Christmas Chaos!

Hi all!

I'm Fiona and I have fairly recently started blogging over at Diary of a Chain Stitcher. I never got round to posting about my Christmas Crafting Plans (it's taking me a while to get into the swing of blogging all that regularly especially amongst all the Christmas chaos) but I have been determined to post about what I've been up to!

As I haven't long been crafting I knew attempting to hand make too many of my presents was just going to be pushing myself a little too far and would only result in a horribly stroppy me for the last few days before Christmas which no one would appreciate. So instead I've done a combination of handmade, produced with a lot of thought but not completely made by my hand and shop bought presents. As much as I'd like to give everyone handmade gifts I one don't have enough time and know that my handmade taste is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea.

My main made project was my Stepdad's iPad case (from this tutorial) with fun chemistry related lining! (He works in a lab) I love it because it looks very professional on the outside so he can take it to meetings but inside it's fun and colourful. I got the lining fabric from Spoonflower which I have only just discovered and highly recommend. There are hundreds of prints to choose from, and if you can't find what you want you can get your own design printed up.

I've also made my boyfriend some boxer shorts using a free pattern from BurdaStyle. They were really quick and fun to make so I think he'll be getting some more of those for his birthday! I don't have a picture unfortunately as I wrapped them as soon as I finished to avoid any accidental discoveries. The surprise is one of the best bits of a gift I think!

One of the gifts I'm most proud of is a cookbook I put together for my Mum and Nan filled with our favourite family recipes. It was a big and time consuming job but I really enjoyed it and it was very straightforward to do using the software on Blurb. They have lots of page templates to choose from which you just fill with the photographs and writing you want, press publish and they'll print up as many copies as you want, and speedily too.

I've made the majority of my Christmas Cards by cross stitching festive designs, which I also sell on Etsy. I can't stand how much printed mass produced cards cost in the shops and would much rather make my own which can be tailored to the recipient and the effort is always appreciated much more.

I've made a few Christmas decorations this year too including crackers, a table runner and these stockings:

Finally I've been doing A LOT of baking including some little Christmas boxes of shortbread for family friends who always send me a little something and who I never know what to give. A little discovery for everyone - shortbread holds up very well in the post! And this recipe for orange pastry is a winner!

Ooof writing this post has made me realise I'd actually done a lot more than I thought! Good luck with the last minute crafting everyone! Merry Christmas!

A Fishy Case... for a Fly Rod and Reel

Hello fellow crafters! It's Amy from Sew Well getting in some last minute crafting just in time for Christmas. Today I have a gift for my dad.

A few weeks ago when I was talking to my dad on the phone, he mentioned that he needed a fabric case for his fly rod and reel but that he didn't like the ones in the store. Since it seemed like the perfect Christmas gift, I offered to make it for him if he'd send me a diagram and measurements of what he wanted. The picture he sent me was of a 30" long set of pockets with a cover flap next to a 24" long pocket.

My dad's fly fishing rods break down into four pieces for easy storage. When he's ready to store his rod and reel, he'll place the end of the rod with the reel in the open 24" pocket and the other three pieces of the rod in the 30" pockets. He'll then cover the end of the three 30" pockets with the fabric flap and tie the straps located on the end of the cover around the whole thing to keep everything in place.

Because the rod pieces aren't all the same thickness, the pockets aren't all the same widths. The 24" pocket is 3" wide, the neighboring 30" pocket is 2" wide, and the final two 30" pockets are 1" wide each.

I added a bit of the nice waterproof, outdoor-quality fabric I had left over from the bag I made him to carry his boots and waders to the bottom. Hopefully it'll add a bit of heartiness to the bag. There's no seam at the bottom either. Instead the fabric is simply folded over, so the rods won't be able to work themselves out. I hope he likes it! If so, I'll be making three more so that each of his rods will have one.

Boxer Shorts

Hi all...Stitchybritt here, ready to show you my latest Christmas creation - a pair of boxer shorts for boyfriend.  They may seem like a regular old pair of boxer shorts but I am actually really proud of them - not only because they worked out well, but because they were really quick to whip up (about an hour in total) AND they're made from fair-trade, organic cotton.

Here's Snorky helping me to cut out the fabric.  Basically I took an old-worn out pair of boyfriend's boxer shorts and cut them up for a pattern.  I doubt he'll miss them, but I'm not sure how he will feel about me showing you all his pants on the interwebs : s oh well

I then had five pieces - two front, two back, and the lining piece for the front opening.  I stitched them all together with waist elastic and this is what I got...

Pretty neat, huh?  The front opening works like this, so boys can visit the loo easily...

And a simple elasticated waist.  That's all there is to it.  I'm quite pleased with them, and if they fit well, I'll probably make more for boyfriend in the future.

Not long to go now Christmas crafters!  Good luck for your last two weeks of crafting!

Stitchybritt xx

Embroidered Apron

Hello everyone, KraftyKat back again! Yesterday when i showed you my homemade gift tags i promised to be back soon with some actual finished gifts...and here i am! Today i finished an apron which is a present for my boyfriend, who likes to cook (lucky me!).

I made the apron out of cotton canvas that i picked up at the local market. I traced around an apron that we already had to get the shape, cut it out and sealed the raw edges with bias binding. I used contrasting thread for effect.

Those of you who follow my blog will know that i have recently been on a course to learn hand embroidery - i used this new skill to embroider the shape of a chicken on the front of the apron, using thread to match the straps and stitching. To do this I first printed out an outline picture of a chicken (Google is your friend here!) then cut it out and traced around it onto the front of the apron using tailors chalk. I then stitched a simple backstitch around the outline. I think the result is rather effective.

I think the most fiddly part of the whole process was sewing the straps. I folded the raw ends over twice and stitched around them in a box shape to prevent fraying. I then attached them to the apron, trying to sew within the previous stitching like to keep it tidy. It's still not amazingly neat, but it doesn't show up too much so it's all good!

Right, one gift down, 5 to go. Stressed? Me?!

K xx

Bags, bags, bags! (and tutorial links)

Hello fellow Christmas Crafters. This is Andrea from Stitch Parade checking in with an update on my pressie making progress thus far. I must confess it’s been great reading about your own progress and I’ve been inspired by the great present ideas you’ve all had.

With less than 3 weeks to go, I’m about 80% done but it’s been raining cats and dogs in Toronto for days so I’ve not been able to get pictures of all my makes. Today I’ll show you what I’ve got so far in the bags department. First up, toiletries bags for my dad and brother:

I learned to make these bags a couple years ago at The Workroom, a local sewing studio, but the process is super easy and I even fund an online tutorial for you over here. For these bags I was able to up-cycle wool materials from hardly worn trousers I rescued from a friend’s Goodwill pile. I figured the look was manly enough. What do you think?


For the ladies I made clutches using a pattern also from The Workroom. I used some leather scraps for two of them, quilting cotton for another two, and the leftover embroidered border denim from my Ginger skirt for the last one.

All bags, except for the leather clutches, are interfaced for structure, include an internal pocket, and are also lined with contrasting cotton fabric for a fun pop of colour.

If you are interested in making similar clutches I found this handy tutorial here. As an FYI, the frames can be bought from several vendors via etsy.

Hopefully we get some sunshine this coming weekend so that I can photograph some of the other presents I’ve made. Wishing you all days of absolute present making productivity over the next couple of weeks!

I'm on a roll!

I've finished two more presents! :) These two are for my brothers.  Boys are hard to buy for, and they're even harder to craft for. But I think I hit on some good ideas :)

This hat is for my eldest brother. He's 19 and loves slouchy hats. I always thought this was because he was self conscious about his hearing aids. It turns out that when it's windy, he can't hear as the wind whistles in the microphone thingies. So he wears hats to keep the wind out so he can hear! Clever :) So I thought a hat was perfect for him, and it'll keep him warm as a bonus. 

The pattern is from the book The Gentle Art of Knitting by Jane Brocket. I nearly ran out yarn and had to skip a repeat and fudge the decreases, but it turned out for the best as the slouchiness is just right :) The yarn is Knit Picks Telemark. I chose a heathered shade, and I think my brother will really like it.

These fingerless mitts are for my younger brother. He's 13 and likes to play out with his friends a lot. So I figured fingerless mitts would be warm but practical. I also think he'll like the cables, as he's seen me knitting socks once and he was really impressed! So I think he'll find them impressive :)

This pattern is a free one from Ravelry and can be found here. The yarn is Cascade 220 :) I love this stuff! I'm pretty sure he'll love the colour too.

Now, you know what's really exciting? I only have two more planned handmade gifts to go!! :D I might squeeze in a couple of lavender cushions if I've got time between uni work though :)

Ashley x

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!

Hello from Stitchybritt in Sydney

Hello crafty friends!  I'm Stitchybritt, and this is my second year of being involved in the CCC blog.  How awesome is it?  I love that I get to make contact with fellow Christmas lovers and creators.  My blog profile says "I'd rather make stuff than buy stuff" and it is absolutely true!

Me wearing my Martha Stewart-hack necktie.  Unfortunately there'll be none of them for Xmas gifts - it's too hot for woolens in Sydney right now!

 Now, I am yet to put together my to-make list, though I do have some ideas.  Would you believe that I have four birthdays to make for before Christmas is even here?  Nevertheless, I'll post my handmade birthday and Christmas gifts here, as it might help with ideas.

One thing it seems that everyone is struggling with this year is ideas for gifts for men!  They are tricky peeps to buy for, let alone make for.  So I did a bit of a search and came up with a few ideas that might help:

• A bike seat cover.  I found a good tutorial here.  If your man is a bike-rider, this could be a good option.
• A wallet.  I bet more than one of your fellas has one of those old, falling-apart wallets in their pockets.  Here's a neat tutorial for a stitched one.
• Boxer shorts are a great option for the man who has everything, or the fella you just don't know that well.
• Bags.  The easy thing here is to figure out what the man is into (photography?  gardening?  exercise?) and make a bag accordingly.

Summer lounging trousers that I made for my fella earlier this year.

I also find that it helps to theme your Christmas gifts.  I've done all sorts of themes - food, garden, scents, kitchen - and this year my theme is tins.  Some gifts will be things that already come in tins (I'm thinking nice teas and other treats) while other gifts will be op-shop (thrift shop) sourced tins that I fill with whatever I like.  I'm thinking hankerchiefs, face scrubbies, maybe even some of Tilly's famous bow-belts!

I'm loving reading all your ideas, keep them coming!

Stitchybritt xx

When my brother came to visit this weekend he for some reason started talking about how he'd "really never wear a scarf, I mean, maybe for skiing, but not really."

... Ok... so scratch that project idea off the list.  Any ideas for a 20-year-old male who attends a military academy and thus has limited use for clothing/accessories and no use at all for housewares?  I'm a little stumped.

He's very into music and plays lots of instruments, he'll graduate with degrees in marine engineering with an emphasis on nuclear engineering, he loves our pet parrot, and last year I got him a bike that he rides the *&!* out of all over town.  Bike crafts?  Knitted parrot to hang in his room?  

Heeeeeelp.  :(

My Crafty Christmas List

Hello everybody! I'm Ashley and I blog over at Jellybean's Odds and Ends :) This is my first year at the Crafty Christmas Club. I wasn't confident in my skills last year, and in the end just ran out of time!

So onto the list:

For my friend Becky: Bella's mittens (pattern can be downloaded here). She's a Twilight fan!

For my friend Kirsty: A rather naughty pair of socks that suit her sense of humour ;) Do not follow the link if you're at work! The Ravelry page is here (you have to log in, sorry!) 

For my friend Emma: 198yds of Heaven shawl. Ravelry page here.

For my mum: Again, the 198yds of Heaven shawl. I think she'll like it :)

For my two little sisters, India and Ebony: A little sewn bag each using a pattern I won in a giveaway by Sarah at Rhinestones and Telephones :)

Dom's (my boyfriend) little sister: Also, a little sewn bag.

For my brother Lewis: A slouchy hat. Pattern here. He wears hearing aids, but is a little self conscious about them so he likes to wear hats in the winter to cover them up. I think it's just so he can claim he can't hear us! He'll often turn them off if he doesn't want to listen to you! ;)

For my brother Corey: A pair of fingerless mitts. Practical for a kid always on the go! Ravelry page here.

For my boyfriend Dom: No idea! But maybe a pair of socks. I made him some a while ago, but they're a little loose, so I owe him some that fit better :)

Do-able? I hope so! I've already started Becky's mittens, I'm halfway through the second one. I have the yarn for Kirsty's socks, but I need to order yarn for the other knitting projects. I think I'm going to get a Fat quarter pack of fabric for the little bags. 

So I have a plan, I'd best get crafting!

Ashley x

This year I'm aiming for modest and achievable

Hi all, Marie here from A sewing Odyssey. I'm so excited that Crafty Christmas Club is back again...thanks Tilly! It's such an inspirational space and I really enjoy stealing seeing other people's ideas!

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart my plans where too ambitious for my tight time-scale and as a result, I didn't finish everything. So this time round I'm being realistic. My time is pretty limited again and I also selfishly have too many of my own sewing projects on the go. So my rather modest 'to make' list is as follows:

SEWING

Luxurious coat hangers for a couple of special ladies in my life with very special frocks in their wardrobes. This tutorial came from a free Cath Kidston Sew & Make booklet that came free in last week's Telegraph newspaper.

I've photographed the booklet, so hopefully if you click on the picture it will become large enough for you to read. If it doesn't and you're interested, just comment below and I'll try to get it scanned in instead.

Super cute lavender bags. I plan on making them in sets of threes - two birdies and a heart! I haven't decided how many sets I'll be making yet. Again, this came from the same booklet I mentioned above.

As above I've photographed the booklet, but if you can't read it by clicking on the picture, let me know below and I'll try to get it scanned in as well.

Here's the template – you can print this and scale it up to your required size by scanning it (the tutorial recommends scaling it up by 400%).

A Colette Negroni for the boyfriend made with the snuggest, softest flannel ever! Without the boy I wouldn't even have a sewing machine, yet I've never to sew him anything to thank him. So this is a great opportunity to do so methinks! I'm sure I'll be referring to Peter's excellent-looking tutorial  once I get started!

EDIBLES

I love receiving edible Xmas gifts, but I've never got round to reciprocating. I'm thinking fudge, because it's delicious, can be made in advance, has a decent shelf life and can be packaged beautifully.

The recipe which appeals to me most is for this delicious-sounding Peanut butter fudge. I will have to make two types though, as not everyone shares my obsession with peanut butter! So the second flavour is a toss up between these:

Baileys and white chocolate fudge

Ginger and cherry fudge 

Chocolate fudge 

**************************

And that's it really! 

I've literally just started learning how to knit, so sadly I don't fancy my chances of knitting gifts this year. I'd absolutely love to give it a go next Christmas though!

I'm hoping to stay focussed and strong regarding my list, but you talented lot keep coming up with awesome ideas that are tempting me!

iPad Sleeve

Why is it that men are so hard to craft/sew for? Other than the occasional mending job and the annual Halloween costume, my husband gets nothing from all my crafty endeavors...except a hefty bill. Sorry Honey. Recently, however, I ran across a great tutorial for something I knew he could use, an iPad case:

The tutorial I used was actually for a laptop sleeve, but it could be easily adapted for any electronic device. If you are looking for a handmade gift for the man in your life, I highly recommend making one of these.

As far as changes to the original tutorial go, I used fleece instead of felt and did NOT adhere it using spray adhesive. Since the fleece is in one piece you can just sew it right in.  I also added a lip and decorative straps as well as some velcro for security. I knew I'd be likely to pick it up without thinking and watch in horror as the iPad slid right out. This commercial just makes me cringe.

If you are curious about the dimensions, these fit both the iPad One and Two:

• Main body piece cut from vinyl and fleece - 11" by 18.5"
• Straps - 1" by 8"
• Circles - traced around a milk jug lid!

Helpful Construction Hints:

1. After cutting out the Main Body Pieces, place the fleece on top of the vinyl. Next, fold the bottom up to 2.5" below the top of the rectangle. (The 2.5" forms the lip.) You will notice when you do this that the inside fleece will squeeze out past the vinyl a quarter of an inch or so as it becomes sandwiched inside the vinyl. No big deal, just trim it down again.
2. Then, stitch the sides together 1/4" from the edge. A Teflon sewing foot will help or you can try using masking tape as Sweet Verbena did in her tutorial. (I used the tape method, and she's right, masking tape glides smoother. Painter's tape is also nice because it has less tack, but you can make regular tape less tacky by sticking it first to your shirt and then to the vinyl. I learned that "less tack is more" lesson the hard way and lost a bit of the top layer of my cheap costume pleather when I took the tape off.)
3. Fold the top lip down, trim the fleece, and trace around a circular object to create rounded corners, if desired.
4. Do decorative stitching around the edges. If you have trouble pulling your needle through, cut a small piece of vinyl and fold it around your needle to act as a gripper. (BTW, I used cording instead of embroidery floss. It's right next to the floss in the embroidery section of your craft store.)
5. Add straps, if desired.

Last Minute Stocking Stuffer

I love personalized coupon books, but have never made one! I decided I would made one for my fiance this year, filled with romatic date ideas that he can "redeem" throughout the year. I edited a bunch of wallet sized photos that we had taken throughout the year, printed them on cardstock, then "sewed" them together with some embroidery thread. I covered the sewed part with a glued on piece of card stock.

I added ideas like... "A walk along the beach," "1 Free Sleep-in," and other more... romantic suggestions that I will leave up to your imagination!

I am really happy with how it turned out. I added 10 coupons in total.

I also made my soon-to-be mother in law this fabric flower broach out of some remnants of chinese brocades. It's simply a matter of sewing together a bunch of half circles, gathering the raw edges, then finishing it off with a covered button!

I am very proud to say I have made almost all of my Christmas Gifts this year. Feel free to visit my blog to see the other gifts I've been working on.

Happy Holidays! I am loving all the ideas here!!!