Christmas Gifts

As promised, here are better pictures of some of the gifts I made for Christmas gifts...from scarves for my aunts to a quiet book for my nephew.  I really put my sewing machine to work!

Jeremy and I have three nieces who absolutely love to play dress up.  As I previously posted, I made tutus for them, using elastic and pieces of tulle to make the skirt.  I then took some eyeshadow and blush compacts, removed the makeup, and replaced the makeup with pieces of color foam.  I made them little bags to put the makeup in, along with some jewelry that I found at the dollar store.  Here is a picture of the play makeup.





I will post pictures of the finished tutus soon!

For our nephew, I made a quiet book.  I was inspired by this blog, and used a lot of her tips and templates to help me create one for Noah.  I'm really happy without it turned out.













This is the second year where my cousins picked names for a secret Santa.  This year, I got my cousin Lena.  I bought her a little bag from Vera Bradley and made her a scarf using some great flannel fabric that I got on sale at Joann Fabrics.  Here is a picture of Lena showing off her new scarf!



For my sisters-in-law, I made them primitive-style bowl fillers.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of them.  For my mother-in-law, I made her a table runner and six placemats for her dining room table.  Again, I didn't get a picture of the final product because I was working on this up to the very last minute!  I made the runner and placemats like a rag quilt, very similar to the set I made for a benefit, which I previously posted pictures.

For my mom and sister, I did not make them anything; however, I will be making some special for my sister who will be getting married in September.  And I plan on making my mom somethings for her newly renovated dining and living rooms.  Stay tuned!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a great New Year.  I'm hoping 2010 will be a much better one for me and my family!

Homemade Christmas...Part 1

Here are some pictures (not the greatest of pictures, I took them with my cell phone) of some of the items I'm making and giving for Christmas.

This is a dish that I purchased, along with a cute stand, and used black chalkboard paint to make a very festive Christmas decoration.  I made two of these (for each of my sister-in-laws).  I just need to put some finishing touches on the paint...I'm not the neatest of painters.

This really is a horrible picture....but this a tutu I made for one of my nieces.  I used pink and purple tulle, cut them in 3 inch wide pieces and tied them around an elastic.  I still have a few more to make...  Along with the tutus, I'm making them each a little bag and filling it with 'princess' goodies.  I found some awesome bracelets at Target (love the $1 bins!) and some other jewelry the dollar store.  I also made some pretend makeup, using real makeup containers, but taking out makeup, and using colored foam to make the 'makeup' (see other picture).  The makeup looks awesome!

Busy! Busy!

So I haven't posted in a very long time.  I appologize.  Not too much has been going on since the last time.  But I have completed a few more projects, including a beautiful quilt for my new niece, Jada.

Right now, I'm working on Christmas gifts.  Haven't finished anything just yet...but I'm getting there.  Almost everyone on my Christmas list is getting something homemade.  I'm excited to see how everything turns out.  Stay tuned for pictures of everything!

I've also been working on some Christmas decorations for our apartment.  Last night, I used some leftover homespun fabric and made a tree using a styrofoam tree base.  It came out quite nice! 

Tonight I'll be working on some more Christmas presents.  I promise to post pictures soon!

Some of my creations

This was my first big project.  The rag quilt on the back of our living room couch.  I also made the three throw pillows in the middle.

Here are some strawberry bowl fillers, inspired by my cousin.  She called me up one night going on and on about these bowl fillers she bought online.  When I went to the site, I thought to myself, hey I can't make those.  So this what I came up with.  Since the creation of these, I have come up with a much cuter and much easier way to make them!

Here is a tote bag that I made for my cousin's high school graduation.  She loved the colors!  And I loved how it came out.  The inside is a blue paisley sort of design.

This is the very girly rag quilt I made for my cousin.  She had her second child, a girl, in August.  And I wanted to make her something.  I had a lot of fabric left over, I made her tons of burp cloths as well.

My sister-in-law put together a benefit for her mother-in-law, who has been battling lung cancer for several years now.  Shed asked if I put together a basket for a silent auction.  I came up with doing a kitchen goodies basket and made this table runner and four placemats.  I also included some Tastefully Simple products (which I sell) and some candles.  It was quite a successful night and I'm glad I was able to help make something to raise money for her mother-in-law.

How My Sewing Addiction Started

Okay, so I haven't updated in a very long time.  But I'm hoping to get to this most often!  For Christmas, my husband bought me a sewing machine!  I keep telling him that buying that thing just fed my addiction to being crafty.  Well, I never really sewed much growing up.  I used to make scrunchies at my grandma's house and the occasional little things here and there using my sister's machine.  But I was never really good at using a sewing machine, couldn't even it thread it myself! 

Well, that all changed on December 25th, 2008.  I opened up this quite large box and there it was, my very own sewing machine.  I was very excited and couldn't wait to use it.  A few days later, well, maybe it was like a day later, I bought some fabric to make some baby burp cloths for my sister-in-law who was due the very beginning of January.  Now, I really didn't have the space for the sewing machine, so I set up our dining room table and used that to place the machine and used the floor to cut fabric.  It wasn't working out very well.  Well, I got the burp rags done and was quite pleased with how they turned out.  But I wasn't happy with my work space and thought to myself that if I have to keep using the dining room table for sewing, I probably won't do it very often.

My sister, cousin and I went shopping a few days after the holidays and decided to head to IKEA.  There, I found the most perfect desk/sewing table.  My sister and cousin both agreed that it would be perfect and should fit in my office/craft area (my husband and I live in a quite roomy apartment and we share a room for his computer desk and my crafting area).  So I picked the desk up and off we went so I could set it up.  After trying to understand the directions, well more like stick figure pictures, it was complete.  And it was perfect!  My sewing machine fits perfect.  Through the past few months, I bought little storage things for my thread, fabric, patterns, etc.  I think it looks quite nice, although I don't think there will ever be enough room for all my things!  I told my husband that when we get our own house, I need one room or space to be just mine for all my crafting things.

Well, as the months went on, I got a little more creative.  I made a runner for my dresser, little decorative table toppers for our bedside tables, a sewing machine cover, candle mats, primitive strawberry bowl fillers, two rag quilts, several tote bags, burp rags...the list goes on.  I will post pictures of my creations in the new post.