Gift Series Part 1

I've been busy working on Christmas gifts for family and friends.  Here's an easy gift for toddlers that can be finished in a couple hours. This little guy goes to my nephew.

 Now don't laugh at my lion's head, it should have been more round. You can adjust your shape. I say no matter what, it has character. 

 I found the idea online, and already had the ribbon, terry cloth, felt, and stuffing. To make a lion for someone on your list, cut out two round (ahem) pieces of terry cloth. Use brown felt for the nose and eyes, and sew them onto the front of one piece. I used my triple stitch setting on my sewing machine to make a smile. 

 Choose an assortment of ribbons for the mane. Cut them into various lengths ranging from about three to five inches. Lay your lion out in the following order: terry cloth right side up, ribbons folded in half with the loop toward the inside center and the raw edge facing the outer edge of the terry cloth, and the face of the lion right side down. Pin all the ribbons in place.

 Sew carefully as you go along, making sure to catch all the layers. Leave an opening about two inches wide. Trim the edges of the ribbon that stick out beyond the edge of the terry cloth, and turn your lion inside out.

 Stuff the lions head tightly, and hand sew the opening. You will need to sew the remaining ribbons from the open spot by hand. Just fold the ribbon in half, tuck the raw edges inside your lion, stitch them in, and finish the closing. You're finished! Cross that one of your list.

Checking it Twice

 You know when you wake up in the middle of the night and your brain starts going? Then you can't fall back asleep and you start thinking about how tired you will be the following day. A couple nights ago I was up for three hours (which is unusual for me). After two hours of trying to force myself asleep, I gave up.

 Instead, I flipped on the string of white lights on the mantle and grabbed some of my favorite sewing books to browse. My mind was busy planning Christmas presents for friends and family. I make most gifts, so every year around Thanksgiving I start thinking who needs/wants what. I know it might sound stressful, but honestly, it's one of my favorite things about the holidays.

 Forty minutes later, after a bite of almond butter to keep my blood sugar happy till morning, I was sound asleep. The next morning I made my list and I am super excited to share some gift-giving ideas.

  We had a great time at the "Over the Rhine" concert last weekend. The Triple Door in downtown Seattle is an old theater turned into a restaurant. An ideal spot for a fun, relaxed concert. I'm thinkin' a night away with the hubby needs to happen more often.

 The bibs turned out to be a hit at the market. It was fun figuring out how to display my handmade products and come up with new ideas for next time. 

 Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy time with family and friends and good food.  We will be packing our bags and heading north to our home away from home. I'm looking forward to cranberry and sausage stuffing,  sweet potato casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, "broccoli dish", turkey and pie. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Date Night

I have been looking forward to tonight since summer. We are dropping off the kids and heading to Seattle for date night. First stop, a quirky Italian restaurant for dinner. Then we are going to see "Over the Rhine."

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Seriously, I can't even tell you how excited I am. I'm all dressed up, thanks to an awesome friend who lent me some maternity clothes (you know who you are), my hair is done, and my bags are packed for a night in the city.

 Other news... I spent the past two weekends selling some of my handmade creations in local Bazaars. It's been a fun new experience. The first time I forgot my camera, but I managed to get a few pics today to share soon.