pajama pants

Hi friends! I've missed you and my creative time the last few weeks. Life has a way of spinning into a busy flurry this time of year, but I'm back and gearing up for the winter ahead! Our dining room table has seen a lot of sewing and girls recently, as I hosted a Holiday Stitch series for my advanced sewers. One of our most exciting projects involved flannel. I make a pair of pajama pants for my daughter every winter, but this year I thought she and her friends were up to the task on their own. I drafted patterns with them from other bottoms, and then they got to work cutting, sewing and threading elastic through waist bands. Not too complicated for this crafty bunch, but still a challenge.

 These two finished together… what a sweet reward to snuggle into them and start lounging. Soft and roomy- perfect for dancing and getting silly!

This kind of garment sewing is super forgiving, which makes it a great advanced beginner project and fun for gift-giving too! Pinterest has plenty of tutorials if you do a quick search. 

Here's to the cozy season ahead!

handmade heirlooms

New mittens- made by my 10 year old! She has forecasted many more. She used the pattern for "Easy Going Mittens" from Jennifer Casa's brand new book Handmade Heirlooms. Several of her sewing buddies came over with their machines and each of them whipped out a pair. They were simple and satisfying with just the right amount of challenge (sewing stretched elastic can be tricky). This is just the right combo for making gifts in multiple- something many of us are thinking about at this time of year. There are 24 projects to sew, knit, crochet, craft and repurpose. That about covers all of us- right? The premiss and subtitle: "crafting with intention" is my favorite way to make stuff. Thank you Jennifer, for creating this lovely book!

You can find Handmade Heirlooms, produced by my favorite publishers (yay Roost!), and read more about it right here.

 Although we haven't had any real snow yet, mitten season has begun- and this sweet one is proud of her new pair!

thankful leaf hearts

 I love the beginning of November! The doorway to the holiday season opens, and it's like an old friend welcoming you into a cozy home filled with the scents of soup on the stove and pie in the oven. Decorating with nature is at its peak, as I forage for as much as I can find on the forest floor before it's covered in snow.  I gather up my dried leaves, line up my squash and pumpkins and scatter pinecones and acorns everywhere. Maybe I was a squirrel in another life!

My latest bit of creative fun began with a sharpie pen and then incorporated a heart punch and a few pressed maple leaves.

 I think "thankful leaves and leaf hearts" will be tucked into every corner of my house this month!