My Sister's Shoes...

I like to think that my handmade gifts have come a long way. I remember when I was a kid I made dozens of bookmarks for my sister at Christmas and birthday time. She was and is an avid reader, so it was a thoughtful gift at least. And I remember making her a "purse" one time, but since I didn't know how to sew, I used glue. You can guess how that one held up. And then when I was a little older I remember crafting some jewelery for her from some rawhide and permanent marker. Man, she was a good big sister. She always acted like she liked them.

Hopefully, she can stop acting now. Here's a pic of this year's birthday gift, which I was so happy to be able to give her in person, if a little late.

She lives in New York now, but deep down she will always be a Southern girl at heart.  Hunter green wool, creamy white gardenia type flower with a brass bead and olive green leaves. A little piece of pretty in her world full of boys.  Happy birthday, Cheryl!  I love you.

My Muse

Apparently, nearly eight months ago I gave birth to more than just a daughter, I gave birth to my own personal muse.  I have sewn more in the past few months than I have in the last few years put together.  And if I could somehow find more time, I would be sewing even more.  I am loving this new found burst of creativity. I am also loving this beautiful little girl, who inspires it all.

And since she is the one who inspires so much of it, it's only fair if a good few of the things I make are for her.  Thanks to my wonderful hubby who gave me hours and hours this weekend to sew, I was able to make her not one but two items.  Well, three if you count each boot individually. I tried out a new pattern, and I like it much better.  Much more customizable, and simpler to sew.

Sweetly feminine...

I love, love, love how they turned out.  They're not Joyfolie shoes by any stretch, but I'm proud of them.  They're so much closer to the ones I had originally envisioned.  With delicate, etched buttons, and I love the graphic ruffle. Three layers, wool, fleece and thick interfacing.  Sturdy and cozy. And there is elastic inside to help keep them on little feet.

And then, she needed something to dress up her head, don'tcha think?  So of course a sweet little flower headband.  Because, if she's anything like her mom, and she seems to be, she may not have much hair for some time. I was bald until I was four.  It's okay, I've come to terms with it. This is one of my favorite ways to make a flower.  There are lots of ways out there on the web, and I have tried many of them.  But, this one that I found in a book, is still my favorite.  Next on the list, pettiskirts and a sweet little pair of shoes for an as yet to be born beauty.  Trust me on this, there's no way she won't be a stunner...

Talk about gilding the lily. 

The New Year

We're off to a productive start this year.  Hopefully this bodes well for the rest of the year.

My first project for the year was a paying gig.  Woo-hoo!  And I owe it all to Facebook, and my sister and her high school friend Heather.  Oh, and my husband who is always nagging...er, encouraging me to sell my stuff! You see, Heather saw my sister's picture on her Facebook page where Sean was modeling one of the bibs I made for him. (And looking so dapper and adorable, so I probably owe it all to him too.) Heather commented that she needed one of those for a gift, which prompted a call from my sister bullying me...sorry, strenuously encouraging me to sell my stuff. And that led to an amen chorus from my hubby. So I e-mailed Heather and she graciously took me up on my offer to make her a pair.  I love the way they turned out.  Hopefully, she will too.

Apparently, I forgot to take a picture of the final project, but you get the idea.

 

 

 Then some neighbors had a teeny, tiny little six pond girl and they had the opposite problem that I always had with my wee babes. Instead of all the newborn hats being too small and popping off her noggin, all of their hats were too big.  I offered to make one using her measurements.  But, can you believe it?  It was still too big for her sweet little head. We can be sure she'll grow into it, though.

A winter white flower for a winter Lilly.

 
I so loved this color combination that I decided I needed to replicate it for my slipper boots, which finally got made!  No more being jealous of everyone else' stylishly warm feet. I love them and feel badly that I may have saved the best for me. 

It isn't easy taking a picture of your own feet...

So pretty, who wants some?

More of my favorite things

I so wish I had been there to see my sister open her gift.  She knew that I was making slippers for my mom and my sister in law.  So, I think she was expecting to get a pair too.  I hoped she was hoping too.  So I wrapped her present in a big long thin box.  It was the perfect size for the fleece slipper boots I had chosen for her and my other sister in law, Kait. Mom said it worked perfectly to throw her off the scent.  And I hear that she loves them and only takes them off when her feet just get too warm from the two layers of fleece.  Perfect for upstate New York I would say.

The beautiful Kait trying on her pair.

The other thing I wish I had been able to see her open were the bibs that I made for tough little Sean Thomas, my littlest nephew.  He looks like a little man with a baby's body, so I thought these would be perfect.  And I was right they are hysterical on him.  

Isn't he a dapper little guy?

A matched set.

 As I mentioned before, my other favorite part of Christmas this year was watching Isaac and the excitement he had in giving gifts he made for everyone.  The three aunts were lucky enough to receive necklaces that Isaac sewed himself.  He chose the fabrics well and I think they were well liked.  Aunt Tracie wore hers to dinner that night, Aunt Kait to church the next day, and Aunt Cheryl wore hers to the spa and got a compliment on it.  A chip off the old block.

The three aunts' necklaces.

He made ornaments for his cousins, and a helicopter ornament for Papa.  He made nesting Santa boxes for Grandma V who loves nesting dolls and Santas.  All great gifts, but I don't have pictures of them.  I do, however, have a pic of the ornament he made for Grandma J who loves snowmen. And of course, it made her cry.  I was so proud of him this year.  He really got the giving spirit. 

Such a sweet boy.

A few of my favorite things...

Now that I am an adult, my favorite part of Christmas is watching people open the things I have made for them.  Actually, I loved that when I was a kid too.  Maybe that's where Isaac gets it from.  So this year, my favorite gifts to give were the ones I spent precious time on. But, I was also super excited to watch Isaac give the gifts he had painstakingly made too.

Having made shoes for Em, I thought, I could make slippers for big people too.  You've seen the ones I made for my mom.  But, the original idea to make them started with my sister in law Tracie who is a self professed shoe-aholic.  I thought she needed something pretty for lounging around the house.  So she ended up with these little numbers. Suede sole, navy blue wool upper (cause blue's her favorite color), cream fleece lining and a pretty flower.  I can just imagine her cats chasing her feet around.

My feet already miss them...

And that will have to be all for now, as my children who should be napping, aren't.

Merry Christmas to me...

Sometimes when I am sewing I get a little distracted by the scraps laying around begging to be made into something instead of being tossed like so much trash.  Such was the case a couple of days ago. I think I may keep this one for myself...

A gift given

I've been busy busy busy making Christmas presents, which obviously, I can't post about.  What if they see?  But, we had an early Christmas with my folks in Cleveland this past weekend so these are no longer a secret. 

For years and years I remember the hunt for black Isotoner slippers for my mom.  She wears them everyday so by December she's in need of new ones.  Having recently tackled baby shoes and thoroughly enjoying them, I thought, how perfect would it be to make slippers for my mom this year?

There were, however, two attempts.  The pattern I used didn't call for elastic at all, but when I got one done I thought it absolutely needed some to ensure a good fit.  But, I had used what little I had left of a special purple fabric my mom had given to me from her own stash years ago.  I was sad to have lost that fabric, but once I got the second pair done, I realized that I could use the inserts from the first pair for a pop of color.

Like Mom, classic on the outside, wild on the inside.

Cozy, comfy and stylish.

Merry Christmas!