Jewelry made by Emily

Going beyond sewing here... I love that my daughters are crafty and probably more creative than I am. My grandmother was a knitter and quilter, my mom loved the same, and I hope to pass along a crafty and creative niche to my daughters as well.

(Made by Emily)

My daughter, Emily (7-years-old) is into jewelry making and beads. We had the idea to make the kid's teachers homemade gifts for Christmas this year. This is what she came up with. Can you believe it?! I was impressed. I helped a little, but she came up with the design. I thought it came out beautiful. She has an eye for beautiful things and I look forward to showing off more of her designs.

Luggage Tags

If you read my previous post, I asked you to guess what I was making for my sister and her family as they get ready to travel out of the country... and here it is - Luggage Tags!!

(Click on image for larger view.)

I had a lot of fun making these, but also got frustrated working with the vinyl. My sewing machine is not fancy and does not work well with vinyl. It continually got stuck on the vinyl... So, to remedy my issue, I cut wax paper and placed it between the sewing foot and the vinyl... and also ended up using my mom's Elna sewing machine. Between the two of these helps, I was able to finish all 16 luggage tags in time for Christmas.

Having matching luggage tags will help while traveling with 4 children and trying to find so many pieces of luggage.

Find the tutorial to make these over at SkipToMyLou and let me know if you make your own. Be sure to find these and more available in other fabrics over at my store SewWhatSteph! I'll be adding more soon.

1 week 'til Christmas!

I can't believe Christmas is so close! I have been busy baking cookies for family, teachers, pastors, and friends this week. Don't get me wrong... I love baking, so this is truly a joy to me. I just find that time slips away before I know it.

I've decided that my children's aprons will have to wait to get done at a later date. I've had another sewing project that has taken precedence.

I'm working on a project for my sister and her family. They are moving out of the country in the new year, so I've been wracking my brain to come up with a creative and useful gift for Christmas. I came across the perfect gift that they are sure to take with them on their journey. I won't talk about it yet as my sis might check in on my site before Christmas, and I want it to stay a surprise. However, I will post pictures of this fun and easy travel accessory... (hint, hint) Can you guess what it is?!

A) Crochet water bottle carrier

B) Luggage tag

C) Mini make-up roll

D) Passport cover

Stay tuned for more details!

And if I don't stop by before Christmas... May the truth of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fill your hearts with joy and peace this season and in the new year!

Finger Knitting - Fun for All Ages!

I recently stumbled upon a fun and easy way to knit a simple scarf and it's so easy a 6-year-old (or younger) can do it! All you need is a skein of yarn and your fingers.

This is the best Youtube video I've found to show you an easy way to learn...



Enjoy! And let me know if you give it a try. My girls have come to love this and will finish a child's size scarf in a matter of an hour. It's a great craft for your children to make for Christmas gifts for their teachers too.

This Year's Cookie Package Treats

Every year at Christmas I love baking cookies, goodies, and treats! We started a tradition about 11 years ago when I started baking cookies and mailing them to my husband's family who lives all over the U.S. Since we couldn't be with them all at Christmas, we wanted to let them know that we were still thinking of them and love them. So, the cookie package began!

I thought I'd show you a sampling of what went into this year's package (that just so happened to be mailed today!). I hope it arrives in one piece!

(Pictured above: Crinkle-Top Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix, Mini Marshmallows, Turtle Pretzel Bites, Ferrer Rocher Chocolates, and Candy Canes)

I didn't bake as much as I normally do, but instead decided to purchase some of my favorite treats and goodies to add to the homemade side of things. I added tags for each item to personalize it and make it fun.

A friend of mine made up some great candy cane poem gift tags for a special project our church was doing. I copied it and added it to the package. Afterall, Christmas is all about Jesus!

After it was all packaged up, I swiftly ran to the post office and the cookie packages went on their way to be shuffled around with many, many other special packages and shipped to our beloved family.

I hope they enjoy these goodies as much as I enjoyed putting them together for them! Honestly, I think it's more of a gift to me than to them. I love doing this kind of thing. The kids play a part in it all and it truly is a fun tradition in our house year after year.

For recipes of the homemade items in this year's cookie package...

• Slimmer Crinkle-Top Cookies, Click HERE for recipe.
  
• Best Hot Cocoa Mix, Click HERE for recipe.
• Caramel-Pecan Pretzels, Click HERE for recipe.
  

If only...

If only... my life was simple I would be able to find more time to do the things I love: sewing, knitting, putting photos into albums. Instead, life is complicated these days. In the midst of another job change for my husband, my simplicity comes in encouraging him, loving my children, and finding short moments to make special.

Thankfully, I was able to set aside this past Saturday to decorate the house with Christmas decorations - we even have 2 Christmas trees this year, which is a first. Our tradition goes as follows:

1. Hubby goes up to the attic and pulls everything down.
2. The kids go crazy wanting to pull everything out of the bins at one time.
3. Mom says, "No." Then, we try to do it in an organized fashion. (Note the word "try.")
   

It's fun to see the kid's faces as familiar decorations are pulled out of the bins. We go around the house placing things here and there. Then the tree goes up. This year, I had a smaller tree that fit perfectly in our book nook that I rearranged earlier this year. Then, we worked on our hand-me-down 7ft tree that is the most beautiful tree we've ever had (pictured above). Our house looks festive, greenery is around the front door, and the wreath is hung on the door.

Another tradition in our house is that each year the kids get to pick out an ornament to add to their collection. Here is what each of them picked. I love to see how it shows their personality.

This is Sophia's... it came with 2 little dolls with braids. She loves to read and likes things pretty and simple. I love that about her!

Next comes Emily... She is my glitz and glamour girl, loves pretty things, love treats, and loves getting gifts. A pink lollipop is what she chose!

Then, there's my little man Isaac. He couldn't decide what he wanted, so I had to help him a bit. He loves stuffed animals, and thought this giraffe was a good pick. However, he didn't want to put it on the tree. He'd much rather play with it. That's a boy for you! :)

Normally, I make the kids pajamas for Christmas, but this year, I've decided to make aprons for each of them out of fabric I've previously purchased. I'm excited about this project and hope I can complete it in time! My kids love to help me in the kitchen, and several years ago I had purchased 3 aprons from a dollar store. They're now too small on them. I hope to post pictures of the new aprons as I complete them. I was perplexed on what fabric to use for my son as an apron is not really a "boy thing" in my mind. However, he would feel left out if he didn't get one too... so, you'll have to wait and see what I have for him!

I hope you are having a nice Christmas season. May we always remember the true reason for Christmas... Jesus Christ!