Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas Making!

Sorry for my absence...my computer decided to take a permanent vacation and my hubby just got my new Mac (yep - I made the leap from a PC to a Mac) working. Bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of my new machine.

While I have been away all kinds of goodness has been coming out of my wee craft room/dining room and all kinds of merry making has been starting to happen.

To start with my aunt asked me to make a bag for her and my two cousins for her to give them as Christmas gifts. I most definitely said yes! So, one day my mom came over and we designed and sewed the bags for my aunt and my younger cousin and she chose the bag for my older cousin from my already prepared stock (the "Carrots and Blueberries Bag").  Here are the two newest bags:

A fabulous black toile (this is my second bag using this fabric) topped with a piece of vintage table runner
(each side is the same) and trimmed out with a piece of vintage lace and vintage button.


The inside of the bag is a creme and black print from the remnant bin.
The pocket is a bit more of the toile and another piece of the vintage runner.

The minute my MIL brought me this feedsack I knew that it was destined to be my aunt's bag. She has 2 daughter's and 2 granddaughters. It couldn't be more perfect! The awesome thing about these Hubbard sacks is that I get 2 bags from each sack since the front and back are identical. Which means that after the holidays another similar bag will be making it's way to one of the shops.

At the base of each end of the strap I added a piece of vintage doily - kinda like an epaulet (sp?) if you will -
topped off with a vintage button.

The back of the bag is made from the top and bottom of the feedsack (the front is the center of the sack) and is trimmed with some fabulous vintage doilies. My aunt is a knitter and crocheter so there had to be doilies on there!


We have also been doing some decorating. Once upon a time our house was top to bottom Christmas with stuff everywhere. In the last couple years I have really simplified things and just put out our absolute favorite things. A few Santas from what was a much bigger collection, a few Snowmen and a growing nativity collection that the boys and I are collecting. They are mainly wood and vintage pieces - I love that natural and the old. We also have our nutcrackers out which are a favorite of the boys. We once had a large house village but I now prefer my small wood houses that I place on our buffet in a small vignette. The other houses still come out in other ways but in a much smaller number. (When I put Christmas away in the New Year I will be going through all our Christmas stuff and finally parting with all that we no longer use. I feel the need to lighten the load. I will also be trying to do the same all over the house. I am feeling pressed in by STUFF.)

Our mantle with our homemade stockings, wooden nativities and a few chose Santas and Tomtens.
The garland I made by stringing vintage aluminum candle reflectors on some jute twine.

The base of our tree with our loveable lab channeling his inner cat by basking in the best sunbeams in the house.

Last weekend I was able to go to a Katie McMahon concert with my mom and dad and aunt and uncle. It was a wonderful concert at an old historic church. A wonderful way to welcome this Christmas season.


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