Christmas Card Fun

Yes, I know the holidays are pretty much over. But now that we are taking items down for storage, I keep coming across more fun things. We started doing this project last year and Emily still loves making these this year. We take Christmas cards that have been sent to us and cut the front off. Then using a hole punch, I make holes around the perimeter of the picture. Then using coordinating yarn, Emily "sews" around the card and finishes it with a yarn hanger. They provide lots of practice hand sewing and I think they are pretty as well!



Here is a small collection of the ones Emily has made. We have many more....but Emily also has given some away. In addition, they look great hanging on our interior doors.

My Favorite Skirt

I finally remembered to show a picture of the skirt I recently finished. (I really am of average height....the picture makes me look like I am 3 feet tall.) This skirt is actually my own pattern, but only after trying almost every pattern imaginable and not liking any of them. I wanted an A-line skirt that wasn't too bell-shaped (yes, been there done that) and was long in length to keep my legs warm in cool weather. Oh, and I can't forget, it cannot have elastic in it!! I can't stand elastic or anything tight around my middle. My mother can tell you stories of when I was a young girl and she'd buy me cute outfits and I'd get the scissors out and cut through the elastic. I still feel the same way. When I was pregnant I would buy clothes with elastic and promptly come home.....cut the elastic out, reconstruct the garment and add a drawstring. No elastic on this body.

Anyway, I digress. I really like this skirt and I have received many compliments on it. My neighbor seems to think it makes me look like I've lost some weight....when in actuality I have gained a pound or two over the holidays. (The 2 gallon tin of gourmet chocolate cookies she brought over doesn't help either). The skirt sits just under my natural waistline with a zipper in the side and is hand hemmed....I really need to figure out how to use the blind hem foot on my sewing machine. Next (assuming I can remember how I made this one) I am thinking of making another one in small wale burgundy corduroy I've had for a couple years.

In other news, Emily loves her new sewing machine. She made a pillow the other night which she gave to her sister. I'll post a picture soon. She asks to sew every day. Like mother....like daughter! Elisabeth also sewed a pillow the same night...she used a sewing machine that her Aunt Terri gave her for Christmas. She was able to sew it almost all by herself...not bad for a just turned four year old. (She just came and asked me if she could sew again.) The sewing machines almost outnumber the televisions in this house.....I like that!!!

Post Christmas Post

We had a nice and relaxing Christmas day. We got up and started our day with some breakfast. Then after dressing, we leisurely opened our gifts. The girls were enthralled with their Baby Alive dolls. Plus there were plenty more fun dolls and items that kept their attention all day long.

The girls wore their special red outfits. I did manage to finish Elisabeth's dress the night before. The pattern calls for a ribbon around the bottom of the bodice.....but I am not sure I like the way the ribbon looks. Emily says she is ready for another jumper and is trying to determine what color she wants.

Ethan had a fun day as well. Even though we have had our Christmas tree up since Thanksgiving weekend, he has never once tried to touch it or the gifts that rapidly accumulated underneath it. However, once the first gift was opened, it was difficult to keep him away from the tree. Even today he is still reaching out to touch the tree and pull ornaments off of it.

Here is Elisabeth's dress without the ribbon around the waist. I guess we can attach it if she wants it on or leave it off if she doesn't. The dress seemed to take forever to make because the bodice is fully lined. I think jumpers are my favorite because they do not have sleeves or collars to worry about. However, I did put in the best zipper ever.....I pinned it, hand basted it, and then machine stitched it.....took awhile but I guess it was worth it. Elisabeth actually picked out this fabric at Hobby Lobby several weeks back. Emily chose a solid red fabric with black accents for her dress from the same pattern....but her option has long sleeves without a collar. I am not crazy about this pattern so unless she really wants it....I'm not reminding her about it.

Yesterday we had a lot of great food and fortunately almost all of it is gone. I can't eat like this every day....I would gain 50 pounds. In the last few days we have had chocolate chip cheesecake, chocolate pie, spritz cookies and all the usual Christmas dinner items. I guess I really have a post Christmas bloat!!!! No matter what....it's time to clean up the dinner dishes, let Emily sew on her new Bernina, and then play a great game of Hi Ho! Cherry-O with Elisabeth. Hope everyone had a great holiday surrounded with loved ones.

Christmas Eve

There used to be a time when I made almost 100% of the cards that left our house. Even after having one or two children, I was still able to make cards here and there. Now after three children, I rarely make cards anymore. However, the other day while cleaning out the guest room/Ethan's bedroom closet I found a box of cards I made over the years. Here is one of about 8 different Christmas cards I have made.

And here is the inside. I really enjoy making cards using rubber stamps and also dry embossed stencils. Maybe this coming year I will allocate more time for card making. Right now I am still sewing more than anything else.

Here are the girls right before bed tonight. They get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. In addition, they are sporting their new pjs. We buy them Christmas pjs every year and the first night they can wear them is Christmas Eve. Yes, Ethan has some as well..(they aren't pink though)...but he had already crawled out of the picture.

I may or may not post tomorrow.....so I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way

The girls love these jingle bell necklaces and they are insanely simple to make. We purchased the bells at Hobby Lobby and then put them on thin ribbon with a knot. They wear them everywhere and of course, they make a lot of noise. Sometimes the noise is good...and sometimes, well it is not so good. But the girls love them. And yes, they wear their jumpers all the time and I did not bribe them to put them on for the picture.

Tonight the girls are decorating a large brown box with Christmas rubber stamps and green and red ink pads. The box contains a gift for me and this is much easier than wrapping it.

I have a couple cheesecakes made for neighbors that I need to deliver tonight, and still a few more to make. Plus we have not made our cookies yet either......maybe we'll save them as a Christmas Eve activity. Tomorrow we will run a few last minute errands.

Last night I started sewing a new dress for Elisabeth and knitting a vest for Ethan. I am not sure how much time I will be able to spend on them this coming week with all the festivities of the holidays....but I'll certainly squeeze in as much time here and there as I can. In the meantime, I'll enjoy Emily playing Jingle Bells on the piano....and I just may join in since that is one of the duets we learned to play together.

Where's the Wabbit?????

I made this earflap hat for Ethan to keep his ears covered this winter. I used a size 2 pattern thinking it would give him some room to grow. I didn't realize it would fit Emily as well (yes, it really does fit both girls!) and that it will be another 7 years before it fits Ethan.

I love the concept of this hat....but I will have to redesign it so that it fits better. The pattern I have only goes down to a size 2......so maybe I can shrink it on the copy machine or something. In the meantime, we think this hat makes Ethan look like Elmer Fudd (I'm hunting wabbits!) or a Russian soldier......neither seems too attractive for our sweet boy! Time for some creative thinking....anyone have any chocolate?????

Emily's Christmas Jumper

Here's my latest completed project. Another sweet jumper for Emily. This one is using the solid red pin wale pique.

And the yummy looking lining fabric. At first glance, Wayne could be heard to say, "I'm not sure if I should look at it or eat it." My thoughts exactly!!! I pretty much have this pattern memorized and do not even need the instructions to complete it anymore. That probably means that unless I am heckled, I won't volunteer to make more. However, if Emily or Elisabeth politely asks....well, that's a different story.

I also finished up a long A-line navy blue skirt for myself last night. No pictures until it is pressed and ready for a photo op.

We made all the rounds today....quilt store, heirloom sewing store, and Hobby Lobby.....but I did not acquire anymore projects. We mostly just visited, looked around, and handed out the yo-yo angels to our favorite people. Everyone seemed very appreciative.

Birthday Wishes

Today our sweet Elisabeth celebrated a birthday and is now four years old. The girls and I always talk about what kind of cake they want for their next birthday.....it is the topic of much discussion thoughout the year. The other day Elisabeth told me she wanted a "stacked-up cake." Initially I had no idea what she was talking about. After further discussion I realized she wanted a two-layer cake (hence the "stacked-up nature")...white cake with white icing. So while she napped today this is what I made for her. I tried to put four sweet little white candles on the cake.....but Elisabeth picked this candle out while grocery shopping with her dad and she insisted upon placing it on the cake.

She had a birthday filled with a lot of great things: french toast and maple syrup for breakfast (prepared by dad), playing outside in 70 degree weather, going to the park for even more fun, a three hour nap, cake and ice cream, and opening great gifts from family and friends. All in all, I'd say it was a fantastic day!!!! When I asked her what her favorite part of the day was, she quickly responded with..... "eating the ice cream." Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!!

Another Christmas Gift Done....How Many More To Go???

This is a scarf for Wayne for Christmas. However, he knows about it, because he is the one that picked out the yarn. He chose a rather inexpensive suede yarn that was somewhat difficult to knit....but the chocolate color is beautiful. For Christmas a few years ago, his parents bought him a suede jacket that this scarf will match perfectly. I used a basic pattern that yielded a different look on each side so I guess it is somewhat reversible. Emily says it is "handsome." Just the look I was going for. Strangely enough, this is only the second scarf I have ever made. The first one is here. I am not much of a scarf knitter......although generally, I do enjoy a quick knit.

On a different note, I made another fabric acquisition today. I purchased enough fabric for three more projects. Yes, I remember that I already have two projects up on the sewing table.....but I just could not turn down these adorable projects for the kids. And it was even a balanced purchase......a project for each child. Hopefully I can start working on some of these items soon.....that or I need to stay out of the fabric stores......or both!!!!

The Daily Grind

I have been working on Christmas cards the past few days. As a result, this is about the only thing crafty I have accomplished......I managed to cut out my next two sewing projects. Another jumper for Emily out of the solid red pinwale pique/gingham and a dress for Elisabeth out of the red/ivory print. Hopefully I can get busy sewing them in the next day or so.



In the meantime, we have been invited to dinner with some sweet friends of ours on Friday night. All they want us to bring is homemade wheat bread and cheesecake. I think I got the easy end of the deal. I had to grind some wheat tonight so I can mix up the bread tomorrow. Here are the wheat berries about to be ground up.

And here is the resulting flour. I grind it and store it in the freezer for a couple months at a time....or until I run out and need to grind more.

And here's the yummy chocolate chip cheesecake. This is the easiest cheesecake recipe ever. This is the same recipe we make and deliver to our neighbors (6 families) each year. I like baking it in the foil pie pan because the recipients do not have to return it. Makes everyone's life easier.

There Are Angels Among Us

I have always loved fabric yo-yos....and they have finally come back into vogue. The on-line world seems to be buzzing with yo-yo mania. Here are some yo-yo angels I made to give as small gifts to some of our favorite people at our local shops. I will include a pin, as well as a thread hanger....so they can either be worn or hung on a tree. The best part was that I had all the materials on hand in my craft stash.




Here is my favorite yo-yo doll that I have had for over 30 years. My mother purchased this doll for me at a church craft sale when I was a small child. It has always been a favorite of mine. Just looking at her makes me smile. Today while I was examining her, I realized she is completely hand stitched....all the way down to the mini rick-rack on her neck ruffle. The creator of this doll put so much time and detail in the workmanship. The fabric order of yo-yos is even the same on her arms and also her legs.

Strangely enough I happened upon a new blog today and guess what she has a tutorial for??? You guessed it.....a yo-yo doll. Plus, if you are interested in making yo-yos and do not know where to start....here is a tutorial by Heather Bailey. Lots of people are making all sorts of things with these fun fabric yo-yos.....like tree ornaments, a tree decoration, wreaths, and garland. I find yo-yos somewhat addictive....it is hard to stop making them once you start. Maybe one day I'll have enough to make my very own yo-yo doll.......but in the meantime, I think I'll make a couple more angels.

It's Beginning To Smell A Lot Like Christmas

Wayne and the girls assembled our gingerbread house last night. This has been a tradition for us for the last several years. The girls always have so much fun decorating them each year. Usually I get the job of mixing up the icing and then helping to erect the walls and roof. However, this year the kit we found contained icing that was already mixed and the walls fit together like a puzzle. Needless to say, my skills were not required. Ethan and I just watched as Wayne piped on the icing and the girls did all the rest. They are proud of their end result...and I love the fact that my kitchen smells wonderful!!!!

Big Sister Back Pack

Here is Emily with her big sister back pack....because big sisters have more stuff to carry....right??? She uses it all the time to carry around all sorts of stuff. She tried to carry one of her knitting projects in it....but the needles kept poking out...she's a quick learner!!! It also has a cute little wallet with it which is the epitome of a quick knit.





The pattern came from Melanie Falick's book called Kids Knitting. Most public libraries have it...but we liked it so well we purchased it.

Yesterday I started researching this sewing machine by Pfaff. A lady at our local quilt store just raves about the Pfaffs and the built-in walking foot that it offers. And come to find out the built-in walking foot can be used with a variety of different presser feet....like the zipper foot, for example. I could see how that could alleviate some skewed seams surrounding the zippers. I will definitely have to do some more research. We also visited the Berninas again. I think Emily is getting one (this one).....but I am not so sure about me. I might have to become a Pfaff kind of girl.

Today I've also been working on some small gifts for some of our favorite people at the quilt store. We know them pretty well.....Emily has even taken her violin and played for them in the past. They are always so kind and seem to enjoy interacting with the children. That rates pretty high on my list. So I thought it would be special to make them a little token for Christmas. Hopefully I will finish these up soon.

Pack It Up

I made this cute little back pack for Elisabeth.....but somehow it was put on Ethan for the picture. I found this pattern on the Internet for free here. It was a very quick knit and a lot of fun as well. I made a larger back pack (using a different pattern) for Emily. I will post it another day. My girls love to stuff their back packs full of all sorts of items. Last night they were stuffing all their small stuffed animals into bags and carrying them around. Never a dull moment around here.

I find quick knits to be very satisfying. I have several more (hopefully) quick projects on the needles right now.....several are Christmas gifts so I hope to complete them soon.

A Touch of Spring

While at the heirloom sewing store the other day, Elisabeth quickly latched onto this bright and springy fabric and was insistent that she wanted a jumper made from it. It isn't quite winter looking....but she is happy. Once again, it is fully lined and the fabric we chose for the lining is a bright pink broadcloth. Actually the fabric fits her personality quite well. She almost always has a bounce in her step and a song on her lips. She is singing or humming the majority of the time. The fabric for the jumper is kind of like corduroy but without the fuzzy nap. I have never seen it before but it is nice. Emily picked out the same fabric in a solid red for her longer-length jumper....hopefully I can get it cut out later today.

The lady that owns the shop, Barb, is always so kind and helpful. I'm not sure if that is just her nature or we just amuse her so much. Anyway, she gave me this great tip for buttons. Since we could not decide which color to go with, she recommended that we layer two colors and stitch them on. Each button has a flat side and a slightly curved side....she said to put the flat sides together and stitch them on as one piece. I think it looks pretty neat and I never would have come up with this on my own.

Speaking of Barb, she is trying her best to talk me into purchasing this new machine or this new machine. My seven year old Kenmore is fine, not to mention my new Singer Embroidery machine .......but these other machines sure are intriguing!!!

Earlier today I was thinking about how wonderful it is that I can make clothes for my children and myself because I want to and not because I have to. We are not too far away from a time period when majority of all clothes were made at home out of necessity. We truly are so blessed!!!

Homemade Candy Canes

Earlier today the girls made their favorite candy canes. It doesn't matter that our tree is already full of them....we have to make them every year. We use basic pipe cleaners (cut in half) and the tri-sided beads. Elisabeth is very particular about her color pattern and you could hear her chanting, "white, green, red." Emily was more interested in exploring different patterns with each of hers.

During other times of the year, the girls love to string pony beads onto pipe cleaners. Elisabeth can spend hours doing this. After she is finished she admires her work for awhile and then we slide the beads off the pipe cleaners and back into their containers until next time. This little activity is especially entertaining for her while I am cooking dinner.

Here are their finished candy canes from today. They already have placed them carefully onto the tree. I am quite confident tomorrow they will once again be in the candy cane making business.

I'll Have What You Are Having!

Earlier today Ethan decided to see what the girls were up to. He invited himself to the meal the girls were feeding their baby dolls. He proceeded to take a bite of pretend food from each dish on the table.

This looks good enough to eat!!

And I'll try some of this.

UMMMMM....tasty!!!!!

What do you mean it's all gone????

Brown, Brown All Around

Yesterday I finished up Ethan's brown corduroy overalls. I did not want to purchase another pattern....so I pulled out some newspaper and drafted up the pattern based on the short overall pattern I already had. I may eventually put some embroidery (by machine) on the front....but that will be another day.

I also finished up Elisabeth's brown corduroy jumper a few weeks back. The girls have worn their jumpers many times while out and about. Based on the remarks we have received, there must be very few people that sew anymore. When the girls tell these people that their Mom made their jumpers they proceed to look at me like I just fell from the sky. I don't have a lot of time to sew and craft but I fit in 5 -10 minutes here and there every chance I get. Plus I have a wonderful husband who will let me fit in an almost uninterrupted hour here and there.

Also yesterday, I worked on a skirt for myself...it now just lacks a hem. And I cut out a new jumper for Elisabeth. Oh, and against my better judgment, I started a quick little knitting project. Plus just for grins....I made a big pan of brownies topped with a mixture of milk chocolate and sewi-sweet chocolate chips! Lots of fun going on in our home....and some occasional fussy teeth-cutting episodes (Ethan's that is!)