Brrr

Swapping Complete (at least on my end)

The deadlines for two swaps come up this week, and I have everything finished, and I am making my final trip to the post office this morning.For the Holiday Traditions Exchange we were supposed to share our favorite holiday traditions (duh) and I chose handmade gifts and baking.
I wove a small neckwarmer type scarf, embellished a stocking and baked some cookies.
Now, I am off to the post office, via the Children's Museum with the Younger Hug-a-Bug, and my swapping will be complete.
This whole thing has me feeling quite Christmas-y, and I am happy to say that we got our tree and village up yesterday.

They look terrific when all the lights are out, even with the sun coming up...

Fun Stuff with Felt

I am teaching a new class at Treadle Yard Goods this weekend.
This is my first time teaching sewing.
I have taught knitting for 7 years now, and I am sure this new class will go o.k., but every new endeavor brings its own anxiety...

We're making different projects with hand sewing on felt.
When I peruse all of the crafty blogs out there sometimes there are projects that are too good not to make at home - Juicy Bits' felt crowns and Angry Chicken's barrettes are two of those projects.
I modified each of their designs to hand sewing, and did some other tweaking, but I really want to thank those ladies for their great ideas.
I'll be sure to tell my students about these creative ladies when I get to class.

The Elder Hug-a-Bug loves her crown, and it's such a fun project, I hope it'll be a hit with the class. (this picture is from last year)


For the class, and because there's a 4-year-old's birthday coming up in a month, I made a birthday crown.
Another project that I am really excited about is this treasure bag - I took inspiration from a piece of vintage ribbon.
The vines are embroidered, but everything else is little pieces of felt that I adhered with wonder-under and then sewed on with a running stitch around the edge.
I was a little worried about the lack of symmetry in my stitching, but I am choosing to embrace it.

Swap Ornaments

I took a little time this weekend to make my ornaments for the Swap.



I had a vision of a tiny stocking with some fantastic embroidery across the cuff, but I couldn't quite make the fantasticness materialize, so I went with some holly.

Thankful

The Season of Swap

It's swapping time again!
I am signed up for 3 so far this Season, and I may join one more if it repeats from last year.
I have already started receiving Christmas ornaments, and I haven't even begun on mine.
I do have an idea cooking, so I don't feel too bad, but I gotta get going as a couple of my swap partners are abroad in England and Australia.

So far I received this wonderful package as a part of the Daisy Quilts Christmas Ornament Swap, and a super cute little felt Christmas tree as a part of the Fourth Annual Cake & Pie/ Freshly Blended Holiday Ornament Swap.
I also signed up for Meg's Holiday Traditions Swap at Sew Liberated.
I may come to regret my decision to join these swaps as I have house showings to clean for, and work knitting to finish, but the pay-off in the wonderful piles of creativity coming in the mail every week up to Christmas is well worth it!
I must get myself to my needle!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving if I don't see you,
Jess

Fun day of fun at the zoo