pic courtesy of mysewingroom.ca
I DO try, honest I do, but some years the wheels fall off for one or another reason so that despite my best intentions, December rolls around and I am nowhere near to finishing my Christmas sewing.
Why, in the first place, do I have Christmas sewing each year?? Well, that is easy to answer: because I am so passionate about sewing that I would rather make special one-of-a-kind gifts for family & friends rather than rack up $100’s or $1000’s on items bought at the malls.
DELIGHTFUL CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS MADE BY ONE OF THE LANGLEY VACUUM & SEWING CUSTOMERS FOR CHRISTMAS 2013. THESE ARE EMBROIDERED IN THE HOOP ON OUR JANOME EMBROIDERY MACHINE AND THEN USED TO COVER AN ORDINARY CHRISTMAS BALL TO HANG ON THE TREE.
CHRISTMAS CARDS?? Now I no longer send out Christmas cards. I figure we live in an age of emails & online newsletters, etc, so to send out Christmas cards which end up in the recycling bin by January, is absurd. I would far rather make a small personalized gift for some of the folk I would have sent a Christmas card to. Besides which, have you seen lately what it will cost to mail out Christmas cards this year? Each year I pick a small project or 2 and I start earlier in the year making these so that everyone has a little something from me. Some years I made a Christmas tree ornament in the embroidery hoop of my JANOME embroidery machine. Other years I sewed a luggage tag or key fob on my JANOME sewing machine. Another year everyone got a knitted scarf, and another year it was a little zippered bag with a soap or hand cream popped inside.
See pics below for additional ideas for Christmas gift sewing and home decorating for the holiday period.
What am I doing this year? Hopefully none of my friends & family are reading this?! I have decided it will be monogrammed eye glass cases which are made entirely in the hoop. If I know the person does not wear eye glasses or prefers contacts (like my son-in-law), I will substitute with a luggage tag and suitcase handle cover to identify your luggage on the carousel. What the heck….if I make good time in the second half of this year, they may get all 3 items!?!
pic: veryberryhandmade.co.uk
pic: aestheticnest.com
I found this pic on someone else’s blog…….recognized them right away seeing as I MADE THESE!!!! I would not have minded if they had only acknowledged where they got the pic. Oh well. I used scraps of fabric decorated with machine dec. stitches and ric-rac, lace etc.
pic: advanced-embroidery-designs.com
What about a cover for your machine to celebrate the holiday season? pic: plumgoodquilting.com
pic: all freesewing.com
But it is not only about sewing Christmas gifts in lieu of Christmas cards…….there is also the sewing of PJ’s for the little ones, making Advent calendars (which I did last year but need to restock them with little candies & gifts again this year); as well as Christmas decorations and home dec projects for the holiday season.
pic: mycottoncreations.com
pic: s embroidery.com
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the yummy food ……and an apron appropriate for the season! pic: allfreesewing.com
I thought these were simply the cutest little shoes! pic: craftsy.com
What a great way to use up your stash of Christmas fabrics: napkins for use at your Christmas meal or as gifts. pic:littlebluebell.com
Personalized pillow cases always make special gifts – AND they are so easy to make (see our blog on 16th May 2014 for a great technique).
pic: hobbyfarms.com
Janome Life 