Still plugging away...

First up, not a Christmas present!

These are my new PJ pants. I figured that while I was making some for gifts, I might as well add to my collection! (And coming soon, I'll start working on more PJ shirts to coordinate.) I again used my trusty TNT M3006, and I added cuffs at the bottom, but this time I also added bias tape around the top of the cuffs, as unfilled piping. I think it sets them off a little, though my husband thinks they look goofy. Oh, well...


Next, a Christmas present that has already made it to its recipient! These are monogrammed stone coasters, using the tutorial at The Domestic Notebook. I love these! They were quite inexpensive, as well as really easy. And quick, too! These are two of the set I made for one friend. I made six for her, as well as for my grandmother, twelve for another friend (who has six children), and eight for another friend (who hosts church game nights). And I enjoyed it so much that I bought more stones to paint. I think I spent $25-30 in the initial supplies (I bought two of the large stamps, the ink, and a set of alphabet stamps - all on sale) and my first sets of stones. That's quite reasonable, especially since the ink will last a very long time and the stamps of course practically forever! I found some alphabet stamps that I think I like better, but I don't yet like them better enough to buy a new set. :) Just waiting for a good sale.

And finally, for my friend who is coming to visit this weekend, I finally cut out and sewed up her new scrub jacket. This is pattern M9652 in a size S. It's quite large, however - these scrub jacket patterns are designed with a lot of ease. I made several muslins in ugly fabric a few years ago, to determine the fit for her. Now I just pull out the trusty pattern and cut. :) I made a lot of these jackets for her in 2006 and 2007, but this is the first time I've made her a new one since. She's going to love it, as she loves most patriotic stuff. (And I have more of this fabric to give her as a present, so she can decide what else she wants with it.) I'd forgotten how easy the pattern is to make up, which is good, because I have two or three more fabrics to sew up in the near future. I don't make many alterations - removed some length to add ribbed cuffs, and either use no closures or use snaps.

More Christmas gifts....

Yep, still finishing Christmas gifts that get mailed out. I did get three boxes mailed the other day, and it felt good! And can I just say that I'm now a huge fan of printing my shipping labels off from www.usps.com? I'm not real thrilled with how the post office keeps raising rates, so it's nice to save $0.50-$1.00 per package (at least, that was the difference with the size/weight box I mailed), plus getting a free delivery confirmation instead of paying $0.70 for that. Plus, I just waltzed into the post office, set my boxes on the counter, and waltzed back out. Nice! (Yes, I know that I could have scheduled a pickup from home, but it worked out better this way for this round. Next time I'll have them picked up from the front porch swing.)

On to the finished items:

Once again, my go-to PJ pants pattern (M3006). This time, instead of cuffs, I sewed grosgrain ribbon around the legs about 3.5 inches from the bottom before sewing the inseams, then simply hemmed them once done. I used the same ribbon for a drawstring, and I also used a small piece of it for the "tag" in the back. I think they turned out cute.

Christmas Looney Tunes boxers for a Looney Tunes fanatic - my usual boxer pattern (S9958), no changes.

The PJ pants on the left are for a set for Thing 2, but the two on the right are Christmas presents for a friend's two boys. All are the KS SFT side seam pants pattern - the two on the left are T3 and the polar bear pair on the right are T4.

And finally a pillowcase from a Tinkerbell flannel-back satin I bought a few years ago (specifically for this - I can't believe how long it took to get my butt in gear and sew it!) with a coordinating Tinkerbell satin ribbon. Not my thing, but the recipient should love it!

Christmas gifts

Sad but true - my Christmas gifts came down to the wire, and I confess that they're still not quite done. Oh, well.....I had everything done that was necessary for in person, and Christmas gifts that come late in the mail are always fun, right?

Things have been slow lately, because I was dealing with the class from *$#&!!! Also, my serger was on the blink for awhile. My output slowed down dramatically while I was waiting for my baby to come back from the shop. But come back it did, and then I was able to get back into the swing of things!

First up, the shark shirts from the Patrick Curved Raglan Seam pattern. My boys have been waiting on these for a long time, but I couldn't finish them without the serger. Now they're done, and each shirt has been worn at least twice in the last week! :) These are the same sizes as before (3T and 5T), but this time, I used 1/4" seam allowances. I am planning to compare the size 5T to the "big kid" sizes and maybe move up to the next size for the next shirt. I'd also like to try the hoodie instructions.

This is my go-to PJ pants pattern, and I liked the addition of the contrast cuffs so much on my wolf PJ pants that I did it again for these. And I used black bias tape for the drawstring. I think my friend will like these!

I finally finished the stack of cloth napkins for my friend. Those got sent out to her early so that she could use them. Hopefully she likes them! These were cut out of some flannel sheets I got from freecycle. I also have a bunch of fabric to use to make her some more. The basic pattern is from a book called Simply Napkins.

The nephews both got some toys that were not going to be terribly easy to wrap. So instead, I used pillowcases. The younger nephew got one of the trains and toys pillowcases (I made these awhile ago but apparently didn't mention them), and the older one, who is in Little League, got the Peanuts baseball print. They were a hit! And much easier for wrapping....

There's more to mention, and more that's still being finished, so that'll be for next time!