bauble decorations

Looking for something lightweight to send to my brothers and sisters in England, I came across this amazing tutorial, which I had saved in my favourites folder. Lucy at Attic24 is not only amazingly talented, but also very generous with her time in creating wonderful, detailed tutorials.

These little Christmas decorations were so fun, quick and easy to make and just look so pretty! I hope my family in England like them as much as I do. I have started work on several for our tree. It will be nice to have something to hang on the bottom branches that I know can't hurt the children, and they can't ruin!

I've come to claim...

I made a 'zippered pouch'! It's something I've been meaning to do for a while, and my brother's birthday gave me the perfect excuse. I used this tutorial. And just like Dana, I filled mine with edible goodies- specifically Reeses products which are not available in England. I hope Lee likes it.

You might be wondering about the lettering I have on there. It's freezer-paper stenciled. This was another thing I had been meaning to try for a while. I used these tips. Of course, you can always trust me to complicate things by choosing a difficult design. so it did take a while to cut out all those little letters, but I think it's worth it.

'What's Rightfully Mine' is based on something that Lee used to say when we were kids. He's five years older than me (the next child after him) so he was somewhat of an idol for the rest of us. He would sometimes let us have things from his bedroom- toys, books all kinds of stuff. Before you admire his generosity, though, I must point out that every now and then he would come hunting for the things he had given away, with the famous line 'I've come to claim what's rightfully mine'.

So, there you have it, a little story from my childhood.

hot stuff

This was supposed to be for Trev's grandma. Her favourite colour is green, so I pulled out an array of greens from my stash and began piecing. I was really pleased with the pieced front part, but when I stitched the layers together, things went pear-shaped.

It's at times like this that I wish I was truly talented. I get so many ideas for things I want to make, but the execution of those ideas always falls short. Still, all I can do is keep trying, so that's what I'll do.

I was afraid that my gift would be late if I tried to make another potholder, so she got these covered button magnets instead.

At least they're green. And as a grandma and great-grandma, she has an abundance of pictures on her fridge, so cute magnets are a must!

p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pick up a...

Here is what I made for my little brother for his birthday. I haven't sent it to him yet but I'm pretty sure he doesn't read this blog (or know it exists).

A few years ago, when I still lived with my mum in England, I bought this penguin fabric. I think I bought it from Ebay, but anyway, when it arrived, Guy saw it and told me that he really liked it. He wanted me to make him a tie out of it, but there was not enough for a tie. Somehow the fabric came with me when I moved over here, and now it is going back to England as this drawstring bag. Hope he likes it!


We bought Guy a couple of games to go inside. Rook is one of our favourites...

The bag is lined with pale yellow. It was the most coordinating thing I had on hand.

And as you can see from the photos, we've finally had some sunshine! It is so lovely.

Covered notebook

This is a gift for Trev's youngest sister, who is turning 14. I used this tutorial. You should go and have a look, and while you're there, check out the rest of her site. Plenty of tutorials and inspiration.

When I made the decision to give handmade gifts this year, I didn't really take into account how frequently birthdays pop up in our families. It's keeping me busy! I also just finished pj bottoms for Trev's brother. They're boring so I'm not going to bother with a picture.

Next up, stuff for my brothers, and Lainey's birthday in February.

Knitting Pattern Review- Two-Hour Scarf

I have made this scarf twice now (and forgotten to photograph it both times!) I love this pattern. It is so easy, is knit with one skein of Lion Brand Homespun yarn, and comes out unbelievably soft. It makes a wonderful last-minute gift!

Image from Lion Brand Yarns

It is knit on enormous needles (mine are sparkly plastic ones!) Which makes it knit up quick, though the needles are a bit heavy and cumbersome. I'm sure you could find some lighter, aluminium ones or something.

You have to try this pattern!

Manly blanket

This was one of my Christmas gifts for Trev this year. A manly blanket, lovingly crocheted by his adoring wife. What more could a guy want, right?!



The thing that still amazes me is that Trev had no idea that this was coming. I managed to complete the whole thing in my spare time (!) during the day while he was at work.




After sewing in all the ends (whew), I opted to crochet the squares together, using this great tutorial. Lucy is amazing!




I actually love the ridges it creates on the reverse side. Kinda makes it seem more rugged, don't you think?

The blanket measures about 50 inches by 45 inches.

Some thoughts-

• I wish I'd have followed advice to sew ends in as I went along. That was a boring task and almost became my downfall.
• I enjoyed buying the yarn on sale but it did lead to a rather un-coordinated colour scheme. Next time, I think I will plan it out and buy yarn in advance.
• I'll also play around with hook sizes- the fabric of this blanket is quite thick and heavy. I think it would be fun to do something lighter-weight.
• I also think it would be fun to do something very colourful, like this, maybe. Obviously wouldn't have worked as a Manly Blanket, but I do believe I'm next in line for an afghan.
• Trev likes it, and he uses it, which is what I was going for :-)
  
  

Dice games

Here's a really easy and inexpensive Christmas gift idea. I thought of it for a relief society activity we were doing, but we ended up doing something else instead.

All you do is buy a wooden box from the craft store, you know those unfinished ones, they come in all shapes and sizes. Mine has a hinge so the lid stays on.

Paint it in any colour you like, using whatever paint you choose (I used the cheap craft paint and did two coats). Then, add scrapbook paper, chipboard letters, and any embellishments you fancy! I'm not very good with glue so I cheated and used some very handy self-adhesive scrapbook paper.

I didn't get a photo, but I also painted the inside, and then lined the bottom with felt for a really professional look. Then I filled it with a set of six dice, and instructions for several dice games. You could google 'dice games' or something.

I think it would be a fun present to give to newlywed couples, too.

Sophie's bag

I finally made a buttercup bag. It was a birthday present for the lovely Sophie. I think I'm going to make some more as Christmas gifts.

Speaking of simple...

A little bag for the beanbags to live in. I had this fat quarter of froggy fabric in my stash and it seemed like a good use for it.


Although this is a simple project, I'm quite excited about it, because it's the first time I used french seams, which I only just learned about. Now I don't need to complain about my lack of serger!


Still gathering inspiration and being amazed at what is out there. I'm learning so much.

Beanbags

These are going to be part of Luke's Easter basket. Very simple, I know...simplicity is where I am at right now. I doubt the recipient will care :-)

Baby trousers

These baby trousers aren't half as cute as I thought they would be. But never mind. They're for my nephew, who was born last week.

Any time I use a pattern to make clothing, I feel the need to change something. I think it is an urge to 'create', rather than just follow directions. (I do admire people who have the patience for following things exactly, though!)

In this case, the pattern was for very simple cotton trousers. Well, I decided to use denim, and make them lined for extra warmth! I hope they fit the baby. I might make a pair for our baby, if I find the time...

Booties

I started knitting these when I was expecting Luke. When he got to be about 10 months old I decided I should finish them! We gave them as a Christmas gift to our baby nephew Quigley. I really enjoy knitting and especially learning new techniques. For these booties I had to learn how to make eyelet holes. Luckily I have a good book which explains all the techniques very clearly. Otherwise I would be lost!