Homemade Christmas 2011

[erinalexmom]

I hope this isnt posted somewhere already but I thought we should start a thread about our progress on our homemade items for Christmas 2011

I am currently making a blue and white crochet rag rug for my sisters blue and white kitchen, then I plan on making a cross stitch picture for my mother of a picture of her parents.

[Lady_V]

Come on over and join the fun!

2011 - Homemade Christmas Challenge

[many houseapes]

I have been trying to catch up on my Christmas projects all summer.lol. I'm about half way finished. While some of the younger Houseapes were at their grandparents for a week I managed to complete some bed ensembles for ds #3 & #4. One likes black bears...so he'll be getting a fleece blanket (fabric I found at a discount -just the right size) w/bears, a pillowcase & throw pillow w/bears....the fabric has different prints, yet, it all goes together. Other ds is getting the same thing...only he likes lizzards dd #4 will be getting a set of homemade pajamas.. Finished a pair of pajama pants for dh (flannel - "pirates of the carribean" also found at a discount) while he was away at work yesterday. Hopefully today, I'll at least be able to cut out the flannel that I need to make my other 3 dds their pajamas. I also found their flannel at a discount. I make their matching pajama tops by buying matching colored t-shirts (when they go on sale for 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby)..then I sew a square of the left over flannel fabric to the front of the shirt...sometimes adding lace & other embellishments. There's alot more that I need to finish

[mh3rdwheel]

I am not that talented, my ornament thing is not going like I wanted it to.

[mauimagic]

Please remember that we have no idea what any ornament is supposed to look like!!

[wjcalderon]

I made so many things last year, I was exhausted. (Sewed 5 fleece jackets, crocheted 6 throws, 4 scarves and 4 hats)
So I'm cutting back on the homemade gifts this year.

I will make the granddaughters (ages 5 & 9) something. The little one wants a stuffed bunny because I had made one for the older one when she was little.
I'll probably make them pajamas or maybe a couple of skirts - they are really "girly" girls - they will actually come home from school wearing pants and change into skirts!

I recently bought an embroidery machine and I'm going to embellish some placemats and dishtowels for my daughter and my best friend.

[Contrary Housewife]

I have a big box of bath salts I will be giving away. I made up a batch years ago, put portions in little bags and sewed cloth bags for them. Then I had about 20 left over and they ended up getting buried. So I think it is time to hand out the rest of them.

I'm also thinking about making a patchwork runner to go under our little tree this year. We've been getting 'extra' patterns in my quilt class, and for each block we make up we get a ticket in the drawing for prizes at the end of the year....

We don't have a lot of holiday "stuff", but a fair bit of it I have made myself.

[frugalfranny]

I have just started thinking about what I might make......

so far...........some liquors.........have to go through my recipe box and see what I have for recipes..........Kahlua and Irish Cream for sure.

No candy this year---unless I can get that Pumpkin Fudge "fine-tuned"....still needs some work.........but am thinking about some bread.......with some of my 'canning' goodies.

[homemaker66]

I made homemade soap and put it into fancy glass jars cost $6.00 each. Went to the dollar store and bought some of the wall creations decorative words and put them on mirrors cost $5.00 each. One toy story fleece blanket cost $8.00. One crochet baby blanket cost $8.00. One crochet blanket cost $16.00. Hours spent making this endless but it is worth it.

[homemaker66]

Since I posted last time I have made three scoodies, 25 dish cloths, half done blanket and three more pairs of mittens to go. This is all crochet items.

[grammea]

Wow! Homemaker 66 you are on a roll!!!
I have finished 3 dishcloths 3 pairs of slippers and 1 pair of slipper socks!
Not very much but I plan to spend all or almost all of the weekend watching Christmas movies and knitting.
God bless,
Helen(grammea)

[FrabjousDay]

I'm only doing a few things this year. Jars of preserved lemons, and a crocheted cowl or two.

[Incognito]

I've posted in detail about my Christmas crafting plans for this year's Christmas, so will just update on this thread to keep myself motivated.

- 1 of 3 woven rag-rugs is now finished
- the slipper patterns are in the test-swatch stage
- my yarns, hooks, patterns and rug projects are all over the place
- other homemade Christmas gift plans are in the planning stage: baking, goody baskets, decorations, cards, tags, gift-wrapping odd's & ends

I'll have to hunt out some of these things from various drawers, bags & boxes. I'd prefer to organize all my gift-wrap stuff in one easily accessible place, because every time I wrap a gift I have to take down boxes and bags from high shelves, and it's always a big mess to clean up. But right now my only extra dresser is holding all my sewing notions. Maybe if I worked up some of my yarns into rugs...I'd have space on my spare-room closet shelf then.

Today:
I plan to work on woven rag-rug #2 again (blues & greens & black). It now needs to be measured, adjusted, marked and pinned for a size 24" x 36". After that, the borders can be fitted and sewed to finish the rug. It's a cloudy day, so there is very little natural daylight indoors, making it harder to see for sewing; but I hope to work a 3 hour interval or more on this project today.

[Incognito]

Last weekend, I gift-crafted:
- 4 beaded tree ornaments
- 1 crochetted Christmas dishcloth (it looks gorgeous, and I want to make a kitchen hand-towel with a tab towel topper to match)

Yesterday, I organized all my yarns and crochet thread. While I did that, I planned the colors for some crochetted yarn rugs for my grandkids birthday gifts next year. Also planned to use the #10 crochet cotton (I have piles of it) to make towel toppers or dishcloths. I checked out the tension of #10 with 1.75 & 1.50 steel crochet hooks, and learned that it works up nice and thick for a dishcloth; of course the dishcloth would have to be 12" x 12" so it would shrink in the wash to about an 8" size. And the work needs to be open-work mesh, so it has some 'give' after shrinking.

I also have a few bags full of #20 and #30 crochet cotton, very fine, and I don't plan to use it for crochet work, so I think it might be possible to wind it up on spools to use on my sewing machine or for quilting. That would certainly make some space for me in my yarn cabinets. Does anyone else have ideas for this fine crochet cotton? I tried making a chain of it with a #1.50 mm steel hook, and then crochetting the chain in double crochet with a #3.50 steel hook, and it worked up fairly thick, and might be a good way to use it up for a few dishcloths or towel toppers, but it would be a lot of work.

[Bournecrazy]

Ive started baking today, 2 dozen cranberry muffins and 2 jars of cranberry sauce.

Ive got the lights on low, scented candles going, the rain is pouring outside and i've got christmas music on.

Best time of the year