Quick Gifts for Christmas

Aprons Make the Perfect Gift

There's still time to make special gifts for Christmas giving. Here are a few from my pattern store at www.craftsy.com to check out.

Looking for a quick-and-easy apron for kids? Check out my Little Helper's Apron. It requires minimal yardage and time. Choose just the right fabric for each child on your list to make them extra special. The choices are endless at you favorite quilt shop. I suggest you preshrink your fabrics before sewing, as these aprons will get lots of use by little cooks and crafters.

 If you have machine that embroiders, choose lighter fabrics and  add a favorite design to the bib portion of the apron.


Here are two more apron patterns from my Craftsy store to make for yourself or for gifts this holiday season. A Holiday Apron for Mrs. Santa Claus is an adult-size, one-size fits most pattern. It's all dressed up with fancy buttons and a pretty belt buckle...perfect for those days when the hostess must be in the kitchen.

If you love to embroider, my gingham Jingle Trees Apron with tickle your fancy. My grandmother made these in the 1950s for church bazaar fundraisers and I inherited one from my Mom. Simple cross stitching on gingham was popular then. 

Make one for yourself and for other hostess on your gift list. If you don't have time to stitch right now, you'll love having this pattern on hand to start your stitching for gift giving next Christmas!
You can use it to teach a child to embroider too.

Tiny red ribbons and jingle bells adorn the top of each tree and rickrack is stitched in place below the tree trunks.

 Mug Rugs...Fun and Quick to Sew for Gifts

Have fun stitching up your favorite mug rug from my Santa and His Helpers Mug Rug pattern. They require small amounts of fabric, and you might have just what you need in your scrap basket or fabric stash. Make in sets of 3 like those shown or make a set of your single favorite design. Mug rugs don't take much time to make and are wonderful gifts. Or, you can turn them into mini wall hangings or large ornaments by adding a ribbon to the upper edge.

 And here's a fun set to make for your favorite Yoga teacher...The Yin and the Yang of It! Applique two pieces to each one, quilt and bind, and you'll have a set finished in no time!

 Or, for someone you love, choose Owl Always Love You or Here's My Heart Valentine Mug Rug. These make great gifts for Christmas or for Valentine's Day.









So, time's a wasting. Choose your favorites from this array of simple projects and enjoy the process as you make special gifts for the ones you love!
Until next time,
Keep on sewing and smiling!
Barbara

A Better Skater's Waltz Holiday Wreath

The more I looked at it, the Skater's Wreath I showed you in the previous post, the less I liked it. Back to the store for more greens plus a $10 wreath (originally $25). Now I'm truly happy with the results.
I call these "Good, Better, and Best."

Good

Here's the one I showed you in the tutorial posted a few days. Scroll down to the previous post for the how-tos and a different version of this idea.

Better

Here's the second version with more greens and another spray of poinsettia. Now it has better balance! I just tucked the pieces in behind the ones already "tied" to the skate and anchored the new ones to the old with a green twist tie. Much better!

Best

And finally, I added the wreath behind the skate,  "tying" the skate to the wreath with another twist tie. I used another long twist tie to fashion a hanging loop on the back. I think this is the best--with lots more presence on our front door!

What do you think? Actually, I'm happy with either Better or Best!

Hope you're not too cold--it is frigid here in Washington state--unusually so. BRRR. Reminds me of living in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Maine. I'll take rain over this, to be sure!

Wishing you happy holiday preparations!
Barbara

Skater's Waltz Holiday "Wreath"

Inspired by Pinterest

I've been collecting photos on Pinterest featuring wreaths and other door decorations for Christmas. Of all the ones I pinned, I most loved those featuring a vintage skate as the container for a winter "floral" arrangement. I pinned several and my Skater's Waltz combined ideas from several. I found a pair of skates in an antique mall in the summer, snatched them up, and tucked them away for Christmas crafting. I'm thinking about placing a green wreath behind it as a backdrop—but maybe I'll do that next year. Time is running out! I was surprised at how little time it took to complete not one, but two—one to give as gift. Directions below are for one skate. Have fun—there's still time to make one and enjoy it for the months of December and January!

Materials for One Skate

• 1 vintage ice skate
• 2-1/2 yards 3/8"-wide patterned Christmas ribbon for the "shoestrings"
• Assorted floral or novelty sprays—you will need several so buy more than you think you will need; I used a spray of poinsettia, a large spray of greens and a smaller one, plus pieces from a second spray of poinsettia
• Narrow ribbon for the hidden hanger

 Other Supplies and Tools

• Tissue paper
• Florist ties or green "twist ties"
• Craft glue
• Seam sealant such as Fray Check (not shown in photo below)
• Scissors with sharp points; also an awl if you have one
• Wire snips
• Tapestry needle or other needle with a large eye
• A piece of Styrofoam or heavy cardboard to hold the skates upright while you work is helpful, but I didn't have a piece and managed without. 

Assembly

1. Cut the narrow ribbon for the ties into four even lengths. To create points that will be easier to insert through the eyelets, apply craft glue to the ends and roll to a point. Allow to dry.  

2. Remove the original shoestrings and stuff the toe of each skate with tissue paper.  

3. When the ribbon points are dry, lace the skates until you reach the eyelets. Add more tissue paper to fill in the heel area partially.

4. Arrange floral stems as you like them and test them in the skate. They will probably be too long and you will need to cut away the excess with wire cutters (or an old pair of scissors). You can also bend pieces of the spray to create a pleasing and balanced look. This step is very experimental. Play with stem placement until you are happy with it and how it looks in the skate.

5. Use a green twist tie to hold the pieces in place. Don't just wrap the tie around and around; weave it in and around the stems to secure it in the desired position. Tie off.

6. Tuck the floral arrangement into the skate, along with additional tissue paper to hold it in place. You will secure the spray to the skate in step 9.

7. Support the skate in your lap or in a piece of Styrofoam or heavy cardboard and complete the lacing, adding more tissue paper if needed. Tie in a bow. Treat the cut ends with seam sealant, saturating about 1/2" of each end. Allow to dry thoroughly. When the ribbon ends are dry, cut the ends at an angle, through the "sealed" area.

8. To attach a ribbon hanger, use the points of a sharp scissors (or an awl if you have one) to make a hole in the back of the skate at about the center.

9. Cut an 18" length of the narrow red ribbon and use the tapestry needle to thread it though the hole. Wrap one end around the floral stems to secure it and tie a square knot, snugging it to the skate. Depending on the position of the twist tie, you might be able to pull the ribbon through it too--experiment!

10.  Decide how long you want the hanger and hold both ends of the ribbon together. Tie an overhand knot. Cut the ribbon ends at an angle and treat with seam sealant (Fray Check). You can use a bit of craft glue on the knot and around the hole here if you like. I did because my spray wanted to stray from its desired location in the skate.

11. You may decide at this time to add more floral items in the area below the floral spray to fill in and cover the upper edge for a more finished look. I glued leaves and ferns together and used a bull nose clip to secure them while they dried. Then I glued the pieces to leaves in the floral spray—just in case I want to change the sprays at a later date. The final touch was a pine cone that I removed from extra spray. I always buy extra sprays (at the dollar store if possible) so I have more material for fill-in.

Ta da! It's finished and ready to hang. If necessary, you can bend portions of the floral sprays for the look you want.

Lesson Learned

Now that the skate is hanging on the door, it "lists" to the right, and to me it looks a little off balance with the heavier spay to the right. It would be in better balance if I had located the large spray to the left in the finished skate. So, crafter beware. Work to keep your floral sprays positioned in the skate, with good balance to offset the toe down position of the skate when it's hanging. The one I made for a gift (shown below) does a better job of that.

Great for A Gift

Now you can make another one with the remaining skate to give a friend. For a less traditional look, try brightly colored whimsical "floral" stems, like the glitzy ones I found on sale. I gave my dear friend, Sheryl, the option to choose either skate as her Christmas gift—early—so she could use it. I made the glitzy one for her and that's exactly what she chose. When I told her that it was the one I made for her, she said, "You nailed it!" I loved it too and would have been fine with the glitzy one if she had chosen the one I made for me. 

Notice that I made a glitzy bow to fill in at the lower edge of the arrangement and glued it in place on the floral stems at the upper edge of the skate. I used wire-edged ribbon so I could shape the bow and tail pieces on the finished skate.

Hope you enjoyed this project tutorial.

Until next time,

Keep on sewing, quilting, and crafting!

And Happy Holidays!

Barbara

The Trouble with Quilted Mug Rugs...

Just like you can't eat just one potato chip, you can't make just one mug rug. They're fun, cute, easy, and quick to make. I was a little late with Halloween so I bypassed Thanksgiving (for now) and skipped right on to Christmas. With over eight new designs from which to choose, I settled on making my three favorites and have grouped them together in a single pattern. Check out Santa and His Helpers at my craftsy store: http://www.craftsy.com/user/153303/pattern-store

If you prefer, the mug rugs can become oversize ornaments or package gift tags by adding a ribbon tie to the upper edge as shown in the photo of Rudy' Red Nose, above right. Or, if you use a muslin backing to cover the batting and the quilting stitches, you can write a holiday message on the back and add other "artsy" embellishments with stamping, doodling, etc. Pop them in envelopes to send to friends who will appreciate your handiwork.

Simply Santa is just that--really simple to stitch up in a hurry. Use poly felt for the beard, mustache, and hat trim and do free-motion quilting in the beard to simulate Santa's curls. For his hat, choose two red fabrics to help differentiate the two pieces. Add a white pompom to the tip of the hat.

     

Rudy's Red nose, as shown, is an applique enhanced with a flat button. When adding embellishments, make sure they won't interfere with your mug, if you're planning to use these as mug rugs.

Alfie the Elf looks like he's a little unhappy--maybe he's a little overworked! It's all in the shape of the mouth! Make it smaller and turn up the ends a little more when you stitch his mouth for a cheerier demeanor. Flat buttons replace appliques on Alfie's hat and shirt.

All three mug rugs are set up for fusible applique. The pattern includes full-size applique placement guides and reversed images for fusible applique. Use up scraps and cut into your fat quarters for these fun mini quilts. They are wonderful scrap buster projects and give almost instant gratification.

Set yourself up to sew multiples and you'll have a set or two done in no time. Check out the section on Assembly Line at a Glance in the pattern. 

No Time Like the Present...

to start your holiday sewing. And, speaking of presents, why not stitch up a set of my placemats, Presently Wrapped, too? The napkin is folded to form the bow on these easy-to-sew mats. Or, if you love Santa as much as I do, check out Santa's New Suit placemats with a napkin designed to look like his hat.

 

And, if you're looking for an easy Christmas wall hanging to deck your holiday halls, I think you'll love A Heartfelt Christmas. It features easy piecing in the background and fusible applique. You can add embellishments to the tree if you wish for a truly one-of-a-kind tree!

These projects will keep you busy with holiday sewing and they're easy so you're sure to get them done in plenty of time for Christmas...if you start now.

Until next time,

Happy Holiday Stitching

Barbara

Sew Pretty Sew Easy Tote Bag--Great for Gifting

Sew Pretty Sew Easy Quilted Tote Bag

I wanted to design something pretty and practical and this little tote bag was the result. It's a great "scrap buster" project--each of the four fabrics required for the piecing and the lining require 1/2 yard or less. Add a bit of lace--three yards will be more than enough--and some polyester fleece and you have a finished bag in no time. It has simple square corners and two side seams that are bound for a neat finish inside and out. A hanging pocket inside is the perfect place for your phone, a pencil or other small items to keep close at hand.

The sewing is fast and easy. Polyester fleece between the two fabric layers adds just the right amount of body and requires only minimal quilting. I did a simple grid of squares in the center panel only, plus the stitching that holds the trim bands in place adds straight lines to anchor the pieced panel to the fleece and the lining. All pieces are cut across the width of the fabric so there is no bottom seam. It really couldn't get any easier to make it.

Sized at 15" tall and 13-1/2" wide, the tote is the perfect bag for book club meetings, quick errands--or even to hold a small knitting project. With Christmas coming, this is the perfect for anyone on your list who loves bags. You can make several in one sitting--and you might just have the makings for all of them in your fabric stash. I made mine in just a few hours, once I had the design finalized. While I love floral prints and lace, other fabrics will work too. Go bold with a bright modern print and eliminate the lace for an entirely different look.

Like all of my patterns, you'll find this one in my Craftsy pattern store at: http://www.craftsy.com/user/153303/pattern-store

I'm headed back to the machine to whip up some Christmas-themed mug rugs. I had such fun making the ones for Halloween, that I just had to get back to designing them. I'm getting pretty good at designing appliques in Electric Quilt--I don't do well with pen and paper, but EQ has made an "artist" out of me! Read my previous posts to see my "ghoulishly easy" Halloween mug rugs.

Hope you're having fun getting ready for Christmas--my favorite Holiday. I'm ready to start sewing gifts--after I finish a set of mug rugs!

Have fun sewing, quilting, and crafting.
Until next time,
Keep on sewing and smiling!
Barbara

The Santa Chronicles: Part Six

Santa is finally dressed. We're down to the nitty gritty finishing details.

The biggest remaining challenge was deciding how to finish the bottom of Santa's body and how to stabilize his body in his sitting position. Thanks to my handy husband, I have a custom-made platform with a dowel that he made to fit inside the tube in Santa's body. The dowel is securely bolted to the platform, which I painted with black acrylic paint and finished with a coat of Dull-Cote Lacquer. It fits inside the cardboard tube in Santa's body with just a bit of "wiggle room."

The bottom of the platform was left unfinished so I could use a permanent marking pen to "sign" my work.

As for the bottom of the body, I had to find a way to encase the fiberfill. I cut a piece of lightweight faux suede and sewed it to the seamline around the bottom edge of the body, encasing the seam allowance and the upper edge of the gathered legs. That covered the hole in the tube. I felt for the tube edges and marked them with chalk. Then working from the center of the circle out, I carefully cut pie-shaped wedges, ending at the chalk mark. To hide the wedges, I put glue in between the fiberfill and the outside of the tube and then tucked the wedges into the glue and allowed to dry. The suede is nonwoven so it won't ravel. Another problem solved!

 My husband suggested I glue the dowel inside the tube, but instead, I used push pins through the upper legs and into the wooden base to secure Santa. I may decide to go the glue route later.

After I signed the base, I realized that I forgot to add the name of my finished Santa, so I designed a fabric label to sew to Santa's body under his jacket. I adapted a Christmas card design from my Microsoft Publisher program and inserted a photo of Santa's head. I added pertinent details, including his name, "Santa in Toyland." I printed the label on my inkjet printer, on specially treated fabric for the purpose.

You can order this fabric for inkjet printing  from www.electricquilt.com.

After trimming the label, leaving 1/4"-wide turn-under allowances on all four edges, I turned the edges and slipstitched the label to Santa's back underneath his jacket. In retrospect, it would have been easier to do this before sewing Santa's jacket to his body--but I hadn't named him yet. Usually names come easily, but this one didn't come to me until after I added the bag of toys (see below), so I couldn't have made the label anyway. I think it's a nice touch. How I love what the electronic age has made possible when it comes to creativity.

To finish up, I added a few embellishments to Santa—silver star buttons on his boots and little plastic wreaths from my button box on his mittens. I also tacked the mitten in place at the thumb joint to keep it in place.







Santa also needed a sack full of toys, so I cut one from black silk scrap and stitched it up, adding a plaid flannel casing with ribbon at the top. I stuffed the bag with a little polyfil fiber and drew up the ribbon drawsting. Then I tucked in a vintage toy soldier, a little tin toy locomotive, and a small teddy bear, all of which I had purchased in Missoula when I learned to sculpt my Santa head in 1999. After adjusting the ribbon to secure the toys (I didn't glue them), I tied it in a bow. I tacked I brought Santa's left arm forward and tacked his sleeve to his jacket. The bag of toys sits just in front of it.

I also used a few discreet stitches to secure Santa's right arm to his jacket in the desired position with a  and then tucked a small bisque doll, a Swiss miss, into the crook of that arm. (Her feet are tucked behind his arm in this shot (they slipped out for some of the photos I've used). I purchased the little doll in Switzerland in 2006 as a memento from my Bernina trip. She is secured to Santa's jacket with several small safety pins inside her clothing.

And now, my completed Santa is ready for his big "reveal." Drum roll please!

First, here's a closeup of his sweet face!

And, here he is in a casual mood! His soft legs can be "posed." I've also placed his left mitten on his leg. Note his spiffy belt made from a scrap of Ultrasuede and a silver buckle I found in my button box. It's been such fun to use up treasures and leftovers in my collection. Also note that I put a little polyfil fiber in his hat to give it a bit of "oomph," making it easy to put in the desired position.

And here he is in all his finery, my  finished "Santa in Toyland!"

I am so pleased with my Santa, and so proud of myself for figuring out how to finish him, all on my own, step-by-step, even it did take 13 years to do so. All things in their time, right? It took about 3 weeks for the problem-solving and execution to finish Santa, but it was well worth it, don't you think? I don't know if I'll ever sculpt another Santa head, but I certainly learned a lot and have great respect for the Santa and doll sculptors out there and appreciation of how much love and energy goes into a project like this one! Whatever they charge isn't enough. My Santa is a priceless heirloom to hand down in my family.

In some ways, I'm sorry to get to the end of this story--I had such a good time with this project. It was one of my "round to its." My goal this year is to get around to finishing my "round to its." There are several on my list and is this one has been checked off the list!

The End

The Santa Chronicles: Part Five

Santa is ready for a bright red, fur-trimmed jacket and matching hat. The fabric choice revealed itself quickly. Several years ago I bought a boiled wool jacket at my favorite outlet for $20. It fit pretty well and was trimmed with loopy red yarn around the neckline, down the front, and around the cuffs. I couldn't pass it up because the fabric was worth more than the price. However, every time I put it on, I felt like a clown. Removing the trim didn't help—I just don't wear true reds very well. I took the jacket apart by cutting along the seamlines—no need to take time removing the stitches—and thought I might fashion Christmas stockings from the pieces. That didn't happen.

While searching my stash for red velvet, it dawned on me that the jacket pieces were the perfect choice for Santa's costume! First I had to draft a pattern for the jacket. The only way I knew to draft a jacket pattern was to place Santa on paper and trace around his general torso shape, then draw oversize shapes for the jacket front and back, based on my tracing and my knowledge of basic pattern shapes. I drew the shapes on my favorite pattern-fitting tissue, gridded Perfect Pattern Paper by Pati Palmer and available at www.palmerpletsch.com. I also backed the paper with her Perfect Fuse sheer white knit fusible interfacing to make the paper more like fabric so I could pin-fit it to Santa's shape.

These are the shapes I used for the first pin fitting. Notice how the shoulder and side seams are pinned with the pins parallel to the stitching line for fitting.

I tried the pinned jacket/front back on Santa and then moved the pins until the pattern was a pretty good fit. As I worked, I trimmed away excess tissue around the neckline. Because I was using boiled wool, which doesn't ravel, and because there would be fur trim and Santa's hair and beard would cover the neckline, there was no need for a neckline or front edge seam allowance on the pieces. I allowed for an overlap at the center front, plus 1/4"-wide seam allowances at the shoulders, side seams, and center back and the cut away any excess tissue in those areas. I also adjusted the pattern so the pieces were 3/4" longer than Santa's body because by that time, my husband had made a platform for Santa from 3/4" plywood. You'll see that later.  There was no need for a hem allowance at the bottom because the fabric doesn't ravel.

Using the adjusted pattern pieces, I cut two fronts and two backs. Then I machine-basted the pieces together, ready for the fitting.

I tried the jacket on Santa wrong side out , so I could pin in any necessary adjustments. 

Because my Santa has sloping shoulders, I fashioned multi-layered shoulder pads from scraps of the boiled wool and fit them inside temporarily.

After finalizing the shoulder and side seams, I permanently stitched the shoulders and center back seams and trimmed them to 1/4" wherever necessary. They were pressed open. I marked the side seam stitching line, trimmed the seam allowances to 1/4" and then removed the basting so I could use the  armhole as a guide for drafting a sleeve pattern. I made the pattern plenty large and then cut it from the boiled wool.

After several attempts at fitting the sleeve cap into the armhole, cutting the cap flatter and flatter until it fit the armhole curve, I set the sleeve into the open armhole, like you do for a man's shirt. Then it was a simple matter to stitch the sleeve underarm and side seam in one step. Next, I tacked the little shoulder pads in place.

As I did for the boots, I cut strips of fake fur, stitched them into tubes and then sewed them to the neckline, the wrist edge of each sleeve, and the left front edge of the jacket. I also made little patch pockets for the jacket and stitched them in place.

When I tried the finished jacket on Santa, the back was just too big, so I pinned in and then stitched darts to get rid of some of the excess fabric. Also note that Santa has a belt—made from a scrap of Ultrasuede and a silver buckle from my button box.

To complete the jacket, I sewed the right front edge to Santa's body, followed by the overlapping left front.

Before I could fashion Santa's hat, his wig had to be glued in place. I used the Fast Grab Tacky glue and coated his head and the inside of the wig with it. Once positioned, I pressed down firmly to make sure it was adhered all over and set Santa to dry while I worked on his hat. It was the easiest part of the process. I cut two large triangles from the remaining boiled wool, basted them together, and turned up a wide hem that allowed for a turned-up brim. I adjusted the fit, then permanently stitched the seams and the hem and trimmed it with a  fur tube—on the turned-up brim.  Next, I fashioned a ball of fur for the tip of the hat and sewed it in place.

 Keeping the hat in place posed a challenge as I didn't want to glue it onto the mohair wig. Instead, I used small safety pins in several locations underneath the brim to keep it in place by catching some of the mohair.

Now that Santa was completely clothed, I could attach his beard with the tacky white glue. I positioned and glued only the section on the chin area and allowed it to dry thoroughly, then attached the sides in the same manner. The Fast Grab glue was a lifesaver through the entire process of assembling Santa.

I'll keep the completely dressed and finished Santa a secret until the final post, which is about the finishing touches, toys, stand, and label.

To be continued…..