Christmas sewing continues.

Annee's last post re-motivated me to get my Christmas sewing done!  I said it in my last post, but to really get everything you want sewn for Christmas, you should probably start in August.  However, if you are anything like me, it's more fun waiting until the last days of November and make yourself go mad trying to get everything done in time to mail or put under the Christmas tree for Christmas morning.  My mad dash has started, and here's what I've been up to since I last posted...

I hung my Christmas party garland and bunting that I made two years ago (I think?).  I love having it hanging in my kitchen for the entire holiday season, and last year I got smart and left the nails in the exposed beams in my kitchen making rehanging it a breeze.

After Christmas last year, I cut out a *Merry Christmas* banner, but never sewed it.  I'm pretty positive I thought it would be so nice to have the banner all cut out.  It was nice to have it all cut out, but why didn't I just sew it in January??  The day after Thanksgiving I put myself on the clock.  I had one hour to work on it, and to try it get it done.  Being a runner, I love timing myself, sew it was the motivation I needed to just get the project done!

Before Thanksgiving I bought a fat eight bundle of Christmas fabric to put in my embroidery hoops, and yesterday I switched out my fabric.  Now I don't know if I'll always use the fabric in my hoops, so I decided not to cut the fabric to just fit the hoops.  That way if I ever try to quilt or make something with the fabric I won't have these random pieces to work with.  I put the whole fat eight in the hoop, and then I iron and pull it into place.

Yes, I iron right on the wood hoop.  Maybe you're not to suppose to, but I find if I do this then I don't have to cut the fabric and it will lay flat against the wall when it's hung.


We don't have a mantel over our fireplace, but earlier this year we put an Ikea Expedit next to our fireplace, so it's serving the same purpose as a mantel.  I've got it all decked out.  

Deck the halls...

I think the hoops are a nice touch.  I'm thinking maybe I'll make one of these Christmas trees, but it might just have to wait until next year.  

And honestly I think the faux mantle is rather busy enough for now.  I've had 6 Christmases without a mantle, so I'm probably having a hard time with editing.  I want every cute idea I've ever seen put on a mantle on my Expedit!

Last, but sew not least, I made an imitation Crate and Barrel Christmas Tree Pillow.  This will go down as my greatest creation of the season.  At one point I thought I might just scrap the idea of making it and just buy it.  However, the CB pillow is 12 inches and costs $26!  Not to mention a 12 inch pillow is smaller then I wanted my pillow to be.  Sew, friends, I gathered 6 pieces of felt (9"x12" pre-cut) and cut 100+ two inch circles.  If you have the plastic kid cups from Ikea, the bottom of the cup is the perfect size.

My couch is red, so I used a white background (the other reason why I totally had to make my own knock-off pillow).  

Before I got to work making the tree, I stitched a triangle the size I wanted my Christmas tree to be on the front of the pillow.  This way I wouldn't get lost as I made my tree, and the triangle guided me as I stuffed it full of green circles.

Next I switched out my regular presser foot with my embroidery foot.  I dropped my feed dogs, and I sewed several small circles in the middle of each circle.

And I repeated this a 100+ times.  By the end I thought I was going to go nuts.  I actually couldn't sew this pillow in one sitting.  I wanted to make sure that I made the tree VERY full.  Just the way the Crate and Barrel one looks.

I also felt like every time I added a circle I needed to pull and cut the top and bobbin thread to make sure that I was getting the tree as full as I wanted it to be.  I didn't trim the bobbin threads until the end of the project.  Here's what it looked like:

I could still probably trim threads on the front, but alas, I am done.  The masterpiece has been placed on the couch for my kids to destroy for all to enjoy!

I probably should have put a zipper in this pillow, but after finishing the Christmas tree, I was done.  

It got a deep envelope closure.  

I also whipped up a very simple Christmas pillow to sit behind the Christmas tree.  It helps balance the couch out.  

I kind of want to make a simple cover for my rectangle pillow that normally sits in the middle of the couch. Since my couch is so long, I kind of think it looks empty.  I kind of want a Christmas quilt or blanket.  But it's looking like I might need to wait on all of that until next year.  December is upon us, and I have gifts I need to start sewing!


I'm sure I'll let you know if once I get it figured out!  Next up I have a wreath that I'm half way done with, but I'm creatively stumped on how to finish it.  If I don't get it figured out soon, I'll post it and ask for help.  For now I think this post is long enough!

Signing off from the West Coast.