Ho-Ho-Ho

I have a craft friend, a lady I met at the Farmers' Market this summer who makes a variety of lovely crafts: photo notecards, shopping bags crocheted from strips of plastic grocery bags, lap blankets, and other things. From time to time she mails me something she made. I do the same. This small Santa wall hanging has been mailed off to G. I hope she isn't expecting it, and will enjoy receiving something unexpected in the mail the way I have enjoyed opening things from her.

Holiday Workshop

I am pleasantly busy sewing special-order pouches for holiday gifts. K and I made a run to the post office Monday to send some of these pouches to a lady in California. They are not liquid, fragile or potentially hazardous...just an excuse to buy more fabric. But, I don't think the post office cares about that.

In the Paper

Shared Space, an artist and crafter cooperative store in downtown Urbana, was featured in yesterday's News Gazette as a place to buy locally-made gifts. What a kick it is to see my pouches in one of the article's photos! I've pinned the paper to the design board in my sewing room. It's my version of a stuffed trophy fish up on the office wall.

Kindle Cover

My husband tells me the new Kindle will be a hot gift for people this Christmas. He's the type who follows (and reports) technology trends even if he doesn't have a personal interest in acquiring the new gadget. So, we don't have a Kindle, but I was moved to make a cover for one anyway. It's padded and has an elastic closure to keep the Kindle from sliding out if the case is tipped upside down. I sold a couple at the last Lincoln Square Holiday Market.
Is it wrong to want a Kindle only so I could make a pouch for it?

Diaper Bag

This special order canvas bag is meant as a diaper bag for Illini fans. With a zippered top, a baby's unmentionables will be secure. I added large side pockets to the inside for organizing fresh diapers, teethers and newborn whatnots. The shoulder strap is adjustable and can be unhooked all together for that day in the future when the bag is no longer for diapers, but maybe carries groceries or library books.