merry christmas! see you in 2011

Do you know the trouble with having a craft blog in December? Everything you are making is likely a gift for someone.  It makes keeping secrets really hard.

Rather than fight it this year and try to craft double-time, I am crying uncle and going on vacation.  I hope you enjoy the stocking tutorial below - it is my last offering for 2010.  I'm going to spend the next several weeks enjoying my family.  Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

See you in January.  :)

ruffle stocking mini-tutorial

Ready to sew the world's fastest stocking?  Ok, maybe not the fastest ... but it is pretty darn quick and looks perfectly festive.

First, make a stocking template - a very simple shape.  You can sketch one out, or google one.  Make it whatever size you want!

• Lay the template on a felted wool sweater, leaving about a four inch border at the top.  Use the hem of the sweater as your top line for a polished look.  Cut two.

• Cut a 6 inch length of felt, fabric, or ribbon to use as your stocking's hanging loop.

• Pin the two felt pieces right sides together, inserting the hanging loop approximately 4 inches from the top of the stocking.  The loop should be on the inside and the ends should extend outside the stocking edges.

• Sew around the stocking, leaving the top open.  Set aside.

• Using the template, cut two pieces of ruffle fabric.  Do not leave an extra border at the top.

• Pin right sides together.  I recommend pinning at the bottom of each ruffle to hold them in place.  It takes some extra time, but ensures they will line up and not get bunched while sewing.  Sew around the stocking, leaving the top open.

• Turn the ruffled stocking right side out.

• Slide the sweater stocking inside the ruffle stocking.  The sweater stocking should extend approximately 4 inches past the top of the ruffle stocking.

• Top stitch along the top edge of the ruffle stocking to attach.

Fold the sweater stocking down to create a cuff.  Hang and enjoy!

Use your extra candy cane ruffle fabric to make a peppermint bark skirt:

mmm ... delicious

decorating

Oscar helped me decorate the tree today.

He still has a little ways to go to master the art of spacing ornaments.   At one point he had four ornaments hanging on the same branch.

I try to make a little something for the tree every year - this year's project was a candy cane felt garland - you can find instructions for it at Purl Bee.   It was so fast and easy (my favorite kind of project!) and looks fantastic on the tree.

holiday cheer book wreath

I started decorating our apartment for Christmas this morning - the Glee Christmas album is blasting, all the boxes of decorations are out of storage, and I cracked open a box of chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's.  It is basically a perfect December day.

Do you have a trendy book wreath hanging somewhere in your home?  Give it a holiday spruce by adding some ornament balls.

So simple - you can poke metal ornament hangers right through the rolled book pages.  Make the holes deep in between the pages and you'll never see the hole when you remove the ornaments later.

My book wreath was already hanging in front of some green fabric (glued to the wall), so the red ornaments made it perfectly Christmas-y.

Advent Complete!

Did you finish?  I almost didn't make it.  Jared and I bought a X-box Kinect over the weekend and I have been busy trying to perfect the dance moves to Salt n' Pepa's "Push It."  I need a lot of practice.

It was 2 a.m. last night before I wrapped things up with the advent.  Here are my ornaments for this week:

Christmas light, gingerbread man, holly leaves, and a snowman (Oscar's favorite!)

Then I made an ornament ball for each member of the family:

When more kids come along, we'll have to switch some ornaments out.

All together now ... ta-da!

I bound the edges with white double fold bias tape and added red felt tabs for hanging.   The trick has been where to hang it.  I want Oscar to have access, but not too much access.  He really likes to stuff the ornaments in those pockets, so fingers crossed that they hold up over the holidays. 

Want to see more from the Flickr pool?

I love this Nativity Advent by sahm3:

Vivian from Craft with Confidence came up with some more great ornaments, including this slice of pumpkin pie.  See all of her ornaments on her blog.

And I can't leave out Katie of So Happy, everyone's favorite Advent Sew-Alonger.  Her ornaments from this last week are more beautiful than ever (more on her blog):

Perfection!

Be sure to check out all the Advent Inspiration in the Homemade by You flickr group.  Thank you so much for sewing along with me!  I doubt I would have finished without your support.

If you didn't sew an advent, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate Christmas everyday.  I am Momma - Hear Me Roar has a great idea for a Good-Deed Advent, with one act of service every day until Christmas.  She has the good deeds strung in super cute buckets, but you could just as easily put all the service slips into a mason jar and draw one each day.

My longtime friend, Ellen, makes Gingerbread Countdown Chains with her family every year.  It was one of my favorite holiday traditions growing up, because they always gave one as a gift to my family.  What better way to celebrate the season than with a delicious cookie?

And I am following Jordan's lead by adding a daily holiday activity to our advent calendar.  Today we are walking through the annual Holiday Market downtown.

If all else fails, go out and buy a $2 chocolate advent calendar from Trader Joe's.  Or if you are me, buy two so you don't have to share with your kids.  :)

2010 Martha's Circle Holiday Gift Guide

Check out the Martha's Circle 2010 Holiday Gift Guide, which includes some Gifts for Crafters picked by yours truly.

There are great gift ideas in every category, but I especially like some of the Family Stocking Stuffer picks.

giveaway week winners and reader discounts

Thanks for a great giveaway week!  I hope you enjoyed it as well.  A big congratulations to all the winners, who are listed below.  Enjoy your prizes!  For everyone else, check out the awesome online discounts listed from the giveaway vendors.

Congratulations, Lexi!  I hope you're able to change the world with your new Silhouette SD.  :)

If you are bummed that you didn't win, you can always take advantage of the amazing Cyber Monday deal that Silhouette has going on today using the discount code: Jill.

The Cyber Monday deal is only valid today, Monday, November 29, 2010, starting at 4 am and ending at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

Here's the deal ...the Silhouette will be sold for $199 (originally $299). Silhouette America has NEVER sold these cutters for this cheap! This is the newest version with more capabilities and newest technology - the Silhouette is now Mac compatible.

It gets better ... the Cyber Monday deal will also include:

1 Roll of Cream vinyl ( $7.99)
1 Roll of transfer paper ( $7.99)
1 Home decor CD (Value $55)
Total ($70.98)

All for only $199 - almost $200 in savings!

The discount code is: Jill

Silhouette is also having a great black friday sale in their online store, which lasts until midnight tonight.  Everything (except for the Silhouette cutter) is 40% off using the code: FRIDAY.  Now you can really go crazy with those temporary tattoo stocking stuffers.  :)

 

Congratulations, Kate Flick!  Your baby girl will love her new holiday blankie.

Komfort Kids is offering 20% off your total order using the code "homemadebyjill20."   Snatch up your favorite prints before they're gone.

Congratulations Steve and Nikki and Robert and Cassie!  Enjoy your ruffle fabric and elastic.

Planning to add some Ruffle Fabric to your holiday projects?  I'll be posting a tutorial for a Candy Cane Ruffle Stocking in early December, if you'd like to sew along.

Use promo code: Jill, to receive 10% off your order through December 5th.

 Congratulations, cjameliamom!  Enjoy your cute-as-can-be Scoomer accessory!

Scoomer is offering 20% off your order through December 3rd using the code: homemade20.

Congratulations, Meghan!  Your baby girl will have the most stylish baby head wear in town.

Winners:  Please email me at homemadebyjill@gmail.com to claim your prize.  Thanks! 

Miss Plunkett Giveaway (CLOSED)

If you love over the top baby hair accessories, this is the giveaway for you.  Miss Plunkett caught my eye because these hair accessories are interchangeable ... meaning you can create the perfect hair accessory over and over again.

Here's how it works:

When you need a new accessory, you can take it apart and start all over again.  All Miss Plunkett items are handmade, so each piece is as unique as your little one.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for entering!

Love it?  Leave a comment on this post by midnight tonight (November 26th).  One lucky winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to Miss Plunkett.  

The winner will be randomly selected and announced November 29th.  This giveaway is available to U.S. and international readers.

The Rules:

1. There is only one entry per person.  If you accidentally enter more than once, please delete your duplicate comment(s).  
2. Make sure I have a way to contact you!  Your profile must link to your public blog or you can leave an email address.  Anonymous comments will be deleted.

I hope you've enjoyed giveaway week!  Next week I'll return to crafts-only.  :)

Scoomer Giveaway (CLOSED)

If the etsy shop, Scoomer, doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.  The owner, "Scoomer" (a nickname since childhood), created her shop from her love of felt and making accessories for her daughter.  Hmm ... she sounds like a kindred spirit!

Scoomer currently sells headbands, hair clips, and the most adorable felt brooches you'll ever see. Each item is completely handmade, and is created in her home studio with occasional help from her husband.  I wonder what her secret is ... how do you convert husbands to crafting?

My favorite item in the Scoomer shop is definitely the pinwheel bobby pins.  Ruby might need a set in her Christmas stocking.  And I might need to borrow them until she has sufficient hair growth to wear them.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for entering!

What's your favorite item in Scoomer's shop?  Check it out and then leave a comment on this post by November 26th, and you could get exactly what you wish for.  Scoomer is offering a lucky winner their choice of any item from the shop!


The winner will be randomly selected and announced on November 29th.  This giveaway is available to U.S. and international readers (yay!).


I hope you know the rules by now:

1. There is only one entry per person.  If you accidentally enter more than once, please delete your duplicate comment(s). 
2. Make sure I have a way to contact you!  Either your profile must link back to a public blog, or you must leave me an email address.  Anonymous comments (with no contact information) will be deleted.

I plan to eat copious amounts of sweet potatoes and a variety of pumpkin desserts today.  How about  you?  Happy Thanksgiving!

advent sew-along: week 4 - crunch time!

Fellow advent sewers ... we have one week until December 1st.  Can you make it? 

Here are my ornaments from last week: a bell, wreath, bow, snowflake, peppermint candy, candy cane, mitten, and Santa Claus.

I have to admit, though, I fell behind on my button sewing.  I have about half the buttons sewn on, and will have to catch up on the rest this week.

Here's what I'm loving from the flickr group this week:

Nativity Ornaments from Vivian Crafts - so cute!

Flickr user Igjcunha is finished and I love her quirky ornaments which include a garden gnome, mushroom, and hedgehog.

Kirsten W. is making us all look bad by cranking out two advent calendars.

Katie's ornaments are, of course, perfect. They look like they came straight from a pottery barn catalog.   She has mad skills.

Ready for your final assignment?  This week you need to ... finish your advent!  If you've been using my assignments, here's a list of what's left to do.

• Make 8 ornaments
• Sew any additional embellishments to the main calendar pieces.  I am embroidering a little note to my kids and the year it was made on the back side.
• Sew the front and back pieces of the calendar together.
• Add tabs to the top to hang.  You'll also need a dowel to hang it from.
• Put it on display and enjoy!

Can't wait to see your finished calendars.  Happy stitching!

Ruffle Fabric Giveaway (CLOSED)

If you are a fan of craft blogs, I'm guessing you have noticed that ruffles are kind of big right now.  I love them.  So maybe you've seen Ruffle Fabric cropping up here and there, or maybe this is your introduction.  Either way, feast your eyes:

Ooooh, yeah.  Ruffles as far as the eye can see, without all the work!

I had the pleasure of trying out the new Mini Ruffle fabric and I have to say ... it is delightful.  It is making my wish of covering every inch of my baby in ruffles come true.

First, I made a very simple baby hat.

As if the ruffles weren't cute enough on their own, I attached a little hair clip ... just clipped it to one of the ruffles ... for an instant, but changeable update.

Of course I couldn't resist making some leggings:

(pattern by Lil' Blue Boo)

Ruffle Fabric is surprisingly easy to work with.  It is nice and stretchy, sews easily with a ballpoint needle, and doesn't fray on the cut ends.  Hooray for not having to finish your edges!  That's my kind of fabric.

Do you think my daughter will ever forgive me for plastering her butt on the internet?  It is a very cute butt.

Need more ruffles in your Christmas decor?

I also made this fun Christmas stocking with the ruffle fabric and some felted wool from an old sweater.  The cuff folds over, so you can clip any decoration onto it.  Wouldn't this be perfect for the Candy Cane style fabric and a red sweater for the lining/cuff?

Stockings are super easy sewing ... like 20 minutes, start to finish.  Is this something you'd be interested in seeing a tutorial for, or is that too basic?

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for entering!

On to the giveaway ...


TWO lucky winners will receive one yard of ruffle fabric and one yard of elastic of their choice.  Fun!  So get those creative wheels turning, because I'd love to see what you'd make with this fabric.


If you would love to win, visit the Ruffle Fabric website and leave a comment on this post by November 26th telling me your favorite color (or print) ruffle fabric.


The winners will be randomly selected and announce on November 29th.  This giveaway is available to U.S. readers only.


You know the drill:

1. There is only one entry per person.  If you accidentally enter more than once, please delete your duplicate comment(s).  You may have to scroll to the end of the comment pages to view yours.
2. Make sure I have a way to contact you!  Either your profile must link back to a public blog, or you must leave me an email address.  Anonymous comments (with no contact information) will be deleted.