I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! This was our Christmas card photo that we took in two takes a few days before Christmas. Much easier than when the kids were little and it took all afternoon to get a shot with everyone looking at the camera and smiling at the same time!
Here's a rundown of the gifts I made this year. The first is a pillow I made for my mother from my dad's ties and a shirt. The ties were really tricky to work with, and I wish I had taken the time to add interfacing before cutting the Dresden blades. They were stretchy and slippery and wonky! But my mother loves it anyway!
The back of the pillow is the front of the shirt, buttons, stains and all! If she ever needs to remove the cover, she can just unbutton the shirt.
Next up was a gig bag for the new ukulele Pete got for his birthday. I had seen a bag on Pinterest, but had to come up with my own pattern. I used the box it came in as a guide. I pre-quilted the outside before assembly with two layers of fleece and a layer of polyester batting. It is really cushiony!
I knew he would love the Marine Corps fabric on the outside. The Hawaiian print on the inside has been in my stash for at least 15 years! Bill bought it for me on one of his business trips. Pete is happy to have something to carry his new instrument in. He's been teaching himself to play and has performed a few times at open mic nights at school. He totally rocks!
Speaking of rocking, my husband needed an new guitar strap. I made this one from my stash of African fat quarters. Bill spent a year in Liberia with his family when his father was a visiting professor there. It instilled in him an appreciation for African culture. He can't wait to show off his new strap at choir rehearsal! (One Shabby Chick tutorial)
Last but not least, these two adorable tote bags are for my two adorable grand-nieces. I saw some on Pinterest (of course!). Here's the tutorial, although I stitched them instead of gluing.
This bag is for Anna who is devoted to Cinderella.
And this one is for Lily who loves the princess of the hour, in this case, Merida from Brave. They love putting stuff in bags!
The biggest Christmas finish will get its own post tomorrow. Stay tuned for the completed double wedding ring quilt!
Great gifts! Bet it was great having both the kids home!
ReplyDeleteTina, we were delighted to receive your annual family photo in the mail. Jay got a big smile when he saw that the return address was "William Craig!" The years have passed so quickly and your children have grown so from the two little children we experienced so many years ago. Your enclosed letter also provided the link to your blog and I have enjoyed reading your interesting words and seeing your beautiful craft. I still wear the quilted pin I obtained from you many years ago. I can appreciate the time that goes into quilting. I am an avid knitter and love making items for family and friends and learning new challenging techniques. Jay and I are doing fine. I also have a blog that tells of our random events. If you and Bill take a look at it you can see how we are "maturing" in our pictures! Happy new year to you and your family. Oh, and tell Bill that the Ragin' Cagin' has closed and that the owner now has a food truck in the Los Angeles area to sell his delicious Cagin cooking! Patricia Edie
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