A handmade Christmas

Ever notice that on all those blogs (and on Pinterest I assume -- I'm going to join one of these days), they make it look so easy to handmake stuff? Like you can just whip it up.

Well, I "whipped up" some stuff this Christmas to give out. I have the backache and needle-poked fingers and stress-headaches to prove it. But I enjoyed it. And I hope the receivers enjoy the gifts! Note -- this was all before I knew I was getting a sewing machine, or I would have waited for sure!


I got obsessed with scarves there for about two weeks, and made a few for myself and others. My mother-in-law helped me on her sewing machines at her house.

Then my mom sent me a picture of the cute stuffed snakes she was sewing, and Max wanted one, so I tried it out. I ended up making 4: one for Max, Ben, and their cousins Jane and Emily. But I had Max and Ben help. Yes, I gave them needles. Why not share the labor -- I mean, teach some small motor skills and hand-eye coordination?

I crocheted a BYU hat for my brother Joe.

And, what I'm most proud of, this rose throw for my little sister Rachel. She saw something similar on Pinterest. This took hours of hand-sewing and glue-gunning.

After Benny saw me take this rather artistic picture, he wanted to borrow my iphone and take a picture, too. I had to giggle when I saw his night-night also carefully placed for a picture:

Now that I have my machine, I'm going a little crazy. I've made two more scarves (well, only one that's wearable. Let's just chalk that first one up to "getting-to-know-the-machine"). And I have dreams of aprons, fabric headbands, pajama pants, skirts, who knows!