 days and I had better kick it into high gear. (And maybe be more realistic about what I can actually accomplish between now and then without permanent back or nerve damage...)


item 1: For Jake, a vest and tie. Since I make Christmas dresses for the girls, I thought it would be nice to do something for the boy too. Cut out, except for the tie lining which I need to go rummaging through the stash to see if I already have some so I don't have to make yet another trip to Jo Ann's.


item 2: The aforementioned Christmas dresses. Well, the idea of them anyhow. The fabric is washed, the pattern pieces are cut out, but I am sort of designing and drafting as I go so we'll see how close the finished project is to what I am envisioning. But don't you love the fabric? It's called Cookie Angels and I love it so much I went back for more...


item 3: Okay, this looks like much more craziness then it actually is. I am not making Jake 8 pair of pajama pants, only 3... maybe 4. This is just the fabric selection laid out while I try to choose which ones.


item 4: this is only a maybe, if I finish everything else (hey... it could happen...) I'm thinking of a cute top and skirt for Evie. Of course everything else also includes items 5 and 6: two knitted hats, and item 7: Lila's stocking, which is now correctly pieced and about 75% embroidered. Oh yes, and a doll blanket for Evie that has a crocheted edging, that's almost finished too.


This is my first felted knit project. I love this pattern! And no, these aren't for Christmas. I took time out to make these because I live in a constant state of denial when it comes to crafting. They turned out cute though. Once they are dry I need to sew on the straps and pick out some cute buttons, I'm thinking some black ones will really pop against the red.


And just to end on a positive note, an actual finished and completely completed project! Yay. Jake and Evie's Christmas eve jammies. Evie picked out the snowman fabric for the pants and I found the shirts at Walmart. Love it. Love it. Love it! Can't wait to see them on. Alright, off to get something else done.

Michaels Photo Entry - Thanksgiving Shirt

Michaels Photo Entry - Thanksgiving Shirt

Posted using ShareThis

Ready for Turkey Day!

I've had the idea for these shirts floating around my brain for a couple of weeks now, ever since I saw this post on Ucreate.


I really loved the three-dimensional look the ribbon gives the shirt. I am still trying to decided what kind of skirt I want to make to go with them. I am thinking a shorter skirt in orange or yellow (or both), with brown leggings underneath...


Keep an eye out for pictures of the whole outfits, complete with my models!

Fall knitting

Just because it's Halloween, I wanted to knit something orange.


Just kidding. I am making a top for Lila like this one I made for Evie. I am thinking in terms of a birthday outfit for my fall baby. It blows my mind that she will be one year old next month.


And these are my fall wristers. (Basically, they are fingerless gloves.) I finished them last night. Just in time for trick-or-treating!

My new ribbon rack!

I am really lucky to have my Dad. He is able to build just about anything I can dream up. It isn't unusual that I start a conversation with him with, "I was thinking..." or "I was wondering..." or "Do you think it would be possible..." A month or so ago I went to him with the idea for this ribbon rack.


As you can see I have a LOT of ribbon. Mostly collected over the past couple of years as I got into making hair bows for my girls. My cousin came down one day to make them with me and she had all her ribbon on a cafe rod that she hung in the window of her craft room. I loved the idea, but the only window in my craft room is too small and high to make that a workable solution for me. So then I thought about my mom's wrapping center and thought that would be perfect scaled down for my ribbons!

I love it, it is exactly what I was envisioning. Now I can see exactly which shade of pink will match the best, or whether zebra or cheetah print will work better. Before it was all jumbled together in a laundry basket and it was a lot of effort to pull it all out to make a hair bow. Now I will have a hair bow station under it with the hot glue gun and every thing setting out and ready to go, so it will be the work of a moment to make just one or two. Like tonight when I realized that I didn't really have anything to match the girl's church dresses for tomorrow.

Ta Da! Two hair bows in 5 minutes. And I didn't have to lug everything upstairs to the kitchen... perfect!

A busy knitting week...

Because of sick kids, I have spent most of this week watching cartoons and knitting with one or more child draped across my lap. Not the ideal way to knit, but I still got some things done.


This cute top for Evie. I really love how this turned out. I needed to add a couple of inches on the length, which will allow her to get a lot of use out of it.


I also finished a ear flap hat for Jake. (My first hat ever!) This still needs ties on it, but I do love how it turned out. I had to use the adult pattern to fit his huge cranium, but that works out nicely because now I can make one for Brian too.


I figured out how to size the pattern down to make one for Lila too. Couldn't be cuter. (I might be biased because of the model though.) I am working on one to match for big sister...


I absolutely love this hat pattern, they work up so quickly too. So fair warning, if you are on my Christmas list and you have a head, you will probably be getting one of these.