Encouragement is the key!!

Projects like this are so much fun when you start them. Then, as you continue to work, you find your enthusiasm flagging. If you could just find someone to come along side and share the enthusiasm - and maybe some of the work! - it's much easier to keep going.

I've already mentioned that my whole family has gotten on the MHC bandwagon - my kids are planning gifts for the extended family or helping with my projects or both, son is planning to do some wooburning projects to create unique gifts, and hubby is planning to make me a trestle table for my dining room as my Christmas gift (yay me!). That in and of itself was enough. Then my sister got bit by the "It's-more-fun-to-do-it-myself" bug. Just spent some time on the phone with her chatting over our various planned projects, checking out websites together and generally getting each other all excited over this whole thing again!

It's amazing how much more enthusiasitic I am when there are others around me ready to give me an "attagirl!". It's no fun to be creative alone!

So close!

I tried a couple of different ways of starting the assembly process with the totes. All eight handles have the ends attached at least, and three of them also have the bottoms on. My eldest daughter insists on finishing up the side pieces. She needed the blue yarn that I was using for all the other pieces and I'm waiting to hear from Hobby Lobby about some metallic cord I have a raincheck for. Once I get that, she can finish the sides then it's a simple matter of assembly and I will have 8 gifts made for Christmas. I'm adding some store bought items to the gift (coloring book and crayons type items) and those I will pick up closer to Christmas. I'll post a picture of complete one as soon as I can. This is one gift I can share because none of my sisters' children read Aunt Moj's blog!!!

That brings the gift total to -

3 cross-stitch items waiting for frames

8 gifts for niece/nephews and others

Not a bad start for January!!

Three steps forward, two steps back!!!

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. After all, the picture shows that I am already moving into the assembly phase of this whole project. But I definitely got a little frustrated with myself when I had to tear out some stitches, re-stitch some things . . . frustrating, needless to say. The good news is, it's only the end of January and all of the re-stitching repairs have been done and I am still ahead of the game!

Brainstorm!!!

I can't show pictures of the finished gifts I'm working on, but what about you? Do you have gifts or craft projects that you've completed that you would like to share? E-mail me a picture at moj8668@gmail.com with a brief description of the project or the instructions for making it. I'm always looking for new craft ideas and I'd love to share yours on my blog!

I said in my introductory post that I would have to be careful about posting completed gifts until after the actual holiday was over simply because my extended family may (or may not!) drop by and I don't really want to give away too much too soon!! But I just had to share this one "quirk" about me when I get on a crafting tear. I have this tendency to build a little nest - a place in the house that becomes my "craft zone". This is usually on a seldom used piece of living room furniture - allows for watching tv and movies while I work - and my kids have learned by now not to move mom's stuff without permission. This is the love seat in our basement and what you see is the supplies for one of the two gifts that my nieces and nephews will be getting from Aunt Moj!! Can't wait to see them put together!! As these projects get finished up, something else will take over (probably some cross-stitch!) and the crafting will continue.

Youngest daughter finished her first project tonight. Not bad considering she just picked the supplies up a few days ago! Of course, with her project being done, that means she'll be looking for the next project to get started!

What has been the most enjoyable thing of all is the fact that my girls and I are tending to "congregate" to work on crafts. We'll all gather in the living room, watch tv, choose a movie - whichever suits our fancy - and just chat about whatever crosses our minds while our hands stay busy. Replace the electric lights with lanterns, the craft projects for sewing, mending or samplers, and trade our 21st century garb for handmade frontier era dresses and I'd feel like we were back in the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder!! As much as I love the craft projects and the chance to put some creativity and time into gifts for those I love, I love the chance to hang out with my girls even more!

It all began with a simple statement to my husband - "I really feel like the Holy Spirit is challenging to start working in January to make December 2011 a 'Mostly Homemade Christmas'". He didn't say much and my four children seemed COMPLETELY unimpressed! But I started sorting through my cross stitch supplies, my craft idea books, etc. and soon had a list going for gift ideas. I was thrilled to discover that there were already a couple of cross-stitch items just waiting for frames that will be perfect gifts for some of the people in my life! It started with a plan for cross stitch projects for my two sisters and my parents. Then hubby saw the cross stitch pattern books I had laying around and pointed out ones that he thought my brothers-in-law would like. Then I found the perfect plastic canvas project for my niece and nephews. I was off and running!

Despite the fact that he hadn't said much when I made my "big announcement", hubby has been wonderful about setting money aside to buy the supplies we need to stay on top of the project ideas. The eight plastic canvas projects (did I mention my girls saw what I was planning and asked to have one too? Making an extra just in case!) were the first things to get my attention. I shouldn't say that I am doing eight plastic canvas project. I'm doing the same one eight times so I kind of slip in to "assembly line" mode once I get the pattern down for a particular piece.

I was working on these projects one night while watching television with my eldest daughter, who is 19 years old, and she asked me to teach her. I did, and she took to it like she'd been doing it all her life! She laid claim to one particular piece of the project and is flying! Her sisters and her brother all asked to help as well. The my two younger girls and my son asked if we could make a trip to Hobby Lobby so they could get an idea of prices on supplies for some projects they had in mind. While there, they came up with a number of OTHER ideas. Somewhere in all of that, my three girls divided up the extended family "groups" - two sisters and their families plus my parents - and chose projects that would be done for them. The girls are of the opinion that all three gifts come from the three girls, they just each gave special attention to one of the projects.

My girls and I have spent numerous hours in front of movies and television shows working on our various projects. I've even heard them making statements like "For Mostly Homemade Christmas . . ." once or twice. And I've loved hearing them talk excitedly about how much fun it is going to be, watching our loved ones open these gifts in 11 months.

I know my family well enough to know that they are going to love the gifts. For as long as I can remember, my family has gone a little nuts for handmade, personal items. And it's been such a joy to hear my children talk about what they want to GIVE for Christmas rather than what they want to GET.

I wish I could post lots of pictures for everyone to see but you will all have to wait - I have family members that do occasionally check out my blogs and I would hate to give anything away before the big day! As of right now, I can say that I have a cross-stitch item done for hubby, one of the brothers-in-law, my mother, and the gifts for niece/nephews/my kids are nearly at the point where I can start assembling the pieces into the finished project!