Christmas Crafting: Christmas Eve Bags

Alas, we are at the final Christmas crafting post (took me long enough, huh?).  Since I plan on making it a tradition to make the kids something that they get to open on Christmas Eve after church, and take to bed with them that night, I thought it made sense to make reusable wrapping for each of them.  Thus, I made a couple of matching (yet girlish and boyish) drawstring bags which will hold their Christmas Eve items each year.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing all of the projects that went through my sewing machine for Christmas this year. I love crafting for Christmas, but I love seeing my family happy with their homemade gifts even more. As a finale, I thought you might like to see our Christmas photo...

...and an outtake for fun (trust me, there were many more!).

Hopefully I'll be back in the next day or so with a more current post about what I've been working on lately.

Christmas Crafting: Fleece Lovey

As I said in the last post, I want to make each little one in our family something to take to bed each Christmas Eve.  I didn't want to make Aven pajamas, since she is flying through clothes (my 6 month old (4 month old if she was born on her due date) is now filling out 18 month sizes).  I thought a little lovey would be more appreciated and have better longevity.  Here's what I came up with.

I promise, she really does like it, even though she doesn't seem too thrilled based on this photo.

I had intended to use the fleece for some cloth diaper soakers, but seeing as how my little miss hates cloth diapers, it has been in my stash awaiting a new purpose. This seemed perfect. I searched online and found a basic kitty head and printed it out in order to have a template for the applique face, then I embroidered the details. Then I slipped a rattle in as I appliqued the face onto the fleece (the rattle was rescued from one of Ryken's baby toys that was too worn out to be saved). I added a flannel backed silk for the back side.  And voila!  A perfect little lovey for my not-so-little one.

Christmas Crafting: Train Jammies

Ryken loves trains.  They have been a delightful obsession for him for the last couple of years.  So I bought some train fabric quite some time ago.  So long ago, in fact, that I had actually forgotten it was in my stash.  I had been waiting for just the right idea for a project for my little train fanatic.  As I was going through things I came across it and realized it was perfect for some new pajamas.

This year I initiated a new tradition for Christmas Eve.  Each year I want to make the kids something that they get to open on Christmas Eve after church, and take to bed with them that night.  Some years it may be jammies, other years maybe a knit teddy bear, or perhaps a new quilt.  Whatever it is, it'll be handmade and tucked into bed with them on Christmas Eve.  Here's what Ryken opened this Christmas Eve.

 

I am thrilled that he loves them. And I am impressed that he realized that Mama made the button steam going the wrong direction. Oops! Even though I missed that one he still smiles whenever he wears them, so I don't feel too bad.  I used a pair of his comfy pants as the template for these pants, and I bought a long sleeved t-shirt to applique the train onto.  The applique pattern was from this book.  Here's what I've made from this book in the past.  I have become quite a fan of  Kim Schaefer.  And I am quite thankful that although Ryken is becoming quite a big boy, he is still little enough to enjoy the things I make from her patterns, too. 

Christmas Crafting: Minecraft Potholder/Coaster

A little while before Christmas we received the catalog for Think Geek.  In it were a couple of products based on the game Minecraft.  When I saw the photos, I had a little revelation, "8-bit, it's all squares!!!".  For quite some time, I had been trying to think of something I could quilt Matt that would be "cool enough" for him to actually want to use.  When I saw the 8-bit advertisement for a game I knew he really enjoyed, I realized this was about as good as I was going to get.  So I sneakily asked him for some graph paper and graphed out one of the tools commonly used in the game, based off of the image in the Think Geek catalog (also sneakily confiscated). Here's an idea of what I saw in the catalog.  And here is my finished product.

While it took lots of focus, it ended up being lots of fun to make.  And it is happily "cool enough" for use.

Christmas Crafting: Yearly Birds

Several years ago, I decided to make one of these birds for each little one each Christmas. It is a really simple, straightforward pattern that comes together pretty quickly. This year was the first year I needed to make two! I used the leftover fabric from Aven's stocking.  I think Ryken has come to enjoy getting these little guys (though not as much as his gifts from Santa...understandably), and hopefully Aven will too.

Christmas Crafting: Aven's Stocking

As promised...Christmas sewing projects! First up, Aven's stocking. I used Ryken's stocking (that I made him when he was a baby) as the template for her stocking. Ryken and I had a great time going to Joann's together to pick out the fabrics for her stocking, although he was a bit bummed that he didn't get a new one too.  Matt helped select just the right font for me to applique her name on, and I had a great time sewing it all together. 

Right Now I'm Loving...

...that this blanket is big enough to serve its purpose while I work on it.

...that it's New Years Eve and its warm enough for Aven to enjoy being outside.

 

...and warm enough for Ryken to play in the garden in shorts and run barefoot through the house shouting "wunderbar!".

 

...that my mother-in-law got me this fabulous book for Christmas, and that it sneaks veggie purees (which I'm already making for Aven) into kid-friendly recipes. 

...that this little one still regularly falls asleep in my arms...and stays asleep once I put her in her crib.


I promise, photos of finished Christmas sewing are coming soon!  Hope you have a wonderful New Years!