Handmade breakdown

The rosy glow of Christmas is nearly over at my house. Wrapping paper is picked up and I think I've found all of the bows that the cat got off with.

I took the handmade pledge this year and made a bunch of our gifts. I have to say, it sure beats fighting the crowds and is a lot more fun. I plan to do even more next year.

This year's handmade gifts included:
14 aprons
3 dolls
6 scarves
1 baby blanket
20 Morsbags
needle book
4 pairs of sleep pants

That's what...49 gifts...all handmade. Out of those 49, only one recipient was an ungrateful brat and one of my nephews was mad that I didn't make him an apron too.

Now, the bad news is that I didn't get pictures of most of this stuff. I'd think about it and then get distracted by something shiny and completely forget. I'll have to see if everyone will send me pictures of them using their handmade gifts.

My only regret is not starting a lot earlier. I need to start thinking about it in February or March at the latest and get a plan together and then get busy making gifts.

Rice pudding and more bags

I'm trying out recipes trying to find one like my granny made. This isn't even close. It's okay, just not Granny's. I'll keep looking.














Three more Morsbags. That puts me at 4 made out of the 9 I cut out. Only 5 more to sew up and then I can do another color. This tan is getting old.

More on Morsbags

Annie set up a pod and now we need to get crackin' making bags. We can't just have one lone bag.

Remind me to tell you the story about my Morsbag and the cashier at Wal-Mart. It almost got ugly and I wasn't very nice. I'll have to do something to remedy that.

I've got eight more cut out. Now I can just sit and sew.

I need to get some iron-on transfer to make labels. I need to make myself a note for that one or else I'll forget.

I don't see much in the way of apron making happening this week, but I think I can squeeze in a few bags. We've got mid-terms coming up and homework is stacking up like crazy.

Sewing Saturday

I finished my yo-yo's and they are so cute. I started making a few square ones too. Super easy.

I have to brag on my husband just a bit. He brought home his first deer of the season yesterday. I'll spare you the grusome pictures and just tell you it was a 6-point atypical buck that weighed about 200 pounds. He got this one at 20 yards with a bow. Good job honey! If you've ever been bow hunting you know how hard this is. In his entire hunting career of 20 years, this is only the third deer he's ever brought home.

Last night I cut out two more aprons. One is an apple print and the other is out of the red and white ticking. I hope to make this a reversible apron and if it turns out the way I think it will, I'll enter it in the fair next year.











I've got more Morsbags cut out to sew inbetween apron sewing, studying, and housewifing.

I hope that everyone has a beautiful Saturday.

Skeleton apron and Morsbag

I finally got my mom's apron done. White skeletons on blue. This was the Kwik Sew pattern that is all the rage right now. I really like how it went together. Ignore the funny neck spot. I moved just before the picture took and the front puckered.



















This is my first Morsbag made out of the heavy-weight cotton I bought today. Start to finish it might have taken 30 minutes. Super easy and fun to do.



















Now that I've actually completed a few things I don't feel quite so bad about buying more fabric. I'm still not buying more until I get some other things done, but for now the guilt isn't quite as crushing.

Thrift store apron and fabric find

Here's a cutie I picked up at the thrift store just moments ago. I was so excited to show you fine folks that I forgot to take the price tag off. I didn't realize until I got to the car with it that it is a full apron. The neckline is more square, which I really like. All of the aprons I've picked up at the thrift store have never been over 50 cents.

Maybe I'm too nostalgic, but it makes me sad to see them discarded. I think of the hands they wiped, the tears and noses they dried, and the women who wore them. Sniff.



















I also found a ton of fabric for Morsbags. I found 2-1/4 yard of red and white ticking and 1-1/2 yards of light canvas. I think some of the red and white may be destined for an apron. I love ticking.

This morning before class I picked up my holiday fabric for yo-yos. I think I'll yo-yo this afternoon. Maybe I can at least get started drawing circles.