Christmas Gifts, Baby Gifts, Birthday Gifts

It's been a little while since I've been here, but there is good reason for that.  The biggest news of course is that Eagle1 is coming home for Christmas pretty soon, so the boys and I have been full throttle getting everything decorated just so and planning all of the things we would like to do while he is home.  Of course, there is also Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, school, chores, school concerts and now wrestling.  I'm one tired puppy!  Not so tired that I don't make time for little handmade goodies for my darling nieces in Houston. 

The two oldest are building up their beauty supply arsenal in preparation for the teen years.  Nothing wrong with helping them out a little, right?  Especially when there is a free pattern out there to make this super easy and adorable little cosmetic bag!  Their pattern calls for 1.5" strips, but I had a jelly roll from JoAnn Fabrics with all of these bright colored flowers so I substituted 5-2.5" strips for the 10 the recipe called for.  My youngest helped to pick out the matching buttons for his favorite cousins presents.  :) 

Let's see...I've finished up a couple of other things, too. There was the Americana baby afghan and little bitty matching hat for the family of a soldier under Eagle1's command.  They had a beautiful baby girl right before Thanksgiving.  Sadly, Dad didn't make it home in time for the birth, but he did get to come a few days later for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Can't forget the new kitchen curtains!  Three valances and a pair of panels to match.  Yes, the Christmas bug bit me early and hard this year.  I love plaid, especially Christmas plaid!  The great thing about these though, is that they go so well with everything we already have in the house during the rest of the year that if I don't feel like taking them down after winter, I don't have to! 

Then, there are the hexi's.  They are fun to mess with but I'm not very good at them.  I do okay up until the part where I have to sew them all together.  I don't care for the look of the thread showing on the front.  Sorry if that sounds snobbish, but I'm just kind of particular that way.  I found a tutorial showing how to sew them together without placing them right sides together and whipstitching the edges but my silly hands cramp up really bad trying to hold them that way.  When that failed, I bought a spool of translucent nylon thread and went back to the old way of piecing them.  This is my first time sewing with "fishing line" and it's kind of a pain in the butt.  It doesn't show through to the front though, so I'll make do with it...for now. 

This set...well, it's for me.  :)  Eagle1 picked out a beautiful new coat for my birthday a few weeks ago.  Before it even arrived at the door,  I had these made!  Tomorrow I get to try them all on.  Today is my last day of being able to officially claim being a "30-something".  It will be a bittersweet day because the one person  I wanted to spend it with is protecting our freedom overseas...again.  There is much more to share, but it can wait for another day.  This week will be a busy one, but if I can sneak off to the sewing room in between "Hey Mom's", you betcha I'll be there. 

Merry Christmas to all and the very best of New Year's wishes.  If you can talk Old Man Winter into sending us some snow for Christmas, please do!   We're running late on the white stuff this year.