Another Year is Here

Happy New Year to all.  Isn't it exciting?  So much potential.  

The following photos are of the Christmas items I made.  I wanted to share earlier around mid December, but I didn't want to give any secrets away.

I tried hard to align the plaid, but here at the seam where the back yoke connects to the back  I didn't manage it.

   

My first time making a placket in a sleeve.  This flannel is very heavy.  I ended up using a walking foot.

Finished and received.   I love this son of mine.

I bought this stretchy rib knit to make this same son a sweater.  You see, I was planning to knit one for him, but I kind of gave up knitting.  So when I saw this pattern from Thread Theory Designs I decided to sew a sweater.  Morgan Meredith there also gave me wonderful suggestions for places to buy sweater knits.   If you like sewing for men do visit this site.  So very helpful.  There was even a sew-along for the Finlayson Sweater which is what I made.

Wonderful to see him in his sweater.  He lives 2000 miles away from me.

I made aprons for my girls.  I started with my daughter-in-law as she lives farthest and so had to mail early.

The 30's reproduction fabric has bunnies sailing in leaf boats.  Also I made the bias binding using one of those binding makers I borrowed from a friend.  Then I promptly went out and bought some for myself.

My oldest daughter wanted a holiday apron,  'a different holiday'.

So she has a reversible St. Patrick's Day apron.

The other side.

Younger daughter was wanting a Christmas apron

So hers is also reversible.  Candies on one side and . . .

decorative reindeer on the other.

I will close for now. Tomorrow, if you choose to return, I'll share the sewing that was done for my three granddogs.  It was lots of fun sewing for Christmas.  I want to do it again next year.

The Costume

Last year at this time I was doing our local production of Les Miserables.  I made and worked on many costumes for that show. This is one of the posts from that time.  I have mentioned before that I like making costumes.  If you are interested you can read other posts about costumes by looking at the labels on the right.

My choice of fabric for costumes had been mainly cottons and cotton blends.  Even for fancier clothes. When my older kids were in Christian school in San Jose, they didn't have Halloween there.  They had Famous Americans Day which was celebrated the day before Thanksgiving.  The children wrote a report about a famous American and then dressed as that person.  There was a contest for the reports and for the costumes, per each class.  I thought it was great idea and the girls loved it.  Maybe not the report writing, though both won the essay contest at least once.

Alex, (L) was Helen Keller that year.

Elizabeth was Elizabeth Blackwell.

But once years before that, I made Elizabeth a clown costume using satin.  That was tricky.  Satin is slippery and it ravels terribly.

This is Alex wearing the hand-me-down clown costume.

After that experience I didn't sew shiny, slippery fabrics again until this year.

When Elizabeth got married, I made 2 of her 3 bridesmaid dresses.  It was May so we found lovely fine cotton floral fabric.  I'm sorry I don't have a photo of those dresses.  They turned out nice. Though not of silk or satin.

This Fall, a friend of mine asked me to make a costume for her granddaughter.  Helen had planned to make it herself but fire intervened and she asked me.  She had purchased nearly everything that was needed so all I had to do was get sewing.

Three fabrics (all slippery and shiny) thread, a zipper, braided trims and the pattern.  She even brought pins.

The sliver dotted fabric and the lovely heavy satin-type knit for the under dress.

The organza over cape attached, it still needs the sleeves.

A close-up of the braid at the waist.

All done. So happy.

I was going to take it over to Helen so I sent a text asking what day was best. There was still 10 days until Christmas.  She replied that she was already in Arizona with her family and could I mail it.  I did.

I hear the little one is loving her present from her Grandma.

And once more let me wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. A time to remember the greatest gift of all. God's gift to us, His Son, Jesus.

O Holy Night

Sung by the King's College Choir, Cambridge

Just so you Know

I am still planning to write my blog.  I believe I may have writer's block.  Though I'm busy doing things,  I'm not sure any of it is of interest.

Christmas time is wonderful.  I like celebrating the greatest gift.  God, our Father's gift of His Son.  I also like shopping for presents and decorating the tree.  Going to Christmas pageant's and concerts. Once in a while go to see the Nutcracker.  I love the Russian dancers.

Watch them here.

The Chinese dancer and Arabian dancers are also good.  Well, frankly, the whole darn show is grand.

One of my all time favorite Christmas movies is "The Homecoming"   Preview here.

When I was a child, I loved "Amahl and the Night Visitors." When I looked on YouTube, there were several versions.  If you're interested you can look them up.  The ones I watched years ago were performed live each year.

I also love "A Charlie Brown Christmas."  I love "Christmas Time is Here."  Here.

Perhaps I'll post again before Christmas comes, but in case I don't,  Happy Christmas to all of you and a peaceful, healthy, fun New Year.

Joy to the World