More Christmas Items

A friend of mine, bought these cute bags (in all colors) for the girls on her Christmas list. She asked me to embroider their names on them. I think they are adorable. I bet they had fun opening these up for Christmas.

This is the front of the bag (they all look like this) and I embroidered their names on the top of the bag.






I want one!!!!!!!

Napkins for Mary

Mary, one of my closest friends in the world, asked me to make some napkins and place mats for a couple of people on her Christmas list. Here's what I did...






You can see more napkins I made here. The place mats are just something I came up with in my head.

I just love these napkins. The ones with the linen look (I can't actually afford real linen) are my favorite. They just look more elegant to me. Simple, yet sophisticated.

I also did some napkins for people on my Christmas list, but can you believe that in all the craziness of Christmas and making Christmas gifts that I forgot to take pictures of those? I know, it surprises me too. Oh, well...a napkin is a napkin.

Christmas Picture

I made Frank and the boys matching vests. I finished up 2:00 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 26. (So that they could wear them to church that day - Sunday, the day after Christmas.)

I used the pattern McCall's 2447 for Frank's vest and for the boys' vests, I used the pattern McCall's 4290 View B. They are all made out of a beautiful brick red and lined in black satin.

I just happened to have a brick read sweater that I wore. I girl from church took this picture for us in the church annex (with my camera). She did good.

I then, over the internet, sent them to Walgreens and made a bunch of copies. Addressed the back of the picture and sent it out as a postcard. It was our Happy New Year card (since I didn't get Christmas cards sent out).

More Christmas Goodies - Spa Set

My husband's family usually has their Christmas on New Year's Day (or sometime on New Year's weekend - depends). This year is was Jan. 2. They also play Dirty Santa with the adults (his family is large and it would be too expensive to buy for everybody). This year, they decided that the Dirty Santa gift had to be hand made and this is what I made.

I chose white terry cloth for my spa set. It gives the spa feeling, it is crisp and clean looking and can be bleached to keep that look. Terry cloth is fairly soft and somewhat durable



This is a white terry-cloth spa towel wrap. I took a large bath towel (you could also use a bath sheet) and I folded down one long side and made a casing for elastic. Then I cut the elastic a little shorter than the towel and fed it through the casing. Then I sewed both ends of the elastic into the end of the casing. I then added a wide strip of velcro and I did a really long strip - so it could be used by someone small or large - of the loop side (because it is softer) to the side that would be facing out (it would actually touch under your arm). Then I sewed a large square of the hook tape to the side that would be facing in. (Not sure if all that is clear - I know what I'm thinking and I hope you can read my mind.)



For the neck wrap I used white terry cloth fabric and I sort of used the tutorial here, but I did things a little different. (You know I have to do things my way.) I made a cover for it (so the cover can be washed), and I added a button on the cover and added a piece of elastic to the actual neck wrap. Hook the elastic from the neck wrap over the button on the cover so it won't slip down inside the cover.



I added 2 ribbon ties on each end so that the neck wrap wouldn't just fall out of the cover. I filled the neck wrap with rice. I included a sheet of paper that told what each item was and it included instructions with the neck wrap (can be heated in the microwave or can be cooled in the fridge or freezer).



I also made a washcloth. I crocheted it out of white cotton (I Love This Cotton brand). I just made a chain until I had it as wide as I wanted and then used single crochet and continued until it was a square shape.

They eye mask was made of white terry cloth (I put an inner layer of dark, heavy weight fabric in between the 2 layers of white terry cloth to keep the light out). I use the tutorial from here. There are tons of sleep mask instructions/tutorials, but I liked the one from Michael Miller the best. I liked the way it looked and it was easily assembled. Very quick to make too.

Key fob Christmas gifts

My husband works in a predominately male work environment (there is one lady that works there). He has 3 bosses (they are brothers), so at his office's Christmas party, I made the lady that works in the office and the bosses' 3 wives key fobs with the company's logos on them.

I found the instructions/tutorial here. It was easy and I was pleased with the results.

Here's one that I forgot

I purchased this fleece blanket (I was running out of time to make more) and personalized it myself for a friend of my boys.

It already had the hunter green blanket stitching around the edges, so I matched hunter green embroidery thread and Voila!

Christmas is Over

I have been busy making most of the gifts for the people on my Christmas list, so that left no time for blogging...sorry. But, now maybe I can catch up on my blogging and now that Christmas is over, I can show you what I've been up to.







For my nieces and nephews, I made them all personalized throws. I made fleece blankets and serged the edges and embroidered their names on them. Maybe that will keep them warm and cozy this winter.

We have had lots of snow (for this area anyway). The kids were out almost 1 week before Christmas break. After Christmas break they went back for almost a week (were out the last day, Friday - didn't actually snow, but the weather forcasters were predicting a huge snow storm - for this area - they missed it and the snow didn't come until Saturday). We have been out this whole week so far and I am guessing that they will be out tomorrow too (it isn't getting above freezing so the snow isn't melting). It is supposed to get above freezing over the weekend.

I have been wanting to learn to knit and because of the weather I have not left my house since going to church on Sunday. Since I have been homebound, that has left me lots of time to learn to knit and I think I've got it. Just the basics anyway, now I just have to practice and perfect it. It's fun. I still enjoy crocheting. They each offer something different, but I'm having so much fun learning a new skill.