Handmade Holidays

Fortunately, my burst of craftiness coincided with the Holidays, so I was able to make some handmade gifts for my family.

This is my favorite creation so far, probably since it was for my daughter. This follows the Simple Tote design from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing. I love the dot fabric which I found at the local Hancocks. I will definitely make some more of these, but will adjust the dimensions to "adult" size.

This Vintage Apron (also from Bend the Rules) was for my stepmother, an accomplished sewer. Sewing this was a nice way to refresh my long-ago-learned sewing skills and was my first crack at gathering. The possibilities are endless with this design by adding different shaped/sized pockets, ruffles and embellishments.

I made a few of these sets. The zip pouch is from Bend the Rules. The little tissue cozy, perfect for purse packs of tissues, is made from this tutorial. These were fun to make and are a great way to use fabric scraps. The zip pouch was my first try at sewing in zippers and handsewing in a lining.

For my niece, I made this handmade Memory Game using family photos, favorite characters and familiar symbols, all gifted in a sewn drawstring bag. To make the cards, I set up a template in Powerpoint and inserted the pictures along with overlayed cutting lines. I then printed the Powerpoint slides on matte brochure cardstock. To give the cards some thickness and rigidness before cutting, I fused the printed cardstock along with three other pieces of colored cardstock together with mounting spray. Then I cut out the cards with a cutting mat and craft knife. Next time, I might just use two pieces of cardstock to make the cards easier to cut.