Handmade Christmas – Gifts for Youngest Son

Last year, one of the items on our son’s Christmas wish list was a set of throw pillows to match the striped comforter we bought for him to use at college.  We chose other things from his list to give him but I kept the pillows in mind for a future gift.

Earlier this fall, I was lucky enough to find a cool print with all the colours of his comforter.   So for Christmas, I made him these two pillows.  The covers have a concealed zipper in the back to make it easier to remove them for laundering.

Our son is a great cook and so for his second gift, I made him the apron that Dave is modeling in the picture below.

I also copied out several of our favourite family recipes and put them in a cool recipe box along with extra cards for him to add his own favourites.

His third gift was, of course, a set of Christmas Elves.

Then to add some extra goodies to his stocking, I made him a set of luggage tags and an Ipod case with matching earbud case.

Also to fill his stocking, he received one of the fleece patchwork scarves pictured below.

Handmade Christmas – Gifts for Middle Daughter

Way back in the spring when I was looking for a cabinet to house the Singer 15-91 that I purchased on e-bay, we came across this cabinet.

At first, we thought it was another 15-91 but upon checking the serial number, we discovered it was instead, a 201-2.   The cabinet wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but we decided to buy it and refurbish the sewing machine and refinish the cabinet to give to our middle daughter.

Dave cleaned, oiled, lubricated and completely rewired the sewing machine.

And then he refinished the cabinet, replacing the veneer on the top and underside of both fold out panels.

After the first coat of polyeurathane.

He knew it would be almost impossible to exactly match the stain on the original, so he chose to use a walnut veneer and stain that to match the darker swirls on the front fold out drawer of the cabinet.

As this was such a large gift and her birthday is in the beginning of December, it became a combination birthday/Christmas gift.

I can’t find the photos we took of the refurbished sewing machine in it’s refinished cabinet with matching reupholstered stool… but please take my word for it that it turned out beautifully.   I’ll see if middle daughter will take some pictures so that I can post them at a future date.

Our middle daughter travels quite often as part of her job, so for her second gift, I made her a travel set too.

Her third gift was a set of two Christmas elves.

Her stocking was filled with oil paint brushes, an inflatable bath pillow and other goodies.

Handmade Christmas – Gifts for Oldest Daughter

This year, each of our children received three handmade gifts.

Our oldest daughter lives and teaches in Shanghai, China.   Even before we knew that we’d be in Southern Ontario over the Christmas season, we knew that she would be flying here with her partner to spend Christmas with her partner’s family.  That meant that her gifts needed to be ones that could easily fit into her suitcase for her return flight to Shanghai.

For her first gift, I decided to make her a travel set.

The set included: A boxy zipper bag for toiletries, a make-up bag, a pantie bag, 3 shoe bags, a laundry bag and 3 luggage tags.

Our daughter loves to do cross-stitch so for her second gift, I designed a stitchery keeper.

The flap opens so that she can store her cross-stitch flat when she's not working on it.

Down the center is a pincushion. On the right side are a needle keeper and pockets for embroidery scissors and hoop.

The third gift that each of our children received was a set of two Christmas elves.

You can see pictures of the elves and the story behind them here.

I also made a couple of little things for her partner, so that he would feel included.

A while back, I posted photos on my blog showing this little coin frame purse.  When he saw the photos, he mentioned that he could use something like that to hold all his coins, so I designed this smaller, flatter version for him.

This little coin purse is also the perfect size for business cards.

He also received one of the fleece patchwork scarves pictured below.

I made the scarf following my tutorial for How to Sew a Patchwork Scarf except I cut the patchwork squares 2.5″X6.5″ and the fleece 11.5″X60″.

His third gift wasn’t handmade but was something he mentioned really wanting.  He has a favourite tea that he can’t get in China, so we bought him four boxes to take back with him.

Handmade Christmas – Elves

Many years ago when we were posted to CFB Suffield in Southern Alberta, to earn extra money to help pay for Christmas each year, I sold my handmade crafts at farmers’ markets and craft fairs throughout the year.

One of my most popular items was stuffed Christmas elves.  I would sell out of them almost every week and have to scramble to make more before the next sale.  I can remember one week in which I had so many orders for them that I had to enlist Dave’s help because I needed 20 of them by Thursday.

Well the last year we were in Suffield, I had two that didn’t sell in the final pre-Christmas craft fair, so we added them to our Christmas decorations.

Now I don’t know about the other elves I sold, but those elves that we kept turned out to be magic elves.  You see, when our kids went to bed each night during the month of December the elves would be in one spot, but somehow, the next morning when they came downstairs, the elves would be in a completely different spot.

Over the years, those elves would be one of the first of the decorations to be set out and one of the last to be put away.

Once our children grew up, I had always planned to make them each a set of their own Christmas elves.  But when I went looking for the type of buttons that I’d used for the noses, I discovered that those buttons were almost impossible to find.  The original buttons had been in a large bag of buttons I’d purchased at a flea market.  I had no idea they were anything special.  But I came to discover that they were, in fact, bakelite buttons.   Finally, this past winter, I came across a seller on e-bay with an auction for cherry red bakelite buttons for sale.  I used the buy-it-now feature to make sure to get them.

Once they arrived, I got busy sewing their bodies.  And once again, I enlisted Dave’s help to help stuff them and cut out and glue on their faces.

Here’s a picture of the finished elves (except for the bells on their toes) with one of the original elves in the middle. (Unfortunately the other original was lost when our basement flooded back in the 90s.)

We ended up making eight elves, two for each of our children and two to keep our original elf company.

We’ll have to wait to see if the new elves are as magic as he is.

This post has been added to Sew Darn Crafty Party Week 46 over at Sew Many Ways.

Quilt-As-You-Go Christmas Stocking Tutorial – Part Two

Continued from Part One of the Quilt-As-You-Go Stocking Tutorial

To make the hanging loop:

Baste the interfacing onto the wrong side of the hanging loop.

Fold loop, right sides together and stitch along long edge using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

The photo shows a 3/8 inch seam allowance, but I ended up having to trim it down to 1/4 inch, so just use a 1/4 inch seam allowance to begin with.

To turn right side out, place safety pin in folded edge of one end of the loop.

Turn pin so that it’s inside the loop.

Push the pin through to the other end, pulling the loop right side out as you go.

Remove safety pin.  Press.

Turn quilted stocking right side out.   Pin the loop to the top back of the quilted stocking.  Baste in place.

Slip the quilted stocking inside the lining; right sides together, making sure that the seams match up.  Sew all the way around the top of the stocking using ½ inch seam allowance.

If you have a free arm sewing machine, sew on the outside.  But if you don’t, then it’s easiest to sew around the inside for this seam.

Turn stocking right side out through the opening in the lining.

Sew opening in lining closed using a blind stitch.

Push the lining down inside the quilted stocking.  Press upper edge.  Topstitch.

Admire the finished stocking.

I’ll be posting the giveaway for this stocking (filled with goodies) tomorrow.  So be sure to come back and leave a comment to be entered to win.

 

This post has been added to Sew Darn Crafty Party Week 42 over at Sew Many Ways

Quilt-As-You-Go Christmas Stocking Tutorial – Part One

Using your favourite stocking pattern, cut 2 stockings from a light weight, light coloured cotton fabric.

I used a print with a white background that was leftover from another project but if you are going to be using any light coloured fabric strips for the quilting, I would recommend a solid fabric for this.  Otherwise the print may show through.

Pin the stocking pieces to the batting and cut out; adding at least ½ inch all the way around.   Baste fabric to batting.  This forms the base on which you will quilt-as-you-go.

Make sure there are two mirror image stocking bases.  You wouldn’t want to do all the quilting only to discover that you have quilted one of the bases on the wrong side.

Also at this time, cut 2 stockings pieces from whatever fabric you wish to use for the lining.

For hanging loop, cut 1 piece 1.5 inches X 6 inches.  Cut 1 piece of light weight interfacing 1.5 X 6 inches.

Next go through your stash of Christmas fabric leftover from other projects and cut strips of varying widths and lengths.  The strips will need to be at least long enough to cover the fabric part of the stocking base.  For my stocking I needed strips that were 9 inches or longer.

Lay the first strip down right side facing up, matching one long edge with the top of the fabric part of the stocking base.   Baste across the top of stocking to hold that strip in place.

Lay the second strip down, with right side facing the right side of the first strip.  Sew along bottom of the strips using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

Flip the second strip down.  Press.

I  recommend that you press each strip well after it’s sewn in place as that will make the strips lay nice a flat; ready for the next strip to be sewn in place.

Lay a third strip right side facing the second strip.  Sew across bottom of strips.  Continue in this manner until you have covered the entire fabric part of the stocking base.

Sometimes, I angled the top strip a bit before sewing it in place, just to give the finished quilting a more varied look.

As you get closer to the heel and toe, you may also want to lay some of the strips down on a bit more of an angle to make that turn at the heel.

Repeat the above steps for the second stocking base.

Place the paper pattern piece on top of the quilted stocking base; lining it up as best you can with the fabric base.  Pin pattern piece in place and cut out.

Repeat with second quilted stocking base.

Baste along the toe to hold the fabric in place.

Pin quilted stocking bases right sides together and sew using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Trim seam allowance to ¼ inch.

Notch outside curves and clip inside curves, as pictured.

Pin lining pieces together and sew using a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving a 4 inch opening along the back for turning.  Trim seam to ¼ inch.  Notch outside curves and clip inside curves, again as pictured.

Continue to Part Two of the Quilt-As-You-Go Christmas Stocking Tutorial.

 

This post has been added to Sew Darn Crafty Party Week 42 over at Sew Many Ways

November FNSI Results – A Most Successful Evening

I am so pleased with the results of last night’s Friday Night Sew In.  I was able to complete both Christmas stockings and on Monday they’ll be mailed off to Lyanna over at Purple Panda Quilts for her Stocking Drive to provide a handmade stocking to each of the foster children served by the agency she works for.

After finishing the stockings, I even had time to cut out and baste the front of this Christmas pillow cover.

When we were down in Panama City, I (of course) had to check out the local quilt shop, Quilting by the Bay.  They had some of Laurel Burch’s new line, Holiday Celebrations.  I missed out on buying Celestial Dreams when it was available and I didn’t want to miss out again so I decided I’d treat myself to just one panel.

When Dave and I arrived back later in the day at our hosts’ place, I showed the lovely Lady L my little splurge.   She mentioned that she’d love to have a Christmas pillow made out of that fabric.

So the next day, before we left to come home, we stopped back at Quilting by the Bay and I picked up another panel plus a yard of the co-ordinating birds on black background print so that I could surprize her with a little gift to thank her and her husband for keeping us in their thoughts and prayers this past year. (I’m pretty sure that she doesn’t read my blog so the pillow will indeed be a surprize.)

I plan on doing straight line quilting around the borders of each image.   I’m hoping to have the pillow cover finished later today so that it can be mailed out on Monday as well.

For now, I’m off to check out the blogs of the other participants to see what they worked on last night.

But before I go, I’d like to mention that starting November 28th, I’ll be holding a giveaway for the Christmas stocking pictured below as part of the 2011 Stocking Giveaway (button on my sidebar) being hosted by Robin at RSIslandscrafts.

I’ve slowly been adding small gifts to the stocking; some handmade and some purchased.  So be sure to come back and enter to win.  The winner will be drawn on December 5th.

I realize that at this busy time of year it might be difficult to remember to return to enter a giveaway at the end of the month.   If you would like a reminder simply sign up to follow my blog via email.  The sign-up box is in the upper corner of the left side bar.  You’ll receive a notice each time I make a post.

In addition to the 2011 Stocking Giveaway, upcoming posts you might be interested in include:  November’s Christmas on a Budget post, a QAYG (Quilt-as-You-Go) Christmas Stocking Tutorial and two great make and freeze ahead breakfast how-tos:  How to Make Breakfast Burritos and How to Make Homemade Breakfast “McSandwiches.”

*Note:  All stockings pictured measure 19 inches from top to toe and 11 inches at their widest.

How to Make a One Hour Table Runner

This is my version of the 10 Minute Table Runner because as I mentioned in my FNSI post…

“…..I defy anyone to cut panels from two different fabrics, pin and sew those panels together, press the seams either open or to one side, turn right side out and press again; centering the narrower fabric over the wider fabric, pin and sew the ends, press that seam open, turn the end to form the point and then either sew that in place or sew on a button at each end to keep the point in place.  And do it all in 10 minutes.”

My version is also longer than the 10 minute table runner which is cut width of fabric; resulting in a finished table runner that is at most 40 inches long.

I like my table runners to be at least as long as the table but prefer them to hang over the end a little bit.   Here’s how I arrived at the measurements required to fit my table.

My table is 60 inches long.  I wanted an overhang of 4 inches on either end.  Add ½” seam allowance to each end.

60” + 8” + 1”= 69” long

To calculate how wide to cut the panels, I decided I wanted a 14” wide table runner, with two borders of 2 ½” and allowing for ¼” seam allowance (times 2 seams):

14” – 5” + ½” = 9 ½” width required for the feature fabric that runs down the center of the table runner.

14” + 5” + ½” = 19 ½” width required for the fabric that will form the backing and the borders of the table runner.

Most cotton fabrics come in 44/45” widths.  If I cut my fabric across the width of the fabric, I’d have to sew two pieces together to get a length of fabric long enough to make my table runners.

Instead, what I do is purchase 2 yards of fabric (72”.)   The extra inches are to allow for wonky cutting at the fabric store and any shrinkage that may occur when I pre-wash the fabric.

After the fabric is washed and pressed, measure and cut it to 69”.

Fold it in half lengthwise and then in half again.  Place it on the cutting mat and square up one side.

Make one cut 19 ½” wide and a second cut 9 ½” wide from each fabric.

This achieves two things.  First it maximizes the use of the fabric and second it provides enough panels to make two table runners with the feature fabric reversed.

Next mark the centers on the long edges of one 19 ½” wide panel and one 9 ½” panel.

Pin the panels together matching the centers and the ends and continue pinning along the entire length making sure the panels lie flat against each other.

Sew with ¼” seam allowance.

Repeat with other long side of each panel.

The result will be a tube of fabric.

Press the seams open.

Turn right side out.

Center the feature fabric over the backing fabric and pin in place.

Press.

Topstitch on either side of both long seams.

To form the point at the end of the table runner:

Fold the narrow end in half with the backing fabric to the inside.  Pin and sew with ½” seam allowance.

Clip inside corner as shown below and trim seam to ¼”.

Press seam open.

Turn point right side out.  Match the seam of the pointed end to the center of the feature fabric.  Pin in place.  Press.

Topstitch close to the edge.

If desired, a button can be added for decoration.

Repeat the above steps with the other two fabric panels.

Two completed table runners with the feature fabric reversed.

Now for a little confession… when I was taking photos for this tutorial, I missed taking ones of the steps to complete the points at the end of the table runners.   These table runners are so quick to make that it would have been easy to sew another one and take the required photos. However, I discovered that I only had about 15”X40” left of the green fabric and an 8”X72” strip of the red.  I’m still trying to figure out what I used the rest of the fabric for.

Anyway, I cut long enough pieces of what was left of each fabric and sewed them together so that I could then take pictures showing how to form the point on the table runner.

Once that was done… I was left with an odd little item that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with.  I hate wasting fabric but I also didn’t feel much like unpicking all those seams so that I could use the fabric in something else.

Then an idea occurred to me.  Why not sew another point on the unfinished end and turn it into a little mat to put candy dishes on.

It didn’t look too bad.  But it was still kind of an odd shaped little item.

Then another idea occurred to me.   I flipped it over and did a little origami style folding.

Some pinning and sewing and this is the result:

It’s even reversible.

Now I just need to decide whether to use it as a mug rug or a candle mat.

This post has been added to “Tute”-In Tuesday over at Oops, I Craft My Pants

Christmas on a Budget – One Hour Gifts to Sew

With just two months to go until Christmas Day, not only must we continue to carefully budget our dollars but if we are planning to complete handmade gifts for those on our list, we will also need to budget our time wisely.

Inspired by the one hour table runners I made during October’s Friday Night Sew In, I thought I’d share a few simple sewing projects that can be completed in approximately one hour.

One of my current favourite small gifts to give are these little sewing companions.

I've included the ruler to provide an idea of their size.

Each one takes me slightly less than an hour to complete including the time it takes to cut and fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the main fabric and to install the snap closure.

By filling the inside pockets with different things, you can personalize the sewing companion to suit the recipient.

Add a small pair of scissors and they make great little gifts to give to friends who sew, quilt or embroider.

With the addition of the items pictured below they are transformed into travel sewing kits that can be popped into a purse or suitcase.

An extra hour of sewing will yield this matching needle book and pin cushion.

Instructions for the sewing companion and needle book can be found here.

When making these, I try to choose colours and prints that I think the recipient will like.  And so far, each sewing companion, needle book and pin cushion that I’ve given has been well received.  This set is going into the Christmas Stocking I’m giving away at the end of November.  (click on the picture in my sidebar for more details)

This next project was one I made for our son last Christmas.  After living in the south for 4 years and Maui for 4 years before that, he had a bit of a hard time adjusting to the extended cold and damp of a Southern Ontario winter, so we bought him a hot water bottle and I made a fleece cover for it.

For the pattern, I simply traced around the hot water bottle and added a seam allowance.   Now a hot water bottle cover is a fairly generic gift, so to make it uniquely his, I cut his college logo out of felt and machine stitched it on.

The final project takes slightly more than an hour to complete but the result is a scarf so sweet and soft that I’m sure you won’t mind the extra minutes of sewing.

The patch work strip is sewn using 30 pieces of a Moda candy bar from the fabric line Lovely by Sandy Gervais.   The only cutting required is for the 13”X60” piece of fleece.    Change the colour of the fleece, use more masculine fabric for the patchwork and these would make great gifts for the men on your list.

Here are some more ideas from blogs I visit regularly:

Ric-Rac is one of my favourite bloggers.  I adore her stuffed toys and her quirky sense of humour.  And I especially love her Baxter and Ernst stories.  She shares this free 1-Hour Bag Tutorial and this One Hour Softie in the sidebar of her blog.

Just this morning, retro mama posted a tutorial for tiny house ornaments.  Once you get the basic pattern drawn, the ornament would be a quick sew project.   And if you did them in assembly line fashion, you could whip up a bunch of these in an afternoon to give as gifts.

A quick search on one hour sewing projects turned up lots more ideas.  I’ve listed a few of these fun and interesting projects below:

The One Hour Pencil Case Tutorial by Kat at Ripping Out Seams

And for a no-sew fabric project:  One Hour Fleece Blanket

If you’re just learning to sew, you might also like to check out one of my first tutorials How to Sew a Basic Throw Pillow.  The pillow itself, without any embellishments, would take less than an hour to sew.    I topstitched on a redwork embroidery but that could be replaced with something else; a vintage crocheted doily for example .  Or the pillow could be left plain; allowing the fabric to take center stage.

Tutorials for the one hour table runners and the patchwork scarf will be posted over the coming week.

I hope this has given you some fun ideas for quick and easy projects to add to your gift giving list.  And I hope too that you will join me next month for another Christmas on a Budget post and for the giveaway that goes with it.

Past Christmas on a Budget posts can be accessed by clicking on the following links:

Decorating the Tree

Building Traditions

Two No-Sew Christmas Ideas

Buy Christmas Fabric Only When On Sale

Christmas Fabrics Part 2

Gifts for Less Than $2

Homemade Gift Tags

Christmas on a Budget – Post #1

 

This post has been added to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

WIP Wednesday – Stockings

There has been a lot of secret sewing and embroidery happening here.  But those will all have to remain a secret until after my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, a certain December birthday and Christmas.

What I can show you are the fabrics I’ve picked out to make a stocking for the Stocking Drive being held by Lyanna from Purple Panda Quilts.

The fabrics folded at the top are going to be used to make the cuffs of the stockings.

I stopped in to Hancock Fabrics on Monday to take advantage of their holiday 50% off sale on thread, zippers, lace and trim (with an additional 10% the entire purchase coupon) and those fat quarters were temptingly displayed in a basket on the cutting counter.   Two of each print made their way into my shopping basket.

Fabric stockings, especially ones made with Christmas novelty prints, are so quick and easy to sew.   I plan to make at least one for Lyanna’s Stocking Drive and another one or two to have to hand; ready to send off if I come across other such donations opportunities between now and Christmas.

With the leftover fabric from those stockings along with some more from my stash, I also plan to make another QAYG (Quilt-As-You-Go) stocking like this one below that I made for the Stocking Giveaway I’ll be having at the end of November.

I really liked how this stocking turned out and I think a QAYG stocking would be great to add to my box of ready to give gifts.

It doesn’t show in the photo but there is a  slight bulge in that stocking above as I’ve already started to fill it with goodies for the 2011 Stocking Giveaway.  (Click on the button on the right sidebar to find out more.)

The mini mystery giveaway that Robin held when she posted the sign up link is closed but you can still add your name to the list if you would like to hold a Stocking Giveaway on your blog at the end of November.

This post has been added to WIP Wednesday #47 over at Freshly Pieced.