Making Napkins...

A few years ago, I received a bread basket similar to this one from Son #2 and his family as a Christmas gift. The clay plate in the bottom is to be placed in the oven long enough to get warm, and then it's returned to the basket where it radiates heat to warm bread and/or rolls during the meal.

This year, I got this one as a gift for a family member. I absolutely love the tree of life pattern in the clay, and while I was taught to always choose gifts for others that you would like to receive yourself, this one will be hard to send along. (Not really, but I really like it.)

The fabrics the basket's sitting on were cut today so I can turn them into napkins and two basket liners. Once I finish those, I'll carefully package up the set and send it on its way.

I work tonight, so after I get that task checked off my list, I'll rest a bit before I have to go in. I'll be up early tomorrow to drive to Portage for Craft Day and Annabelle's Birthday party. I want to make sure I don't overdo things today so I'm up for the travel and celebrations tomorrow. For now, I'm off to sew! Once again, it's the weekend already. Rather than "spring forward/fall back", I wish there were a "slow down" setting!

I Bailed...

This is a Christmas photograph of me with my younger brother. Here we are - the eldest and the youngest of the "kids" in my family. This is the best pose we could get of the silly guy. The other photographs are mostly of us giggling and cutting up. He really is a hoot. For the record, he's seventeen years younger than I am. I'll let you do the math. The picture was taken at our mum and stepdad's home yesterday evening when he was in town.

In other news...and in full disclosure...I bailed on sewing this years' Grammie's Jammies. I started cutting them out on Saturday and found myself trying to find anything else to do than work on them. I just didn't have the mojo to sew them. 

I went downstairs and sat in the chair where Handsome was watching a football game. He asked me if I'd finished any pjs yet. I looked at him and told him that I really wasn't enthusiastic about sewing them this year. He looked at me and said, "Then don't. Let's go shopping." He gave me the permission I needed to release me from the task this year. Plus, he gave me a reason to go shopping. I went back upstairs, turned off the iron and the studio lights, grabbed my jacket and off we went. An hour later, I'd found the perfect jammies for our three grands and we were on our way back home. 

Rather than spend the entire weekend and probably Monday in the studio, we were able to get everything done together, and then do some fun things. I told him that I'd finish cutting out the pjs, and I'll sew them up later in January. I'll be waaaay ahead of the program for 2025. I'll sew, wrap, and then set them aside for next Christmas. I'll just put a note on my computer to remind myself where I've put them away until then.

When I had my needlework shop, I'd occasionally have a customer come in and tell me they really didn't want to keep working on their current project. They just weren't thrilled with it, or they we sick of looking at it. It no longer went with their decor, and they'd lost the enthusiasm for working on it. I always counseled them to set it aside. If they looked at it three months from now and still didn't like it, they could donate, trade with a needleworker friend, or just toss it. Our pursuits are meant to bring joy and calm. If they don't, it's okay to set them aside. Apparently, I'd forgotten my own advice. I needed to hear that affirmation from Handsome - and he gave it without hesitation. He's one of the really good guys. 

We both have hair appointments this afternoon, so I'll be wrapping gifts, and getting ready to spend tomorrow and Wednesday with family. I'll put up my holiday verses and greetings up for the next two days, but I'll be back on Thursday to catch up with you. 

Merry Christmas, dear friends. 

May this week - and the coming year - bring you happiness and good health. From our home to yours.

Just In Time...

As I was pulling fabric for the Grammie's Jammies this year, I got the niggly feeling that I'd already used the plaid flannel for Grandson before. Sooooo, I went back through last year's photographs and blog posts to find that I had, in fact, made last year what I'd planned for this year. Great. Now what?

I went through my soft cottons and found this fabric for our "sporto" guy. Although they have two Golden retrievers now, their last dog was a gorgeous big, black Labrador retriever named Duncan. He was our grandson's "goodest boy", and we all miss him - even though the Goldens have also stolen our hearts. I think he'll like this fabric for his pjs this year, and I'll find a red or black long sleeved t-shirt to go with the bottoms. Crisis (and a duplicate gift) averted. 

 

Then I got to thinking about the girls. I had planned to make nighties, thinking that I'd made pj pants for them last year. Wrong again. The photos from last year revealed that I had already made nighties last year. I don't want to duplicate, so I'll make these pajama pants from the fabrics I already chose. 

 

I'll likely choose a pretty white top to go with the floral, and green or russet to go with the gnomes. I'm planning to be out shopping for them either Sunday or Monday, and I just take a fabric swatch with me to find the perfect colors.

I'm glad I take photos of the finished gifts each year. That way I can be sure to avoid what I almost did this year! Now that I've settled on the fabrics and patterns, I'll start cutting today. We did get snow yesterday, but thanks to Andy, I'll be able to get out to work tonight. In the meantime, I'll be making jammies. Woo hoo!

 

Shipping Day...

First on my agenda today is to ship out orders. I'll get that finished, and then I have to re-clean my studio. It's a wreck since preparing for the Touchmark show. Before I can do any holiday sewing, I need to reclaim my work space. 

Now that I've reorganized the attic, I'll be able to move a few things upstairs until after Christmas and New Years. After I've done my mailings, I'll be working on my December ATCs for the swap. I'd like to finish those by tomorrow to mail.

Once the ATCs are on their way, I'll be turning my attention to Grammie's Jammies and a special project I'm working on for Handsome. I'll be busy with those things for the next week or so. I really don't want to be right up against Christmas, so this schedule should help avoid that (and leave a little buffer if I need it). Here we go again!