Craft-tastic Tuesday - Blogger Neglect and Other Projects

I have been a bad bad blogger lately, haven't I?
Sorry for all the neglect, I had intended to post a tutorial or atleast a look at my sons Halloween costume but here we are early December, it's kinda late now (plus he stained it with chocolate!).
So I have been busy crafting, and life in general. It is hard to motivate yourself to write a decent blog post when you are running on your third cup of coffee, four hours of sleep and last nights dinner (I really should eat something) but I am doing it.
My DIY Christmas keeps shrinking and shrinking, before you know it it will look no different than last year. Eek, I haven't even started my baking yet. Last year, I had all my shopping done the day before Black Friday, this year I have hardly started. I really need to get my ass in gear.
I wont be posting any tutorials today, which I am sad about as it has been too long. Today I need to go fabric shopping, and I have an "appointment with Santa" to pick out some Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. So today you get to see a few photos of the kids pajamas that I have been sewing.
All of the pajamas that I have been making used patterns from the Sew Fab Pattern Bundle that I bought earlier this fall. It has easily paid for itself now.

This one will be Greg's, I am contemplating red cuffs.

Greg will be getting Best Harem Pants and a Vintage V-Neck. Joseph will be sporting Fancy Pants Leggings and a Vintage V-Neck. Meara will be sporting Sadie Grace Nighties. It's going to look like a reindeer puked Christmas onto my kids! Joseph tolled me that was gross but I keep saying it.

Not sewn, just started pining and got excited. Love the bum panel!

I am also going to post some gorgeous custom diapers I made, cause, why not!

I made this for a local mom but I wanted to keep it. So pretty. Luckily I could make more!

This beauty is available in my Etsy shop

Did I mention the crawling?

Wow, you know baby is tired when the alarm clock is blaring next to her and she snores right through, why can't I do that :(
Sorry, sidetracked there.
Diapers, yes I have been drooling all over WAHM made Hybrid Fitted Diapers for weeks and weeks but knowing how to sew makes me hesitant to spend 25-45 a diaper, even though they are ridiculously perfect. So I am heading to the fabric store for fleece today. Also, Meara may have 30+ diapers already, but when I found a WAHM selling these on Etsy for $12 plus shipping I bought some for under the tree.
Now she is awake. So cutting the writing short and I will feed her while adding photos to this post. Thanks for stopping by to read my ramble, more rambling soon.

I couldn't find Meara's finished Jammies photo so I will leave you with this random shot of Joseph from last Halloween.

Christmas Sewing Officially Begins

When I first learned to drive I didn't want to drive for very long. I would get tired of it quickly, finding it almost mentally exhausting and with sewing I feel much the same. I think it is for this reason that the projects I choose tend to offer that instant gratification of a project that come together quickly and finishes in a single sitting. When I started with diapers I could only sew one or two at a time and then I was done. Not a second more would be spent doing anything sewing related, well except during early labor, I sewed up about 7 diapers that morning.
I also have a tendency to remake all those patterns that I love. I have made near a dozen pairs of yoga pants for Meara. So I am feeling a little nervous right now, as I have chosen a bit of a bigger undertaking and I suspect it may take me a few afternoons in the sewing room to pull it all together, but of course it will be well worth it. The Amaryllis Dress, which was released this week in Pattern Anthology's Winter Wonderland bundle, is that bigger project. It is a gorgeous and reversible dress. Perfect for Christmas, don't you think?
Yesterday I spent about an hour wandering Fabricland and looking for that perfect fabric. Sure, I could order online and get a good deal, but I felt for this it was more important to feel the fabric and see it before I bought it. I needed to know I did have the perfect fabric.
I chose a beautiful cream cotton plaid with grey, pink, metallic gold, and blue in the colors. It has a casual feel that is still dressy. Because I wanted the dress to have a pop of color to it I chose the subtle blue in the fabric to be the main color on the reverse side. I had one of the associates help me pick out the perfect fabric to match, a teal blue crepe (I think, I neglected to read the info on the end of the bolt) with body and a subtle shimmer. This dress is gonna be gorgeous!
Today I am pre-washing the fabrics, and assembling my pattern pieces. I will try to get to cutting into the fabric today too, but since I am trying to finish a pair of Sadie Grace Nightgowns I already cut, I think it just might not be in the cards. Meara would have to let me have that much time for me. Dream on!
So, the nightgowns are actually the first Christmas gift that I have sewn so far. One is done and the other is just waiting for me to sew it up. I decided to use up some of the Crib Bedding fabrics that I had left on this project and to make a generous size 2. Meara is such a big little girl.
In terms of the DIY Christmas Project, I am realizing that I need to scale it back. I can't realistically sew that much in less than 2 months. So, now I am going to call it, minimum one hand made gift per person on the list, and most of that gets covered by the Christmas baking. Maybe I can sew up several Pajama Eaters for the nieces and nephews, maybe.
Well, I have spent enough time online, onto the sewing room and the many projects that await!

October

Just a quick one today. Because If I write it, I have to do it. Right?
Well, we shall see how that turns out.
My head is full of Christmas. Sewing gifts, crafting gifts, baking gifts. I am just overflowing with festive thoughts. By the time the stores start playing those tunes I am gonna be so sick of it.
Oh well.
I am trying to make the DIY Christmas Project a blog-able thing with out spoiling the surprises on anyone's Christmas gift. I have no idea how just yet, but I am going to do it.
The plan I have so far is that some of the gifts I make that could be for anyone on my list may get posted, hopefully as tutorials. As for gifts that the recipient would know have got to be for them, well, maybe I will pre-write the tutorial to be posted for Christmas 2014 (but then post them early mid year, in a fit of too lazy to write a tutorial post). Can't I just post, SPOILER ALERT at the top of every post?
Well, my family are already used to receiving baked goods every year, and I feel okay with them knowing what in advance, so I wont hesitate to share what I am baking as it happens.
OH NO, just realized that I am over due for a Craft-tastic Tuesday, better go work on that for next week. Oops.
Well, happy crafting anyways :p

The DIY Christmas Project

Christmas 2007, visiting Grandma's house

I know, it is only August, but I am once again, way ahead of myself (and possibly a little late to start this). Yes, Christmas, that is what is on my mind. I am challenging myself to DIY my gifts for everyone this year.
Honestly, it really isn't much of a stretch, I already bake all the gifts I give to my extended family, I just need to find a few good gift ideas for the immediate family. But, I am one to go overboard, and I may get to blame Pinterest for making me want to DIY a little more for the extended family.
I have a Pinterest board to go along with this post and I would love a few ideas to add to it.
A little more info about my giving style. I have always made a point of giving my children a pair of PJ's to look good for Santa in, on Christmas Eve. This is a tradition I enjoyed as a little girl. Santa is the one who gives the toys in my household, I give gifts of reading material, clothing, and other necessities. I don't think it will be to hard to DIY most of the kid gifts, however, I will still buy the books. Dan is going to be a challenge, I have no idea how I am going to do with his gift, this is where I am most likely to cheat, but I will try my darnedest. I have, for several years now, given baked goods as gifts to my extended family, this has taken a lot of the stress out of Christmas, no more stressing about the hard to buy for family members, or how I am going to come up with cash for everyone's gifts. Baked family gifts is just easier, and I love doing it. This year, I am going to make fabric applique Christmas cards, and I will try to come up with something small to go with the baked gifts, something a little more personal. And, lastly, I have been buying toys for the children on my list in the extended family and close friends category, they will be getting something DIY as well.
The ideas are spinning in my head, maybe a kids crafting party for my kids, their cousins, and close family friends to make a few simple gifts? This is going to be fun.
And a challenge!