Felt Fun...

4 thick felt coasters + 1 coaster cozy...
A Handmade Holiday gift for a friend.

Thick white felt + blanket stitch + decorative center stitch + 4 fun thread colors
=
cozy modern fab

Tis the Season...

Holiday Card production has begun!

We always try to take a quirky photo of all four of us...not the standard posed picture of the kids...for our cards.

This year I decided that, since I took the Handmade Pledge, I should make our cards rather than order them.

I had an assembly line set up on the kitchen table most of the weekend which involved...
a paper cutter, a 20' tall stack of pretty papers, double sided tape, scissors, coffee, a ruler, 2 kids, markers, envelopes, an address book and yummy snacks!

We are almost finished...just a few more messages to write.

Then stamps.

I love the feeling of sending all of those personal messages of joy out to all the folks we love.
Anticipation of our cards reaching their destination...Mixed with the triumph of accomplishing it yet again.

A Holiday Gift...Perhaps...

This is my first time with the double pointed knitting needles...I always suffer through with the Circular needles. I was always so sure one of the needles would slip out and being lost forever. So far, nothing of the sort has happened.

I must say, I am converted. This is a MUCH better way to knit a round hat.

This hat may or may not be a Holiday gift for someone who I'm pretty sure doesn't frequent this space. I am going to remain vague on it's destination and inspiration, just in case...

Check One More Off The List...

Paper Chain...Check.

Advent Calender...Almost There.

I just need to stitch on the squares...then add the numbers.
Better hurry...tomorrow's the first day.

SO...

I always thought advent calenders had treats.

I never had one, but is seems the ones I coveted as a child involved treats...
or at least the ones that stuck with me did. Things like little chocolates, or a small toy or ornament.

But, Chris tells me that growing up his never involved a treat. Apparently he had little windows...to what he can't recall.

What is your family's advent calender like?

Stockings for Stuffing...

I've finally begun working on our Christmas Stockings...
This is not something I do every year...but we don't have a proper matching set for all four of us.

That makes this the Year of the Stockings.

Chris and I have a matching red and green velvet set that have our names embroidered on them. His parents bought them for us years ago and they've served us very well.
Problem is that since we've had the kids our names have changed to Mommy and Daddy..."who are these 'Chris and Amanda' People?! Why are we hanging their stockings? Where are the mommy and daddy stockings?" Plus...I really would like everything to coordinate to some degree.

Maybe I'll wrap the old ones up very carefully and we can use them again once the kids move out and we go back to our 'grown up' names!
(Does that ever happen?! I seem to remember my grandparents still calling each other Mom and Dad even though their kids were very much grown. Hmm.)

So...

This year we will have 4 new handmade stockings embroidered with our names.
They will all have the same blue felt background, but each of us will get a different image of our choosing. I chose an apple tree. I don't know why.

Can't wait to find out what the kid's will request.

I'll report back...

Whew...

My fingers have been busy...

The Shopgirlz hat order is all finished.

It's probably going to remain pretty heavy on photo's and light on words here until after Thanksgiving...

Sewing Room Friday

For Sewing Room Friday this week...

It's photo's of a baby quilt me and my girlfriends are working on for the newest baby amongst us. We each embroidered a square with an image of our choosing...
Everyone really did a great job, you'd never know that some of these are first attempts at embroidery.


Yes, the light is terrible here today...normally I would have scrapped these photo's, but as it called Sewing Room FRIDAY I was left with few options.

A New Everyday Bag...

So, my good friend Rachel asked for an everyday bag for those outings when she has her little guy and needs more than her purse...
but doesn't need her entire diaper bag.

The Everyday Bag is the answer.

It has six internal side pockets large enough to hold diapers, loveys, burp cloths, bottles, and such...
plus a cell phone pocket snuggled up inside the strap where she can actually find it (and reach it).

She chose the fabrics herself from my Hancock's of Paducah catalog.

Do you have one of these?

It is one of my most used tools for creating custom bags. I get an updated one every few months in the mail with a bunch of new fabrics. Then, when a customer needs fabric choice help or inspiration, I pull it out.

H. of P. also sells their fabric is 1/2 yard increments which I LOVE. A few other sites do this, but most don't, and it's really practical for me.

I made one of these for myself a while ago, but ended up literally selling it off my back while was out and about one day.

Finaly Complete...

(That's one of Chris's hand turned Christmas ornaments in his hand there.)

I have been working on this shop apron for Chris since, well, I can't even remember... He's been very patiently waiting while I managed to complete every other project under the sun and his poor half finished apron sat waiting.

Well, no more!

Here it is in all it's woody-ness.

So, since he's a woodworker, this fabric was the obvious choice. Clever, no? Chris chose it himself.
I didn't use a commercial pattern...as usual I just did some sketches, took some measurements, and made my own. Since I am sure this apron will see it's share of heavy use the straps in the back are heavy duty brown nylon with adjustable latches. I used a total of three layers of canvas to make it super heavy duty...Gotta protect from those flying wood bits. The pocket flap is extra big to keep sawdust from finding it's way into the pockets.

Overall, we are both really happy with it. It was fun to intermingle our crafty worlds and collaborate on something not related to home improvement or parenting.

Posy Pouch...

So, once I got myself to stay in the studio for more than a few minutes...

This little gem practically created itself.

I'm thinking there's value to stepping out of the creative process from time to time and letting your ideas fully form in you head.

I generally start in on a new idea very early in the 'figuring out' process. This means a lot of redoing and undoing. But, with this pouch today, I had spent so long living with it that it was like my hands knew just what to do. Easy peasy.

I'm finding that 'living with' my ideas for all sorts of things, from cooking to parenting, helps everything crystallize...Often resulting in a much more satisfying result. This is a creative process I had never really tried prior to having these kidletts, but am now forced into occasionally.

Of course, we don't always have the luxury of mulling every thought over indefinitely...
but, next time my creative production is ebbing I will try to see it as a positive rather than a negative. Kind of like stocking up the creativity bank account instead of the Etsy bank account.

Cable Knit Pillows

My newest quick project obsession...Beautiful knit sweaters repurposed as cushy throw pillows.
I have a feeling you'll be seeing a bevy of these around here!

Preschooler Yoga Pants...

So, I finally got around to figuring out that serger I got for my birthday (5 months ago).
My first project....some yoga/lounge pants for Mr. Luke.
I used stretch cotton jersey and just traced the inseam from a pair of pants we have around.
Worked like a charm...I made actual pants on my first try.
I used this Tutorial over at Luckybeans.

The Library Tote....

This is my latest creation. I am calling it the Library Tote...the way the strap cinches through the loop reminds me of the images of book straps from some of my childhood story books. It works well as a casual day purse also...I know because I made one for myself and I like it so much I couldn't wait for a trip to the library to begin filling it up.

So...with Luke's upcoming entry into preschool I am pacifying my nerves by coming up with the perfect little tote bag for him to bring his stuff to school in. I am pretty sure it will be a smaller version of the Library tote...but I'd like him to have a little say. Today we will journey to the fabric store so he can choose just the fabric he wants for his new bag. The first day of school is tomorrow so today is the day I really need to keep my hands and mind busy. I intentionally saved this project 'till the last day knowing I would feel this way! I'll report back on the finished bag soon.This is a photo taken on Mothers Day of my boys and their cousin Chasity. This is the only 'good' one out of about 50 attempts.

My Thanksgiving Apron

I made an Apron just for Thanksgiving this year. When I found out I was hosting this year.....inspiration took over. I am sure this will now become my everyday apron.

I just adore the mood that an apron sets....fun, feminine, cozy, maternal, familiar, homey.....mom.

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving at home with our friends and family. An evening of food, wine, conversation, hugs, smiles, fireplace glow, and love. We are so thankfull.

a bib...

A fun little bib ....

Kai models it for us...

the bib has a fun cotton polka dot front with a practical terry cloth backing. the bananna applique reflects what the boys would always prefer to see on their tray.