I didn’t make as many gifts this year as I have in some years past but I did manage to get a few things done.

I haven’t managed to post about Steve’s wine making attempt this fall. Someday I’ll try to get him to sit down and help me type up a post about the process. He inherited his Italian grandfather’s grape press and it has been in our garden gazebo serving as an interesting conversation piece for a few years now. This year everything came together where he had the time, the motivation and the resources to make his own wine in the tradition of his Grandpa Vito.

A couple weekends ago it went from cask to bottle and last Saturday I helped him print up labels. Last night was our annual neighborhood Christmas Walk/Party. I made Holiday Tea Towels and used them to wrap bottles of wine to give as hostess gifts.

After the jump I’ll show you what I made for my Mom and my mother-in-law….

DON’T PEAK MOM!
(more…)

Since I first started thinking about this business I’ve wanted to put together my own kits. But I had no idea (still don’t really!) where to begin. But I just went ahead anyway. Based on some suggestions from friends I started with one of my free patterns and one project that was suggested to me.

I put together kits of my eco-tote shopping bag a while ago. I’ve had them here in the store and I have sold a few. But I finally got my act together and photographed them and listed them in my etsy store.
 
A couple weeks ago one of my online friends sent me a link to a rag quilt with the suggestion that these would make great holiday projects. Of course I ran right out to the front room, grabbed some bolts and started cutting and sewing!
 
This is my first one made with squares of all the different holiday flannels I have. It is so soft and cuddly! But then I looked at all the coordinating smooth cottons I have and had to make another.
 

This one is made with the Jennifer Paganelli “Bell Bottoms” line. I added batting to this one too but I don’t like it so I won’t suggest that to anyone else. Maybe a layer of plain flannel sandwiched between the regular cotton would be nice. Flannel would add a little body and warmth without making it stiff like the Thermolam did on this one.
Today I added my first kit for these to my etsy shop: Rag Quilt Kit
Tomorrow I hope to have time to put together a kit out of the Bell Bottom fabric and get that listed too. Of course if you are local and would like a kit you can always stop in the store and pick out your own fabric combination.

Happy Sewing!

 
Earlier this week customer Cammie called and inquired whether I knew someone who could sew an awning cover for her. After talking with her for a few minutes I told her to just bring it in and I’d take a look at it and I thought that with my guidance she could make this herself.

Today she brought in the fabric and the wooden frame her carpenter built for her and we tackled it together. We did some math, measuring and digging around in the basement for a few little supplies until we completed this awesome awning!
 
And we had a lot of fun doing it too. She has very little sewing experience but she was perfectly capable of “following the scalloped line” and sewed the little edging perfectly on the first try. Then we had to get “Girl Scout creative” with our staple gun with a too short cord and no working extension cord and a little more garbage picking to put it all together.

All in all a very satisfying project and now Cammie can tell all the visitors to her basement Ice Cream Parlor that “I made that!” and be deservedly proud of her achievement.