I’ve been working on lots of projects lately – many of them Christmas gifts that I’ve been excited to post about but wanted to wait until I actually gave them away so it could still be a surprise for the recipients. :)
Anyway, the gifts have been distributed and now I want to show you some of the cool stuff I’ve been working on. (This will have to be a two-part post since I am still yet to photograph some of the gifts. I need to go to my sister’s house and photograph the things we made for their family sometime this week.)
So, without further ado – here are a few of the projects that have been keeping me busy:
:: A pincushion for my mother-in-law! I used Heather Bailey’s free online tutorial and scraps from Hazel’s quilt which is all from Anna Maria Horner’s Good Folks line. This was waaay harder than I expected – especially threading the ribbon through the middle to tuft it. Whew!
But isn’t it lovely? If only I had it in me to make one for myself too!
:: Softie Dolls for some little girls I adore. This project was a lot of fun – but also pretty tough. I have to say though that there are few things more satisfying than successfully machine stitching all those pretty hairlines! And picking pretty fabric combinations for each girl was really fun too!
I used this tutorialcreated by Nicole Owens at 60 Piggies. She is so creative and I loved getting to give her design a whirl. I definitely plan to make a special doll for our girl before she’s born.
Oh, and I ordered the wool for these dolls at Lit’l Brown Bird’s shop on Etsy. It came all the way from Singapore, but the colors and quality of the felt was worth the wait. I wanted it to be soft and cuddly since I was using it for dolls and it is definitely that.
:: Ryan made coasters for my sister’s family out of a tree limb from our backyard. He soaked the wood in bleach to take out the yellow color and tied it with a pretty ribbon to make it lovely.
These may be one of my favorites – perhaps because all I had to do was wrap them.
And that brings me to…
:: Wrapping it all up using one of Ryan’s Christmas gifts from last year. Remember the Stendig wall calendar my Mom bought him? Here is a photo of it in our office:
Well, we saved all the months and got to use all those big sheets of paper to wrap up our Christmas gifts this year. So pretty!
Apart from making gifts and wrapping them up, we have also been busy with two other very important things:
:: Taking care of this busy three-year-old (who is currently on the sofa with his Daddy enjoying reading The Cat in the Hat with his new Tag Reader).
:: And growing this baby girl! I’m 29 weeks now, with 77 days to go (but who’s counting?). I have to say about being pregnant in the winter that my belly sure does get chilly sticking out there so far with very few things big enough to cover it!
Hazel measured just right at my midwife appointment this morning, by the way. This girl is right on track to be a healthy, very active part of the Myers family! Praise God!
Like I said, I have a few other projects that I’m really proud to have completed these past few weeks, but I need to photograph them in order to share them. I will work on that!
Until then, I have to say that I’m having a fantastic time planning a boy/girl nursery for our kids. It’s a really fun design challenge to make something lovely, feminine and masculine all at once without going the primary color route. I love a good design challenge!
>You are so talented. Those gifts are beautiful. Great job.
>Wow your talents are amazing. I want a baby doll or two.. Will you make/sell them.. please . . pretty please?!?!
>The gifts are lovely. You are so talented!
>Hope loves her softie doll. The day we got back from Michigan we were surprised to find Hope with a 104.5 degree fever, sick with a virus that she is finally, after a week, starting to kick. Her doll has been the official cuddle buddy on the couch for the last week as she lays around trying to get healthy. :)
>Those pincushions are so awesome! I am so glad that you decided to get Oliver the Leapster Tag! I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas!
–Faith
>The dolls' apple cheeks are so darling! And I agree, your hard work on the hairlines was worth it. Great job on it all, Rae. (And Ry. Way to chop down that limb.) The nesting is kicking in, eh? Much love.
>You two are so crafty! The dolls are precious! It's always so nice to give and receive handcrafted gifts.
>Go check out my blog for a great craft idea for little Miss when she gets a little bigger. These were so fun and EASY to make.
Anyway, I would like a detailed post on how to make the coasters. They are awesome and we have plenty of trees here on our 20 acres. Pretty please????????????
>love love love all your projects (and ryan's too!).
you look AMAZING dear! i'm 31 weeks and 1 day now(but you are right, who is counting? lol).
>I have to agree with everyone else, you're so talented.
>what great gifts! I agree that finishing a project and being happy with the way it turns out is a GREAT feeling. And a healthy baby… the Lord is so GOOD!
>Just had to say that, yes, your crafty projects are wonderful. But what's even more wonderful is how great you look!! Seriously, if it's not weird to say since I don't actually know you, you look beautiful!!
>Hi Raechel,
I have followed your blog for a little while and love to read about your family! Your little boy is so cute (I have 3 boys also, ages 7, 5, and 2)!
I have a question…what color is the paint in the room Oliver is in (the picture above the last one)? My husband and I want to paint our kitchen and that is the color I want but can't seem to get it right. If you get a chance can you email me (marnold135@yahoo.com) and let me know the color (if you can remember) and where you got it from?
Thank you so much!!!
Melissa Arnold
>Those are great presents! You are both so crafty and creative! I never would have thought to use a tree limb to make coasters or to use the calendar paper as wrapping paper. I LOVE those dolls! Everytime I see things you or Christine made, it makes me want to run out and buy a sewing machine…but I don't even remember how to use one. I don't think I've used one since 8th grade home ec class and that was quite a LONG time ago!
>UM, finally getting around to commenting.
I love love LOVE the dolls. KUDOS for those machine stitched hairlines!! I am very impressed, they are adorable. And the coasters are gorgeous, and the calendar turned wrapping paper? GENIUS!!
And of all your projects? That belly is by far your best work. Well done Lady!
>I MUST know what fabric you used for Hazel's quilt. I'm in love! I'm already planning a baby quilt and I'm not even pregnant! You are so crafty Rachel, you inspire me!
The dolls are to.die.for.
>Me and Madeline – The fabric I used is all from Anna Maria Horner's "Good Folks" line. You can buy fat quarter bundles on Etsy!
Heather – Not a lot of detail for making the coasters. Ry just cut down a limb in the back that was about 4" in diameter, used a hacksaw to cut 1/2" segments and voila! He toyed with bleach on ours because the wood was so yellow (just sort of poured some over them and let them dry in the garage), but it's not necessary if the wood isn't yellow. :)
>The dolls are amazing! So jealous of your sewing skills. And the wood coasters are genius. Seems like your hubby has a good head on him :)
Congrats on baby Hazel! I have a nephew due in March as well.
>what beautiful gifts! And what a good idea for wrapping paper! Happy New Year!!
>When I do a project, it's along the lines of "rearranging our furniture." You are so beautifully crafty! And I think that's the best wrapping paper I've ever seen.
>You are so crafty! What great gifts!
You look great-I'm so glad to hear that Hazel is right on track!
>hi!
I have been following your blog for a little while now and I remember that you made a wreath from some old book pages. Can you direct me to the link so that I can try to make one too???
You are quite crafty-and am trying a few projects out!
I love the name Hazel by the way! I would email you but I can't seem to pull up your email address.
Christine cdbenson1977@hotmail.com
>thrifty, thrifty, thrifty
love it, love it, love it!
>I appreciate your heart and you have become a source of encouragement to me as a woman of God. I gave you a little award on my blog. ;) Thank you.
http://adorkable-me.blogspot.com/2010/01/one-with-winter-lemonade.html
>This is a well anticipated Parish arrival. Missy and I continue to pray for you and "Hazel"… Now that is a retro-cool name…..