Last Bought Gift

Purse
Originally uploaded by catscluttercrafts

This is the last gift that I had to buy, my husband has to take care of his father's gift bag. So I am off the hook! Isn't it pretty? I love the color, the fabrics and the ribbons! I think I may buy myself one in June when my friend does the summer show in town.
It's really well made and she loves making them. So I couldn't resist buying one for my SIL. I hope she likes it.
With Christmas right around the corner, I've been thinking of next year and things I want to do. I think I'm going to make a list for myself on the side bar. There's so many projects and well if it's not nailed down around here the lists disappear into my children's hands.

Easter Prep

This week has been flying by and here's what we were doing this past weekend. My MIL, SIL and niece were all here for egg coloring. Then of course we had to hide the eggs which took forever for them to dry, to be hidden around the house. My daughter's were very pleased with there creations and wanted pictures of all the eggs they had created. Of course they wanted pictures right before they ate all of them. It didn't happen since my youngest decided to devour 3 the next morning.
I realized that this weekend is Easter Sunday, which meant I needed make things for the Easter baskets. So I've been working till the wee hours of the morning creating things for their baskets. This is what I've made so far.
Felt barrettes, they had to be age appropriate too. Would have loved to make a caterpillar for my oldest but I just don't think she would have liked it all. Then slippers for my youngest daughter's doll Maurice. He was actually a Christmas gift but she didn't like him at all. She's changed her mind since she's been a little scared to go to bed. So now Maurice needs PJ's and I worked on bottoms today and the top will hopefully be done tomorrow. He needed slippers of course but I thought the Easter bunny is always all "knowing", so it was a perfect addition. My oldest will get slippers for her American Girl doll, Marisol. Which I will be making tomorrow night.
I don't know if it's enough, my husband bought them one candy bar each too. I would like to make some simple beaded necklaces too. I don't know if my youngest will be able to see that I made everything. She looks at my supplies all the time but I don't know if she will make the connection. My oldest will keep the spirit alive, even though she knows what's up.
I am going to need more ideas of useful things to make as the years go on. I feel you can have to much jewelry but if I make it, I don't mind taking it back and re-purposing it my own needs. I would really like to make things that would hang around for a long time but it is sometimes so difficult since we live in such a throw away society. EEkk, I meant to be in bed by 11pm.

This That And 10 Cord Of Wood

So my days have been really off this week. I'm a day and a week ahead of time. I think it's because I really want to go to the handworks party. I think my gift came out better than I had hoped for. Even after all my missteps.
I've come to the realization that I need to go back to work. It would have been 2 years without having a job in February. Unfortunately it's been a very odd sales year. I don't if other artist's or business owners have the same thoughts. We've had barely any gallery sales this year. We've had very small sales all December. Which we are very grateful for. So I will be filling an application tomorrow. I keeping my fingers crossed. It's only part time but every little bit helps. Plus I still get to spend days with my youngest. She's not too keen on me leaving to go any where. Want to go downstairs, she thinks I'm leaving her alone forever!
Today we finally received our wood delivery. 10 cords of wood. Which is a lot of wood. I spent dinner time helping my husband stack wood on the porch. I love having a wood burning stove! It's magical. I love starting the fire, getting wood, stacking wood, etc... It makes me feel like I have a purpose and I get to enjoy the benefits of it. Plus it's a work out!

Just Finished!

The turtle came out looking great! I was worried that the batik fabric wouldn't go with the green felt but I think everything pulled together. Hopefully it will be well played with!

There are no small parts, so it's safe for young children. Hand washable too!
The butterfly is next!

Creativity

Why does creativity only strike, when the house is calm?
I had to do tags for the fairies that I put in the gallery. I should have done them first thing but everything in this gallery is usually hand made. Not this time. My beautiful Christmas Fairies were put next to ornaments made in China. Which are very, very cheap. So it looks like they are way overpriced when they aren't. People probably think they were made in China too.
I'm a little upset but hey what can you do. It kind of makes me snort because the place where they are... ahh prides themselves on having hand made artisan items. So I was very shocked and repulsed that they went with something so cheap and cheesy just to decorate a tree/sell.
I may ask if I can decorate the tree myself next year with all my different handmade items. If I know I can, I'll get started right away!
With all the lead scares, I wonder if the paint on those ornaments doesn't contain lead. I just read that PVC plastic has lead in it too! Yikes! I thought lead hadn't been used in anything since the 1970's. I guess it must have been house paint that I was thinking of. Very shocking!
So I hope those tags push those fairies to sell. I hate to think that the ornaments from China will be a big hit this winter!
I maybe posting pics of my first stuffed animal tomorrow. I hope, I'll have time to finish it up.

One More Gift

finished a knit scarf for my brother a few days ago. Decided I should wash it and then take a picture. Still came out of the dryer with cat hair and lint. So feel free to overlook that little distraction.
You can't even see the cat hair, this is not how it looks in Adobe. It's a nice cable knit pattern and I lined it with fleece. He lives in NYC and does a lot of walking. I wanted him to stay extra warm. It matches a hat I made but I'm sure it got stolen. Most of his stuff does. So next year I can make him the hat again.
The next set a gifts I'm making are for my best friend's children. I'm make the turtle, snail, and butterfly from Wee Wonderfuls! I've been itching to make these and haven't found time until now! The patterns are so cute and easy to follow! Also a great safe gift for the holiday season! Hopefully I'll be done in a day or two!

And Another!

Here's another gift! Using remnants, a recycled sweater, and the yellow fabric I snagged out of the garbage from a job! Can you believe that people throw out fabric!? The only thing I bought was the notebook.
Hopefully my niece will like it.

My daughter has been trying to teach the cat to read. I'm guessing it wasn't going well. She thought she needed glasses. I almost think the cat agrees. Do you see her smiling too?

Another Gift Done!

I finished my hot water bottle cover and probably took only 6 hours or less.

I used an old cashmere sweater someone had given me for the body. So it is super soft. The green stalks used to be cashmere socks. The flowers another soft sweater and the flower centers old yarn. I outlined the stalks with left over yarn too. The buttons are from my grandmothers collection of old buttons. The ribbon I bought for another project and I put pearl beads to keep the ribbon from getting pulled out.

The sweater was obviously a turtleneck that had been felted. I sewed the neck down so it wouldn't move around. Then sewed the ribbon on. Since the turtle neck was a little loose, I decided to put two ribbons and not one in the middle. This sweater was one where they have an extra shoulder seam. Instead of having a front and a back match up. There was fabric in between. I started cutting the sweater on the bottom to fit the hot water bottle. Which was a mistake with this kind of sweater. I should have started from the shoulder and worked down. The sweater is ribbed, so the line I was following curves in towards the neck. By working that from the bottom, I miss gauged where I was cutting and my front and back didn't match up. So I fudge it and folded the shoulder seam like a gift. Sewed that together and then started hand sewing down. I could done the sides on my sewing machine but didn't want to take a chance since I had already goofed up.
I love making flowers. So I grabbed a loose silk flower and used it as a pattern. I sewed the flowers in place and felted the yarn centers. I then tried to felt the green cashmere sock on but the cashmere wouldn't felt to the cashmere. So I decided to use yarn to sew it on. It was rough on my fingers. The fabric is fine and thick, so the needle and thread struggled to go through. Then I put the buttons on and cut holes. I think it came out good. My fingers are too tired to add leaves or balance the picture. Not everything has to balance anyways. This is definitely a project anyone can do.

So don't throw out those old sweaters.

The Race

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Usually by this time every year I have all my shopping done and should be checking to make sure I didn't forget everyone.  It's not happening this year.  So the race is on to make gifts.  

I decided to do this because I have quite a few requests and gifts half done.  I never finish them because in the past I have bought gifts.  So this is the year to clean out the closet.  I'm trying to get rid of the clutter.  There's a lot of clutter here, so it will take years.

On my list is a scarf for my brother, napkins for 2 coworkers of my husband, a sweater tea cozy for my MIL, a drawing book and fabric cover for my niece, socks for my husband (he knows he's getting them) and I can't think of what else is on the list.  

I would like to make more ornaments, not fairies, some angels, and little bird wreaths.  I don't know if it will happen.  The last 4 fairy ornaments are coming together slowly.  I may put them aside until next year.  So they can go on that list!  Plus I have to make a gift for the yankee gift exchange that is happening next friday!  So the fairies will have to be done soon or tossed in the clutter.  I'm making a cashmere water bottle cover for the exchange.  I've never done anything like it before but I have some ideas floating around.

It's a very busy week for all around here.  This weekend my husband is doing a Christmas art show.  We are also attending a Christmas party, which I need to make cookies for.  Girl Scouts for my daughter and the class geckos need to go back to school.  

Now that I'm thinking about it, I need to go to work.  Christmas is right around the corner!  Yikes!!!