stockings

a few years back i tried to make stockings for the boys, but they were just too...i don't know. not my style. dark red and green velvet with gold embroidery. yeah. don't ask me what i was thinking. i'm a bright color, silly style person who watches movies like "elf" to get inspired for my holiday decorating. anyway, i had leftover scraps of fabric from my advent calendar so i used those to applique and embroider the names, and used some felt i had to make stripes. ilya wanted his to be different from sashka's and mal's, so i made his red. then he requested a "monster snowman", so i did my best to make it look like one of his many monster drawings. it came out pretty accurate.

they're certainly not as polished and perfect as those velvet ones i'd made, but to me that's just part of the charm. just like i like popsicle stick ornaments the kids make better than the pier one li bien ornaments i've been collecting since '98. anyway.

can't buy me love

here's a big ole ink drawing i've been playing with. i don't even remember where the idea came from, except thinking how boring it would be to just sit in a cave and guard a hoard of treasure. what's a dragon to do but watch re-runs in the dank darkness?

anyway, it's been fun to sort of play around with drawing, which i haven't done much of lately. i feel the need to paint, need to draw, need to have an outlet of creativity that doesn't involve my sewing machine. at least for awhile. i've just been feeling sort of stagnant in the arts department. sometimes just busting out a forgotten medium and doing something silly really gets the ole creative juices flowing again, y'know?

a little thatched cottage

i never made gingerbread houses growing up, but i always wanted to. two years ago we did our first kit house. it was pretty fun, although the baggie of icing was just gross by the end. and my fingers were raw from the gumdrops. plus i wasn't too pleased with the kitschy aesthetic. as much as i enjoy some good fun obnoxiousness, i wanted a more interesting house. last year i was pregnant and sick so i just did a kit again. lazy lazy.

this year i determined to make one from scratch, AND to fulfill a lifelong dream and thatch the roof with shredded wheat. i think it came out okay--my original idea was to do a "gnome home" and have it like a miniature house with logs and mushrooms around it. alas, after all my hard work making meringue mushrooms they sort of disintegrated after a few days and after that i just lost my motivation. still, i did the roof which was fun and i think it came out pretty cute in general.

you can't see it in this picture, but i also sifted some powdered sugar on top to look like snow. so CUTE.

next year i'm making a hobbit hole. anybody have a gandalf figurine i could put in the front yard??

a few things

here are a few things i've made lately. just a few, cause some are still under wraps.

a watercolor i did for my niece, olivia. she probably won't care really but a girl's gotta have some original art. even if she's not even one yet.

a felt yoda i made for johnny. i still haven't given it to him yet, cause we were all sick on his birthday. :(

a quilt i made for my mom. pretty traditional for me, but still enjoyable. and FAST. man, i didn't realize how time consuming freehand piecing is compared to chain piecing. the only reason this became a christmas present (instead of the birthday present it was supposed to be back in OCTOBER--bad me) is because i tried a new method of quilting on my rack that didn't turn out so well. i spent about three days picking out all the stitches then had to start from scratch. ugh. i'd really love to move beyond stippling but apparently i still lack the fundamental skill. drat.

in other news, i've been baking up a storm, rolling truffles, making meringue mushrooms, all in preparation for a christmas party we're having. i hope it's fun. i get so nervous about this sorts of things.

ouch

i'm probably the only person i know who can manage to injure herself while sewing.

about six months ago i cut off the tip of my finger using a rotary cutter to cut strips of fabric for a quilt. i poke myself repeatedly with needles when hand sewing. i've cut the web between my thumb and forefinger with scissors trying to trim fabric.

well today, while i was sewing a stuffed yoda for my friend rachel's son johnny, a piece of fabric came loose. i don't know if it's because i was tired from sewing all day or just spaced out, but i put my middle finger next to the needle to tug the fabric straight, then slipped forward in my chair. under the needle went my finger at the same time my foot slammed down on the sewing machine pedal.

uhhh...yeah. the needle went all the way through my middle finger and then broke, so i had to pull the needle through my finger to get it out. then i just sat there staring at it and giggling nervously while it bled.

i just took an elephant sized dose of advil and it's throbbing like crazy. fun times, people, fun times...

domo yoda?

i came across this while doing some research for a little gift i'm trying to make and i just thought it was hilarious. of course, anything star wars-related is liable to make me laugh--like this awesome sleeping bag. christmas is just around the corner in case you were thinking of buying me this. it's not too late. :)

i really do make stuff

but i can't post any pictures or i'll spoil christmas surprises for people!

today my house is a magical disaster. magical in that there are lights and sparkles and fun things making it look pretty, and a disaster because, well, i have three boys, loads of half-finished projects, and a really lazy attitude. i think it's the overcast skies. i just can't get motivated unless the weather is some kind of extreme or another. give me sunny, or pitch black stormy skies, but overcast...ugh.

anyway, the presents are wrapped, the tree is up and looming like a giant monster in the living room, and every day i make some new thing so---good times!!