Christmas Gifts: Week 4

 Christmas gift prep week 4 has come and gone.  And with all the other things I had going on this week, this has been a rather productive one.  I managed to finish one carrot with 4 more on the way and close to being complete, two pairs or pajama's, and one cowl.  Woohoo!!!  And considering I took off an entire day to bake 3 batches of chocolate chip cookies, 2 batches of brownies, 2 batches of scones, 2 loaves of cheddar dill bread, and 2 loaves of pumpkin bread . . .hey I deserve the superwoman award this week.  (aka . .Deer Camp prep)

But anyway, I love this carrot!!! The more felt things I make the more I fall in love with this whole idea.  They look so realistic and are a much healthier toy choice over plastic.

I also finished another pair of pajama pants this weekend.  These are for my niece Emma for Christmas.  Size 12 months from the Oliver + S pattern.  This is the best pattern.  Quick, easy, and fun!

These are for my other niece Shyla for Christmas.  I actually went on a cutting rampage yesterday and cut 10 projects, 8 being pajama pants so I will have lots to work on this week.  Its a short work week (2 days) so there is plenty of sewing time in my time budget.

And finally the cowl I started last week.  Came out great.  Love the colors.  I am now working on a owlet sweater for Brooke for our Christmas card photos that I plan to take this coming week.  Almost done but I need to make mittens too . . .eek!

Christmas gifts: Week 3

 Week 3 turned our to be a very busy and exhausting week.  With the elections going on me being out of town for work . . . .not a big accomplishment week.  But the good news is . . .its a three day weekend so I can make up a little time.  The above dress is the "Pink Dress" which I blogged about here http://brooketroutcreations.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html.  Very simple dress sewing wise but is extremely eye appealing otherwise.  I highly recommend it.  Pattern sizes range from 1 year to size 8 so I will be able to use this pattern many times over the next few years.

 This dress is a Christmas present for my niece Emma.  She will be a year old in may and its her first Christmas.  I made the dress a size two so she will have plenty of room to grow.  Fabric was great buy at Joann's on clearance along with the trim fabric.  With a coupon . . .this might have cost me $5 to make and I have some leftover fabric to play around with for bags.

And I have pulled out the knitting needles again for some needed projects.  This cowl I made back in April of 2012 and blogged about here http://brooketroutcreations.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-over.html.  Simple one skein that looks quite elegant when complete.  I also have a white owl sweater in the plans this week and red mittens for the Christmas card photo shoot coming up for this years cards.  No out of town plans this week so I will be forging ahead with my Christmas present plans.  Can't wait for next weekend. . .my hubby is giving me a sewing day in the middle of deer season!

Christmas Gifts: Week 2

Week two of Christmas gift prep and I have one completed project, one almost complete project, and a few more started.  

The completed project consists of four juicy red felt tomatoes.  They look almost yummy enough to eat!  These were quick and easy projects to make.  I could put one together in an hour watching television in the evening.  The pattern came from the book"Big Little Felt Universe".  Lots of cute projects in this book and I have also found some cute patterns on Etsy that I also plan to make.

The almost complete project is the "Pink Dress" pattern in blue paisley for my niece Emma for Christmas.  I am so close to being done. . .just need to sew the collar piece down and it one more in the finished pile.  This is also a great pattern that I will use over and over.  Posted more about this pattern here:  http://brooketroutcreations.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

After finishing the tomatoes I started a felt carrot from the Bugga Bugs pattern that I found on etsy.  I have the carrot sewn and stuff but I still need to add the leaves.  I just love it!  Its so cute!  Brooke said we need to go and put it in Papa's garden.  So I guess it looks pretty real.

And finally, been putting this off for a while but the quilt for my niece Emma's crib to match the baby bumper I made this summer.  I need to sew on the binding which I was going to make but decided to buy for ease since the fabric my sister chose was a little thin to provide a strong binding edge.  But now that it is getting cold I need to finish this. . .it's pretty easy I just need to do it.  So here it goes!  Not a Christmas project but a project that needs to be off my list!

Christmas gift prep: Week 1

Week 1 of Christmas gift prep.  This week I chose to stick with something easy since my work week was busy and my husband was also out of town for work.  Oliver +S pajama bottom pattern from the Bedtime Story pattern was a perfect choice.  Consists of three pattern pieces and I can put one together is an evening . . probably two in an evening once I have the pattern down.

 The first pair I made from some clearance flannel from Joann's.  Cute but hard to photograph.  The pattern is very busy and I had a hard time getting the focus right.  The photo is still blurry and I tried several didn't ways with several didn't setting and this was the best I could get.  Now when I made the first pair I didn't surge anything but I did with the second pair and will from now on.  I really like the surged finish.

  Really like this pair.  I surged the edges, changed the cuffs and this flannel is softer and drapes better.

 The second pair I did the bottom cuffs in a different flannel from a fat quarter I got last year in CT. 

 I would have done the waist band too but I couldn't get the band unless I pieced the fabric together which I just didn't feel like doing.

The second project I started this week was the felt food for Brooke's kitchen.  I have several patterns to get done before Christmas.  I am trying to squeeze at least one or two of these felt projects in a week.  

This one was pretty easy to make using a CD as a pattern and then beads for sprinkles.  I really like the felt . . .much better than plastic.  Not bad for a busy week one . . .this week could be good or bad. . .with Hurricane Sandy on the way I could be stuck at home without power or I could be slammed at work . . .hard to tell.  Just going with the flow.

Rhinebeck. . . .what a great day :)

 We went to the annual Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool last weekend.  What a great day!  Weather was perfect, Brooke had a great time, got to spend time with friends. . .what else could you ask for right?  As with tradition I spent the weekend with a close friend in CT so that the morning of the festival it was just a short drive.  I also asked a co-worker to go with me this year, so the trip down the day before was much more relaxing for me.  A four hour trip in the car with a 2 year old is definitely much better with a co-pilot.

This year it was absolutely perfect for taking some truly great shots of Brooke.  And I actually took about 150 shots total . . the trick I find with a 2 year old is to shoot fast and frequent and in the end your average is pretty good.  I delete a lot but with digital. . .who cares right?

Brooke was so funny about our trip this year. . .all week long she asked me if we were going to see the sheep today.  And every time I told her, it got a little short . . .in a few days sweetie, in another day pumpkin. . . tomorrow we get to see them. . .each time her little face would light up more and more.

 Its just amazing how fast she is growing.  I am very lucky to be able to capture these moments and freeze them in time.  

Oh how we waited so long for Sheep kisses xoxoxoxo

 This was also the perfect opportunity to take some photos of her in the "in-threes" cardigan that I knitted a few months ago.  It looks great with a jean skirt and a pair of brown boots just as I had imagined.  The fit is nice and she has some room to grow.  Size is a 2T/3T so I should get two years out of it.  Woohoo!

 Yarn is cascade superwash . . .about 1.5 skeins.  Now I am not a big fan of superwash but it is nice right now with the growing messy-marvin in the house.  

 I also really like the three different color buttons.  They are bright and fun and can be mixed and matched with different shirts.  

What is next on the agenda. . .well its getting to be that time of year again. . .prep for Christmas.  I have many Christmas gifts lined up.  First in line is the Oliver & S pajama pants for Brooke in a few different flannel prints.  Then the Oliver & S bucket hat for Brooke.  The list is really long. . .better get going on it!

Infinity obsession

I think I am officially obsessed with making infinity scarfs.  And maybe this fabric above too?  I just bought some more to make place mats for my dining room table.  It's not high quality fabric but I love the print and with a Joann's coupon a scarf cost me $4.70 to make (1 yard of fabric).  You can't go wrong with that.  These scarves are also easy to do projects that take no time at all.  I made both of these this morning while my daughter was still asleep.  

This one is a striped knit fabric that I also purchased at Joann's.  Cost is about $6.80 with a coupon.  Because of the way this fabric is cut I had to cut four pieces and use three to make the tube.  The fourth I think I will use to either make Brooke a scarf or a maxi skirt.  But this one was fun as well.  I love stripes!  I might have to get some more of this and make a matching maxi skirt :) Stylish!!!

A few quick sewing projects

 Two very quick sewing projects.  Above 1.  Pillow cases using two yards of fabric and Amy Butlers pillow case pattern.  In just over an hour I had two new vibrant pillow cases.  I love them!

And 2.  An Infinity scarf using 1 yard of fabric and 1 hour to cut and sew.  Goes great with a long black jacket, jeans, and pair of brown riding boots.