Purse size tissue holders -- fun little stocking stuffers to make now!

Made for a friend who loves green.

 I mentioned another project similar to the patchwork-look coasters.  This one is just that simple to make, and lots of fun as well.  In addition to keeping tissues in one's purse, these holders would also work well to keep in the car's glove compartment or in a child's school desk or backpack. 

My friend Marilyn made this tissue holder for me as a gift.  That got me started!

These are designed to have a patchwork look to them, but they need not be made with a variety of fabrics.  If you prefer, you could make all of the pieces from the same fabric for a more subdued look.  Here's what you do:

1.  Cut 2  4-inch squares from the fabric of your choice.  Cut 3 rectangles 4 inches by 5 3/4 inches.
2.  Choose the fabric you want to be the bottom of the tissue holder. Lay this rectangle, right side up, on your work surface.
3.  Fold the remaining four pieces in half, wrong sides in. Press the resulting rectangles so the folds are crisp and smooth.
4.  Lay the 2 larger rectangles just formed on top of the rectangle you set aside for the bottom of the holder. The folds of the rectangles should meet at the center, and the raw edges should line up with the outer edges and corners of the bottom rectangle beneath.
5.  Do the same with the remaining 2 rectangles. Interlock all of the rectangles like a pouch.  (This is much like interlocking the four top flaps of a cardboard box.)
6.  Pin along the outer edges of the entire stack.
7.  Stitch around all 4 sides in a 1/4-inch seam.
8.  Trim seams if necessary and clip off each corner.
9.  Turn tissue holder right side out and push out the corners so they are nice and square. Press holder carefully.
10.   If you like, hot-glue or sew a button or two to one of the rectangles to dress it up a bit.  A yo-yo or ribbon rose might make a pretty trim, too.
11.  Add a purse size pack of tissues to the holder.

Here are a couple of other tissue holders I have made.

Made for a teenage friend

Back of tissue holder below-- nice and neat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ornaments to make from juice can lids -- a cool craft for Christmas in July!

I don't know about you, but in our household we go through quite a few cans of frozen lemonade in the summer.  We make a gallon or more of raspberry lemonade (which uses 4 Raspberry Zinger® tea bags and the water you steep them in, 12 ounces of pink lemonade concentrate, 1/2 cup sugar, and water to fill a gallon jug) every week.  That means I have a stack of metal lids saved from the juice cans.  (Of course I don't have to save them, but they always seem full of possibilities to me.)

Some time ago I made quite a few simple ornaments (like the blue one above) using these lids and scraps of wrapping paper.  If you are interested in making some of these (they are easy enough for kids to help with), here is the link:
Simple Ornaments from Juice Can Lids.

Today I came upon this link to absolutely beautiful photo ornaments which, believe it or not, are also made from the metal lids from juice cans.

(Photo by The Crafting Chicks.com)

Here's the link:  Photo Ornaments from Juice Can Lids.  They are a little more complicated than the simple ones I've made in the past, but I love the photo idea and also the thought of journaling a little something about the person or the year on the back of the ornament.  This gives the ornaments more of an heirloom quality.   I think these are delightful and I will definitely be making some with my stack of pink lemonade lids. 

Have fun with these ideas!

A fun little project to make now for gifts

I've shared this project before: Patchwork-look Coasters, but I thought some who are new to my blogs might enjoy trying this simple sewing project.  These coasters make a lovely little gift, tied with a ribbon in stacks of four or six.  If you wanted to, you could add some matching placemats or hot pads for an even nicer gift.  Just click the link above to go to the directions.

These are a great way to use up small scraps of Christmas fabric, but they are great using any fabrics you like.  Make a set for every season, or just to coordinate with someone's dining room.

Summery sunflower coasters

Fall-themed coasters

A Christmas coaster

A set of Christmas coasters

Shows front and back of coasters

Have fun with this idea!

Drawstring Gift Bags from Sew4Home

(Photos by Sew4Home)

 I love the idea of making reusable fabric bags for Christmas gift wrap, and thanks to this wonderful tutorial from Sew4Home, this might just be the year I actually whip some up!  These bags are adorable and are part of Sew4Home's Christmas in July series.  Here's the link:  Drawstring Gift Bags.

These lovely gift bags are made with pretty Christmas prints from the Dear Mr. Claus collection by Cosmo Cricket for Moda Fabrics.  Of course, one could use any suitable Christmas fabric, or even make these in other fabrics for birthdays and other gift-giving occasions.  Have fun with this idea!

Making a [quarterly crafting] list...

(Photo by Photos Public Domain)

 Here's an idea that has really encouraged and motivated me as I craft throughout the year, with much of my crafting being handmade gifts for Christmas and other occasions.  A friend on a favorite crafting forum suggested keeping a list of quarterly crafting accomplishments.  This is so encouraging!  So often we keep a list of craft projects we want to do -- and occasionally we cross one off -- and when all is crossed off we throw the list away.  Or, we keep the list, cross off very few completed projects and (in my case, anyway) then we lose the list.  I started keeping these quarterly reports in the first quarter of 2011, and I can't tell you what a great encouragement it's been to me to see all that I actually do accomplish.  I love to make things, but have 101 (or so) other responsibilities on my plate and don't have all the crafting time I'd like.  This shows me that I really do get some crafting done, and motivates me to keep at it.

A quarterly crafting list is such a great idea, and right now, near the beginning of July, is a perfect time to start because it's the beginning of a new quarter.  Here's what to do:  

1.  Open a document in a word processing program.  Title it with the current quarter; in this case, 3rd quarter, 2012 crafting.

2.  Head your document with the current month; in this case, July.  List crafts you have completed in July under this heading.

3.  Throughout July, when you finish a project, add it to the list.

4.  Add a new heading for August.  Under this heading, list projects you complete in that month.

5.  Do the same for September.

6.  At this point, I create a new document for a new quarter.  You could just list all 2012 crafting in the same document if you prefer.

7.  On my computer desktop I have a folder called Goals, for things I am working at.  Within this I have another folder called Quarterly Crafting Reports, where I keep these documents filed.  You might want to do the same to make your document easily accessible for adding to.

Hope this idea is an encouragement to someone else!

Did you know? Moda makes dish toweling fabric in vintage Christmas prints!

Maybe you knew.  I didn't until this year, but Moda makes beautiful dish toweling fabric in many vintage fruit prints as well as classic checks and plaids.  And --  they make the same nice 100% cotton dish toweling in two different vintage holiday prints!  This fabric is 16 inches wide and may be purchased by the yard.  If you'd like to look into it, here are the links for the Santa dish toweling

And the Snow Buddies dish toweling.

Either of these would be a fun way to dress up your kitchen for the holiday!

A tea wallet -- a fun and easy little gift to make now!

 
Some years ago my daughter made me a pretty blue  tea wallet for Christmas.   Here is the link to the pattern she used: Little Birdie Tea Wallet.  If you have not visited the Wee Folk Art archives before, you are in for a treat.  Lots of nice little gift and toy ideas here!



 As you can see, this has space for tea bags on one side and note cards on the other, but it can easily be made with space for tea bags only if you prefer it that way.  I like to take my tea wallet along when we travel to a cabin up north.  It's an easy way to bring just a few assorted teabags along.  And the cards ensure I have something to write a list or address on if I need it.

These are a sweet and easy little gift that would make great stocking stuffers for ladies or teenage girls.  After my daughter made this blue one for me, I decided to try making some myself in other colors and themes.  The pattern is easy and I fell in love with it.  I made a Christmasy one with a red bird.

Here's the inside of that one.

Another Christmas-themed one, made for a Christmas in July exchange last year.

And the inside of that one.  Love that sort of retro green!

Here's a fall-themed tea wallet I made.

And the inside of that one.

You can easily customize this pattern for all of the ladies on your list, using different colors and themes.  The possibilities are really endless.

Hope you have fun with this idea!  I personally find hand sewing and simple embroidery like this very relaxing, and this is a nice portable craft to work on at the beach or just under a shady tree with a glass of iced tea at hand.

A simple Christmas in July sewing project

 Are you looking for a simple sewing project that can be made for nearly everyone on your list and can be personalized according to the recipient's taste?  How about a vintage-style pillowcase?  I saw this pattern on Pleasant View Schoolhouse years ago and have made many pillowcases since then.  Here is the link:  How to Make a Vintage-Style Pillowcase.  I'll add that most times, I don't bother to use the rickrack on the pillowcase.  It's not as pretty without, but makes the project even easier if omitted.

Children enjoy having their own special pillowcases that reflect their own individual interests.  Sometimes it can even make them more willing to take a nap!

Sam is happy with his Thomas pillowcase

Made for granddaughters; pair on right is made with vintage fabrics.

 

 

 

 

Two more with a train theme.

For teens or adults, you can make special Christmas pillowcases using Christmas or winter fabric.  (Children would enjoy these too, of course.)

A set with a winter theme.

Snowman pillowcase for a child

If you know their decorating preferences, use a fabric that coordinates to make your  pillowcases. 

This set was made to coordinate with a special quilt.

If you like, you could even embroider a name or saying (like "Sweet Dreams" or "Goodnight") on the border of the pillowcase.  I've thought of doing this, but haven't done so on the pillowcases I've made so far.  I want to make a set for myself, and maybe I will embroider something on those.

One thing I have noticed is that people seem to love getting their own special pillowcases made just for them.  I know that personally I very seldom buy new pillowcases for myself.  I suppose plenty of other people are the same way.

To me, the most difficult part of this project is the cutting of the fabric.  I have simplified matters somewhat for myself by making paper patterns the size of the two pattern pieces (the body of the pillowcase and the trim piece) and  re-using them each time.  But once the fabric pieces are cut, this is a speedy project indeed.

Have fun with this idea!  Start soon, and you could have a dozen of these completed by the end of July!

Unplanned blogging outage...

I had planned to blog nearly every day this month, sharing some Christmas in July posts.  Unfortunately, a lightning strike at our place Wednesday night knocked out our phones, internet, power, water, and even my husband's cell phone, which had been plugged in and charging at the time of the strike.  We got our power back yesterday afternoon, and the internet and phone this afternoon, but the problem with the water continues.  Fortunately, Mr. T had these 2 days off and has been working diligently to correct the problems, but we are not out of the woods yet.  I do have another Christmas in July post written and will post it soon.  Just wanted to share this much and let everyone know where I've been!

Christmas in July from the Gooseberry Patch Country Friends® Collection

(Image from Gooseberry Patch)

This little cookbook is only $4.95 and has some fun ideas for crafts and recipes you can make now.  The first suggestion is a Christmas in July party.  It includes ideas for snacks and for decorations to set the Christmas theme.  (I will be using these decorating ideas as I hope to celebrate a very simple "Christmas in September" while my daughter and family are visiting from out West.)  The decor ideas are very quick and simple, like stringing up some Christmas lights and using a Christmas tablecloth.

Next, there are easy suggestions for crafts and gifts to make, and even for making simple cards and gift wrap (along with more snacks and munchies to enjoy while you work).  There are some  great ideas for stocking stuffers, like sewing kits, holiday candles, votive holders, foot scrubs, etc.

There are also super ideas for Christmas countdowns to share from 12 to 24 little gifts each day before Christmas.  Fun!

There are also fun ideas for using jingle bells and other simple items to make cute little gifts.  And there are make-ahead kitchen gifts like jar mixes and hard candy.  "15 Tiny Things to Tuck Inside a Christmas Card" gives great suggestions for everyone on your card list.  There's a section of "Great Guy Gifts", including Car Cologne (I have made this; fun idea!), Frame of Fame, and Junk Food Extravaganza.  There are fun wrapping ideas and even a page called "Tag Store" with printable tags.

Inspiring quotes are sprinkled throughout the book too.  I particularly like this one:  "Set me a task in which I can put something of my very self, and it is a task no longer; it is joy; it is art."  -- Bliss Carman.

That is a lot of fun and information for only $4.95, and I love the idea of getting this little book out for inspiration every July.  Maybe you would like to get one for yourself ... a little Christmas in July present!

Verse for Christmas in July cards

One of the gifts I received in the Christmas in July exchange last year!

Do you celebrate Christmas in July?  I know a number of people who participate in Christmas in July gift exchanges.  I took part in one myself last summer and it was so much fun.  If you are taking part in such an exchange, or just making Christmas in July cards to send, you might be interested in this little verse I wrote last year for the card I made.  Feel free to use it in your own cards, if you like.

The sun is warm, the sky is blue;
Flowers bloom in every hue.
As summer days go zipping by,
Take time for Christmas in July.

Though balmy breezes fill the air,
Look out and picture snowflakes there. 
Open presents one by one;
Enjoy each moment ~ and have fun!

Don't forget, for more Christmas in July fun, do head over to A Debbie-Dabble Christmas and check out the list of Christmas in July bloggers in her sidebar.  I've checked them out and have found some inspiring ideas among them!

Why Christmas in July?

Have you ever wondered about the origins of "Christmas in July"?  I always assumed it was some sort of clever marketing tool,  perhaps based on the fact that in July we are about halfway to Christmas.  I was only partly right, as I learned at Sew4Home today.  They are doing a fun series this week called "Christmas in July with Moda."  Today's post is all about the history of Christmas in July, and it also shows several lovely lines of new Christmas fabric.  You can read all about it here: Christmas in July with Moda.

Later in the week, Sew4Home will be sharing some special small projects and/or tutorials using three pretty lines of Christmas fabric from Moda.  If you love Christmas and like to sew, you won't want to miss this week at Sew4Home!

And, for even more Christmas in July fun, go on over and visit A Debbie-Dabble Christmas!  A list of other Christmas in July bloggers will be found there.  Happy Christmas in July!

Rudolph Day for June

Rudolph Day was Monday, June 25, and I'm afraid I didn't get a lot of Christmasy things done that day.  A thought just occurred to me, though, and I think it may help with future Rudy Days.  In the past month or so, I have taken to scheduling my weeks and my days again.  (This is something I used to do  when my eldercare responsibilities were very heavy.)  I have a great weekly schedule set up that I can print out for each week, and I print them two-sided so I get two weeks' worth of scheduling out of one sheet of paper.  It just now occurred to me that I need to be sure to write in Rudy Day in the weekly schedule that includes the 25th of each month.  That will help, I'm sure.

That said (and hopefully I will act on it this month), I did accomplish some Christmas planning that day.  I got out my Christmas notebook and added a few ideas to my gift lists.  As mentioned previously, I did order the items I needed to make a  particular gift item for a loved one.  Those have now arrived, and I will start the project soon.  Also in the past few weeks, I have ordered and received a few stocking stuffers, plus I have ideas for others.  I also added a fudge recipe to my Christmas cookbook so I will know where to find it.

So ... not the most productive of Rudy Days, but a few things got done and Christmas planning remains on my radar screen.  I am paying attention to some Christmas in July postings going on this month, so maybe I can get back here to my Christmas kitchen and share some of those ideas!

Rudolph weekend for May!

(From my collection of vintage cards)

 Yes, I had a sort of Rudolph Weekend rather that just a Rudolph Day on Friday, May 25.  Over at my favorite Christmas craft forum, when my friend Fuchsia set up the weekly crafting challenge on Saturday morning, she made a suggestion that if we hadn't had time to do much on Rudy Day, we might make it a Rudy Weekend (it happened to be a long weekend here in the US, too!).  I decided to take her suggestion, since the only Christmasy thing I did on Friday was to sip some cranberry pomegranate green tea.  This at least had a festive flavor and color!

So between Saturday and Sunday, mostly on Saturday, I managed a few Christmasy tasks.  One was to go over my Christmas list and add in a few items I've thought of for various people.  That felt good and showed me who I still need to find ideas for.  I also worked on crafting some felt strawberries -- in bright red with green hulls and white seeds, they had a festive look and -- although these particular berries are for someone else -- I plan to make some for my grandkids for Christmas, so this can be a sort of trial run for that.  Lastly, as I looked through my Christmas notebook, I found a note to myself about a particular cross-stitched item I wanted to make for someone.  It requires buying a back issue of a magazine and also purchasing a specialty item for finishing.  I've wanted to make this gift for several years now, but just haven't gotten around to sending away for those important components (mostly because of high shipping costs).  I decided to just bite the bullet and order those things and have it done.  Now I'm excited about beginning the project!

So that was my Rudy Weekend.  Not highly productive, but I'm pleased with what I did accomplish!

A fun surprise in the mail!

Last month I barely got to post here in my Christmas kitchen at all.  I never even got in here for Rudolph Day on the 25th!  (We had just returned from a getaway the day before and so the 25th was a day to catch up with unpacking and laundry, not to mention it was a Wednesday which is always a busy day for me.

But I did get a fun surprise in the mail during April ... one day a manila envelope arrived, bearing the return address of a sweet blog friend.  And in it were some pieces of lovely Christmas fabric and a sweet note. 
 
There were three pieces of fabric -- one a poinsettia print from Nature's Gift by Deb Strain for Moda, and the other two -- one small and one larger -- from Holly Jolly by Mary Lake-Thompson for Robert Kaufman.  These are high-quality fabrics which I might tend not to buy for myself.  My friend would not be using these fabrics and thought surely I could find a use for them. 

Of course I will!

Quote of the day

Today I was looking through an issue of my favorite recipe newsletter, Cook & Tell.  In this particular issue, Karyl Bannister shared some snippets from the newsletter's first year of publication back in 1982.  I wasn't a subscriber back then, so was interested in these little quotes.  The one for December 1982 struck a chord with me, so thought I would share it with you.  Karyl wrote:

"Food, love, and remembrance are stars in the Christmas constellation.  In order of magnitude, love is star number one.  Without it, remembrance is only ritual, and food is mere sustenance."

Another vintage Christmas ad

I just felt like posting something here on my Christmas blog today, but have nothing new and Christmasy to share.  So I decided to share something old ... a favorite candy bar ad from my collection of vintage Christmas magazines.  Note that this candy bar is "enriched with dextrose"!  Much as I love this ad, somehow that phrase doesn't inspire me to run out and buy a Baby Ruth®!

Rudolph Day for March

(Photo by Photos Public Domain)

 ... didn't amount to much.  Sundays in winter are busy for us, with Sunday School (Mr. T and I both teach), morning service, potluck lunch, and then a 1:30 pm afternoon service.  Still, the fact that Rudolph Day came on a Sunday this month shouldn't have made a huge difference.  That afternoon service takes the place of a 6 pm service, so technically we have most of Sunday afternoon and evening free.  Often, I get a lot of crafting done on a Sunday afternoon.

But not this time.  I just had ten minutes or so to spend on a Christmas gift-tag making project.  We  had phone calls to make and return, a sink full of breakfast dishes still to do (when grandkids are here, we make waffles on Sunday morning), and the weather had cleared from rain in the morning so we also wanted to get out for a nice long walk.  

Fortunately, I did get some Christmas crafting done on Saturday.  Just a little but it counts, right?  I cut out some more pieces for the pieced Christmas placemats I'm working on,
 
and did quite a bit of work on the tag-making project.  These were the projects I'd planned to work on during Rudy Day, so I did get something done toward them.

I see that the Rudolph Day for April falls on a Wednesday, which happens to be a very busy day for me when I'm not home much.  So I think I will need to plan ahead to celebrate the day on Monday or Tuesday and hopefully have a more productive Rudolph Day next month.

Vintage Christmas coffee ad

 As I'm sure I've mentioned previously, I inherited a stack of vintage Christmas magazines from my mother.  I enjoy paging through them, reading the articles and stories and trying some of the recipes and projects.  It will probably take me the rest of my life to get through all of them!  One of the most fun things for me is seeing the vintage advertisements.  Some of my favorites are the A&P coffee ads.  I thought this one was particularly nice because of the soft pastel Christmas tree in the background and also for the lovely, lovely coffee pot and cup and saucer set.  Blue with snowflakes!  Love it!  Wouldn't it be fun to find one like this?

the complete advertisement

Hope you have enjoyed seeing this as much as I did.  I found it in a 1957 Woman's Day magazine.

A Christmas place mat finished

Yesterday, I managed to finish a project (the first installment of it, anyway) that I had started a couple of years ago.  Back in 2010 (I think) I had finished a Christmas table runner, a project I had found in an old magazine.  It was actually from Decorating & Craft Ideas, the December 1980 issue. 

I loved the runner and planned to make the matching place mats.  I actually cut out the 12 petal pieces called for [for one place mat] and got them stitched together, and had cut out the center circle piece.  And there the project has stalled, stacked in a pile of fabric. 

Last week I decided to tackle finishing one place mat.  Here is the result:

The zigzag stitching is far from perfect on this first attempt.  That puckering is completely normal, I see from the magazine photo of the place mat, so I'm not stressing about that one bit.  I am very pleased with how it came out for a first try, and am planning to cut out a second one this week.  In fact, when I investigated further, I found that I had 6 more petal pieces already cut, so there is a head start.  I hope to make either 7 or 9 more place mats, for a total set of 8 or 10.  This project is a real fabric stash buster, so I may be able to hit Jo-Ann's Christmas in July sale this year with a clear conscience!