Confession time

I know that Christmas is supposed to be about giving to others.  But I have to admit that I REALLY enjoyed seeing people get the homemade gifts that Hubby and I made for them this year!!  So much so, that I've already started on gifts for Christmas 2012!!

Actually, I've started gifts for some birthday/anniversary events as well.  And I have a daughter who got engaged over Christmas break so you KNOW there is a cross-stitch something-or-other in the works for her future wedding!

In all seriousness, I found myself spending numerous hours thinking of and praying for those who were going to receive whatever craft item I happened to be working on at the time.  Maybe that's what is really drawing me back in - the time spent focused on praying for those I lvoe!

The Home Stretch

I have had an absolute blast this year, handcrafting so many of the gifts I'm giving away!!  And it's been almost more fun to watch hubby join in!! My two oldest girls were commenting that they both had filled the bookshelves they had and would each love a new set.  Yep, you guessed it.  Set number 1 is painted and just waiting to move into my oldest daughter's bedroom.  Set number two will be ready by Christmas (or so I've heard!).


My own beautiful gift of trestle style dining table and matching chairs (six of them) is just one chair away from being done.  Not gonna lie - I love it!  


As for my own progress, I have one last caddy to finish up for the kids in my life and then those are done (all 8 of them!!).  There is just one cross-stitch gift that I will not be able to get done but there was already talk about a group gift for that particular person so they are still getting something!  And this just gives me a head start on next year!  


Did I just say that?!  Okay - confession time.  I've had so much fun putting my own personal touch on gifts this year that I intend to do much the same next year!  


May you and your have a wonderfully blessed holiday this weekend!

Watching What I Say!

Over Thanksgiving weekend, hubby and I were at the mall.  While I am attempting to hand make most of the Christmas gifts we give this year, there are a few things that must be purchased!  After all, I don't know how to make fragrances, teddy bears, etc.  so we found ourselves braving the crowds on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. Much to my delighted surprise, hubby suggested we just "wander the mall" once our purchases were made.  It gave us some much needed time to hang out and catch up during what will inevitably a busy season for us since he's a Pastor and I'm a music teacher and Advent has officially started!!

We were wandering through a Hallmark store when I saw a recipe box that had a recipe card rest on the lid.  It was sort of an insert that popped up for the cook to rest a recipe card on.  Since my girls and I had done some baking together over the holiday weekend, we discovered that the one cookbook I have with all the family favorite recipes in it really isn't convenient when more than one of us is baking so a recipe card box seemed like a great way to have a second set of recipes.  And the card rest was pretty clever!  I pointed it out to hubby and said, "That's cute!"  Apparently, he heard "I really like that and want to own one but would prefer that it be made out of wood and not the heavy duty cardboard that was used to make the one I pointed out to you."  How do I know that's what he heard?!  Because I now own a handmade original recipe box with a piece that slides out of the lid so you can prop up a recipe card!  Guess I have to be careful when I say "That's cute" about items that I see because he may take that as a personal challenge to make them himself!

I've included pictures of his handiwork.  The first shows the box closed.  The second is the card rest set up and ready for action (it simply slides in and out of the lid!) and the third is the box itself open.  It's been stained a beautiful golden oak and has gold hardware (hinges and latch).  Now I just have to fill it!

So close!

It's hard for me to comprehend that today is November 1st!!  Thanksgiving is just around the corner and then Christmas!!  My favorite holiday season of the year - Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year's - is nearly upon us!  I feel pretty good about where I am with the homemade gifts for the extended family (siblings, parents, etc) but there are a few things I'm feeling pressured to make progress on for my kids!  Hubby is in the process of getting some projects made for them that I am SUPER excited about.  Mostly because they are items I was going to buy and decorate but he wants to make them himself!!  I love that he has gotten into the whole Homemade thing!!

In the course of shopping around for cross-stitch ideas and projects, I found a MUCH better option for my dad's gift than what I had originally chosen.  So excited to see the final product there!  Now to get busy on some homemade jewelry items for my girls and come up with something comparable for my son.  Oh!  And the crayon totes that were mentioned in one of my first posts are nearly done!  Yay! 

I'm back!

Actually, I didn't really go anywhere. I've just been super busy and, consequently, super absent from this blog!! I've been diligently working on projects, though. Got one sister's gift finished and making good progress on the gift for the other sister.

As I continue to work on gifts for Christmas, my brain keeps running of to other "Oooh! I could do THIS . . . " type thoughts. Part of my brain even keeps playing around with the whole "could I make stuff and sell it?" idea. Not sure where any of that is going though!

And the Beat Goes on!

I apologize for my absence! But when I have time to myself, I either grab a book or the latest craft project! To say nothing of the fact that I must share the computer with hubby and four kids.

Speaking of hubby, he has jumped on the "Mostly Homemade" Bandwagon in a BIG way!! He made himself a work "bench" (really more of a table!!) and the last few gift giving occasions provided the chance to get him set up with some wood working tools. I'm getting a brand new, made with my hubby's own hands, trestle style dining room table for Christmas!! Okay, I may actually have it in the house in time for Mother's Day but it's officially my 2011 Christmas gift. I've wanted one for years!

As if that wasn't enough, he is trying to find (or create on his own) plans for a buffet with a hutch to go with my brand new table. I'm gonna get spoiled if he keeps this up!

The other day he and I were at Hobby Lobby buying paint for a project he and our oldest had going (see the next paragraph for more details on that!) and we were chatting about some of my "as yet to be started" Christmas ideas for family. I have been trying to figure out how to do some sort of homemade "keepsake" box for each of the kids. We were looking at some of the items in the store to try and get an idea. One idea in particular really struck a chord with hubby and since he's excited about it, how can I help but run with it? He will be making the keepsake boxes for the kids and they will be personalized (his idea - he's going to get stencils for his router so he can carve each child's name into his/her box) but the best part is the shape - he's making a treasure chest for each of them! How cool is that?! Metal findings, handles on the side, the works!! When I assured him that I would be happy with just a box, he said, "If we're talking about keepsakes, we're kind of talking about a treasure aren't we?" How do argue with logic that sweet?!

Remember the project he had going with one of our kids? Our oldest asked him to make a pencil cup for the desk in our front room (we can NEVER find a writing utensil in this house!) which he did quite gladly. She is currently in the process of painting it and doing a much better job than I could ever dream of doing - it's striped and the lines are actually STRAIGHT! She's of the opinion that we should take some of this crafting craziness - especially items like her pencil cup idea and the plastic canvas stuff I love to do so much - and stockpile some items that we could then sell at craft shows, flea markets, etc. I have to be honest - the idea of making a few extra bucks doing something I love to do doesn't sound like a horrible idea. Especially if it's something we could do as a family!

Pictures of the Tote with the pain-in-the-neck handles!!

As you can probably tell from the pictures, the stitching on the sides/bottom/ends was fairly easy and their assembly was quick. But those handles!!! 15 pieces of plastic canvas destroyed before I FINALLY got two handles cut out correctly!! My youngest daughter saw it and said, "That's cute! I want one!" I told her "Fat chance!" The pattern came in a book with another really cute tote pattern (that has ridiculously easy handles) and I told her I would gladly make that one for her. Luckily, that satisfied her!

Pictures coming soon!

Okay - so I took a break from making things for others to make something for myself. Before you start the hissing and booing at my apparent selfishness, let me explain. In the past, I have used small tote bags to carry my cross stitch projects with me so that I am able to work on them "on the go". Over time, however, most of my smaller tote bags have gotten threadbare, destroyed, or co-opted by kids who needed a bag for gym clothes or something like that (and those were usually worn out or destroyed before I got them back!). So I was in the market for something that would fit a cross-stitch pattern, the fabric and hoop, as well as the small box that I keep the floss in for my most recent project. I found a fantastic book of plastic canvas projects connected with the pink ribbon (breast cancer awareness) campaign that had a pattern for a fun tote. It's just about perfect for what I need and the handles are two large pink ribbons. The sides, ends, and bottom were easy to complete. Then came the handles. Grrr.

These things were a nightmare to cut out. Thankfully plastic canvas isn't all that expensive because I think I wasted at least a dozen sheets (probably more like 14 or 15 sheets) of the stuff because I kept screwing up the darn handles when I tried cutting them out!! I nearly threw a party last night when I FINALLY got them both cut out!!! I just need to finish stitching them, attach the support pieces to the top portion of each handle, attach the handles to the sides, and assemble the rest of the tote. I will finally be able to carry my projects with me on road trips, etc. and be able to cross-stitch more often. And I have quite a bit of that to do before December with a very busy Spring coming at me quickly!!!

As the first line of the post said, there are pictures coming later. I have been taking pictures of the project all along but wasn't going to post any of them till I got closer to actually completing it! The booklet I bought has another tote pattern, a pattern for coasters and a coaster holder, book mark patterns, a tissue box pattern . . . so many fun new things to try!!!

Confessions of an impatient crafter -

Started a cross stitch project for my MHC project. It's on navy blue fabric and that is HARD to stitch on! I've done projects on colored Aida cloth before but nothing this dark. It's a challenge!

For this project, I'm supposed to use some blending filaments and the chart gives a very specific manufacturer's name. In my little town I have exactly one choice for cross-stitch supplies. They carry items from those particular manufacturer's but not the specific items that the pattern calls for so I am seriously considering subsitituting. I know what I'm looking for and I'm certain that I've seen similar products by other distributors so I think I may just do the substitute thing rather than taking the time to find it on the internet and order.

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!