Handmade Christmas 2013

Now that Christmas is past, I can post some of the goodies I made as gifts. YAY!

I like to add a little handmade touch to Christmas for my girls. I like them to feel like I spent time on something especially for them. This year I made them cloud pillows. I have been wanting to do cloud pillows for a while and I finally made it happen. the front has appliqued rain drops, and their initial. I put cozy minky on the back.

 I made these little drawstring bags for our girls to give to their cousins. I think they are cute. We put an initial on each one and are calling them treasure bags.

 This is a little Hobbs doll I made for my parents to gift to my nephew ( A big Calvin and Hobbs fan). Here is the pattern I used.

Imogen Elsie

INTRODUCING: Imogen Elsie Sparks | Born 12/21/13 at 4:56PM | 7lb 15 oz and 20.5" long

SNOW DAY!

Today was Penny's last day of school before Christmas break and it was cancelled due to the 1" of snow that we received. She was SO happy. Growing up in Utah where there is no such thing as a snowday, (I have fond memories of playing a game very much like bumper cars trying to get to school during the winter.) makes this that much more cool for me. We decided to make a snowman, which really isn't something we will be able to do often. It is nice to have a bit of snow around Christmas.

christmas is all around

I've been a little less motivated to post here on the blog, I think it has to do with my total focus on getting my bathroom done before this little girl makes her debut.

SIDE NOTE: I just need to say that I have such a great husband. He puts up with me when I am crazy and nesting. The bathroom is done (the essential parts are anyway). we are still planning on replacing our sinks and doing a build in shelf, but these things can wait.

We have done some fun holiday activities, gotten together with friends and decorated our humble abode. This will be our first Christmas with just us, which is exciting and sad all at once. I know we will miss having a white (Utah) Christmas, but it will be more chill this way. Here are some pics:

 Nativity I made last year

 this is a little print I made up

 I, also, made this "joy" sign

 

our fantastically fake tree decorated by P & la la, with some supervision and a few broken ornaments... 

we had a little outing to see snowflake lane in Bellevue with our friends, the Taylors. It was really fun. They do a little dance show that the girls were totally entranced by.

paper snowflake maker

miss p has decided that when she grows up she would like to be a singer, dancer or a paper snowflake maker. she thinks that she might be able to do all three at the same time, which I think will make her more marketable.

some samples of her work.

Baby gift for my next nephew: Mocs and Hats

 My bro. Phil and his wife Laurel are having a baby boy. they are due just over a week before me, so our little lady will have a cousin her age:). I am really excited for them. I used the purl bee moc pattern for them. I free handed the little hat.

Here are the 3 pairs of mocs that i've made so far. I made the gray and yellow mocs for Baby #3, I couldn't help myself. 

Gift for baby pugmire

 

Here is the sunshiney gift I knit for my friend Tira's baby girl. I am excited for her to have a girl, she has 3 boys and needs to experience the joy of girls :)!

Links to the patterns

Hat

Booties

34 weeks and a baby quilt

 Here is a shot of the belly. I am really popping out now...it was bound to happen. I am currently struggling with just about every kind of mobility these days. We are trying to redo our bathroom DIY style and I am really bummed that I can't be more help. It also means I need to wait around for Bry to help do most of the work and I can't just plow ahead with the project with reckless abandon, like I usually do.

On the upside, I am almost done Christmas shopping. I am hoping to have it all bought, wrapped and shipped by the time I hit 37 weeks (Dec 6th). I want it all done, so I can enjoy the holidays without worrying about going into labor before I am all ready for Christmas.

also, I made a quilt for the baby! I feel like all the blankets and clothes that i'm drawn to this time around are all very unisex...nothing girly. I don't know why, maybe she will be a tomboy? anyway, I did use a floral for the front and I think that gives it enough feminine flair. The front is a Joel Dewberry print and the back is an emerald Kona cotton. For the quilting I used size 3 pearl cotton in various colors and just free handed the quilting. I bound it with a B&W stripe fabric. I didn't really feel up to a piecing project for this quilt, but I think it still turned out really nice. Hopefully this little chick will dig it.

 

Cross blanket

 I crocheted this little baby blanket for baby sparks. I used Lion Brand thick 'n' quick. I wanted to have a beefy blanket for cold weather.

Happy Halloween 2013!

Here are my 2 little woodland creatures. These costumes were really fun and easy to make. My nice camera has been on vacation for the last few months and i am going a little crazy, but these are the best shots I got and they will have to do. Love these kids.