Done . . . and not done

Finished:

• colored pencil roll for nephew
• Captain Jack Sparrow costume for other nephew
• doll sleeping bag and dress for niece
• scripture bag for niece's birthday

Left to finish:

• robe and jammies for L
• dinosaur tails for all
• jammies for husband

These dinosaur tails should whip up quick. And the robe will be fun, if nothing else. Aaron's jammies are already cut out. I do have some shopping to do - tomorrow or maybe Thursday. I'd like to be completely done by Thursday so I can enjoy Friday and Saturday.

And next year, I'd really like to not cut it so close. For real.

Christmas Quilts part deux

These have been way too long in the making. They were started in Seattle (all the HSTs sewn together) and finished in Moscow (Idaho, not Russia). But they are done in time for Christmas cuddling, and that's what counts.

So many projects to finish this next week. Linking up to Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday - and hoping she hosts a big one next week to show off our Christmas crafting!

My Christmas Kitchen 2011

Hmmm. What shall I make this year?

Easy.
Peanut brittle for the husband.

Caramels for the husband and kids, if he'll share!

Coconut cake on Christmas day, because I make the best one. Really. I was taught by my very Southern Gran and I've been perfecting it over the years. It is awesome and I just might eat the whole thing!

Coconut macaroons for all, including friends.

I'm done with spritz cookies this year. My cookie press is about to get hucked out the door. Note to self: just because Williams-Sonoma makes and sells it, doesn't make it the best there is. My mom's old Wilton one works WAY better than this thing. I can only get the trees to come out. Darn thing.

I'll make some more sugar cookies next week for the kids. We've got gingerbread creations set for Monday's FHE. A house, a tree and a train!

Oh, and donuts. Tomorrow night is the donut fest. Our annual Freedom Fry, to celebrate the holidays and the Bill of Rights. I'll be frying a boatload. Good times. Guess I should get the house cleaned up a bit, eh?

And then more sewing!

Christmas Sewing

We woke up to snowfall this morning, and I have been known to listen to Christmas music while crafting, so I thought I'd share some of the crafting I'd like to get done for this Christmas.

And yes, my mother will think I'm crazy, given that I've got a one-month-old and four other rowdies running around. But I enjoy being ambitious! All links will take you to the tutorial or the pattern.

Okay, first, a little tissue holder for those I know who carry tissues in their purse. If I had a matchy matchy one with my bag, I just might be responsible enough to carry some myself. These are super easy and super cute.

For Miss Caroline (and maybe my nephew Jackson), I found these cute little stuffed turtles. Might I add that I can get Laurel and William to enthusiastically stuff things for me so I don't have to? I'm shameless, but resourceful!
I bought this pattern for stockings last year just after Christmas. I've got them cut out, mostly, but I'm struggling with how to get their names on them.
This is a two part gift. I thought Jackson would like to have something to throw a ball into, and these round nesting baskets were just the thing.
A mug rug (not this one - just an example for those who don't know what a mug rug is) for a special person. I've got it all designed and the fabric chosen. Just have to sew it up and ship it off.
Fabric beach balls, to throw into those round nesting baskets.
Stuffed dinosaurs for all my crazies, because I know they'd love them.
A crochet hook clutch for Laurel, who is learning to crochet at Activity Day and loving it. So far, she's made the world's longest and skinniest scarf for her stuffed flamingo. Hopefully she'll learn some more stitches this week.
An art bag for Laurel - I've searched high and low and this one is perfect for her. But complicated. We'll see if it gets done or not.

I've got other, top secret ideas, but these are just a few. They won't all get done, but I'll have fun trying.

I'm also creating my first tree skirt. This is uncharted territory for me because I can't find what I want anywhere, be it finished product or pattern, so I'm having to design it myself. Easy-peasy for some of you, but I'm challenged that way. Here's hoping it turns out, because the picture in my head is awesome!

Happy sewing (back to making little white dresses for me!).

To Do Tuesday

Friday is the ward Christmas party. I signed up to bring something from my "heritage" - y'all should know by now that I claim my Southern heritage first and foremost. So I'm bringing a glorious coconut cake.


Our ward did a service auction a couple of months ago. I put up for auction a custom apron. It was a hot item, and there were quite a few disappointed ladies when it was all over. Well, one very perceptive husband, who listens this time of year when his wife mentions she likes something, contacted me - he's a friend of my husband. He asked me to make his wife one of my aprons. He even knew what her favorite colors were (how many husbands can readily have that info available). I ordered the fabric and it got here yesterday and it's gorgeous! Now I want one in blues and browns! So that will be cut out this week and stitched up next week so I can get it to him in time for Christmas. Can I say that I love being an elf?


Here are some preliminary ideas. I'm thinking ours will just have one big hole for the shark's mouth. Y'all are going to be so impressed with Aaron's awesome artistic skills, I promise.

And this is about how basic I'm going to get with my fish - in fact, I just downloaded a picture of Goldfish crackers and blew it up for my pattern! Aaron says I should make them all orange, but I'm thinking lots of colors would be more fun.

Happy crafting! I cannot wait for school to be done so I can get serious about all these plans. One more week and I'm a free woman. Just one week.

Fuzzy Math

Okay, this is a test. Ready?

What do you get when you add plywood+grey spray paint+fabric+navy beans?

We'll find out on Christmas.

Wanna know how? Okay, here it is. I have three little boys. They have a lot of energy. This is a blessing and a curse. In the winter, in Seattle, it's more curse-ish. William walks around like a caged mountain lion in the wintertime.

I've been burning brain cells trying to figure out a fun, homemade gift for these boys of mine for Christmas. Laurel is easy. Coloring wallet, doll dresses, doll blankets, heck, a bag of fabric scraps! But what to make for my boys that they would honestly love? Tough.

The solution is so beautiful, and it also involves Aaron and I doing it together, which makes me even happier. I'm making fish shaped bean bags for the boys with their initials on them (5 or 6 each). Aaron is going to cut a plywood bean bag toss thing in the shape of a shark with the hole being the shark's mouth. He's going to use his awesome artistic skills to paint it and I just know it's going to be the coolest present ever. I can't wait!

This will be a tough one - we'll have to hide it at Uncle John's house (who fortunately has the woodworking tools Aaron will need for this). The bean bags will be a bit easier to hide. Cutting and sewing them might prove more difficult...

I love Christmas! I love coming up with ideas for people.

Oh, and I practically wore out my rotary cutter this morning. I prepped a whole mess of quilting stuff so when I finish school in a week (HOORAY!) I can get busy. I'll have to work on my kids' gifts at night. Priority is the stuff being shipped - that's gotta get done first and in the mail. Then I'll get stuff done for home.

To Do Tuesday

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go...

Okay, it's the last day of November. That's Christmas season, y'all. And it's especially looking like Christmas in my sewing room (what passes for a sewing room around here - I'll give you the grand tour another day).

I have our community center reserved for tonight for a little sewing party. Might just be me and Rendy, but we're going to be busy bees working on Christmas. Here's what's on my list for tonight:

Sew at least one new dress for Kit

William's boy doll

Just discovered this art journal here and I must make them for my munchkins. I might even get one too!

Can I just say that I'm longing for the days when handmade goods were appreciated as gifts? At church, instead of choosing gifts, maybe even making them and then wrapping them, now we are instructed to just buy gift cards. It's just so cold and impersonal to me. I'd love to make a little girl a doll and blanket and one of these art journals. Now, it's just about giving people money.

It makes me glad for those who do still appreciate handmade gifts. I'm even making a commissioned apron for a friend at church - he's one of those perceptive husbands who listens when his wife says she likes something. Well, she told him I made pretty aprons and he e-mailed my husband and we picked out fabric and now I'm making an apron for her. I hope she likes it. I'll take pictures, of course!

But that comes after my finals and such. Classes officially end on the 10th, and I have just one final on the 13th.

And here's my early Christmas present - I discovered yesterday that I will graduate in June, if all goes as planned! Hooray!

My Christmas Kitchen

Corrie over at retro mummy is the inspiration for this post. So here's what will be coming out of my kitchen this Christmas - some are traditions and some will become such.

The first - peanut brittle. Aaron is not a cookie man, and we paid out quite a bit for a baking and pastry education, so let's produce some candy! He gets a tin of this every year under the tree. I'll have to make more this year though - Laurel is a fan now too!

Next: December 15th will be our family Doughnut Fry. A family friend back in Kennewick has been doing this their whole married life and we're officially adopting it this year. We love doughnuts and we like our friends and family. Aaron chose the date because it is not only part of the Christmas season but because it also celebrates Bill of Rights day. Yes, we're flag-waving Americans around here and proud of it.
This coconut cake is heavenly. I just made one for Thanksgiving and I'll be making one for our church Christmas party.
Aaron and I fell in love with these coconut macaroons this year. We have some special family members whose favorite cookies are coconut macaroons. Will be shipping some out in December!
Spritz cookies. It's all about the butter. I've been making them for years, first with my mom, now with my kids. We like the tree shapes and the stars. I don't want to think about how many pounds of butter I will use up creating gift tins for friends. I know some people like to give a variety of treats, but I like to give just a bunch of one thing. It's easy on me, they taste great and the kids don't fight over them.
Course, I have to get through my finals first before I start baking. But I'll be going to the store to stock up on butter and sugar. 'Tis the season.