bookette's beginning of a Christmas list

Hi, everyone! I'm Laurel, and I blog over at House Full of Monkeys as Bookette.

I'm currently caught up in the whole fall and Halloween crafting fun, so I've been a little slow to get on with Christmas lists and the like. However, I do have a few ideas running 'round my head, so I thought I'd get this out there.

PJ pants are always under the tree! In fact, I not only have to make them for my 19-yr-old twin boys, I generally take on half of the ones mom has to make for my 7 siblings and their spouses, children, etc. Over the years, I've developed my own techniques and sewing order to make the job go faster. I wrote it up for a craft night once, and you can find a pdf here, if you're interested. (as a side note, my twins usually get a matching top, but I just can't do that for everyone)

I'll also be making up a bunch of fleece socks from this pattern. I have tons of fleece scraps and remnants, and I love using them up in a way that makes folks happy and warm. I make mine into a sock by not folding down the top. You can also make them longer by extending both front and back to whatever length you want. As-is, they are just below the meaty part of your calf. Everyone I've given them to asks for more!

For my knitting/crochet group, I plan to make a bunch of Humbug bags from this pattern. Super easy, and they are just the right size to hold a pair of socks-in-progress, or other small project. (I think I've seen free tuts on the web for this bag as well, but this is the pattern I've got.)

For the little ones in my life (nieces and nephews), I'll be making up some of these marble mazes for quiet toys. I saw the idea over a year ago, here, but didn't try making any until last month. Now I'm hooked, and I even find myself playing with them when I just can't sit still. You use fleece for these, too, so there may be a bit of a fleecy flurry at my house.

I've had one co-worker request that I make her one of these little pence jugs, but in a quieter color palette, please. They're knitted up from sock yarn leftovers, and I haven't done many socks in plain colors yet (aside from baby socks in white), so this could be a problem. I am currently working on a pair of charcoal grey socks, though, so if that leaves me anything, she might get lucky.

For a select set of nieces and nephews, I may be adding to their play food collection. I've knitted and crocheted a fair collection of food over the past couple years, (why yes, that is a knitted donut in my hand in my photo above) some of which can be seen on my blog in the Year of Ami posts. Most are from freebie patterns on the web, including one of my own for Tator Tots. There's always room for more fun fiber-foods at Grandma's! (pattern for the cheeseburger shown here, and my mods to it are here.)

I'm sure I'll be adding to this as we get closer to the date. I'm just trying to focus on some pressing projects for work, and enjoying Halloween and the onset of Fall, my favorite season!

Crafty Christmas Plans

Hello everybody.  My name's Jane and I blog over at Handmade Jane. I joined the Crafty Christmas Club last year and it was a great source of inspiration for gifts and ideas, so I'm back again this year. 

I'm trying to be realistic with the number of handmade gifts I make, so I've chosen tried and tested items that I've made before.  Here's my list - short but sweet:

Flannel PJ bottoms for my two boys using their existing pairs as patterns.

Pretty kid's wash bags for my nieces.  I make and sell children's wash bags at craft fairs so I'll be using my own method to make them.  It's pretty foolproof and I'll be putting together a tutorial to share in the next week or so if anybody's interested.

Lavender bags for my son's teachers. 

I've already done a tutorial for them here and can guarantee they're the easiest thing to sew ever!

Looking forward to seeing everybody's creations and ideas. x

PJ Pants - Refined

For many years, I've been the go-to gal in my family for all the pyjama pants at Christmas. I have a big family, so every year, it's dozens of pairs of pj pants, all in different sizes. When you do that many, you start to hone your technique. A few years back, I finally committed my preferred method to paper, complete with wonky sketches (and some drawings borrowed from pattern directions).

It looks sort of like this:

and you can download the pdf

ETA: No, I don't really have a favorite pyjama pattern. It all depends on how you like your pants - wide leg, tapered, cropped - you have to find your own favorite. However, you can take a pair of comfy pyjamas from home and trace around them to make your own pattern. Just be sure you flatten each section completely as you trace, and then check to be sure your parts match up on paper before cutting them out of fabric. And don't forget to add a seam allowance!