Introduction and My Tentative Christmas Gifts List

Hi everyone! I'm Tanya from Craft Couture by T.C. This is the first time I post in the Crafty Christmas Club. (Thanks Tilly for letting me participate in this fun activity :)).

This is the first year I will give my family, friends, co-workers, etc. some handmade gifts.

My current list:

My boyfriend - a photo album (scrapbook), Kindle case, and an amazon gift card to buy e-books

My mom and aunt - frame pouches

My sewing friends - camera strap cover, arm rest pin cushion from a tutorial made by Amy @ During Quiet Time

My students - a mac book sleeve, some small frame pouches

My colleagues - small pouches, facial tissue pouches

These are all I could think of right now. I will try to update my list again. :)

Thank you everyone for sharing some great ideas. I have really enjoyed reading your posts.

My Crafty Christmas plans

Hi, I'm Helen from Josie and May. This is my first time blogging with Crafty Christmas Club (thanks Tilly for setting this up!), but I did enjoy reading all the posts last year and I've been making presents for friends and family for quite a few years now.

I''m not making too many presents this year - partly due to the amount of time left, but mostly because I'm knitting this beauty for my brother in law -

He's been pestering me for a Mark Darcy sort of Christmas jumper for years, so last year he got the pattern for his present, with the promise of a finished jumper this year. So far I've finished the back, and am up to rudolph's nose on the front.

It's not perfect. There are a few places where I've switched yarns and it's a little loose or I've not wrapped the yarns properly, but nothing that can't be sorted once I've finished. And it's hard work having four balls of yarn on the go at once.

Last year I'd planned on making some decorations, and even got as far as buying the materials, but I was channelling my energy into finishing presents so never got round to them. (Also, as I'm don't spend Christmas day itself in my flat, I never feel like I *have* to decorate - sad, I know!).

So this year I'm determined to make lots of decorations in short bursts to fill my flat with Christmas cheer. First on the list is Christmas bunting using these fabrics (from Beyond Fabrics on Columbia Road and Seamstar).

I may need more than these three fat quarters, but I'm going to see how many triangles I can get from them before I start buying more!

And no home is complete without a wreath. I fell in love with this ribbon wreath when I spotted it last year.

http://thelongthread.com

This all black one is for Halloween, but I bought green, red and gold satin ribbon from a market stall last year (I'm hoping I don't regret not getting grossgrain ribbon, but the amount needed would cost more than I was comfortable spending). Rather than buy a foam wreath I got some wire, so I may need to pad that out a bit before I start tying the ribbon.

But then this year I spotted this on Pinterest. So if I can find the foam wreath then I'm hoping to make this one too. What? More Christmas wreaths than bedrooms is totally ok, no?

Source: domestifluff.com via Helen on Pinterest

I will be making a few make up bags using Flossie Teacake's excellent pattern for presents for friends and family. Best £3.50 I've spent on a pattern - I've made so many of these!

I've been planning on giving my Mum this shawl from a Rowan book for, oooh, probably 5 years. That's how long I've had the book and the yarn (Sirdar Wash and Wear double crepe dk). But it took me a long time to get my head round the lace pattern, and now that I have the brother in law's jumper is getting in the way! Hopefully this will be ready in time, but if not it'll make a lovely Mothers Day present.

Kashmir Shawl in Rowan classic alpaca (book 13)
Source: www.englishyarns.co.uk

So that's the crafting sorted, and I haven't even thought about baking! I'm organising and taking part in a Christmas bake-off at work, so any suggestions of Christmas themed goodness kindly accepted!

A Slightly More Organised Gift List

So after my very rough and ready ideas post a few weeks ago, i have now come up with a much more organised list! Quite possibly prompted by the only-2-months-to-go fear, I sat down today and wrote a list of the people i am planning to give gifts to this year, and worked out what i hope to make/buy for them. I realise that this kind of organised approach is probably the usual one for most people, but it helped me so much to have everything written down properly on paper rather than an abstract list in my head. Before the task of making any presents seemed so overwhelming that i was a little confused about where to start, but now i have a much better idea. Ahhh, Zen!

So my current list (which may change again as i realise how realistic it may or may not be) is:

- Knitting needle roll for my mum, probably based on Wendy's very helpful tutorial

- 2 or 3 scarfs, for the men-folk (Dad, Brother, Boyfriend)...as many have lamented on here, men are notoriously hard to craft for. I figure i can't go wrong with scarfs, right? I'm thinking a basic rib idea, i did see a pattern somewhere but if it doesn't turn up not the end of the world as i have a pretty good idea of how i would like them to look.

- A washbag for my Nana, probably a larger version of this little bag i made previously...

 ...only with some kind of waterproofed fabric/lining if i can figure out where to get this from!


- For some little people i know (both under 6 months) i am thinking baby quilts and perhaps also a patchwork toy as i fell in love with this one, both based on Cath Kidston patterns. I have this fabric for the quilts which i love, I'll probably mix it with pale blue polka dots.

- For another little person i need ideas...he is 2 yrs old so i think perhaps a bit old for a quilt? Any input welcome!

- Also a (somewhat manly!) apron for my boyfriend, who loves to cook

- For my two or three of my best friends i am thinking perhaps bags...something along the lines of a simple over-the-shoulder messenger bag. I have not looked at patterns yet so any ideas welcome :)

- A couple of small makes for crafty friends...i thought perhaps pin cushions or something along these lines

- For other friends, my boyfriends family and also probably for my family i would like to make some sweet treats. I love the idea of making Lebkuchen but I'm a little bit concerned that these might go off after a day or two, so i am also looking to make some goodies that will last for a few days so that i don't have to make them immediately before giving. I'm currently thinking fudge...flavours i am drawn to include Cherry and Coconut, Rum and Raisin, and how could i possibly resist the sound of Baileys and White Chocolate?

So that's that's the list! At the weekend i went on a course where i learnt to applique. I absolutely love my newest skill, as i think there are so many options for adding personal and unique touches. So expect to see this technique cropping up all over my Christmas makes!

That's all for now...hopefully the next time i post i will be able to report some progress on this rather long list...!

K xx

My Crafty Christmas List

Well hello there! Nice to see you all, my name is Katie and my little part of the blogosphere is called The Little Red Squirrel.

I'm a new member of the Crafty Christmas Club, I have never before participated in a handmade Christmas and I am so excited already, you guys have such good ideas, do forgive me if I pinch a few :) I've already got started with my Christmas making and I'm really happy with how much I've managed to get done, but the fact that Christmas is just 10 weeks away is still freaking me out a bit! Some serious crafting needs to be done!

Anyways, here is my To-Do-List thus far...

• My Sweetheart - A knitted cricket vest (just finished today!)
• My Mum - a fair isle scarf and gloves set
• My Dad - a big chunky scarf
• My Brother - a laptop case
• Brother's girlfriend - a beret
• My Nan - a lace scarf
• Harriet, best gal pal - still undecided, but something knitted methinks!

That's as far as I've planned so far, but more things may appear on the list if I manage to get all these projects completed. Everyone else will probably end up with baked goods, I'm trying not to go totally overboard and stretch myself too thin!

Anyway, that's it from me for now, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what you're all planning too, let the crafting begin!

Hi, I'm Karen and I just started blogging at toomanypastimes .

I'm really glad to have found this group and I am hoping that being part of the Crafty Christmas Club will help me be accountable to my aspirations of making many of my Christmas gifts.

Currently I plan on giving a variety of both sewn stuff and items from the kitchen.
My list include homemade limoncello, various jams and jellies, homemade vanilla and truffles.  On the sewing side  there are skirts, headbands and other items for my two youngest nieces (I owe them birthday presents too), bags, purses or clutches and maybe a lunch bag or two for my co-workers, something for my sister-in-law, and if I can come up with something for my Dad I will be happy.  My husband will get some homemade lounge pants and my son a bag for his laptop.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is making and I'm sure I will get inspiration from your projects!

Happy creating.

Hello all

Hi, thanks for the invitation - I'm Susan of snippa-snippets.blogspot

I won't be making a list but seeing what inspiration strikes (or ideas I can swipe from this blog).  That seems less stressful than having an ambitious target to aim for.  We all have busy lives, don't we?

I do love to make things for people though, especially at Christmas.  Watch this space - you'll be the first to know.  I'm excited already!

Susan/snippa

Hello! Plus my crafty Chistmas plans

Hi, I'm Laura and I blog over at Laura: in a tangle

This year I plan to make quite a few gifts if possible.  All fairly small though.

I've made a few metal framed purses before like these:

But want to make some smaller coin purses in fun quilting fabric for a few friends, following a tutorial in an old issue of Cloth Magazine.

I was also thinking of making a yoyo necklace for my Mum.

I want to try this cool pom-pom snood/cowl tutorial over at the Purl Bee (this may be a present to myself in the end).

I also need your help and suggestions for a few things.

I want to make a Kindle cover for my step mum.  Does anyone know where I can get a good pattern or tutorial for this?

Also does anyone have any ideas for handmade gifts for men? Preferably sewn as I can't knit.

I'm also planning on doing some cool decoration / ornament related tutorials to share with you.

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.

Bonjour!...and some advent bunting

Hello everyone, I'm Zoë and I blog over at onerainyafternoon.

Last year I made Christmas presents for nearly everyone I knew which was fun but very, very tiring....! So this year I have cut it down somewhat  a little. But more on that another day as today I am talking advent and, to be more precise, advent bunting.

I saw this in a magazine a couple of years ago and made it up as I went along. In the magazine the photos were styled with fairy lights draped along the top and some sprigs of holly, mistletoe and fir tree sticking out of some of the pockets. Unfortunately my fairy lights are hidden in a box at the back of a very dusty and dirty garage and it is blowing a gale and tipping it down so my intentions of doing a similar styled shoot went to pot (I know, laziness will get me no-where, but waiting to find all of those things, putting it all together and then taking photos will get you no blog post ....)

Anyway, on with the photos

Each square of bunting is actually a little pocket/bag to be filled with goodies!

You, obviously, need 24 little pockets!

I will be back in a few days with home-made ideas on what to put in the pockets. In the meantime, happy crafting and thanks for having me!

Greetings from California!

Hello! My name is Natasha and I normally blog at all dressed up and nowhere to go, but I'm very excited to join you all here for the Crafty Christmas Club! I can't wait to share my ideas and get some inspiration from all of you.
I guess to get started I should sort out a few of the ideas floating around in my mind.

A couple of months ago I made embroidered handkerchiefs for my dad's birthday. Now I'm thinking of making a set for my grandma.

For my cousin Liz I would like to make a stuffed animal elephant because she told me she liked the one I made for our other cousin's baby. I've really enjoyed making plush toys recently so I may put together a few others. The Wee Wonderfuls doll book would definitely be helpful!

I have a couple of ideas for my sister Clare. I think I would like to make her something with cross stitching like this bird purse... maybe a cross stitch of her dog? I'm also considering the Wenlan Blouse from BurdaStyle as an option.

For my mom I would like to make a bag and maybe one of these cute strawberry pillows because she collects strawberry knick knacks. My other idea isn't handmade, but it may interest you fellow crafters... the book "Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People" by Amy Sedaris because I bet it's hilarious.

Well, there are a few people missing, but that's what I have for now! I'll keep brainstorming and maybe it's about time to get started!

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?

Hello from Canada

Hello, I'm Susie from Something I Made Earlier. I'm originally from Wales and I'm now living in Saskatchewan. I'm really excited to share my ideas and take a look at what everyone else is doing. I've only just started blogging, but this will be my second handmade Christmas as last year I knitted something for everyone. This was a lot more work than it sounds as I had to have everything posted to the UK by Dec 1st and madly decided to make a lot of mittens and socks. I'm hoping this year will be a lot less stressful as I now own a sewing machine and intend to do a lot of instant gratification gifts. As long as Etsy delivers the fabric on time I will be making:

• Super Simple Scarves for all the ladies on the list. I came across the tutorial from Stitches in Play and it appealed as it is a) quick and b) cheap, using only 1/2 yard of fabric which means I have been able to use some lovely Amy Butler for everyone.
• Socks for The Husband. The rather fabulous pattern is from Penguin Purls and they were originally supposed to be for his birthday in March, but what with one thing and another (I am easily distracted) they are yet to be finished. In this case his short attention span and terrible memory will actually work in my favour as I seriously doubt he has noticed I have been knitting them all year.
• My brother has always been terrible to choose gifts for. Now he lives in Australia and I (to my shame) have used the postal dates as an excuse not to give him anything the last few years. This must change! But what do you make for a man who will be having a summer Christmas? As he's pretty stylish I have decided on a mobius cowl, and I'm hoping to find a nice linen-based yarn to knit up loosely so at least it will be about right for his autumn.
• And then there's the brother-on-law...no idea. Seriously. Fingerless mitts, maybe? But can I get them done in time? Oh, the stress!

Thanks for having me on board, there will be pictures next time I promise!

Hi :D

Hi everyone, I'm Ellie from Mammy Made and I have just joined this amazing blog! I am a 26year old SAHM to two gorgeous baby girls, the oldest is 1 and the youngest is 2months. I live in Liverpool with my boyfriend. I am hoping to make a good few of my Christmas presents this year. Last year I made a couple of rice heat bags to give to my gran and my boyfriend's nan but this year I'd like to make more.

So far on my list of ideas I have:

Foldaway Market Bag for my mam.

'N' Taggie for my littlest girl.

Tea Party Accessories for my biggest girl.

I would also like to make some pyjamas for me, my boyfriend and both babies to be given on Christmas Eve so maybe not technically a Christmas present, and I am planning to make an advent calender of some kind and a stocking each for the girls. Hopefully I'll have enough time to get it all done.

Thank so much for this blog and for letting me join, it looks really good already :D