Round up of Christmas presents

Here is a little look at some homemade Christmas presents. Both the ones I made and gave away and the ones I got. For more inspiration check out my Pinterest board "Making Christmas Gifts 2011" and my blog Eddie's room.




A bag I made for my husband with embrohdered (not by me) birds (he is a big bird fan)



A tray my husband and I decoupaged with maps for my little brother who is studying geography.



I made a couple of these porcupine pin cushions for my mother and sister using this wonderful tutorial from Prudent Baby



I made these Christmas stockings for my husband and myself using this free tutorial.



My sister made this vinyl record bowl for my husband. There is a free tutorial for this here.



She also made him this fab pencil case for his art pencils.



For me she made this pretty shawl which I can't wait to use.

Round up of Christmas presents

Here is a little look at some homemade Christmas presents. Both the ones I made and gave away and the ones I got. For more inspiration check out my Pinterest board "Making Christmas Gifts 2011" and my blog Eddie's room.




A bag I made for my husband with embroidered (not by me) birds (he is a big bird fan)



A tray my husband and I decoupaged with maps for my little brother who is studying geography.



I made a couple of these porcupine pin cushions for my mother and sister using this wonderful tutorial from Prudent Baby



I made these Christmas stockings for my husband and myself using this free tutorial.



My sister made this vinyl record bowl for my husband. There is a free tutorial for this here.



She also made him this fab pencil case for his art pencils.



For me she made this pretty shawl which I can't wait to use.

Oliver + S Explorer Vest and a Knitting Needle Roll

Greetings, Crafty Christmas-ers!  I hope you all were able to finish up your projects before Christmas.  I completed my last Christmas gift on Christmas Eve morning thanks to a cold that decided to show up last week and knock me on my ass for a few days.

I made the Explorer Vest from Oliver + S' Little Things to Sew for my nephew.

I'm happy to report that he loves it!  He promptly shoved all of his spy gear into all of the pockets!

The pattern was really easy to follow.  I'm so excited to make more projects from the book.  More information can be found on my blog.

My last Christmas-y project was for my mom's birthday.  It is today and since she's getting back into knitting, I made her a roll to keep her knitting needles in.  I used the Tool Roll pattern from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing.  It was pretty easy to follow but I made a few modifications (more info on that can be found here).  Since I've been wanting one too, I made us matching needle rolls!  

I don't know about you guys, but I am so happy that Christmas crafting is over!  I've had a great time reading about all of your crafting adventures.  Until next year!

Cheers,

Lindsay

Oliver + S Explorer Vest and a Knitting Needle Roll

Greetings, Crafty Christmas-ers!  I hope you all were able to finish up your projects before Christmas.  I completed my last Christmas gift on Christmas Eve morning thanks to a cold that decided to show up last week and knock me on my ass for a few days.

I made the Explorer Vest from Oliver + S' Little Things to Sew for my nephew.

I'm happy to report that he loves it!  He promptly shoved all of his spy gear into all of the pockets!

The pattern was really easy to follow.  I'm so excited to make more projects from the book.  More information can be found on my blog.

My last Christmas-y project was for my mom's birthday.  It is today and since she's getting back into knitting, I made her a roll to keep her knitting needles in.  I used the Tool Roll pattern from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing.  It was pretty easy to follow but I made a few modifications (more info on that can be found here).  Since I've been wanting one too, I made us matching needle rolls!  

I don't know about you guys, but I am so happy that Christmas crafting is over!  I've had a great time reading about all of your crafting adventures.  Until next year!

Cheers,

Lindsay

What I ended up making for Christmas

Hi everyone,

I've seen some lovely homemade gifts on this site, and have been so inspired!  Sadly my Christmas gift planning was a complete fail.  I didn’t make any of the things I planned to make, but did end up making something I wasn’t really planning to make at all.  Thanks to a comment from Marie I decided to make a pair of boxers for my boyfriend.  I used Kwik Sew pattern 1672 and am totally chuffed about how well they have turned out. 

Not least the amazing fluke pattern matching at the centre front, it’s (almost perfect).

I also made some embroidered gift tags, partially inspired by this purl bee tutorial, although I made the tags bigger and embroidered the names on instead of using card.

I hope everyone elses Christmas making plans went well.  Happy holidays everyone!!!

What I ended up making for Christmas

Hi everyone,

I've seen some lovely homemade gifts on this site, and have been so inspired!  Sadly my Christmas gift planning was a complete fail.  I didn’t make any of the things I planned to make, but did end up making something I wasn’t really planning to make at all.  Thanks to a comment from Marie I decided to make a pair of boxers for my boyfriend.  I used Kwik Sew pattern 1672 and am totally chuffed about how well they have turned out. 

Not least the amazing fluke pattern matching at the centre front, it’s (almost perfect).

I also made some embroidered gift tags, partially inspired by this purl bee tutorial, although I made the tags bigger and embroidered the names on instead of using card.

I hope everyone elses Christmas making plans went well.  Happy holidays everyone!!!

Extreme last minute crafting

Hello again, Aleah from no time to sew with my last (last minute) crafty gifts. First up, made the night before it was gifted, a couple things for a work friend:

The first is a purse organizer and a small zipper pouch. She always wants to change her purses to match her outfits, but complains about what a pain it is to transfer all her purse contents all the time, so I thought this might help. It's basically a strip of pockets that she can fill with purse stuff, roll up and stick in one purse, then pull it out and move it to another purse easily. I just winged the construction, more details here. The zipper pouch is from this tutorial.

The second item is this super simple jersey circle scarf. This has got to be the easiest gift of all time to make. I bought a third of a yard of jersey from the bulk bin at my local fabric shop. I trimmed off the selvages, then used a ruler and rotary cutter to make the long edges nice and straight, and sewed the short ends together. Done. So if it happens to be Christmas Eve and you're one gift short, might I suggest a jersey circle scarf? I think it took me longer to buy the fabric than to make the scarf, seriously.

I also made my mom a case for the Kindle Fire my dad is getting her:

It's basically from this tutorial, resized for a Kindle (luckily, it turns out that the dimensions of the Fire are the same as my regular old Kindle, so I made this case the same size as one I made earlier in the year for myself). I lined the case with a scrap of black corduroy left over from a skirt I made last year. The lining is visible around all the edges, of course, because my lining always seems to end up bigger than my outside fabric for some reason, but I'm just going to pretend it was intentional since it kind of looks like trim. Here it is open, with my Kindle in it. The bird screen saver seemed appropriate for the fabric (it's Alexander Henry's Bird Seed, which my mom actually gave me last year because she liked it but couldn't think of anything to make with it!)

So woo-hoo, Christmas Crafting complete! Have a Merry Christmas, everyone. May it be filled with family, friends, food, and plenty of crafty gifts too!

Extreme last minute crafting

Hello again, Aleah from no time to sew with my last (last minute) crafty gifts. First up, made the night before it was gifted, a couple things for a work friend:

The first is a purse organizer and a small zipper pouch. She always wants to change her purses to match her outfits, but complains about what a pain it is to transfer all her purse contents all the time, so I thought this might help. It's basically a strip of pockets that she can fill with purse stuff, roll up and stick in one purse, then pull it out and move it to another purse easily. I just winged the construction, more details here. The zipper pouch is from this tutorial.

The second item is this super simple jersey circle scarf. This has got to be the easiest gift of all time to make. I bought a third of a yard of jersey from the bulk bin at my local fabric shop. I trimmed off the selvages, then used a ruler and rotary cutter to make the long edges nice and straight, and sewed the short ends together. Done. So if it happens to be Christmas Eve and you're one gift short, might I suggest a jersey circle scarf? I think it took me longer to buy the fabric than to make the scarf, seriously.

I also made my mom a case for the Kindle Fire my dad is getting her:

It's basically from this tutorial, resized for a Kindle (luckily, it turns out that the dimensions of the Fire are the same as my regular old Kindle, so I made this case the same size as one I made earlier in the year for myself). I lined the case with a scrap of black corduroy left over from a skirt I made last year. The lining is visible around all the edges, of course, because my lining always seems to end up bigger than my outside fabric for some reason, but I'm just going to pretend it was intentional since it kind of looks like trim. Here it is open, with my Kindle in it. The bird screen saver seemed appropriate for the fabric (it's Alexander Henry's Bird Seed, which my mom actually gave me last year because she liked it but couldn't think of anything to make with it!)

So woo-hoo, Christmas Crafting complete! Have a Merry Christmas, everyone. May it be filled with family, friends, food, and plenty of crafty gifts too!

Pillows, Snoods & Table Decorations!

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I posted here due to some unexpected travel, but here's what I've been up to in the crafty Christmas world:

Pillows
I made these pillows for my sister from fabric she bought on our trip to Hawaii last year (Kapaia Stitchery on the island of Kaua'i, great prices!). These were supposed to be for her birthday in February (oops), but better late than never! I bought pillows from the craft store and just sewed 2 fabric pieces together and flipped them right side out. I slipstitched them closed after inserting the pillow. I bought the blue fabric to make a dress, but borrowed some of it here since I thought it made for a more complete group!

Snood Fever Continues!
This is my version of the snood made world famous by Karen from Did You Make That? I made 3! This snood is made from Merino wool that I bought at the Brooklyn General Store in Brooklyn, New York and was my first knitting project in years. I started it in New York and finished it in Virginia! This one went to my friend who is heading back to France next month. Should keep her nice and toasty.

Table Runner/Napkins

And finally, I made a table runner and napkins for my mom, as she loves decorating for the holidays. I gave them to her a bit before Christmas so she could enjoy the festiveness! For the table runner, I used sew-in interfacing to weigh down the lighter weight reindeer cotton and found that slowly ironing out the bumps in the fabric helped keep the fabric flat. I also used my walking foot which helped keep the fabric layers from shifting.

The napkins were made using the rolled hem setting on my overlocker. It's the first time I've used this feature and I love how it turned out! It looks like the edges are bound with a narrow bias tape and it was so fast and easy to make.

Happy holidays, all!

~Amanda from Sewin' in the Rain

Pillows, Snoods & Table Decorations!

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I posted here due to some unexpected travel, but here's what I've been up to in the crafty Christmas world:

Pillows
I made these pillows for my sister from fabric she bought on our trip to Hawaii last year (Kapaia Stitchery on the island of Kaua'i, great prices!). These were supposed to be for her birthday in February (oops), but better late than never! I bought pillows from the craft store and just sewed 2 fabric pieces together and flipped them right side out. I slipstitched them closed after inserting the pillow. I bought the blue fabric to make a dress, but borrowed some of it here since I thought it made for a more complete group!

Snood Fever Continues!
This is my version of the snood made world famous by Karen from Did You Make That? I made 3! This snood is made from Merino wool that I bought at the Brooklyn General Store in Brooklyn, New York and was my first knitting project in years. I started it in New York and finished it in Virginia! This one went to my friend who is heading back to France next month. Should keep her nice and toasty.

Table Runner/Napkins

And finally, I made a table runner and napkins for my mom, as she loves decorating for the holidays. I gave them to her a bit before Christmas so she could enjoy the festiveness! For the table runner, I used sew-in interfacing to weigh down the lighter weight reindeer cotton and found that slowly ironing out the bumps in the fabric helped keep the fabric flat. I also used my walking foot which helped keep the fabric layers from shifting.

The napkins were made using the rolled hem setting on my overlocker. It's the first time I've used this feature and I love how it turned out! It looks like the edges are bound with a narrow bias tape and it was so fast and easy to make.

Happy holidays, all!

~Amanda from Sewin' in the Rain

A Father Christmas Pillow

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy from Sew Well here again with another gift for my niece.

This little Father Christmas pillow perfectly sized for my niece was super easy to make.  The pattern was printed right on the fabric, so all I had to do was cut, sew, and stuff.  If only garments came preprinted like this!  Spoonflower, perhaps?

A Father Christmas Pillow

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy from Sew Well here again with another gift for my niece.

This little Father Christmas pillow perfectly sized for my niece was super easy to make.  The pattern was printed right on the fabric, so all I had to do was cut, sew, and stuff.  If only garments came preprinted like this!  Spoonflower, perhaps?

A Very Jackie O Muslin

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy of Sew Well yet again with another last minute handmade gift.

My mom asked for a cape for Christmas, and I was happy to oblige. In fact, I thought I could draft a cape pattern that would fit her perfectly using the simple directions in Patternmaking for Fashion Design. All I needed from her were her measurements... about a hundred of them according to the book. I recently came to my senses and decided that I should figure out pattern drafting for myself before I move on to others, and I placed an Etsy order for a vintage cape pattern.

Since the cape pattern didn't arrive in time for holiday crafting, but Daughter Fish's Simplicity 6402 did, I quickly sewed up a very Jackie O muslin as a place holder for my mom. Lucky for me, my mom is understanding.  I think the thoughtfulness of not only a handmade cape but also a gorgeous handmade dress and jacket combo sometime in the coming month will make up for the fact that she only has a muslin to unwrap on Christmas day.

A Very Jackie O Muslin

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy of Sew Well yet again with another last minute handmade gift.

My mom asked for a cape for Christmas, and I was happy to oblige. In fact, I thought I could draft a cape pattern that would fit her perfectly using the simple directions in Patternmaking for Fashion Design. All I needed from her were her measurements... about a hundred of them according to the book. I recently came to my senses and decided that I should figure out pattern drafting for myself before I move on to others, and I placed an Etsy order for a vintage cape pattern.

Since the cape pattern didn't arrive in time for holiday crafting, but Daughter Fish's Simplicity 6402 did, I quickly sewed up a very Jackie O muslin as a place holder for my mom. Lucky for me, my mom is understanding.  I think the thoughtfulness of not only a handmade cape but also a gorgeous handmade dress and jacket combo sometime in the coming month will make up for the fact that she only has a muslin to unwrap on Christmas day.

A Fishy Case... for a Fly Rod and Reel

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy from Sew Well getting in some last minute crafting just in time for Christmas. Today I have a gift for my dad.

A few weeks ago when I was talking to my dad on the phone, he mentioned that he needed a fabric case for his fly rod and reel but that he didn't like the ones in the store. Since it seemed like the perfect Christmas gift, I offered to make it for him if he'd send me a diagram and measurements of what he wanted.The picture he sent me was of a 30" long set of pockets with a cover flap next to a 24" long pocket.

My dad's fly fishing rods break down into four pieces for easy storage. When he's ready to store his rod and reel, he'll place the end of the rod with the reel in the open 24" pocket and the other three pieces of the rod in the 30" pockets. He'll then cover the end of the three 30" pockets with the fabric flap and tie the straps located on the end of the cover around the whole thing to keep everything in place.

Because the rod pieces aren't all the same thickness, the pockets aren't all the same widths. The 24" pocket is 3" wide, the neighboring 30" pocket is 2" wide, and the final two 30" pockets are 1" wide each.

I added a bit of the nice waterproof, outdoor-quality fabric I had left over from the bag I made him to carry his boots and waders to the bottom. Hopefully it'll add a bit of heartiness to the bag. There's no seam at the bottom either. Instead the fabric is simply folded over, so the rods won't be able to work themselves out.I hope he likes it! If so, I'll be making three more so that each of his rods will have one.