Project :: Wedding Gift Pillowcases

Mr. Wiedz and I attended a wedding last September of some dear friends. I brainstormed quite a few options for gifts...can't even remember them now but I do think I was thinking KitchenAide mixer at one point.

Mr. Wiedz suggested our traveling to Alabama for the wedding was gift enough. But I couldn't really go to a wedding empty handed.

I thought a compromise would be a hand-made gift. Some of my most favorite wedding gifts are the embroidered pillowcases we received so I decided to go that route and started brainstorming designs.

The groom was from Colorado and the bride was from Alabama so I decided to draw the two state flowers intertwined. Columbine and peonies. 

It took longer than I thought it would to embroider the design so we did attend the wedding empty-handed. And it took a really long time for me to decided what kind of body fabric I wanted and to actually purchase it. Then it took even longer to sew the pillowcases together (the sewing took a couple sessions one day but the fabric sat in a pile on my desk for awhile then washed but hanging for a few more months). Finally almost a year after the wedding I was able to get these hand-made beauties in the mail for the happy couple.

I love how they turned out and intend this to be my go-to wedding gift in the future.

Handmade

Now that Christmas is over I can show off some of the handmade that made it under our tree this year. I didn't take on too much as far as handmade goes and I'm happy to report it seems like just the right amount. People who really appreciate handmade or could use something I can make got something but I didn't go too crazy and drive myself into a dizzy trying to do too much.

First up was a project by the kids for their grandmas. And our first-ever freezer paper stencil project - fun! I found the idea in a Family Fun Magazine (they didn't do freezer paper but I think it worked brilliantly). I talked to each kid about what design they would like on their dishtowel. Then I cut out all the freezer paper. During nap-time the kids took turns painting the towels. Baby got some help putting his handprint on after he woke up. The kids thought they turned out real nice and the grandmas liked them too!

#1 found a project in a book we had from the library, Kids' Embroidery, that she thought her Grandma D would like. Grandma D is a big journal keeper so #1 embroidered a cover for a new journal for her. I forgot to take a finished product photo but it turned out awesome and Grandma D loved it.

My dad is a hankie user. A couple of years ago I embroidered some for him and now they are ready to be replaced. So he got some new hankies wrapped up under the tree.

Lastly, I drew #1 in our family exchange and thought she'd appreciate a cowl (or neck warmer as we like to call them). I had some yarn my mom gave me sitting in my stash waiting for a project and found a quick easy pattern (ravelry link). I paired it with a new journal and she was very pleased.

The group sibling gift

I shared awhile back about the sweet sibling gifts that have started around here for each birthday. I'm loving this new tradition and want to encourage the thoughtfulness and caring that they each put into their gift. That said, with #5 celebrating his 1st birthday I was a little aprehensive about the time I would have to devot to the gifts. Usually there is only 1 or 2 kids who are "into" gift making. I can handle an extra craft or two. But I knew all 4 would be wanting to create something for their little brother and I didn't think I was up for 4 different craft projects with 4 different "bosses" wanting help and supplies.

So I brought up to the group an idea of doing a gift together. Each getting to decorate a fabric panel and I would put them together in a love-y style quilt. Not big enough to be an actual quilt but just right to be carried, snuggled with, cherished as a gift from his siblings.

During morning nap at then end of circle time we got out the supplies and set to work. The lovely thing about creating for a baby is the abiltity to do it right in front of them so when #5 woke up there was no stress about ruining the surprise.

#2 was having a challenging day so his chair looked like this for a lot of our creating time.

We've been dealing with a lot of copying of artist work around here. As we started our project #1 asked how many letters were in the alphabet and with that figured out had decided on a design that involved letter blocks stacked up in a pile. Wouldn't you know it that #2 started on the same design as soon as he got supplies. To avoid WWIII I turned his square into a truck and told him to figure out another design. While avoiding a huge blow-up between kids I created hurt feelings with #2. So he spent a lot of time being upset.

In the end he was able to pull together a design all his own that he was very excited about. And everyone else was proud of the work they did.

Of course we traced the alligator, then he added the alligator hunter with mohawk and ax and the big net.

Again #4's drawing came with explict directions that it said "a brown boat".

Baby was thrilled with his gift from the siblings!

I didn't take any photos of the complete gift all laid out, but it is loved. I grabbed a bunch of 2 inch pieces from my scrap bags, sewed them together and sewed the long strip that made between panels, trying for a scrappy not uniform look. I just made a quilt sandwich out of stash pieces my mom had given me. There was enough of the Clifford fabric for the back and the binding. I even put it back through the machine to quilt around each panel, sewed the binding on the front and finished on the back by hand the next couple of nights. Getting the top together and quilted took about an hour one evening then the binding was two nights in front of American Idol.

finished

One of the handmade items I did for Christmas was dishrags for my mom and Mr. Wiedz's mom.

I got the pattern here. It was a simple and quick knit. I could knit in the car or in small pockets of time.

#1 also knit her grandmas a couple of dishrags. We put together a present for each of them, 2 from me and 1 from her. #1 picked out all the yarn colors and got to choose who used which yarn.

I got all but 1 wrapped and under the tree. I had cast on that last one and figured I could knit while driving back and forth to the family Christmas Eve party. But I turned out to be the driver as Mr. Wiedz stayed at my parents sick himself and with a sick #4.

So, my mom got 1 Stacy-knit dishrag and 1 #1-knit dishrag.

The cast-on but forgotten dishrag has been riding along in the bottom of my bag since then.

Until the other day at church. We were early (#1 has a commitment that requires her to be in class half of an hour ahead of the rest of our classes starting) and waiting in #3's class for the teacher to get there. I pulled out the sorry lump of yarn, de-tangled, figured out where I was, got a refresher from the pattern (love my iPhone) and used those extra minutes.

And a few more listening to the service.

Finished. And in the mail.

A gift

I whipped this t-shirt up for a friend of #2's from Cub Scouts. The party was this past Saturday. #2 picked out the guitar design, I'm not sure why. While we ran errands the other day we picked up the shirt...I was hoping for a colored shirt since white generally doesn't stay white for too long, especially on a 7 year old boy. It turned out cute and I was happy with it. So was the mom of the recipient...the actual recipient couldn't really care about a t-shirt, hand embroidered or not.

inspired by all my reading at house on hill road.

A mama-made hat for #2

#2 has been (so far) left out of the mama-made knitting around here. Something he pointed out regularly and I was determined to fix.

Grammie N purchased some beautiful yarn from here but can't for the life of her figure out this knitting thing. (strange since she's so excellent at everything like knitting) She couldn't see keeping the dk weight yarn when it didn't really fit the crocheting she likes to do. So I was the lucky recipient of all this gorgeous yarn!!!! Lucky me!!!!

And lucky #2.

He has always said he wants a yellow and green hat. And actually wanted the yellow and green all mixed up together, not stripes (thank goodness! I just really didn't want to do stripes), like I did on a vest I've got mostly done (need to finish and post about that).

There just happened to be a skein of green (not exactly the green I would have chosen but a nice green all the same) and a yellow in the gift from Grammie so I cast on and not too long later #2 has his hat!

Ravelry link here.

A little something for my water

I've had a problem all school year. We're working right along or sitting at the table together reading through our history. Then I pass out papers. And one lands in the puddle of water left from my water glass. Of course everything has to pause while we get another piece of paper. And that's if it wasn't a project paper that was just ruined by the water.

So I've had a coaster brewing in my mind. Of course that means I need some sewing time and that is rather hard to come by...

After reading Soulemama's post about practical sewing, last night was my night! I dug through my scrap basket and pulled together a coaster.

No more water puddles!

The blue stripe was from a quilt attempt for #5. My mom has passed on the red star in the center and the purple batik binding. The green? Many moons ago (like 12? years) some friends from church made an apron for another friend out of this 50's appliance/housewife fabric. I loved it. They gave me some of the scraps and I've had some little pieces floating around the basket since then. This was the perfect project to fit them into! I love that I'll get to look at it everyday...

Love it!

Sibling gifts

The last couple of birthdays have included a new activity around the World of Wiedz. A lot of planning and sketching and hidden making time. So cute!

#1 is the most involved at this point. #2 could care less and really hasn't jumped in yet. #3 was very thoughtful and specific about what he wanted to do. #4 is very last minute about his gifts but so determined!

#3's birthday was a couple of weeks ago and included a couple handmade, sibling gifts.

#4 insisted on making a stuffed shoe. We got home from taking #3 to his speech school ON his birthday and #4 saw #1 finishing her gift and just had to join in! I drew a shoe shape, cut it out of muslin, stitched it together, let him draw all over the outside...

He insisted the green across the shoe reads "happy birthday [#3] from [#4]!" So cute!

Then stuffed it nice and full... I finished it off with a whip-stitch and we were in business.

#1 on the other hand had planned out her gift for many weeks...though it did take us until that very day to get it finished! Our #3 is crazy about soccer so #1 made him a soccer ball pillow. I used this project to finish off a couple of Girl Scout requirements. She was really pleased with how it came out.

So was he!

Since we're all here, I might as well show off the sibling-made gifts for #2 and #4's birthdays many months ago...

#3 made #2 a bookmark (inspired by Soulemama's Homemade Home or The Creative Family, I can't remember and don't want to spend my internet time figuring out which one :)) and made #4 a pillow with a spider drawn on it. He was very proud of both and helped or did the work himself!

#1 used a book from the library as her inspiration for new warmy bags for each of her brothers. Decorated with fabric pens to match them in personality and likes. She sewed them herself too!

I'm loving this new tradition and will work on nurturing it both in creativity and the attitude of giving. Though I may try to get things done before the DAY of a birthday!

Pinewood Derby

Mr. Wiedz and #2 participated in a Cub Scout tradition this month. The pinewood derby.

The packmaster gave each boy a block of pinewood for Christmas and the beginning of January Mr. Wiedz and #2 got started. They made a plan. They decided to make a replicate our drift boat, Wiedz Wonder.

They went to the neighbors and used the drill press to make holes in the body so they could sand out the inside.

Once the inside was completely sanded and ready to go. #2 added paint to the whole thing.

The details were the most fun. Though I didn't get pictures of them being made for the most part. They used clay to form seats and the anchor and paddles. This part was many days of forming and drying and painting.

Brother even helped!

Mr. Wiedz and #2 were so proud of their finished product.

The actual derby day came. It was a whole family affair (and I found out two days before that I was needing to bring 2-3 dozen homemade treats to share) and we were all excited to go and support #2 with his Cub Scout event.

When it came down to it his boat was too narrow to fit on the track so it didn't get to race. We were so proud of his good attitude and his support of the other Cub Scouts. He sat and watched all the other races and cheered for his friends. He didn't get upset about his car not making it.

He did get a best in show certificate and his boat was displayed on the prize table. Lots of people took pictures and came to see it.

He's so cute. I'm so proud. 

There are plans already for next years speed racer!

The 10 ways of Christmas

I was thinking I'd love to post about my crafting, gifting, making, decorating, traveling, etc of Christmas but figured I'd also get bored of individual posts so here is most everything in list form.

1. Gift baskets - I've made goodie baskets for neighbors, friends, and service people many of the past few years (there have been years it just didn't happen). This year I had baking day for banana bread and cookies and candy day for carmel corn and seafoam. Baking day was way easier. Candy day ended up having to be a few days spread apart. The baskets got done and delivered without much stress.

I made the exact number of cookies I needed for the baskets. #1 and I used the laundry room table to get them decorated so we could spread out more. Later, the dog at all but 6 cookies! Back to baking...

After the dog-eating-the-cookies, I didn't have anymore green food coloring so went with stars.

2. The making - I kept my making list pretty small this year since I didn't give myself much time to get anything done. Mr. Wiedz and I decided to make no-sew fleece blankets for each child so that was a project we spread over a few evenings and was actually nice since we were doing it together.

Santa also brought this handmade dress for Kit's stocking. Every doll needs a Christmas dress, yes! #1 says Santa's elves did a real good job making it!

I'd thought maybe I'd knit #1 and #2 a hat and Mr. Wiedz's step-dad a neck warmer. I got #1's hat done but the yarn I'd purchased for #2's disappeared, I took that as a sign to let that project go. And my heart just wasn't in the neck warmer so it was also abandoned.

My first cabled garment and I love it. So does #1...she's barley taken it off. It is supposed to be "slouchy", I'm not sure where she saw slouchy hat fashion but she is all over it! Grammie gave her 3 more skeins of yarn for me to make more...

3. Daddy/Sissy Christmas Outfit Date - Every year for many years now, Mr. Wiedz has taken #1 on a date to pick out her Christmas outfit. This year they spent a couple hours at the mall and came away with a fabulous outfit!

4. The Travels of Mary and Joseph - For many years I was a Creative Memories consultant. A dear friend, AJ (who is still a CM consultant - need scrapbook supplies or inspiration check out her website, shared two of their family traditions, an ABC's of Advent scrapbook and traveling Mary and Joseph. I never did put together a scrapbook like hers but once #1 was old enough Mary and Joseph have started traveling through the house on their way to Bethlehem (the manger). This year was the most fun we've had so far. #3 would start each day by looking for them. I tried convincing him that Mary was really tired from the baby Jesus in her tummy and that they needed to spend another night in the same location - no go...

They're journey was long and perilous...

But they made it...thank you Mary for your willingness to be the vessel for our Lord.

5. Christmas Jammies - We've always given the kids pjs on Christmas Eve and last year I made them all for the first time. This year I gave it another go (there were some rise issues and general fitting issues last year since I didn't use a pattern at all). I used really soft Christmas flannel and had a pattern that #1 used at Girl Scouts this year. I modified it for the other kids, though not enough and EVERYONES pants were about 5-7 inches too long...but the inseam was good and the waists all fit :)!

The cuffs are another really cute flannel that said Naughty or Nice...I thought of #4 when I saw that fabric and just had to get some to add to the pants. Everyone got a simple t-shirt to finish off the pjs...later I realized I put #2's shirt on #3 and #3's shirt on #2 (too small), we fixed it but #3 wasn't happy about not having a green shirt. I realized once I was sewing #3's that they were not going to be big enough around so I added a strip of the cuff fabric...gave me some more width to work with and is pretty cute (helps figure out whose is whose too).

6. Santa - We do Santa. The fun of Christmas...the magic...the letters...the excitement...we leave seafoam for Santa

And he comes...

He even leaves a thank you card (for the seafoam) and a Santa statue.

7. Christmas Morning - Last year we moved to our rental in Eugene. This home is JUST where the Lord picked for us to live. But it is a much smaller house than our previous one. Every year for as long as I can remember Mr. Wiedz and I travel to his family's for Christmas Eve. A wonderful time of visiting, eating and celebrating. At the end of the party we drove home, put kids to bed with promises that Santa only comes when they're asleep and woke up Christmas morning in our own beds. The past couple of years Mr. Wiedz's parents have joined us in the trek home after the party and gotten woken by excited grandchildren for Christmas morning while my parents come sometime in the later morning to spend the rest of the day. Last year my mom suggested that our home here was a tad too small for everyone to fit...and invited everyone to her house. I didn't think Mr. WiedzGrammie and Grampie D.

Presents, sticky buns, and a beautiful time shared by grandparents, parents and children.

8. Christmas Afternoon and Dinner - Another wonderful aspect of being at my parent's for Christmas is that it truly feels like being on vacation. We had a really relaxing day.

Some naps

Some knitting (me) and crocheting (grammie n).

Some reading

And some new games to play

Christmas dinner was easy, put together throughout the day

9. The Sickies - A couple of days before Christmas #2 started feeling "weird". I gave him Tylenol and let him rest, as we were eating dinner and a friend from work walked in the door he let loose into the "puke bowl" I'd JUST sat in his lap. He was fine until the next morning when he let loose again. After another day on the couch he was up and fine that evening. #5 and #4 weren't feeling great the day before Christmas Eve but were doing better by the time they went to bed.

Mr. Wiedz started feeling achy. He woke up Christmas Eve not so sure about going to all the festivities of the day. I talked him into it...it wouldn't be the same...everything was already set in motion. We drove up to Portland. Once we got to mom's his Tylenol had worn off so he decided to lay down for a bit until it was time to leave. But he only got sicker. #4's fever was back too.

I went to the family party without Mr. Wiedz or #4. While I was there Mr. Wiedz's fever got to 102.7. He was miserable.

He did wake up for Christmas morning and enjoyed the time with the children but had a nap when the morning activities were wrapped up.

He started feeling better, we drove home. He went into the doctor on Sunday to discover strep throat. I took #4 in Sunday too. #1 got her antibiotics yesterday evening and #2 went to urgent care tonight.

10. One last stop from Santa - When we got home we discovered Santa had also visited our house! Leaving a couple of presents for each kid. They were so excited! We had such a quiet and snuggled time being together. Opening presents slowly and enjoying each one and each other.

After our present time we had birthday cake for Jesus then went to bed.

What a season. What a celebration. What a time.