A Father Christmas Pillow

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy from Sew Well here again with another gift for my niece.

This little Father Christmas pillow perfectly sized for my niece was super easy to make.  The pattern was printed right on the fabric, so all I had to do was cut, sew, and stuff.  If only garments came preprinted like this!  Spoonflower, perhaps?

Hobby-Reindeer

Hello, I'm Tors from Girl meets Wolf (previously Welsh Pixie) and I'm not sure about anyone else but I'm having a bit of a panic.

Wouldn't you know it, I've left it all til the last minute - a downside of my profession, no time left for anything else! And wouldn't you know it, the first thing I complete isn't even a present for my family, but for my friend's little boy! I'm sure the Law of Sod has something to do with this.

This hobby-reindeer came from Tone Finnanger's book, Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle. Tone's creations are fabulous and really very easy to make. If you're a fan of Mollie Makes you'll have seen some of her work in this month's issue.

The stick is some cheap dowling from B&Q that I've left unpainted because I prefer it and also can't be arsed with all the painting so soon after painting a new-to-me dresser that took two weeks to finish. It'll be a while before I pick up a paintbrush again I think.

The nose and eyes are drawn on rather wonkily with some fabric pens, the ribbon came from eBay (and don't I just love it!) and the head itself is stuffed with hypo-allergenic toy stuffing from Hobbycraft. All in all this was a rather cheap and not particularly time consuming (although a little fiddly) project to complete.

Felt Monster

Hi!  Magpie Mimi again with a felt monster this time.  I got this pattern from Mollie Makes magazine again, but you can download the pattern from their website.  It's a Feltmistress exclusive and is one of four versions that you can make, I shall be making another one/two, depending on time, before Christmas as presents.

He's a very smart Monster with a bow tie

He's made completely from felt and stuffed with toy stuffing so he's safe for children to play with

Here's me holding him so you get an idea of scale

And led down, it's a hard life being a monster you know!

I've stuffed him quite generously as wanted the arms and legs to have good definition, but they are a little stiff right now.  I'm sure with a few hours play he'll be a bit more pliable!  He was fun to make, but the more details you add, obviously the more time consuming he is to make.  With any luck I'll have a few more monsters before the end of the week!

Anyone panicking yet???

Foxy

Hi!  Magpie Mimi struggling to get everything done in time!  hehe!  Here's something I've just finished and need to make 3 more of before Christmas day and two monsters too, but hopefully that'll be another post sometime soon!  I really love working in felt and making toys, so when I saw the pattern for the fabulous Lori Marie crafty fox from Pretty Little Things had put a tutorial in Mollie Makes to make one of her pretty little foxes I knew I had to make one!  Wish I'd thought earlier that I wanted to make them as presents for my four nieces though...D'oh!

Anyway, the instructions are simple, so simple in fact that I didn't follow them...whoops!  I forgot to photocopy and enlarge the pattern so I drew it freehand so it's not quite the same as the original but I love it!

Look how pretty I am with my purple eyelashes!

Oooh, leaves!

A more sedate pose to show you the details.  It's hard being a foxy lady you know.

It doesn't take much stuffing, which is good as could only find a small bag of stuffing on my rush to the sewing shop this afternoon.  I've used some scrap fabric for the tummy panel as it's brushed cotton to give it a slightly different texture to the rest which is felt.  Hopefully I'll have a skulk of foxes by the time Christmas rolls round! 

Lullaby Lamb Felt Doll

Hi, everyone! I'm Amanda from Virginia, USA. I blog over at Sewin' in the Rain and this is my first time posting at Crafty Christmas Club. I credit CCC for motivating me to finish my first handmade gift of the season!

A little girl in my family is turning 1 around Christmas so I made her this cute little "Lullaby Lamb" doll out of felt, fabric and embroidery floss! The pattern is a design from Gingermelon, an Etsy shop with a bunch of adorable doll patterns available. She's based in Canada but her patterns are sent through e-mail and I got mine almost right away!

The lamb came together pretty easily and I'm very happy with how it turned out. Basic embroidery stitches are used to join the pieces. The original doll height is described as 3.5" (~9 cm) sitting down so I doubled the size of the pattern pieces to get a larger doll. Most pieces are whip stitched together and then stuffed with polyfil, including the wee snout!

Materials include:

• High quality woolen cream felt for the body from Purl Soho in New York. It doesn't pill like cheaper felts and has a smooth feel (though I admit using cheaper felt for the flower at the head and the pillow.)
• Leftover fabric from my first-ever skirt for the foot pads and inner ears.
• Seed beads at the center of the flower.
• Silk satin ribbon at the neck, also from Purl Soho.

I attached the pillow to the body of the lamb so it wouldn't get lost. As you can see, I also added a little message on the pillow! I'd love to make this again or try some of her other patterns. I know it'll go a lot faster now that I've done it once.

Have a wonderful week, and happy crafting!

~Amanda

bookette's beginning of a Christmas list

Hi, everyone! I'm Laurel, and I blog over at House Full of Monkeys as Bookette.

I'm currently caught up in the whole fall and Halloween crafting fun, so I've been a little slow to get on with Christmas lists and the like. However, I do have a few ideas running 'round my head, so I thought I'd get this out there.

PJ pants are always under the tree! In fact, I not only have to make them for my 19-yr-old twin boys, I generally take on half of the ones mom has to make for my 7 siblings and their spouses, children, etc. Over the years, I've developed my own techniques and sewing order to make the job go faster. I wrote it up for a craft night once, and you can find a pdf here, if you're interested. (as a side note, my twins usually get a matching top, but I just can't do that for everyone)

I'll also be making up a bunch of fleece socks from this pattern. I have tons of fleece scraps and remnants, and I love using them up in a way that makes folks happy and warm. I make mine into a sock by not folding down the top. You can also make them longer by extending both front and back to whatever length you want. As-is, they are just below the meaty part of your calf. Everyone I've given them to asks for more!

For my knitting/crochet group, I plan to make a bunch of Humbug bags from this pattern. Super easy, and they are just the right size to hold a pair of socks-in-progress, or other small project. (I think I've seen free tuts on the web for this bag as well, but this is the pattern I've got.)

For the little ones in my life (nieces and nephews), I'll be making up some of these marble mazes for quiet toys. I saw the idea over a year ago, here, but didn't try making any until last month. Now I'm hooked, and I even find myself playing with them when I just can't sit still. You use fleece for these, too, so there may be a bit of a fleecy flurry at my house.

I've had one co-worker request that I make her one of these little pence jugs, but in a quieter color palette, please. They're knitted up from sock yarn leftovers, and I haven't done many socks in plain colors yet (aside from baby socks in white), so this could be a problem. I am currently working on a pair of charcoal grey socks, though, so if that leaves me anything, she might get lucky.

For a select set of nieces and nephews, I may be adding to their play food collection. I've knitted and crocheted a fair collection of food over the past couple years, (why yes, that is a knitted donut in my hand in my photo above) some of which can be seen on my blog in the Year of Ami posts. Most are from freebie patterns on the web, including one of my own for Tator Tots. There's always room for more fun fiber-foods at Grandma's! (pattern for the cheeseburger shown here, and my mods to it are here.)

I'm sure I'll be adding to this as we get closer to the date. I'm just trying to focus on some pressing projects for work, and enjoying Halloween and the onset of Fall, my favorite season!

My Totally Achievable Christmas Crafty List (Fingers Crossed)

Hi everyone!  I’m Lindsay and I blog at Lindsay Pindsay.  I just learned about Crafty Christmas Club last week and I am so excited to see what everyone is making for the holidays.  Hopefully you all won’t inspire me to pile more projects onto my list!

Here is what I have planned:

Each year my husband and I print calendars that feature photos from our adventures during the year.  This year’s calendar will feature photos from our recent roadtrip out west to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.  I’ve been recapping our 23-day trip if you want to check out our adventures.  This picture of the Grand Prismatic Spring will most likely make the cut.

Explorer Vest from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew book for my nephew.  Our little guy is turning 5 in February and I thought it was time that he had something official to wear on his excursions.  Isn’t it adorable?  I’m so excited to start it.

Image Source

I’ve been commissioned to make a personalized superhero cape for my sister’s nephew, much like the three that I’ve made for my nephew and a couple of cousins.  Kids these days are nuts for Lightning McQueen!

I’m using the leftover fabric from a set of potholders that I made my mom last year and making a tea cozy for the host of our annual cookie exchange, who always makes an array of different flavored teas for the event.

Last year I made peppermint soap for my co-workers and they have been talking about it ever since, some begging me for more.  I used the recipe from How to Make Soap: Without Burning Your Face Off by Raleigh Briggs which includes peppermint and basil essential oils and sand for exfoliation.  I’ll be making it again since it’s a pretty easy gift to put together for the 35 people in my department.  I know, I’m nuts for making a small gift for each of them, but I just love to spread the holiday cheer!  Last year I wrapped up each bar in plastic wrap and kraft paper and delivered them with a holiday card from the American Cancer Society.  Store-bought holiday cards aren’t in this year’s budget, so I’m going to try and find a way to incorporate the “card” into how I wrap up the soap.  Suggestions are welcome!

I’m whipping up tissue holders as stocking stuffers for all of the stockings that I will have access to on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning (the total is 15 in case you were wondering).  Last year I made reusable bags using this adorable Jay McCarroll fabric.  This year I’m using the leftover fabric to make the tissue holders using the JCasa pattern on Sew Mama Sew. 

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Lastly, my mom’s birthday is December 28^th and this year I’m making her a quilt.  I ordered the City Green quilt kit from Mad About Patchwork to help me out with all of that cutting!  This is the second quilt that I have planned to make in the next few months (the other is a baby quilt for a baby that will arrive any minute!), so I’m a little worried that this won’t get finished until January.  

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I started the tissue packets yesterday and have promised myself (and my husband) that I won’t work on any other projects until all of the gifts are finished to avoid crazy last-minute sewing marathons.  My fingers are crossed that I finish everything in time!

Christmas Plans

Hello, I'm Vicki and I blog at Vicki Kate Makes.  This is my first year here at the Crafty Christmas Club and I've loved going back through last years posts - there's so much inspiration there!

These are my plans for this year:

Mum - a photo calendar
Dad - a photo desk calendar and some lebkuchen or biscotti or both!
Husband - waiting for inspiration to strike?!
Boy - Husband is making him a toylander.  Does that count as handmade - I think it does!  I may make him a cuddly dinosaur too from this pattern.
Jess - Makeup brush roll with some new brushes
Adam - I have no idea!  May well end up being bought and some baking thrown in.
Beccy - Cookie mix jar and a purse, maybe using this pattern with some little makeup bits in
John - Again, no idea.  Probably something to do with books or cheese.  So maybe a book voucher and some cheese straws?
Ian - Aarrghhh!  Why are blokes so hard to think of present for???  May well be really unimaginative and give him a voucher of some sort and some baked goodies.
Jo - Purse and something else.  Will have to ask Ian for suggestions!
Husband' Mum - What do you give your MIL?  She's not the most appreciative person so it may well end up being a bought present, or vouchers in a handmade card.  Or possibly a terranium as she likes her garden and plants.
Husband's Mum's Boyfriend -  Another man that I have no ideas for!
Husband's Dad - Photo Calendar
GG - Chocolates from Hotel Chocolat and a framed photo of Husband and Boy
Uncle Pete - Bottle of port

I'm also hosting Christmas Dinner this year.  So I'll be making cranberry sauce with port (nom nom), the christmas pudding in the next couple of weeks and a christmas cake, again in the next couple of weeks so it can mature and be fed!  We also make brandy sauce to do with the pud which often ends up with a LOT of brandy in it.  I have to admit my go to is Nigella's Christmas for a lot of the recipes so I'll have to go through the book and plan the menu.

I'd also like to make some bunting for Boy's new bedroom.  I'll also make the wreath for the door.  As for other decorations it depends on what inspiration strikes.

Now that I've written it all out, that's quite a lot!  Ah well, slow and steady...  There's still 71 days!

A new member and some inspiration

Good morning everyone,

I'm new to the Crafty Christmas Club, I'm Wendy and I blog over at The Crafter's Apprentice.  None of my in-the-flesh friends or family read my blog, or even know I've got one, but I wanted to join this blog to share the links I've found for great tutorials, and even some of my own.  I see everyone is posting their to-do lists, but I haven't made one yet so I'll post it when I have made it!  I have, however, been making Christmas presents and I thought you might want to see some of them - with links to FREE tutorials of course!


Pocket tissue cases from a tutorial on Bitty Bits and Pieces.  VERY quick and easy to whip up and they only use up scraps.



Fold up shopping bag from a tutorial on Crafty Ady's blog.  Look on the sidebar for the link to a pdf tutorial (free).  This one does take a little more patience and I would say skill, but I managed it with the minimum of skill!



Another quick and easy tutorial, this one for headbands over at KC Quilts.

This tutorial for glasses cases using a flex frame is really fast to whip up and they can be as simple or as embellished/pieced/appliqued/embroidered as you want.  It's another one from Crafty Ady and the link takes you right there.  I can't post a picture as they're showing up as those funny purple lines on my blog for some reason.


This is the Pheobe bag, it was great to sew up, I really enjoyed it.  The tutorial can be found on Artsy Crafty Babe.



Cute little baby bear hats for the babies on your gift list.  I also recently made a panda version.  These take half an hour to crochet.  The tutorial is on Alli Crafts blog.  She has patterns in a couple of sizes so you might have to check the tags on her sidebar to find the right size.

 
You've probably all seen this before - it's the Buttercup Bag by Made By Rae.  It uses tiny amounts of fabric and is fun to make.



How about some oven gloves for the cooks in your life?  This pattern from Sew4Home doesn't involve quilting or binding.

And finally, some tutorials from me that might be useful.



Lavender sachets make a great stocking filler and come in so many guises.  I posted a tutorial for these scrappy patchwork lavender hearts.

 

I also wrote a tutorial for counting bean bags for the little people in your life.

And finally...



How to make an appliqued notebook.  This one is a no-sew (apart from the cover applique of course!) version.

I will be back soon with my Christmas to-make list.

Big list this year, time to get cracking!

Hello everyone, my name is Kath and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I have far too many hobbies to list but my most recent endeavour has been my Etsy store bunnyhornet. I make vintage inspired jewellery there and I'll be adding a bit of that to my Christmas pressies list!

BUT!! My projects I have to tackle this year are:

1.    3 x personalised cushion covers for my nephews.
2.    3 x reversible tote bags
3.    Skirt for my sister-in-law
4.    Sundress for another sister-in-law
5.    A few simple make-up cases
6.    Flying pigs mobile (idea found on this blog!)
7.    Some little bunnies (also idea found on this blog - thanks!)
8.    Tuxedo bib for littlest nephew
9.    2 x capes for bigger nephews
10.  3 x aprons for sisters and mother-in-law
11.  Giraffe Toy

OMG! How am I ever going to finish? I don't have a blog of my own so I'll document my sources for inspiration etc here :)

1. Personalised Pillows

My sister-in-law sent me a link for this:

If you click on the picture it will take you to the webiste.

She wanted her own version for her new baby and I have two other little nephews so I've bought fabric for all three and some felt for the names.

I bought my fabrics from Superbuzzy who has some amazing prints and colours.

And the felt came from Etsy user litlbrownbird.

And this is the inspiration for colour scheme I'm working with!

How cute is he!

The fabric picked for Boy 1 is to go with this little fella and I think the oranges and blues will go nicely with his room....

I want to make one similar but that's only in the 'musing' stages at the moment, no concrete plans!

You'll also notice I've bought the fabrics for the 3 reversible totes. The pattern I'll be using is from Burda Style and is free!

Now this tuxedo bib pattern is meant to be for an adult (to look like you're wearing a tux shirt) but how cute would a version be for a baby? Argh! So cute! Another Freebie!

I'll also use some of the leftover fabric for the make-up cases. I'll just make these really simple pouches with a zip closure.

Love this tutorial over at Chezlin!

I also bought some of that felt to make brown bunnies like the ones shown on the blog and on the original website of Betz White.

 The flying piggy mobile I found on this blog here. I've already started on my own pattern - don't want to mess with copyright but as it's for a gift we should be ok! The skin tone and white felt I've bought from litlebrownbird will be for this one.

Ok, and that's where I'm up to with my ideas so far..... wheeeeeeeeee!

Now to find good patterns for the Sundress, the Skirt, the aprons and the capes. Any ideas?

Hi There and Chickens

Hi! I'm Huff, and I blog at Huff Makes Stuff. I sew and knit and dabble in a handful of other crafty pursuits. Most of the gifts I'll be making this year are for the children in our families. Every year there seem to be more and more of them! I'm full of ideas for the littlies this year but am still searching for ideas and patterns for some of the older kids.

I have found loads of toy pattern books from the 70s and 80s in op shops/thrift stores like this one:
Once you get past the the strangeness, and interesting fabric choices (it can take a bit of imagination) there are usually several cute patterns. Like this family of chickens. They only took two fat quarters of fabric and some felt scraps to make and will be perfect for my niece who is three.Looking forward to seeing what you're all up to and sharing ideas!

Tutorial: Easy Teddy

As promised! This is the easiest teddy I've ever made. I should perhaps mention I've only ever made two types of teddy, but this was definitely the easiest. You don't even need a sewing machine - as long as you can sew a running stitch you can make this teddy.

YOU WILL NEED:
Some fabric, twice the size of the teddy you intend to make
A length of ribbon
Needle and cotton
Pencil
Card and an existing teddy to use as a template (or just freestyle one)
Toy stuffing
Fabric paints/ pens

1. Put something on the telly to entertain you whilst sewing. Pride & Prejudice is my film of choice because, despite loving it, I have no TV boyfriends in it to distract me

2. Ensure your workspace doesn't look like mine

3. Create your template. You can either draw around a teddy you already own, in which case make sure it's a flat, unarticulated teddy like the one pictured below ...

... or create your own template. I'm using one from Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle by Tone Finnanger. I highly recommend her books, they're filled with fabulous projects.

When creating your template remember not to draw in ears, ideally they should be a seperate template to ensure they stand up correctly but, honestly, anything goes. As long as you can sew it you'll be fine.

You'll notice on my template I've marked where to leave a hole for each ear and a hole to allow me to reverse and then stuff the teddy. You'll need to mark these on your template too. The ear holes will, naturally, be the same width as the ear and the side hole just needs to be big enough to allow you to turn the finished teddy in the right way and also allow you to get your fingers inside to position the stuffing.

4. Fold your fabric in half and place your template in the middle. The entire template will need to be sewn around, no using the fold in any way (sorry!). Draw around your template and remember to draw around your ear template twice.

Comme ca!

5. I've found that when sewing together the bottom piece of fabric tends to move about so pin your two pieces together just to be on the safe side.

6. Running stitch your way around each template using the line you drew as your guideline. A very handy tip I picked up from Tone Finnanger, sew on the line! (sorry about the over exposure here)

7. Once it's all stitched (apart from your gaps!) cut out your template with a seam allowance added. Don't forget to clip the curves. I tend to veer into a fatter seam allowance around the area for the side hole as that will need to be invisibly stitched closed and I've discovered it's easier with more fabric. The choice is yours though.

8. Turn the ears the right way in and insert into the hole you left on the head upside down (trust me). Once you've positioned them to your satisfaction sew the hole closed. In the picture below the left ear is in place and the right ear demonstrates how the ear should be positioned. You just need to insert it between the fabric inside the hole, not lay it on the top like the right ear.

9. Turn your teddy in the right way ...

10. ... and stuff! (my favourite part!)

11. Slip stitch your side hole closed. Youtube has some excellent tutorials on this stitch if you're not familiar with it but essentially you're still doing a running stitch but each complete stitch is on opposite sides of the fabric. Remember to stitch on the folded-in fabric so you can't see the cotton and when it comes to knotting the fabric poke the knot in so it's hidden.

12. Grab your ribbon and tie, tightly, around the neck to define the head.

13. Draw on your face, add any other painted features you please, ensure they're wash proof and you're done!