I had recently made shirts for the guys in our house, but I couldn’t resist making some for us girls, too. I picked up the screen print transfers from Krafty Korner Supplies because they were screaming Taylor and I’s name (we are big The Office fans). Because I was pressed for time, I wound up putting these on purchased tees (from Hobby Lobby) and now have 0 regrets doing this – these shirts wound up being very soft and comfortable and the fit is pretty decent too, not to mention the fact that I got an instant shirt.

The shirt in the middle is my “normal” Christmas tee that I made (also from Krafty Korner) – I figured I can wear this one under a cardigan, etc. and no one will ask what my shirt is about. I figured I needed at least one of these this season. LOL

This Santa Pillow has to be my favorite decoration that I’ve seen so far this year.

Since being at home (all the time), I’ve been rockin’ the leisurewear almost every day – these City Pants look like a fun way to change up my “look”.

Some of our favorite pattern companies are launching holiday freebies. Today’s tutorial at Pattern’s for Pirates is a “Pirate Pillowcase“. Winter Wear designs has free cut files for Cricut and Silhouette cutting machines. While Made for Mermaids has a scrunchie, spa headband, and chef hat tutorials available for free.

This Miracle Caddy looks like a great way to keep things organized and still be able to carry it from car to house to wherever!

Looking for a quick gift to sew? This faux fur scarf and glove set can be made in “minutes” and will definitely be loved by the recipient!

I love the idea of quilt as you go projects, but never want to do an entire quilt. This trivet is a great way to try out this technique without the time commitment.

Enter to win a 20 piece fat quarter bundle of Sweet Caroline fabrics.

Every year, on Black Friday, Jalie releases a new Galaxie pattern (you can see my take on last year’s here). This year, the Galaxie (4), tackles some awesome pet (and human) projects. I was able to test the Linus – an adorable waist pack\fanny pack\hip pack and it’s…. AWESOME!

Even if you’ve never made a bag before, I think you’re going to like making the Linus – it came together well and is pretty quick to put together, too. Plus the zippers are very easy to install! I used a home decor weight fabric for the exterior and a quilting cotton for the lining – this seemed to be enough structure to have the hip pack keep it’s shape, but if you were after something firmer, you could definitely add some interfacing and it wouldn’t change the difficulty on sewing this one up. Overall, I had a lot of fun stitching this one up and could definitely see making more if we needed them (we like to wear waist packs when we go to amusement parks so that we can stash phones, money, keys, etc. and they don’t fly out during rides).

You can grab yours here (it’s not on sale any more, but definitely worth the price – I plan on making a few of the pet projects in the future (and the pet bed is calling my name and I’m trying to find a cat or small dog to sew one for, LOL). They’ve also posted two other patterns as well: a set of face masks and a booties & slippers pattern (with a travel bag). I didn’t have the opportunity to sew either one of these, but I need those slippers in my life!

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you may have seen various posts talking about my mom. Much like everyone, 2020 has been a difficult journey for our family. In early January, I had to place my mom in memory care. During her months there, we saw her memories quickly fading, but she kept up her spunky personality. In July, my mom fell and broke her hip. She never really recovered from this – as much as everyone tried to get her back to her usual self, she started a rapid decline both mentally and physically. Three weeks ago, I placed my mom on hospice. I received a call on Friday that she was “transitioning” and was making arrangements to see her this weekend, but she and God had other plans – my mom passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday. I think this was probably a “good” thing as the last time I was physically able to see her (because of the Coronavirus, her facility prohibited visitors – I had lots of video chats, though), she was very lively, energetic, and full of laughs. This is a nice way to remember her.

While this is an extraordinarily sad time, I’m comforted by the fact that she’s not only in a better place with her parents and my dad, but knowing this past year is not how she would have wanted to continue to live. My mom always bragged at how she could remember everything and dementia robbed her of all of that.

In light of all of this, I’m taking some time away from postings so I can get her affairs in order, celebrate her life, and process it all. In the mean time, give your loved ones an extra hug (or just let them know you love them if you have to be virtual), have a safe and happy holiday, and I’ll see you all in December.

I love giving gift baskets for special occasions and holidays. If you want to dress up your basket, here’s a great tutorial on creating a liner for it.

If you’re not tired of the Christmas gnome trend (and honestly, who could be, they’re so cute!), then here’s another tutorial to add to your list.

Looking to decorate your table this Christmas? Be sure to check out this fun table runner.

Sloths are definitely a favorite animal around here (next to the red panda). If you love them as much as us, you’ll want to check out this tutorial for making your own (stuffed) from cozy socks.

Not a knitter, but still want to wear handmade knits? No problem. Here’s an easy sweater tutorial using sweater knit fabrics.

If you’re looking to change up your mantle this year, this stocking tutorial is an easy place to start.

These keepsake ornaments are a great project for kids to work on while remote learning or just over the break – everyone will love the end result.

This advent pillow is a fun way to countdown to Christmas without taking up a lot of space.

This sherpa scarf may keep you cozy, but these pompoms make it fun!

Enter to win a Hatch Embroidery Personalizer and a Hatch Academy Silver Pass.

Have fun and be festive in the kitchen with these elf aprons for kids and adults.

One of our holiday traditions is to open pajamas on Christmas Eve. If you’re looking to do something similar, here’s a free pattern for pajama bottoms to get your started.

My family probably hates the fact that I’ve discovered screen print transfers because they’ve been getting an abundance of (themed and\or funny) t-shirts lately. My latest? Little Debbie holiday t(r)ees.

My husband is a huge fan of their Christmas Trees so I couldn’t pass this print up. While I was at it, I decided to make a matching shirt for Easton because who doesn’t like Little Debbies? (in hindsight, I probably should have made one for Taylor too since we used to call her Little Debbie when she was in high school because she had snack cakes every day at lunch, LOL)

I used this “Tis the Season” screen print from Krafty Korner Supplies and Comfort Colors tees as the base.

Not only am I a “Baby Yoda” fan, but I’m on an ornament kick as well (I made some last year as well). So, it only stands to reason that this is one of my latest makes:

I picked this little guy up as a freebie with purchase from Off With Their Threads and was determined to stitch it up before I put up our decorations. Overall, these embroidered well (I did have issues with one of the ears), but I wish I had a slightly different shade of green to work with – I’m not sure if the color I wanted even exists, though.

I still have a few more ornaments that I want to tackle and then I have told myself that I AM DONE (for awhile) and need to work on something different…. I still have half sewn projects sitting on my table!

This weekend, I decided to tackle some of the stocking stuffer type projects that I had in mind. One of them was completing the Ouija board mini notebook.

When I originally made the planchette (Right) I hand cut the circle – clearly that was a disaster. Not only was it choppy, but I didn’t cut enough away so there is vinyl showing through past the stitching. To make it worse, the clear vinyl I used for the window shifted and you can see an edge through the hole. In order to try to fix this, I ordered a set of punches. They are still too small to completely take out the circle in one punch, but I was able to get a lot smoother line this way (Left). My only real mistake with this is the red stitching, I was working on something else that used this color, left it in the machine and didn’t pay attention to what I was doing. I decided to call this a “design choice”, added a red grommet and called it good. I learned a lot with this project – it was definitely a lot of work and I’d do somethings differently the next time (if there is) I make one.

I also made a set of coasters! This is Periodically Drunk – a funny science\alcohol themed set that I made for my daughter’s boyfriend. I used a variety of different colored vinyl for the top and cork on the underside to stitch these up and I just love the end result…. plus it’s a great gift for guys (which is always hard to find projects for them)!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you may be planning your holiday table. Stitch up some pretty mitered napkins, then pick your favorite way to fold them.

If baking is on your list of holiday gift giving, here’s a great tutorial for linen bread bags – what a pretty way to present your goods!

Have you (or your kids) been playing Among Us lately? If so, you’ll definitely want to stitch up one of these crewmate plush!

If you’ve been working or online learning this year, chances are you’re in need of more organization in your work area. These baskets aren’t just pretty, they hang, giving you plenty of tablespace to work.

Have a favorite dress pattern, but wish they had pockets? Learn how to draft and add your own.

These tree trivets are a festive way to serve your dishes this holiday.

Every winter I say I’m making a bowl cozy and never do. This weekend, I’m planning a chili night – I may just have to make some so we can sit on the couch and watch football.

Last week I linked to some “Ugly Christmas Sweater” tutorials. I’m pretty sure this may be as close to an ugly Christmas apron that I’ve seen (it’s fun because it lights up)!

These curly toed elf stockings may not be very practical for filling, but they sure will look cute on a mantel.

Enter to win 3 sewing patterns from DIY Fluffies.

Last year I didn’t have much time to make Christmas gifts (so it was store bought for everyone!), so this year I wanted to make up for it – even if they’re small. So, I decided that instead of using “traditional” gift tags, that I would attach ornaments to presents instead.

For this round, I made a lot of Kansas ornaments (and one Ohio, that’s for me!). I used a maple cork for the base of these and tied it off with a buffalo check bow for a rustic/farmhouse look. I used different threads for these to give some variety – some have variegated thread, others have light or dark colored wreaths, and some have tiny bells…. I’m not sure you could go wrong with these designs!

I still have a few more ornaments that I want to try (I may have over bought designs this year), but I think these should be a fun addition for everyone’s tree!