Gifts Slowly Getting Made/Wrapped

Why do I always procrastinate? Seems like I just can't get anything done unless it's down to the wire! So here are a couple of things I've made and/or wrapped in the last few days...

For a friend: I made a scarf using the Heather Ross Nursery Versery Itsy Bitsy Spider. I think this is just way too cute. I combined it with lots of black, grey, and yellow from my stash. Here's a closeup of the verse we all know and love from our childhoods.

Here's the scarf, backed with Sew Comfy in yellow. There was a 50% off sale on Sew Comfy at JoAnne's, so I stocked up on colors I didn't already have. I also made a Shoop-Shoop bag to match.

To wrap it all up, I made a small matching tote.

And dressed it up with a ribbon/fabric/bead doo-dad. See the little spider buttons I added to the tote? I got them on sale at JoAnn's in a huge bag with various sizes of spiders, skulls, and bats and there were so many, I even shared some with Aunt Pitty Pat! I sure hope the recipient isn't afraid of spiders!

A close-up of the doo-dad.

Now, how many gifts do I have left to wrap????

"Down Under" Stocking Goodness

Oh my...lookie-see what I got from my most wonderful partner, Heather, from Australia! I joined Aunt Pitty Pat's stocking swap, and most certainly lucked out by being paired with Heather :-) A huge box arrived last week...and here's what it looked like when I opened it! (I swiped this pic from Heather's blog.)

I was exhausted after opening all these packages, LOL! Here's what it looked like when all those cute little parcels were unwrapped - oh my goodness!

I love this stocking so  much! I had never seen these fabrics and they are soooo pretty - I love the aqua Christmas. Notice the beaded goodie at the top - love it!

Here's the back of the stocking.

All sorts of sewing goodies...Look at the cute fat quarter she sent!

Edibles...can you believe that cookie made it all the way from Australia to Olympia, Washington in one piece?

Cute holiday earrings :-)

Plus, all kinds of other little goodies - some cute little mini-tape dispensers, lotion, stocking coin purse, ornies...  Thank you so much, Heather! I hope you get YOUR package from me soon!

Mug Rug Love...and a bit of remorse...

A couple of mug rugs I whipped up yesterday to gift to girlfriends. I think they turned out pretty cute. I have six more cut and ready to sew...

Now, here's the question...I got this idea from a blog/shop...they were selling the pattern, or pattern/kit, but I just eyeballed it, and made my own. And let me do tell you that I have BOUGHT patterns before, for items that I knew I could make without buying the pattern, because I do believe that people should be paid for their ideas. But honestly, this was ridiculously easy to copy just by looking at the photo.

Yet...I feel bad for swiping it...

How about you? Do you swipe ideas (I'm sure most of you do, to some extent)? Do you feel bad when you do? Honestly, if it had been a PDF e-pattern, I probably would have purchased it...just to acknowledge the creativity...especially since it was cheap...but it was a hardcopy-in-the-mail pattern, and I wanted and needed to make it right now!

Does it make it any better that I HAVE purchased patterns from this shop before?

I'm The Super Mom!!!

Apparently, my kids think I can DO...ANYTHING... Well, and, truth-be-told, I guess I can. Number 2 son, Adam, texted me at exactly 4:03 p.m.TONIGHT! And...he attached a pic and said "Can you make me this shirt by 6:00 p.m.?" 

Now, what was I going to say? No? Mom never says no! Madly, I scrambled...do I have something suitable? What? Felt? Yes! Fusible stuff? Yes! I can do it!

I had the picture to go by, so what's not to do? While Adam shopped for a sweatshirt, I grabbed felt in off-white (dirty snowman!), red, black, orange, and green. Fusible web. Stuffing (for the snowman balls - did I say balls?). A bit o' ribbon. Plates! 3 sizes! Plus a spice jar lid, and a lemon juice lid...basically I just ran around the house like a mad woman, grabbing things to trace and fuse.

I fused and cut the head and two body pieces, mouth, eyes, hat. Conjured up a nose. Forget about the hands and feet! This snowman doesn't have hands and feet! Sorry!

All in all, I think it came together well. Although when he finally showed up with the sweatshirt, he wanted black tummy buttons...no problem, I cut-and-fused some quick-as-a-wink! He made me promise not to post the end result on Facebook until HE had posted some...but he didn't say anything about my blog ;-)

Stocking Love

Made this stocking for a friend. This may just be The Year of the Stocking, since I've already made two (the other one is on its way around the world, so no peeking yet!).

This stocking pattern is adapted from the Quilt in a Day Stockings & Small Quilts by Judy Knoechel. I used the stocking pattern and the instructions for putting the front, back, and lining together with the cuff because I think it's the perfect stocking shape and the way it's put together turns out really nice every time. I did my own thing for the patchwork part, though.

Of course, I had to add a doo-dad up in the corner to pretty it up :-) I used sheer ribbon and three coordinating fabrics in various widths, plus the big, white button for trim.

Making the doo-dad gave me inspiration to make a matching ornie!

The other side.

It's fluffy! Note: these are not yo-yos - I used 4 1/2", 3 1/2", and 2 1/2" wide strips, cut 20", 18", and 16" long, seamed at the short ends, and then folded WST and hand-gathered tightly. Stack and use a doll needle to baste together and add the buttons.

And...a yarn angel.

I also filled it with a couple stacks of my Sinfully Soft Molasses Cookies, which she loves :-)

Sinfully Soft Molasses Cookies
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
1/2 cup shortening (I use Butter-Flavor Crisco)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Additional sugar

Cream butter, shorteneing, and sugar til light and fluffy. Add molasses and eggs. Stir or sift together flour, salt, soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet. The secret to good cookies is to NOT OVERMIX after the dry ingredients have been added. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet 2 1/2" apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes - do not over bake if you want them to remain soft! Store in a tightly-closing container to maintain softness. Flavor enhances over time and they freeze wonderfully. I decorated mine with Wilton Vanilla Candy Melts (melt in microwave and pipe onto cookies in a zig-zag pattern).