Getting Crafty

I've been spending a lot of time lately planning out Christmas presents for the kids - and the reason i'm doing it NOW, is because I'm going to be sewing a lot of it, and that takes time! (not to mention the fact that I just LOVE Christmas so much that as soon as that first blast of cool weather hits, it feels like Christmas to me!)

Anyway, I'm just quickly showing the first COMPLETED project - a stuffed toy i made for the new baby's stocking. I call it "Taggy Lion". Now, before i show you the photo, please note this project marked a LOT of firsts for me (just so you don't think i'm completely inept, since Taggy isn't quite perfect). Namely:

1) my first time sewing with minky - very fluffy!
2) my first time doing hand embroidery stitches (i have a lot of learning to do, i know)
3) my first time making a stuffed toy - and, incidentally, designing a pattern for one.
4) my first time sewing ribbon "tags" - and sewing that many tags in a CIRCLE was awkward!

Anyway, enough excuses. Here's Taggy Lion!

As i said, i made the pattern myself, and i am obviously going to have to adjust a few things. I'm not at all happy with the way his hind leg turned out - i'm going to have to adjust it so it's a bit bigger. I promise, on the pattern it was the same size as the front leg! Maybe the embroidery was just off a bit... And the tail could have been nicer... and i wish i'd been able to find thinner brown ribbon for the whiskers... (why yes, i am a perfectionist - but mostly just when it comes to things I make)...

But, despite all his flaws, he has a cute face, i think. (oops, i forgot to seal the ends of his whiskers...)

Anyway, it was a learning experience. I think i'm going to try again - with some adjustments. If it works out, i might give the nice one as a baby gift to someone.

Another one of my big firsts is doing a piece quilt. Up until now, all my quilting experience has been in helping my mom "tie" quilts on her enormous quilt frame as a kid, and recently rag quilting. Elijah and Riley are both getting twin size quilts to go on their new bunk beds, and i'm trying different techniques with each. I'm doing a "Disappearing Nine-Patch" on Riley's, though i found out part-way through that i didn't have enough of the prints i was using to make a whole twin size, and i can't get more because nowhere has it, so i have to add borders. Since the theme is Thomas the Train, i'm going to attempt doing a railroad track border between the nine-patches and the solid squares. Here's a sneak peek!

I know it's kinda ugly now, but i promise, it looks really cute in my head!! It is very bright and busy, and i know a lot of quilters hate that, but Riley will like it, i'm sure! And no, that's not ALL the nine-patches i have. There are quite a few more, they just don't fit on my design wall. I'll show you when it's finished - maybe it won't be so bad.