Heading to the finish line? [Sophie]

Well, I thought I was heading to the finish line but I've realized that my finish line keeps moving.  I'm stoked that  a little pile of parcels is growing on top of my bookshelf ready for posting tomorrow.  I've just got one last little present to make for my mum.... I was thinking of giving her a little Ruched Happy Bag a la Amy Friend like I'm giving my sister but then I thought I might do something different for  her instead.  So.... I'm thinking a cushion for Mum and a brooch which is superquick to whip up.

In the meantime though... here's what I've ended up doing for Dad this afternoon...

Its not perfect but I think Dad will like it and it'll come in handy.  He loves to tinker around the house and is well into his gardening.  I made it from upholstery fabric and made it as boyish as I could.  A hard job for me as we are 4:1 on the girl:boy ratio in this household!  Pink and frilly comes a bit too easily.

I'm just highly relieved that my sewing machine held out and did the zigzags ok!





My initial finish line was 1 Dec, to have done:

1. 2 baby quilts - CHECK
2. Market skirt - CHECK

and added later

1. gardening tool belt - CHECK
2. Ruched Happy Purse - CHECK
3. Present for Mum - HALFWAY THERE.
4. Christmas cards to send to rellos abroad - CHECK.

Next deadlines after after posting all the overseas presents will be

4 Dec - finishing the bespoke gifts a friend has ordered.

7 Dec - getting the girls' classmates marshmallow reindeer and cards out.

15 Dec - friends and neighbours gifts (this will be the lemon butter /fudge/toffee/wreaths)

23 Dec - making new pjs for the girls and wrapping them up with a book to be read on Christmas Eve!

Whoopwhoop! The fun just doesn't end :)

Week 3 [Sophie]

 Loving making these purses which weren't on my original list but I spotted on someone else's list... Pomona maybe?  Or Jenny?  I can't remember now.  Its from the Amy Friend pattern on the During Quiet Time Blog and shop.  Love them, got to make more.

Revised Christmas Checklist:


2 baby quilts- One and a half done.

1 market skirt - done but needs redoing as its too big.


Lemon butter - totally rethinking this. I think its going to be too much.



Fudge/Toffee - putting it off til December.  Still haven't worked out how many of these I need/want to do.


2 Clutch Purses - for my mum and sister - done four but have given one for a birthday present and will sell the extra ones online.


Gardeners belt - for Dad, this one is on my wishlist.  I don't know if I'll manage to get it done.  Need to have something in reserve if I don't by 1 Dec.  Eek, that's next week.


45 Marshmallow reindeer - supplies being collated.

Christmas photo and e-letter - still to write and take.

Christmas blog giveaway - this is on my wishlist but I don't know if I'll be organized enough to do it.  Ideally it needs to be in a blog post by the 1st Dec so I can post by the 7th or so.

Summer clothes - I want to get some skirts, tops and dresses done for the girls for the Christmas holidays and the upcoming hot weather so am including them in my Christmas challenge - have done one dress for Little Bun and a skirt which is slightly too big.

Bespoke Christmas samples - a friend was talking about ordering Christmas presents - handtowels etc - from me so I have managed to get a couple of bags of samples including Pikalily's earrings she's been making, cushions, quilt, clutch purse etc from my stash.  We'll see if she want to order any!

My list is getting scarily longer and time is getting shorter.  Must go and sew!

Mini-quilt update

Well, the stripey mini-quilt got a bit boring so I've cut it up and stepped out of the boat to do my first couple of more geometricky quilt designs.  Both are around 1m x 1m and were quite easy to do.  Loving the white op shop sheet that makes a frame for the colours and stops them being too overpowering.

I've also been able to buy lollypop sticks, ribbon and cello bags in prep for the kids' classmate gifts which I'm hoping to have done in and handed out by the end of the first week of December.  We're going to make the reindeer in the top left of this image... marshmallows dipped in chocolate!  Around 40-50 of them - two classes worth!

I'm still dithering about what I should make for neighbours/two teachers/friends and who I should make for!  Ideally I'd love to make something for everyone but realistically I know I can't!

I think I might need to do some larger gifts and some smaller 'token gifts'.  Also I really want to download that clutch purse pattern someone else here recommended.  I think it would be fabulous for my mum and sister in gorgeous gold silky fabric.  I think though that those might be on my If I Have Time List.

I'm so impressed with all your makings - you blow me away!

Week One? Or is it Two now?

 I saw Stacey IRL for lunch today and confessed I hadn't started a thing yet.  That was lunch time.  An afterschool playdate cancelled so I thought I'd start on the easiest thing on my list... a mini quilt for a new little niece in the UK.  Nice and simple stripes.  I'll back it with fleece (probably in mocha to take the emphasis off the red) and edge it with polka dots.  I'm not sure if I'm thrilled with the colours, a bit too Christmassy so far, but I'm hoping the backing and the edging will make me happier with it.

I've also bought these gorgeous green/blue materials to make another mini-quilt for the first little nephew in the family.  Arrrrh Pirate Sam here we come! Stoked to get the pirate material at Spotlight - a half metre for just $2!

 And I'm loving this material $4/m at Spotlight in their sale again.  I'm going to make a little skirt or sundress for Pirate Sam's big sister Miss E.  I'm thinking a Market Skirt a la Made.  I'm also tempted to use it to make some clutch purses for my sister and two SILs.  Too ambitious?  Hmmm we'll see.

We always say we're only going to send presents to our parents and then kids only but I always want to send/make more and then... doh.... realize that the postage to the UK and Hong Kong is the killer kick.