Our Advent Calendar

I made this Advent calendar just as I was beginning to learn to sew- For some reason I thought sewing all the little pockets on by machine would be really complicated, so it is all hand-stitched!  Even around the edges of the tree itself.  I embroidered or embellished each little pocket by hand.  It's inspired (read: blatantly copied) from the Telluride Advent Calendar from Pottery Barn (pictured here).  The girls LOVE it and can't wait to start checking the pockets tomorrow morning (after I iron it a bit and find a sturdier way to hang it)!

 

And today is November 30... That means I completed NaBloPoMo!!!  I can't believe I found something to say every. single. day!   Thanks for reading, and hopefully this will prompt me to continue posting more often... Just maybe not every day!

Incoming!

Just a little sampling of some of the fabric and patterns that have joined the stash in preparation for Christmas sewing!

Some pajamas, some stockings, some bags, a quilt (sorry hubby, that one's just REALLY unlikely to happen by Christmas!), a dress or two...  Ho ho ho!

Make Do and Mend!

One of my favorite things about learning to sew is that I can now easily fix things that might once have gone in the trash.  Last night I made a big list of all the things I need to sew before Christmas, and I decided that before I started I should tidy up the sewing room.  While I was doing that I unearthed a basket of "to be mended" clothes and decided to set to work.  I fixed a major tear in a pair of my husband's jeans, put an applique over a hole in my daughter's leggings, learned how to use a snap-setter to repair a bib, and made a new insert for a doll stroller!

I'm especially pleased with that last one, and annoyed that I waited so long to do it!  The insert that came with it tore within days and has been progressively getting worse.  My daughters' poor dolls frequently tumbled right out of the thing.

I salvaged the buckles from the original, used stash fabric, and used bias trim that belonged to my husband's Grandma.  The girls were thrilled and immediately put it to work!

Now that those distractions are taken care of and the sewing room is tidy (as tidy as it ever gets!), I can get to work on that Christmas list!

Small Business Saturday

Since I went on about Black Friday yesterday (and had a rough time this morning at a certain big box sewing store which shall remain nameless), I thought today in honor of Small Business Saturday I would share a bit about some of my favorite independent stores.

Happy Bambino was my home away from home when my oldest daughter was a baby.  The store's mission is "Happier families through parental empowerment and community support."  They offer parent support groups and classes as well as great locally made or small-business made products for babies, kids, and moms.  Cloth diapers, baby carriers, natural and sustainable toys, breastfeeding needs...  Truly anything you could need in the early years of parenting.  The store is in Madison, WI and online.  And hey, my daughter is right there on the front page, grinning in a blue fleece pouch!

 Bratsacks Baby is not local to me, but an amazing small business just the same.  Owned by a mom who started making kids' backpacks as birthday gifts, Bratsacks has grown into a big name!  She makes backpacks for toddlers and big kids as well as messenger style bags for grown-ups.  She uses reclaimed materials wherever possible and the work"mom"ship is impeccable.

KnitterKnots is another friend's shop.  She makes beautiful longies for babies and toddlers- For the uninitiated, longies are wool pants that can be used as part of a cloth diapering system or just worn as incredibly adorable and cozy pants.  If you get lucky you might also catch a custom slot for a tunic or dress!  Beautiful stuff.  How cute are these monster pants?

StarbrightBaby makes small stuffed giraffes that are hands-down the best teething toy we ever used.  And they last long beyond the teething stage!  At 3 and 5 my girls still love to play with their giraffes.  They are sturdy, beautiful, unique, and are stuffed with eco-friendly filling. She also does customs, so if you have a favorite fabric you can get a giraffe made just for you!

I have many other talented friends I want to share with you, but this post is getting long so I will save some for another day!  Remember to think handmade while you're holiday shopping, and support small businesses!

Black Friday!

So did you get any shopping done?  My husband, who has never "done" Black Friday before, was up and out at 4am to get some absolutely necessary piece of technological equipment at Target. He was stunned to realize that Black Friday is, in fact, a huge deal and people take it seriously!  I think he thought we were all lying when we said it would be a madhouse.  He learned that lesson quickly. 

I was out at a much more reasonable 8am to get some very necessary pillow forms, batting and $1.20/yard flannel!  The girls will be getting matching Christmas PJs after all!  We waited in line for 45 minutes to check out at Joann.  It wasn't my usual neighborhood Joann, because we're out of town for the holiday- This one only had TWO registers and while they were working as fast as they could, there were a LOT of shoppers.  But a wonderful perk I'm still adjusting to about life in the Midwest is that people are generally just so pleasant!  Lots of chatting in line and no grumpies!  Of course, there are exceptions to every rule...

What deals did you find?

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your day be filled with family, friends and food!

I wish I'd had time to make something pretty for the table- like these!

Fall Table Runner by Knitty Bitties.

By Sewing Geek via Flickr

From Twiddletails

Simplicity 2382- Walker Bag

After visiting my Grandmother this summer and seeing that all the cool 90-year-olds had nifty bags on their walkers, I promised to make her one.  It took me a few months but I've finally gotten around to it.  It's View D from Simplicity 2382 and it's made to go over the front bar on a wheeled walker.  I suppose it would work on a regular walker too!  The construction was very unusual, and I used duck canvas for the lining so it was tough to turn, but I really like the finished product. 

I don't have a walker, so a chair will have to suffice for pictures!  This one shows the inner pockets which are just about 4" deep.  Perfect for a phone, remote, little notepad, whatever!  In front of that is a larger pocket for books, magazines, etc.  Both sides are identical, so I stuck a magazine in the other side to show the depth.

Here's a straight-on view.

It opens up flat and has a handle to carry it when it's not on the walker.

There's velcro on the inside to hold the panels together when it's over the bar, and a patch of slipper-gripper to keep it from sliding.

I'm going to send this as an early Christmas gift since I promised it to her in July!  She turns 91 in December, too, so it will be a birthday gift as well.  Happy Birthday, Grandmom!

Indygo Junction Over the Top Tunic

Here's a slightly better picture of the Over the Top Tunic.  It's a little stiff, I'm hoping it will soften up in the wash.  And I think I might redo the hem.  And oops, I should have re-ironed it after carting it home last night!  But here it is!  And I think this might be the first picture of me on this blog!

Linked up at

A Thanksgiving Dress

Today I made myself a dress to wear to Thanksgiving dinner.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera when I was at the sewing lab, so all I have is a blurry camera picture.  But since I'm participating in NaBloPoMo, I'm posting it anyway!  It's Indygo Junction's Over the Top Tunic. I used a cotton sateen with just a tiny bit of stretch, accented with a blue asian floral I've had in the stash forever.  I had a love/hate affair with this dress as I was sewing it, but I think the final feeling I have toward it is affection.  I don't love it, but I think we will get along fine.

 

I will, of course, wear a camisole underneath!  It hits just above the knee and went together very quickly, barring a few bonehead mistakes that were entirely my fault! 

A Beautiful bag

I got my gifts from that swap I've been secretly sewing for!  Yay!  My friend Jessi of Bratsacks Baby made me this absolutely beautiful bag.  I've had my eye on her bags for years, and my kids each have one of her adorable kids' backpacks.  I don't know for sure that she was my swap partner, but I do know she made this bag!

She uses a lot of reclaimed materials, which I love.  Seriously, LOOK at that bag!  Beautiful!  It's got oodles of pockets and those bright colors will be so cheery through the dreary Wisconsin winter.  I also got a pack of new blades for my rotary cutter!  That's something I always skimp on and it gets really annoying, so that was an absolutely perfect gift!  She ALSO sent a beautiful hair stick, some yummy chai, and some adorable fabric- the same print used on this bag.  This was such an awesome package to receive after a dreary week of wet weather and sick kids.  Thank you!!!!!