craft fairs, Christmas, quilts, and more.

Just because I let the blog go for a little while, doesn't mean by any extreme that I haven't been crafting! I did a few odds and ends things through the summer, and finished my first ever clothing item, which was an exciting feat. I have to say, Chic & Simple Sewing: Skirts, Dresses, Tops, and Jackets for the Modern Seamstress (which that skirt is made from) has to be one of my new favorite books. There are so many patterns for clothing that I would easily pick up in the store this weekend and wear until it's completely worn out! Now I just need the talent to make all of those clothes :)


October brought the idea of participating in my first craft fair, which led to many late nights of making various patchwork coasters and reversible table runners! It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun, and by the time I finished that weekend, I had agreed to participate in the annual craft fair held at my work as well, which was actually far more successful than my first!

December brought Christmas, which, as I'm sure a lot of you know, means making presents and figuring out what particular presents and fabrics fit which particular people. Fun none-the-less, but a little stressful :) After all, I'm still in the process of working on two different stitcheries that were intended for last Christmas. One of these days they'll get done! ;)

As a result of the Christmas projects and finishing up coaster sets, I have leftover Christmas fabric, which has inspired me to make a Christmas quilt. I'm still debating between a few styles, but I'm excited about the prospects!

In any case, I just wanted to check in and make sure you guys knew that I hadn't completely deserted you! I'm still here, and still crafting as much as ever. Hopefully I'll find the time to be posting here more frequently as well. You're more than welcome to keep me accountable :)

On one closing note, I'm looking to find a book that can act as my "mentor" for sewing questions when I don't have a physical person to turn to. While a book could never replace a real live person, it's a good resource to have around the house as well! So I've found these two books:

Complete Photo Guide to Sewing - Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photos (Singer)

New Complete Guide to Sewing (Readers Digest)

Any suggestions from the peanut gallery? If I'm going to spend the money on a book like this, I really want to be sure that I've found the right one, and unfortunately, our library system is closed for a few weeks due to funds, so I don't have anywhere to check these books out in the meantime, since neither of them are at the local bookstores right now. In any case, I'd rather have real-live advice from you guys out there than the few (very contradictory) customer reviews on Amazon. So I'd appreciate any input you can give! Or... if you have another book that seems like a better fit, recommend away :)

Thanks, friends. Hope to hear from you soon... and I hope that I haven't lost all of you faithful readers during my hiatus from the blog. :) Catch you all later.

-Mary

p.s. props to my dad who took the new photo in my banner :) i get my photography skills from him ;)

Santa's Workshop

now that we don't have company anymore... i'm back in full christmas-making mode. since i've decided to make most of my presents this year it's definitely cut back on the "oh my gosh--what do i get him/her this year?" dilemma but it hasn't cut back on the "when am i going to find time to finish this/that" predicament. somehow i think that's always going to be a problem :)

on the other hand... i'm crafting far more than i have in a while... and loving it! people are enjoying my hand-made gifts... and i love the feeling of giving something that i have made! on the downside... since all of these crafty projects are also Christmas presents... and i know of at least one or two family members who read this blog (hi mom!) i can't exactly post pictures :) but rest assured that i'm still taking plenty... preparing to blast you all with documentation as soon as the holidays are over :)

on a quick sidenote... there are pictures i can show you... completely unrelated to crafts... but still amazingly cute! :) we adopted a one and a half year old puppy yesterday... named Ember. we got him from an amazing organization called The Milo Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that rescues dogs from local shelters as well as from the streets. he's a border terrier mix... maybe with some pug or jack russel terrier mixed in there. he's got an adorable tail that curls into a perfect circle when it's not wagging his whole little back-side... and the calmest, most mellow personality that i've ever seen in a dog. he's incredibly curious and eager to please, full of energy at the site of a new person or place, but also perfectly content to lay on his bed or cuddle in your lap. he doesn't bark unless he's startled at something, and then it's only a single bark (i told you he's amazing :)) and neither does he slobber all over your face -- it's a quick lick on the chin and that's all the kisses from him :)



he's pretty awesome if we do say so ourselves :)

if i don't have a chance to jump back on before Christmas Day... Merry Christmas to you & yours! :)

Glimpses of Christmas

peace

giving

family

just a few glimpes of our celebrating a little early this year so that Ryan's family could join us...

my progress so far...

here's my weekend progress for my "to dos vs. do-able" list...

fold laundry - DONE! laundry folded Thursday night... put away today :)

wash sheets - DONE! albeit today...

make 5-minute fudge (yummm!) for couples meeting on Friday night - DONE! granted it took two tries... and we're still not sure what happened to the first batch, but it wound up like a very crumbly brownie mixture... which is now the bottom crust of a pumpkin cheesecake which i made today. we have yet to try it... more on that later :)

blog once more (which means... tomorrow :)) hmm... anyone interested in a 5-minute fudge recipe? - well... i'm blogging now, aren't i? :)

check off my work to-do list (that's a whole other story in & of itself... yikes!) - mostly done :) not quite everything was accomplished... but enough that i felt confident about leaving work & going home without things falling apart between now & monday :)

have fun with friends tomorrow night and RELAX! - DONE! had fun... played lots of games... and reconnected with my favorite little guy -- a 17-month-old boy :)

sleep in - DONE! :) yay for a lazy morning.

figure out what is going in the extended family's Christmas bags this year... - nope... not yet... but i have ideas! one includes the fudge... recipe below :)

work on Christmas presents - taking a break from doing that right now... it's been a long afternoon but i've gotten a lot accomplished!

buy fabric for another Christmas present & start formulating how i will pull it off... (while working with irreplaceable items... scary thought!) - not yet... that's a project for tomorrow... as is the Santana Row & TSO concert.

explore Santana Row in San Jose before attending the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert Sunday night (yayyyyyy!! :))

well, i might not be accomplishing my "to-dos" on the days that i planned... but at least they're getting accomplished, right? :)

things are going well, and i'm making significant progress on my Christmas projects, although I'm still thinking that there's no way they can all be accomplished in time -- but I'll keep trying! maybe they can be passed off as new years presents... or chinese new year... :)

in the meantime, i've made 5-minute fudge... and there are precisely 5 pieces left. it was popular! :) need a quick dessert or treat for a holiday party? here's the recipe:

5 oz. evaporated milk
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix evaporated milk, sugar, & salt in saucepan.
Heat to boiling, then cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly (seriously... constantly... or else it'll boil over within a few seconds)
Remove from heat
Add remaining ingredients, stirring to melt chocolate chips & marshmallows
Enjoy... I know we have! :)

to do vs. do-able

in the spirit of JC Handmade's recent post... and in the spirit of being so overwhelmed with projects that i can't keep track of what day it is, let alone what i'm supposed to be working on next...

here's my list for the week (since there's no way i can cross everything off a list in a day... and not much chance that i'll get all this done in a week either! :)) here's to trying...

tonight:

fold laundry

wash sheets

make 5-minute fudge (yummm!) for couples meeting on Friday night

the rest of the week... (i.e. tomorrow night):

blog once more (which means... tomorrow :)) hmm... anyone interested in a 5-minute fudge recipe?

check off my work to-do list (that's a whole other story in & of itself... yikes!)

have fun with friends tomorrow night and RELAX! :)

the weekend:

sleep in

figure out what is going in the extended family's Christmas bags this year...

work on Christmas presents

buy fabric for another Christmas present & start formulating how i will pull it off... (while working with irreplaceable items... scary thought!)

explore Santana Row in San Jose before attending the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert Sunday night (yayyyyyy!! :))

so there you have it. my wish list (albeit not on Wednesday) for this week is a to-do list! :) and indeed... i wish & hope & pray i can get all of those things done before the week is up & the chaos strikes again!

in the meantime... i'll leave you with this picture of my cousins and i... enjoying each others company after dinner. have a good day!

Wednesday Wish List: Thinking Christmas

yes, i'm jumping the gun a bit, and no, my mom will not be happy with me, Thanksgiving and fall purist that she is :) but... since i've been working on so many Christmas presents lately, it's been on my mind. these aren't necessary "Christmas items" as far as holidays go... but could easily be Christmas gifts for someone in your life... or in mine! :) and true to my handmade pledge... they're all things you can make yourself or buy from another crafty person.

aprons seem to be making a comeback lately and i've been looking for a nice one myself. too often i get home late from work, rushing to make dinner, and wind up with splashes of juice or potatoes or something else on the front of my pants or skirts. solution? an apron that i can grab quickly and use often, but can also throw in the washing machine to get all the grime out. i found this handy site via How About Orange this morning... where I can take my pick of 54 different gorgeous (and easy!) apron patterns. this lined apron tutorial looks relatively quick & easy... and i love the fabric chosen for it! :) perfect for any time of the year... and with enough color to mask many stains.



Christmas tree skirts are always a necessity... although at this moment in time, my husband & i aren't sure where we're possibly going to put a Christmas tree... since we rearranged our living room from last year and added more furniture. i guess it's a good thing that i never completed the cross-stitch Christmas tree skirt that i purchased at after-Christmas sales last year, right? except... i never even started it :) it will be gorgeous when it's done, however! :)



anyways... back to tree skirts. this one has captured my fancy, and luckily... the creator has been generous enough to post a tutorial of it! :) isn't it perfect?



i'm loving Sew Mama Sew right now... since they're posting collections of Christmas gift ideas this month. so helpful :) this pointer-finger pincushion is perfect for anyone in your family who crafts... especially if they do a lot of quilting or piece-work! there's a tutorial to go along with it as well... (note to self... save this one!)



well that's all from me for now... i've gotta dash. heading out to kansas tonight to join my dad's side of the family in a celebratory weekend -- my grandparent's 65th wedding anniversary! i'll be back with lots of pictures and stories galore i'm sure. see you all next week!