WHAT CHRISTMAS SEWING ARE YOU DOING THIS YEAR?

Need I say more? 4 little girls who are passionate about this movie ……my sewing definitely involves Frozen

So, I  guess I must sound a tad nauseating when I glibly tell people that I do my Christmas shopping and sewing throughout the year. Smug and self-satisfied about sums that up! Well this year the wheels fell off so that smugness evaporated. Yes, I know….karma. Seems I was not as good with advance planning & sewing as usual & then I got sick, was away most of Sept through end of November so I am more than just a little behind. My Christmas gift sewing has undergone several revisions as time slowly slips through my fingers. And I refuse to admit to being a Grinch even though the Thompson household has not a single Christmas light or tree to show. I may throw some of my many Christmas throws over my lounge furniture and set up my lighted snowman but I highly doubt the tree is going to see the light of day this year. Gotta finish that Christmas sewing so something has to go! Fortunately the Christmas entertaining at home is minimal & the rest is being held at other family member’s homes so I think I am off the hook!

So, with the Vancouver weather being dreary & wet last weekend, I took a JANOME MC9900 home for a weekend of “catch up” sewing. I LOVE this machine as it is compact, does not take up too much space in my over-crowded sewing room, and has so many great top of the line features for a mid line sewing & embroidery machine. I embroidered and sewed and got through a good deal of the back log. No, not finished so no room for smugness yet.

Seriously hope none of my friends & family are reading this blog post?! They will get a sneak preview of what is coming 24th & 25th!  Anyway……here is what I have been sewing:

I refuse to acknowledge that the word “cheating” comes into this……panel it was, book it now is for 2 special little girls.

 

There it is…pages were cut & fusible webbed together with a thin fleece to stiffen pages slightly; each page was embellished with a dec. stitch……snowflake on the Janome 9900 was perfect. Finally my scallop blade on my rotary cutter trimmed the edges (NO sewing) & one row of triple straight stitch down the spine holds it all together. Thank you Fabricland for the fabric…..and instructions printed on the fabric although I did my own thing as usual!

These charming applique in the hoop designs come from a CD I purchased from James at http://dalcohomesew.com
I had already done these ages back so it was simply a matter of sandwiching them & turning them into little tray cloths…..I am so over coffee mugs slipping on my tray & then spilling so I like to have a tray cloth of some sort to cushion & hold things in place when I carry hot beverages around the house….SO much nicer than a piece of shelf liner! Think this one is for me but I have 2 others ready to be wrapped.

 

another “tray cloth”/tray topper almost ready to wrap….now I begin to detect a little smugness?

 

I don’t do the Christmas card thing…..stopped that years ago as it is much more fun to sew a little something instead. This is one of those I made for my friends in my quilting group called Quilt Buzz. Easy & quick: embroidery + a few rows of serpentine stitch to quilt the mug rug & finally couch yarn around the edge to neaten the trimmed edge. Anyone for coffee?

 

It needs to be flat & easy to fit into a suitcase for their journey home……so I decided the son & daughter-in-law would  each get a set of “burrito” pillow cases with their initials embroidered …..for their new home in London, UK. Check out You Tube for great video’s of how super easy it is to make these pillow cases

So, I ask again……what are you sewing this Christmas?? let us know in the comment box below. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!