Sewing in the Dark

12:15AM  December 23rd, 2010:

It had hit me earlier in the evening that I had stockings for myself, my Beau, and my dad, but no stockings for my babies- the cats (Porter and Ada) and dog (Izzie.) So in a flurry of thread, fabric, and a sewing machine I quickly plotted together a bone shaped stocking for Izzie and a "fish" shaped stocking for Ada and Porter (although it didn't turn out quite as fishy as I had planned it.) It was a stormy night out, lots of wind and some rain, and as I was sewing the cats' fish stocking together there was a big boom and all went dark.

Scrambling to light some candles and thankful we had a few flashlights handy we had our house up and running in no time. It was kind of nice to have the peace and quite and be able to listen to the rain fall, but I was on a mission. I needed to finish these stockings! I set out some candles on the table and began sewing the little details onto the bone stocking as best I could. The photos turned out really neat and the stockings ended up charming, at best.



Izzie's Stocking




Izzie protecting her stocking.



Mine. Beau's. Izzie's. Dad's. Ada and Porter's.



Porter hiding under the Christmas tree.

 We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas! Have a happy New Year and make those resolutions count! Next year's Christmas sewing project... a tree skirt. Whitney made one this year and it turned out great!

Merry Belated Christmas,

~Birdie

Christmas Spirit



Our First Christmas Tree



I will admit, I think I may have lost a little bit of my inner child when it comes to Christmas. I have been a little Scroogish in the last few years, unable to really jump into the Christmas Spirit like I used to be able to. This year it was proving just as much a challenge as the last, except with the lovely challenge of 80 degree weather. Now, I can't speak for you, but my idea of Christmas is chilly weather, hot cocoa, layering, the desire to feel warm, and praying for snow. NOT wearing t-shirts, shorts, laying out by the pool, with a guarantee that there will be no snow. The second hard part about Christmas is the fact that I'm not able to spend it with my family, and haven't for about 5 years now. It is hard to get into the Christmas Spirit when you have zero decorations and to make matters even more difficult- your spouse is a Scrooge all his own. OY! We have some work ahead of us!



Santa



I was determined that this year was going to be different, and, thankfully, it is slowly becoming so. We bought a real Christmas tree this year, a tree from a tree farm from my hometown no less, and went to the store to buy decorations. Neither of us having an ornament to our names, we had to start from scratch. We bought your basic bulbs, a string of color lights, and a string of white lights. Beau picked an Angel for the tree topper and we agreed to continue on the family tradition my dad and step-mom had started with my brothers and me. For 11 years my brothers and I would wait for Christmas, knowing the presents to come would be plenty and wonderful. Christmas Eve was our teaser. My dad and step-mom allowed us to open two presents on Christmas Eve, of their choosing. Those two presents, without fail, would always be a pair of new pajamas and a new Christmas ornament to mark the year's events for each individual. One year it was a clay molded child on a snowboard, another year was a little black bear named "Honey" (after my favorite beanie baby). Beau and I agreed to begin the hunt for a Christmas ornament for the other as a Christmas Eve gift to each other. This year we don't plan on gifting anything to one another as we have a joint venture we are focusing our money to at the moment that will, hopefully, be a wonderful Christmas present to us both... so the Christmas ornaments will be a nice treat. I also agreed with him that we would stuff each other's stockings that I had made (see previous blog post). While at the store I also picked up some wreaths, ribbon, and a Santa Claus (since we have NONE). I figure, one year at a time, we will be able to pick up enough decorations to bring the house together in a festive representation of our spirits... that are slowly picking up.

 

For those of you out there that frown upon the felling of a tree for the sake of Christmas decoration, let me put forth my argument: These trees found on tree lots and on tree farms are grown for this specific reason. Our tree is seven years old (I counted the rings). Our tree was planted by a farmer with the intention that someday it would be cut down and placed into someone's home. These trees are not taken from the forest. By purchasing this tree I have not only made my house smell delicious and look beautiful, but I have also supported a local farmer (local to my hometown anyway) allowing him to continue to provide for his family and thus their traditions can live on. I rest my case.

We came home with our decorations and set about the tree - putting each bulb on to the tune of Nat King Cole's Christmas Hits. Our tree was perfect for us. Not too big, not too cluttered, just right. I put some ribbon bows on the wreaths and hung them on the wall, set Santa out on the record player near the tree, and lighted some festive smelling candles to finish the look. Overall, I think it turned out pretty great! Having the look certainly helps get us in the spirit of the holiday.



Mine, Beau's, Dad's



More good news to help, my dad will be flying in on Christmas Eve to spend the weekend with us. I haven't spent Christmas with my dad since I was 15, so this is a big deal for us both. Having him here will definitely help my spirit jump through the roof. Next year Beau and I have decided that we would spend a good week or so in the NorthWest to visit with family and spend Christmas with them. I'm very excited for next year. I was able to make a stocking for my dad for the occasion. Santa needs to be able to find him while he is away from home. Beau will be cooking is famous home made pancakes for Christmas breakfast. It should be a treat.

I bought some Apple Cider to warm up and sip on, yum yum! Now if only we could work on that snow! I think Phoenix would go into a state of shock if it snowed on Christmas day here. I've seen their driving in the rain- that isn't pretty. Snow would be a disaster!

Things I need to think about:

• What am I going to cook for dinner?
• What kind of ornament should I get Beau?
• I need to get stocking stuffers (Cracker Barrel Store anyone? yes!)
• I need wrapping paper.
• What am I going to cook for dinner?!

My Music Choices:



Frank Sinatra pops in too!



Bah-hum-bu... I mean... Merry Christmas!
~Birdie

Anemic Stockings

It struck me, a few weeks ago, that I really wanted to start making things from scratch- dresses, shirts, Christmas decorations, blankets, etc. With this came the notion that I could make our own Christmas Stockings which would be so much better than the store bought ones. I quickly put my head together with Whitney to try and figure out the best way to figure this out. To start, we had to buy fabric. That's the fun part! I found the perfect fabric for Beau- the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence (He is very patriotic) and a deep red fabric with off white stars on it. Perfect! I chose a dark green fabric with small white dots on it to pair with an off white fabric with a subtle gold floral pattern. To make the cuff I chose a scruffy, faux fur fabric that was an off white to give it that antique look - ye be warned... that fabric is the messiest fabric I have ever seen! (But worth it.) We opted to do a quilted look for the body of the stockings so we cut the fabric into square patches and alternated them.

I was lucky enough to get a sewing machine one year for Christmas and although I had used it once or twice then, it had been about two years since I had read the manual or played with the device. It was like a foreign object. Thankfully, Whitney had just gotten herself a sewing machine and was familiar with how it worked so she was able to guide me through. Eventually, we figured it out and were able to proceed.



Once we created our quilt pattern and sewed together the patches, we looked down at our mini-quilts and took a deep breath before taking the plunge and cutting out a stocking pattern. We were sure to cut the boots in opposite directions (this was done after much "Are you sure?" "Yes I am pretty sure it should go this way." "This way?" "I don't know!") We cut the furry liner and cuff in the shape of the boot and sewed that onto the back of the quilted piece. This way the furry part would be on the inside of the stocking- nice and cozy warm. The cuff was a tricky part and although I got it right on my stocking, Beau's did not fair as well. Whoops. We sewed the pieces together, furry sides out, and left the top of the stocking open.


As for that pesky, but all important cuff? Here is what you do- you cut a piece for the cuff long enough to wrap all the way around the mouth of the stocking. Line one end of the cuff piece up to a seam of the inside out stocking (furry side out). Be sure that the non-furry side of the cuff is on top- so that when you flip the stocking it looks right. It should look like the furry inside of the stocking with the rough part of the cuff on top- Start sewing and sew all the way around the stocking. When you get back to the beginning seam finish the cuff off, but leave some room to be able to sew the open part of the cuff together. Take the stocking and press the ends of the cuff together and sew it up (like to pieces of a quilt). You want the "inside out look" on the cuff's seam. When you flip the stocking outside-in you will be able to fold the cuff down and the seam will be hidden underneath while the fluffy part sits nicely on the soft patches side of the stocking. Decorate as you feel appropriate.


I have yet to decorate and personalize our stockings, but I am on the hunt for the perfect pieces. I want to make them look a little more rustic with big leather buttons and maybe some pieces of nature, leaves and such.


My Fabric



Beau's Fabric















Our Layouts

Sewn Together

Our Pattern



Finished, anemic looking stockings!

 
Good luck on your own sewing adventures,

~Birdie