Here's a little of what I've been working on...

I've been working on a few projects trying to get them done so that my parents could take them back to Idaho when they came for Thanksgiving.

I didn't get both of the quilts done but I did get this one done, and I love how it turned out. The piecing I kept really simple, and to go with the Knight fabric I appliqued this amazing dragon onto the quilt. I even used minkee for the belly, ears and tail. The applique pattern is from this wonderful website full of free patterns. Hopefully my nephew likes it as much as I do.

I'm almost done with a quillow for my niece, but I promised my husband that I would finish quilting a Christmas wall hanging for us this year before I get back to making presents. So I better go and quilt.

Purse #3

Here's my 3rd purse for my cousins. This one is for my 13 year old cousin who LOVES pink and kind of flashy things. With this one done, I've finished the purses for the cousins that are going to be with us for Christmas. Yeah! Now I just have a couple more to make that will get mailed.

This purse was made using the Buttercup bag pattern from Made by Rae. I love this pattern!

So 3 down and 2 more to go!

Two Down, several more to go!

Here's the second purse for my cousins. This one is for the 12 year old. It's not the fabric I would have picked for a 12 year old but she loves browns and blacks so it just seemed right. I based the purse on this pattern, but of course I can't make much exactly by the pattern.

I finished the bag!

When I added the picture to the last I thought that it would work to just show the almost finished bag, but I find I just couldn't stop with that.   I just had to show you how the finished bag turned out.  I especially like how the flower pin turned out.  I followed this tutorial.

However my SIL won't be getting the bag to use as a diaper bag before the baby arrives, because I got it in the mail today, and then my brother called to tell me that my new nephew had arrived about 9 o'clock this morning. 

Mom and baby are doing well, but on Monday my brother was told his contract wouldn't be extended like they had told him last week, in fact he was let go that day.  So if you can keep them in your thoughts and prayers it would be appreciated.

Here's what I've been doing lately!

I've been working on a couple things for my sister-in law's baby shower.  I still need to attach the handles to the main bag, but I'm almost done.  I made up the diaper and wipes bag based on the size of the wipes container, I used this pattern for the pouch for my SIL's things, and this pattern for the reversible baby booties.  The baby booties were really easy and turned out super cute and the pouch was pretty easy as well, and I was happy with how it turned out, especially since it had a zipper.  The final things I made were store bought cloth diapers that I decorated with a strip of flannel down the middle.  I love how they turned out and I got lucky when I found those fun colored cloth diapers on clearance!

I didn't take a picture or it but I also made a very simple blanket for my SIL's sister since it's a double baby shower.

Now I just need to make 3 more Christmas Stockings for my daughter's teacher before school ends (June 4th) and I want to make her a purse as an end of the year gift.  I better get back to sewing soon.

Janet do you recognize the flannel?

This is the reverse side of the booties

Here's a few of the gifts I've been making!

I've been sewing!!!  Mostly  I've been making Stockings and tote bags.  I love these bags, they're easy, but make really nice looking bags.  I hope the people I'm giving them to like them as well as I do.  In order from left to right, a bag for our family gift exchange, a bag for our hair stylist, and lastly a bag for Daphne's teacher.  Wish me luck on getting the rest of my Christmas list done!

What do you do when someone doesn't like your gift?

Yesterday I got together with a friend that I hadn't seen in a while.  I was excited to be able to give her and her husband the mitten "stockings" (they are pictured in a previous post and in my projects slideshow) I made for them, and the stocking for her youngest that was almost identical to her older sisters.  For the girls stockings I made sure I used different trim so they could be told apart.  And for the mittens I used the rest of the fabric that my friend picked out and loved, when I made them a tree skirt and table runner.  It's not my favorite fabric but I thought the mittens turned our really cute!

So I gave them to her and nothing.  I guess there was a half hearted thanks, but that was it.  She did go to hang them up right away, but then turned and said that they all could really use their names to tell them apart.  I was a little (yeah more like a lot) frustrated and told her that "they" could probably use fabric paint to do that.  Then I had to turn around and teach them how to sew tote bags as Christmas gifts, using really weird fabrics that she let her 7 year old pick out.

I don't know why this bugged me so much!  When I make homemade gifts I try very hard to make things that I think the recipients will like and enjoy.  However I know that my taste might not fit what they like no matter how hard I try.  So I preface a lot of my gifts with this "I had a lot of fun thinking about you and the good times we've shared as I made this for you, however if this isn't to your liking than please feel free to give this to someone else who you think will enjoy it."  So I'm not sure what got to me this time.  Maybe it's that I really thought she would like these.

Oh well, at least I can take a perverse pleasure in the fact that even if she doesn't really like them, my friend will never give these away.  In fact she will probably keep using them every year just because I made them for her!