I signed up for the Wild Olive Stitch Swap!

When I started making felt Christmas ornaments last December, I didn't realize what an addition it would become. I added several stitchy blogs to my Google Reader, and I started pinning pretty little things.

Last week Mollie at Wild Olive annouced a Stitch Swap and I signed up. We're each to make a little 4" piece and mail it off by the end of the month. There is a flickr group (of course) so we can post inspiration and progress. I didn' t get any hints about my swap partner, so anything is fair game (but being a newbie, maybe I should aim not-so-high.

Right now, this is my favorite starting point:

Source: etsy.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Let's say someone gave you a small little embroidery hoop, maybe 4" diameter max, with a pretty or cute little picture or saying. Would you hate that? Would you toss it in a drawer and forget it? Would you prop it up on your dresser or book shelves or hang it on a kitchen cabinet? Would it feel like a throw away gift or something special?

Handmade Felt Christmas Ornaments

One of the things I made for Christmas was a collection of felt ornaments for my sister-in-law. After making the castle* and the kitchen I found myself loving making things of felt, and ornaments were the natural progression. I ended up giving her 7 ornaments, as shown, except the lights were "strung" on floral wire.



The nativity scene and the lights are both from free ornament tutorials at Wild Olive, which I highly recommend for this sort of thing. She did an entire month of ornaments, I wish I'd done them all.

Another ornament I found (just after Christmas, of course) was this adorable baby's first Christmas one. So I made one for a friend, who had her first baby just a week before Christmas. It's hard to tell, but it's about 4.5" tall from the top of the hanger to the bottom.



I see many of these in my future. I'm also trying to think of some variations on it so I don't feel quite so much like a copycat.

Then last night I found this one, and know someone who really needs one.

Source: spabettie.com via Lisa on Pinterest

(note, I didn't make this one. yet.)

I found myself starting an entire board on Pinterest, just for felt. Once I'm done with ornaments, I'm thinking I'll make some play food. And I'm sure someone else will show up before I'm done with that.

*Pictures soon, I swear.

Christmas sewing, two weeks later

It turns out I can't not post about the few Christmas gifts I made. It's not a long post, there were only a handful, so bear with me for one more post about Christmas, ok?

We drew the names of the two tween girls in the family and since they live 5 hours apart I figured I was safe making them similar bags. I picked out all the orange and pinks in my stash and hemmed up little strips on the serger with orange thread. I laid them out in two different patterns and came up with little purses for each. I think they were a hit, as I saw both girls load them up over the course of the day.

You can't really tell from those pictures, but the hemmed edge of each strip isn't sewn down, it's more like a unruffly ruffle.

Then next name on our list was that of a freshly minted school teacher, so of course I had to make a tote bag. My mother-the-teacher assures me that teachers never have enough.

If you've known me since college, you'll recognize that this used to be a dress. Is it cheating to make gifts out of too-small clothing?

The last family name was that of the newest baby in the family. He's about 6 weeks younger than the Princess. For him, I'd recently read a tutorial on a faux-chenille type baby blanket and couldn't resist trying it out. It was pretty scary to cut into after I'd sewn it up, but it turned out great. Next time I'm doing mitered corners though, instead of rounded ones.

And here they are together on Christmas.

Yeah, I cut their heads off, but you needed to be able to see her SHOES! The bows!
Lastly, the Pirate needed a gift for his teacher, so I made up a little mini-banner.  Each of the triangles are about half the size as in my regular banners, so she could hang it on the desk or the door if she so desired.

And I think that's all the Christmas gifts I made, this year I'm starting earlier!

Yeah right.




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