Halloween is over and I think the thread about being scared has about run its course, so who is making special projects for the holidays that are fast approaching. I realize not all of us celebrate these, but Thanksgiving is only 19 days off and Christmas will be here too soon for many of us. Emily.
I've been making fleece scarves as Christmas gifts. Unfortunately I'm kinda on hold right now. Cataract surgery coming up and having some problems with vertigo. Should all be taken care of in the next week or so then I can get beck to work. Mike in Wisconsin
Ohhhhh - vertigo is horrible! I had it three times before I found out what it was. And then, I found out by accident, when I described it to a friend who is a nurse. I never thought it was anything to go to a Dr. for. Duh!!!!!
My 25th HS reunion is coming up on the 29th and I am making a Chinese red silk brocade jacket and will make black velour pants/long skirt (haven't decided yet). Our school colors are red and black so I thought the color combination was a cute idea. Have a nice Kwik Sew pattern for the jacket. I bought a white frilly blouse at Talbot's on sale with my birthday month
10% gift certificate. I also bought a remnant - a lavender and silver brocade - will make a vest to go with dress pants for work. I usually always sew for others and not myself so I'm enjoying pampering myself for a change.
We don't do Thanksgiving over here, but we have just had Bonfire Night, when, traditionally, we burn an effigy of a fella that completely failed in his mission to blow up parliament and the king! This is not a celebration for which we sew things, it is just an excuse to burn money in a colourful and exciting way... ;P
That said, I did cut out my Christmas Outfit jacket the other day, and there will be pix of the project on the web site when I can get sufficient energy together to publish them! I am also still making Christmas Stockings, and have added the heeled boots to that page, so expect quite a few more pix when I get round to it...
Thanks Sharon. This is my third bout with it and I finally got an appointment with a specialist. Mike in Wisconsin
Argh! Only 19 days to Thanksgiving??? which means about 1.5 months until Christmas!!! Well, I have most of the presents bought and wrapped (did some this morning) and before you get angry, lots of the stuff was already bought and just needed to be wrapped. I have nearly 5 pairs of the 9 for my friends family 90% done (just need waist and hem done) and the other 4 pairs waiting my attention. Now, of course, being the way I always am, I created more projects for myself. I have some fleece to make DS a reversible sleeping bag, fabric for 4 stocking, and flannel for my pajama pants and a pair for little Rebekah.......maybe everything will get done, maybe not, but at leas tI know that i won't go nuts trying to figure out my next project!!
Larisa
Emily wrote:
It's funny reading this thread, because it makes me realise that I hardly ever sew for my family. They don't want 'home-made' things, you know - they think it's cheap. They'd rather I spent five quid at some crappy shop than spent two days making something.
Oh la.
But since I will probably make something for my friend Rachel I'd better get on with it!
:) Trish
My sister used to feel like that. Then one year I made her something she couldn't possibly have bought -- a couch cozy/snuggle sack/whatever you want to call it in her plus-size range -- and I think she changed her mind. I think what she liked was that it was something that could not be bought.
I think my family has come to expect something hand-made (home-made tends to carry negative connotations for some reason ) for either their birthday or Christmas...or both. I guess it's because they know that i love doing crafty things and that most of them don't need "stuff" to collect dust on the walls or shelves. I try to get ideas from them throughout the year, but the pajamas for DH and DS started with DSs first Christmas and we will continue it for as long as we can. This is the only way that DH and I agree he and DS/DD and I can ever dress alike....we will never go out into public dressed alike, unless we attend a sporting event as a group.
Larisa
Mel> Trishty wrote:
Hi, I started my holiday sewing about a month ago. I don't have alot of free time to sew for long stretches, so I need to break up the projects over a period of several weeks (or sew late at night). Since completing the boys' matching fireman outfits in fleece, I've gone to complete:
1 red toile mantel cover, scalloped and lined in red gingham. Dining room.1 oval lined tablecloth made with Laura Ashley fabric trimmed with beige bullion fringe. A relative had all this lovely fabric from England and wanted me to do up something for her night table. Will present it to her along with her holiday gifts.
Currently working on another holiday oval tablecloth for another relative as well as for our own dining table, but will need to purchase more lining material.
1 red fabric print, interfaced tote bag with grosgrain ties (5 more totes to go). These totes will hold an assortment of goodies we amassed this year like butter bells, tea tins, crackers, ginger preserves, chocolates. The tote is the "wrapping paper" and can be used all year long. Interfacing makes such a huge difference!!
Those are great things to have. We use them a lot in this draughty neck of the woods. Last year my friend Rachel requested an indoor wrap and I made her a ruana from cashmere tartan.
This year, I'd quite like to make something for my mother, as since her stroke back in September, she can't concentrate on crochet, etc, or read comfortably. But sadly, sewing is a bit of an ISSUE in my family, because my sister is the family sewist (she makes soft furnishings for a living and is also a very good dressmaker). Meanwhile, I'm the one who went to university and 'only knows things out of books'.
You get the drift...
Maybe videos are a safer bet!
:0 Trish
Good luck with your op and get better soon, Mike.
Is the vertigo due to the eye problem? I do hope it clears up, because it's horrible.
:) Trish
Mike,
Hope you are back in fine fiddle very soon. It just amazes me how quickly cataract surgery goes now! I remember about 20 years ago my grandmother having it done. I remember most her griping about those very unstylish sunglasses and having to wear them for so long. lol Recently an acquaintance had it done. She was through it and completely recovered so fast!!!
I hope yours goes just as quickly and smoothly.
Take care, Sharon --
"Emily" wrote in message news:OCgrb.220434$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Oh Emily!!! I don't know whether to be excited about a new thread on what everyone is doing, or growl at you for reminding me how short the time is!!! LOL
OK. The list:
I got some of the pre-quilted fabric and the coordinating cotton print from Hancock's to make myself a purse. (one of the Vera Bradley style purses.) I got the fabric that's a gold field with a dark red flowers and charcoal colored vines scattered over it. I love my bag. So does one of my best friends. :) As if regular holiday sewing isn't enough, her birthday is next week!! lol So I'm making her a bag just like mine for her birthday. I look at mine as the "refining the pattern" bag. lol I know what I want to change with the pattern for this one. Also, she collects snowmen and Santas. I ordered from fabric.com when they had the free tree skirt promo going on. So I have the pre-quilted tree skirt. It has snow-people all over it. I'm going to design her a bag to make out of that. I got some cotton fabric at Hancock's this weekend that has a blue background with little snowmen scattered all over it. Really, really cute. I'm going to use that as the contrast for the purse. Also, the treeskirt doesn't have fabric on the backside, so I will line the bag with the snowman fabric. I will get pictures of it and put them up when it's done. If anyone else has the treeskirt, I'm thinking of using the "extra" snowmen as pockets on the bag. They aren't part of the treeskirt, they are just little separate things that you could use like gift tags, or appliques on other things. At least one of them is about the size to make a cell phone pocket. :) My only challenge with this is the printed part of the fabric is done in half circles (to make the treeskirt.) I am going to see what I can do based off patterns I have and my Wild Things software.
Also a friend has asked me to make a shopping cart seat for her baby. He has reflux really bad, so it's best for him to be sitting straight up rather than laying down in one of the baby seats that are built into the shopping carts. She saw a thing another woman had that wrapped around the baby and then fastened to the cart. I'm working on that today. I will try to get pictures of that too. She got the cutest flannel to make it out of. It's traditional camo print, with bears, moose and deer scattered all over it. Really cute. :)
Then I have to finish the haori I'm working on for my BIL. I will definitely post pictures of that!
I ordered some fleece from Malden Mills over the weekend. I was just browsing through their online store.... lol We all know that was probably a bad idea. ;) I found, in the Specials section, the cutest print. I think it's called Elephant Walk. My MIL loves elephants. So of course she must have something out of this fabric. ;) She told us she doesn't want "stuff" for Christmas. DH's grandmother passed away this past Fall. So DMIL's house is overflowing. She's currently the curator of "stuff that other people wanted from Grandma's house but haven't come to get it yet." This is very frustrating for her as she's a neat as a pin person. :( So I will contain my gift giving for her to things that can be neatly folded and put in a drawer. I'm waiting on the fabric to get here to decide what to do with it for her. Although, I have some great buttons with elephants on them too. They are coat sized buttons. So maybe she will get a fun jacket with great buttons. I'll see when it gets here. It's a lightweight fleece.
And there seems to be a baby boom going on around here. (I've stopped drinking tap water just in case. lol) So I've been crocheting sweaters and blankies like mad. Basically any time I sit down to quiz spelling words, or watch TV (mostly in 10 minute snatches) I'm crocheting like the wind. :)
Other than that, I will be sitting around painting my toenails. LOL!!!!!!
Sharon
Trish, I would be your best friend in Indiana for a cashmere ruana. ;)
My family is a strange mix of those who are thrilled that I will sew for them and those who would rather I give them a gift certificate. I don't stress over it any more. I sew for those who appreciate it, and the rest of them get whatever. If a gift certificate for a meal at their favorite eatery is what makes them happy, so be it. I have enough stress. I let their issues be theirs and not mine. ;)
Sharon
What pattern did you use for this??? DS gave me a list of costumes that he wants me to make for him. Being only 3, he's still into the dress up phase. I was able to find some clearance Halloween costumes that helped me narrow down the list, but there are still a lot of things to go.
LArisa
RLK wrote:
Are these the padded things that keep the baby in the seat *and* keep them
from chewing on the handle of the cart? I saw one in Target and thought it would be a good idea, but since Rebekah isn't sitting up yet........
And she'll most likely sneak a crocheted blanket into a box of fabric!! Just
ask how I know...I thought she had gotten wonky and sent me a huge pile of pale pink fabric (I'm *not* a pink person...that would be my Mother)
Larisa, totally impressed with people who can crochet and knit
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