Nashville Stitch N Bitch

christmas wrap-up

And the awards in the following Christmas gift categories go to:

Best use of the Amazon.com Wish List: My mom! for her recognition that the internet is your friend for gift buying. She got me kaffe's museum quilts and oddball knitting (which in a terrible ironic twist seems to actually make you want to get more yarn) and the quilts of gee's bend, one of those books that you covet like crazy but can never justify buying for yourself. Oh, it's awesome.

Best Listener to Christmas Gift Suggestions: Tie! mom! again who got me my new fun friend the print gocco and my mother in law who got me a sewing table! An actual table that isn't one that I have to stack with phone books to sew upon.

Best Thoughtful Present Least Expected: Angel! Who made me an inspiration shrine filled with little charms and amulets, pictures of women who inspire me along with quotes from them. Tasha Tudor, Georgia O'Keefe, Anais Nin, Frida Kahlo, Anne Morrow Lindbergh - all are in there to cheer me up. I think she got the idea, or maybe an actual kit from crafty chica? (Is that right Angel?) Such a great idea. It makes me want to rearrange my furniture around it. And ALSO, in a move so obvious in its brilliance it's painful, she made me! ME! the one who doesn't make a damn thing for myself a tote bag. A cute little tote bag with Amy Butler charm. Angel just learned how to sew and is tote-bagging it all over the place using super eggplant's totebag 101. This baby will replace my current portable knitting bag, also known by its other name - a one gallon Ziploc bag.

So, now that Christmas is over, I do the thing I usually do - I start a sweater for Jim that involves miles and miles of black stockinette (cuz that's what he likes). Miles and miles and miles. Expect lots of blogging about black stockinette in the new year!

xo

close and holy darkness

Well, the knitting has been put away (OK, not really. It's never really "put away") every present has been wrapped, the house is clean, the advent calendar is down to its last day. Today I will cook all kinds of fantastically overcooked and weird Southern food and try to keep the kids from spontaneously combusting while we get ready for Christmas Eve at my mom's house.

Dylan Thomas in A Child's Christmas in Wales said of being the recipient of knitted gifts: "There were the Useful Presents: engulfing mufflers of the old coach days, and mittens made for giant sloths; zebra scarfs of a substance like silky gum that could be tug-o'-warred down to the galoshes; blinding tam-o'-shanters like patchwork tea cozies and bunny-suited busbies and balaclavas for victims of head-shrinking tribes; from aunts who always wore wool next to the skin there were mustached and rasping vests that made you wonder why the aunts had any skin left at all; and once I had a little crocheted nose bag from an aunt now, alas, no longer whinnying with us."

Let us all stop now say a little prayer that our gifts of handmade to our loved ones are not of the Useful kind. May they represent the right balance between needed and wanted and and maybe even strike a little chord of indulgent.

I hope that for your holiday, all of your bells are jingly, your eggs noggy, and none of your gifts Useful.

xo

Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steady falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.

don't read me angel!

OK, so if your name is ANGEL, hit the road! Dont' read any further? Don't click on anything! Christmas stuff inside!

Boy, this blogging without being able to put up visible photos is tough.

Ahem. The LAST present of Christmas 2005 in my household has been sewn up.

One of the most fun, and I think one of my favorite things I've made this year, a long apron for Angel. Reversible! Buddha on one side, and patchwork Asian prints on the other. A long sash in the back. AND I got my mom to very sneakily get her measurements for me, so it's all made to her specs.

Oh, and what apron would be complete without mitts that match?

A couple of other fun Christmas thingies: how to make snowflakes (from Martha), and how to decorate for christmas using tampons (not from Martha but would be funny if it was).

OK, so I was fibbing a little when I said this was the last thing. I didn't count the two small knitting projects I have. Oh, and the little bag I'm making this afternoon. But that's IT! I swear.

xo

don't read me mom part III

If you are my mother, then scram! (and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible) Christmas content enclosed!

eclipse! Fin!

So here's what happened. In an giant last minute executive decision, I decided to give mom this, and let my poor Mother In Law, who is not really of a craft mindset, have what she would rather have - a gift certificate to a spa in Aspen. It's more her thing anyway. Mom made a big to-do over this quilt, so I thought it might be fun to give it to her. Plus, I love it.

If you're new to my yammering about this quilt, I'm doing it as part of the modern quiltalong hosted by dioramarama based around the book the modern quilt workshop by the people at fun quilts. It's been really fun and a great learning experience.

It's all Hoffman batiks, and quilted with this purty cotton variegated thread that I got at a real! live! quilt store! here in town. I didn't even know we had one, and I ran into during a trip to a pumpkin festival back in the fall. It's old and unbelievably, I can't even explain it to you it was so much so, crowded with fabric upon fabric and thread and batting and... and... and.... the woman who owns it has great taste. It's so cool to go in and see a whole section of Kaffe. It had that knitting store vibe - people carrying around their projects, and asking each other's advice. And across the street from it, they had their own quilt gallery! Ah, bliss.

I'm generally not a batik person, (and I know the Fun Quilts people are probably squirming in their chairs at the idea of batiks in one of their quilts) and I bought these batiks to do another thing entirely, but I really ended up loving how they all came together.

But I digress. You can see the up close quilting of my little Eclipse here.

The Christmas handmade parade is winding to a close! Just a couple of more little things and I'm done. Whew.

xo

the chraft list grows

Like a good little girl, I hurried through and got all of my orders finished (pic above coming to a mailbox near you) so that I could get to the really important part of any holiday - cookies. Lots of cookies. My house is so thick with cookies that I could start my own store.

Meanwhile I am green with jealousy and plotting Christmas World Craft Domination next year against the Minions of Overachievers ruling the blogosphere with their ingenuity. On the advent calendar front, stephanie says, "We did matchboxes--I covered them with bits of catalogues cut out and glue-sticked on and made round, numbered labels on my computer. The Husband and I wrapped a little slip of paper w/each day's activity around a small chocolate and McPantses jumps out of bed every morning to unwrap the newest activity. We kept the activities simple and fun, especially during the week. I stole the matchbox idea from loobylu's blog." joy says, "i knit a sock for each day and put a piece of candy in each-ok, so maybe i only finished half of them, you can see them on my blog. my husband made one for me out of one of those pill boxes with all of the little flaps and decorated it with a christmas card-very impressive for a non crafty man." Very impressive indeed! hillary always comes up with something fabulous and this snowflake advent is no different. rowena says, "i'm knitting a hat a day for advent. i post the new hat each day on the blog. i think i'm getting carpel tunnel syndrome from it but that is better than chocolate bloat, i guess." Very adventageous! Get it? ADVENTageous?

Now that's just the tip of the iceberg. Don't miss Little Bird's tree huggers, allsorts' peppermint candy star, crafty mcgee's christmas fairies, red current's peg dolls and clothespin people, craftlog's crochet snowman, crankyisgood's hand knit ornaments, crazy for fiber's fabric tree cards, craftopia's kool gift tags, and my very very very favorite and quote of the week in my house with Molly Chicken's good taste has no place in this house.

Whew.

Eclipse is finished! It's in my dryer as we speak. I only have one. One! ONE! Thing left to make. OK, well maybe two. Really three things that I have to make before Christmas. But compared to the output that just left this house, this will be cake. Make that cookies.

xo

P.S. - Happy birthday Laura!

Lots of christmas chrafts

I have to say that the one thing I am supremely jealous of and am absolutely resolved to do next year is spend some time making stuff for my own household.

I am always completely overwhelmed at how many really talented people there are out there. And it's good to know that at least the talented have blogs so that I can spend my otherwise crammed to the gills day looking at some of them during nap time. That and a Coca Cola will change my attitude entirely let me tell you.

As I mentioned before, of particular interest to me for several years now have been Advent calendars, and there are plenty of bloggers who are all over it. First we have the online advent calendar. Then there's the allsorts envelope version. sarah is doing an ornament a day. There are a million more of these out there. Just love it.

Craftlog has made a worry santa garland and a button snowman. Hillary made a great dishtowel garland

Would love to hear of any more Christmas ingenuity or of any more incredible advent ideas!

xo

closing in on eclipse

Can't talk.... must... sew.

Closing in on Christmas but can't look up to speak or eat.

The Mother in Law's Eclipse taking shape. Basting and about to quilt. Show you later in the week.

Everyone else in the whole of the crafty blogosphere are so into making their own advent calendars that I feel kind of slack. OK, maybe I don't feel slack since I'm doing 8,000 other things, but I do feel horribly jealous and next year it's high on my priority list to make my own. Meanwhile, here is the one we have at our house now, bought on clearance from PBK. Blasphemy to the handmade advent calendar makers I know, but pretty damn cute for $25.

Still have some stuff left if anyone needs it!

Some bibs. Oilcloth and laminate and tons more than you see here. Girl patterns, boy patterns, could-be-either patterns. Just wipe them off! $10.

Cowkid bibs. Denim with a snap closure. $5.

onesies! Lots of them! In vintage repro patterns of all sorts. Email me what size you need and I can tell you what I have in what size. Newborn through 24 mos.

Newborn sets! These particular ones include a matching bib, burp cloth and onesie all with vintage repro motifs. I can also give you 3-6 month onesies instead of newborn if you would prefer. More than what you see here - let me know if you are interested and I'll let you know what I have here. $20.

More newborn sets. - these just include a burp cloth and onesie. One boy set left! $15

Lots of blankets and quilts!

Cowgirl quilt. About 36" x 36" vintage and new chenille and fabric, 100% cotton batting, backing and binding. $65

Cowkids quilt. About 36" x 36" vintage and new chenille and fabric, 100% cotton batting, backing and binding. $65

Cowkids blanket. Vintage repro fabric and vintage chenille. About 36" x 40". $55.

Spacekids blanket. Vintage repro fabric, new chenille. About 36" x 42". $45.

Vintage Hankies Quilt. Vintage repro hankies and vintage chenille. Crib size. $150.

For you guys that ordered stuff (except for stephanie), it left my house today! Enjoy!

xo

P.S. Congrats to kay on her knitty pattern!

everything must go!

Let me just say that if you don't have one of these guys in your front yard, then, well, you are just missing out on SOMETHING. Not sure what that something is, but you are MISSING it. I sent my husband out for Christmas lights this weekend and he came home with an 8 foot tall inflatable snowman. But MAN OH MAN do I feel holidayish.

So in an effort to do us both a favor (me = paying for giant snowman, you = holiday gifts) I'm clearing my craft show inventory, I guess in an effort to... make way for making more stuff! If you are interested in anything below, please email me!

Lots of beanbags. More than you see here. Girlish patterns and boyish patterns, $1 each.

Lots of bibs. Oilcloth and laminate and tons more than you see here. Girl patterns, boy patterns, could-be-either patterns. Just wipe them off! $10.

Cowkid bibs. Denim with a snap closure. $5.

onesies! Lots of them! In vintage repro patterns of all sorts. Email me what size you need and I can tell you what I have in what size. Newborn through 24 mos.

Newborn sets! These particular ones include a matching bib, burp cloth and onesie all with vintage repro motifs. I can also give you 3-6 month onesies instead of newborn if you would prefer. More than what you see here - let me know if you are interested and I'll let you know what I have here. $20.

More newborn sets. - these just include a burp cloth and onesie. Boy or girl. $15

Lots of blankets and quilts!
Calling All Cars quilt. About 36" x 36" vintage and new chenille and fabric, 100% cotton batting, backing and binding. $65

Cowgirl quilt. About 36" x 36" vintage and new chenille and fabric, 100% cotton batting, backing and binding. $65

Cowkids blanket. Vintage repro cowkids print on one side with new chenille on the other. About 35" x 45". $45.

Cowkids quilt. About 36" x 36" vintage and new chenille and fabric, 100% cotton batting, backing and binding. $65

Cowkids blanket. Vintage repro fabric and vintage chenille. About 36" x 40". $55.

Paperdoll quilt. About 36" x 36" vintage and new chenille and fabric, 100% cotton batting, backing and binding. $65

Flannel and chenille blanket. About 36" x 42". $40.

Spacekids blanket. Vintage repro fabric, new chenille. About 36" x 42". $45.

Vintage Hankies Quilt. Vintage repro hankies and vintage chenille. Crib size. $150.

Let me know if you have any questions or are interested in anything!

xo