#RigelBomberJanuary

Or as I like to call it #rigeldisappointmentjanuary. I'm a little sore about this project, so sore in fact, that I wasn't even going to blog about it. I thought about pretending that it never even happened. People would forget that I decided to partake in #rigelbomberjanuary, and I could just delete my instagram photos, right? Well, at the last minute (on the last day of the month I might add), I decided not to forget about it. It's good to share the fails too right? First off, let me just say that there is nothing wrong with Papercut's pattern. It was fun to sew up, albeit a little stressful because of the welt pockets. (I had sweaty palms because I have never attempted welt pockets before.)  The jacket itself turned out fine, although the ribbing was a little less structured than I would have preferred, but that's just down to a lack of available ribbing out there. It's just...it's not for me. The colours are not working for me, and I sorta don't think the shape is right for me (but that could be a sizing issue too - I made the medium, but I think I could have gotten away with a small or at least a small in the shoulders). Anyway, I really want to like it, and I have really, really tried to like it, but I just don't.

I think the biggest problem with this jacket is my fabric choice, oh and the ribbing too. When Sonja of Ginger Makes announced Rigel Bomber January, and posted some inspiration photos, I fell hard for Craft Sanctuary's quilted bomber. It's made out of a delicious Liberty lawn and quilted and lined. I immediately checked the stash for Liberty prints and the hubs and I settled on this one that we got at Shaukat. To be completely honest, I have no idea why I even bought it because I don't even really like it. I think John chose it because he loves the colours. So there was the first mistake.

The second mistake is that I had to order the ribbing online, so it was really difficult to find a good colour match. In my mind I was looking for a dark maroon/burgundy, but I wound up with this brick red from Fabric.com. By the time it got to me, I was tired of waiting, and wanted to get the show on the road, so I just went with it (I won't be doing that again - settling I mean).

Ya, so that happened.

I guess it wasn't a total waste because I did learn how to make single welt pockets - I used this tutorial. I have never sewn them before, and I was super nervous about doing them, but they turned out really well. Another sewing fear conquered. Yay! Silver linings people, silver linings.

I think part of the heartbreak over this make is all the time and effort I invested into it. I mean, I took the time to quilt it all. It wasn't difficult, I just cut out the pieces, marked some lines and then quilted them with some leftover quilt batting I had, but it was time consuming.

I also lined this bad boy with a delicious rayon challis from Fabric.com. I used Elizabeth's method which was pretty easy. It feels really nice when you put it on. It's snuggly and warm, and silky against the skin. It's a little stiff due to the quilting, but I think with some wear and a wash or two it will probably soften up really nicely. See what I mean, I really want to like it and I'm really heartbroken that I don't. I kept having that yucky feeling of disappointment and regret in my tummy every time I looked over at it. I even popped it on several times throughout the last week or so to see if I changed my mind.

I just think the colours do not work for me. It might be my insane blue hair, but it might also be the shape/style of the jacket too. It looks so lovely, on so many people. I mean have you seen this one, or this one. Or my favourite this one (I swear Katie and I are sewing twins - we both seem to sew up the same things around the same time not even knowing we are doing so - she has great taste and great style so check out her blog if you haven't already.)

I didn't really take a lot of good photos of it (my bad), so these are all off my iPhone, but you can see the lining peeking out a bit there.

When I finished it, I put it to Instagram and as I expected got mixed reviews. Some people liked it, some people were quiet about it ('nuff said), and lots of others reassured me that it was fine but also that it was okay not to like it. Thank you guys for that.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I had finally had enough of looking at it, and I was about to stick it in the back of my closet and pretend it never happened, when my Mom and Stepmom came over for coffee this afternoon. I wasn't sure if either of them would like it, but sure enough my Stepmom tried it on, it fit, and we decided it looked much better on her.  SOLD! (or rather GIVEN! but you know what I'm saying). This made me ecstatic! I am so happy for this make to have a home, and so happy that it is with my favourite Stepmom! I think she's going to get some good wear out of it because it looks really great on her.

I sort of sprung the photo shoot on her (poor lady - she really must love me because she agreed to it), but doesn't she look great!

So that wraps it up! (Enough whining and wallowing already!) I really liked this "sew-together" concept. It was fun to sew something with a bunch of other people, watch other people's progress and see what we all did with the same pattern. It also gave me the push I needed to get this done. I have had this pattern for months and it probably would have just sat in my stash if it wasn't for this. Even though mine didn't turn out exactly as I imagine, I would still recommend it. And if you didn't quilt it, it's a really quick sew for a jacket. Now onto different things - I'm planning for the Crazy Dog Lady Sewing Challenge (and there's always more Archers, Gingers and Lindens to sew). Woo hoo!

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever made something that you just didn't like? How did you get over it or what did you end up doing with your project?

Forever in Blue Jeans...Ginger Take 3

Do you ever have those days where things just don't work out? That seems to be the story of my week with photos. I'm just in a bit of a funk. I finished these jeans on Sunday afternoon and have made several attempts to photograph them, but I am just not happy with how I look in the photos. I finally decided today, after 4 attempts that I was just gonna go with it. I mean come on, I made another pair of Ginger jeans!! I can't just hide them away from my blog because I'm having a bad hair/skin/shoe day.  So with that in mind, I am presenting you with quite a mish-mash of photos, but I think this combo showcases my latest Gingers quite well.

This is Version A again. I made a few changes this time: I lengthened the rise by 1 inch, and I lengthened the front crotch curve by 1/4" (I thought I would start small). I had a few smile lines on my last pair, so I thought that might help, but I don't think it made much difference; the lines are still there, they are just a bit straighter now. I might add another 1/4" next time, but I'm not sure. I'm pretty happy with the fit as is, so I don't really want to mess around with it too much more.

I also slimmed the leg down by an inch. I took 1/4 inch off each side seam on each leg, grading to zero about mid thigh. This made the legs skinny, but not super skinny like my last pair. I quite like it, although I am struggling with shoe choices. I have these cute booties, but they just look wrong, and I don't always want to wear tall boots. Yeesh! First world problems. But seriously what kind of shoes do you were with stovepipe legs?

For something different, I went with blue topstitching thread. I really like how it turned out. My machine had some troubles making barracks with this time, and I'm not really sure why. I'm thinking that maybe this thread was just a pinch too thick, or I might need a slightly thicker needle. Anyway, I took what I could get so the barracks don't match and are a little bit longer than I would have liked.

This lovely dark stretch denim came from JoAnn's in Palm Desert. We were in California back in November for a work thing for John, so we hit JoAnn's and we found lots of great fabric. I know that some of you American sewists don't think too highly of it, but I found a number of great bottom weight fabrics (at good prices) and some great flannels and shirtings too, plus I got a wicked deal on Olfa blades for my rotary cutter (half-price - and they were regularly priced half of what I pay for them here). So I have nothing but love for JoAnn's myself. (For my fellow Canucks, JoAnn's is like a combination of Michaels & Fabricland/Fabricville, i.e. Crafter's Heaven.) Anyway, I think this denim is awesome. It's stretchy, has great recovery, and it's kind of brushed on the wrong side, so it is super soft and it feels like pyjamas! Hooray for pyjama jeans!

As you can see, this pair isn't as highwaisted as the pattern's Version B, but they still hit just below my belly button. I really want to try Version B, but I'm afraid they might be a bit too high for this petite lady. I'm afraid the waist would sit right underneath my boobs, and I'm not sure that would be very flattering. But who knows? The 70's are making a comeback right? I may still give them a go just to see. I also went a bit rivet crazy on this pair. I changed the coin pocket so that you would see both sides of it (basically I just folded it under and topstitched) so that I could have more rivets! You can't see it, but I put rivets on both corners of both back pockets too.

I'm not sure I am in love with the high-waistedness. I can't decide if it's really flattering, or too mom-jean. You pretty much never see my waist anyway, cause my tops usually cover it, so it's not really a big deal, but I'm still not really sure about it. I probably just need to get used to it. I also went with the built in pocket stays as described in Heather Lou's  sew-a-long. I think they do make a difference in taming the tum, and adding a bit more structure.

As you can see I have also made 2 more Linden Sweatshirts. I opted for the short sleeved, hemmed version this time, but I'm not entirely sure it's for me. Super comfy, but I think my figure benefits from the hem band, so I may just stick with the long-sleeved version. Or maybe I'll just add a hem band next time. I have already professed my love for Linden in my last post, but I have to say it again, it's a great pattern. I whipped these up on my serger in just over an hour, and they are so comfy!! Both are made out of hacci sweat knits I had in my stash, but I think they are both from fabric.com. So that's it for now.

Do you have bad photo/blogging days? How do you cope, and/or what do you do to get out of the funk? Also have you made Ginger Jeans yet, if not, what's holding you back? 

More Grainline Studio Love: The Linden Sweatshirts

I think it's pretty obvious by now that I am pretty much completely in love with Grainline Studio. I haven't made all of Jen's patterns yet, but I do have most of them in the queue, and I am happy to say that the Archer and the now the Linden are definitely tried and true for me. Jen has such great, classic style and a real talent for drafting patterns (have you seen the sneak peeks of her latest pattern on Instagram - I can't wait!). Her pdfs are easy to assemble and her instructions and sew-a-long posts are amazing. I don't have much to say about this pattern, that hasn't already been said. It's simple and quick to sew up, it fits like a dream, and can be made with an array of fabrics. Did you see this version Kelly made in a woven? Wowsers!

Both of these are a size 8, and I made no fit adjustments except to shorten the sleeves by 2.5". What can I say I have petite arms. LOL . And I am also running out of creative poses (please excuse the mess of sheets in the corner, it's laundry day - Oops!).

The fit is great and super comfy. I love how this shirt has a slight hi-lo hem, the cut is very flattering. I cut a little triangle detail out of black ribbing to give the colourful one more of a sweatshirt look. It was pretty easy to sew on with a zig-zag stitch, but I would recommend interfacing it to give it stability before you sew it on.

This colourful fabric is a sweater knit and the black and white is a sweatshirt fleece. Both are from Girl Charlee. I only had 1 yard of each fabric, which proved a challenge. I cut the colourful one's sleeves on the cross grain which means very little stretch (which makes it tough to push up the sleeves) but the fit is still comfy. The black and white one has plain black french terry sleeves, as I thought it would look a bit weird with the patterned sleeves. The black ribbing is nice and soft and is also from Girl Charlee.

I didn't really plan the pattern placement (or worry about pattern matching), but luckily it worked out and I didn't wind up with any awkward bullseyes.

I actually first made the Linden pattern for my Mom for Christmas. I made her a gorgeous floral one, and she wears it like crazy. Unfortunately,  I don't have any photos of it to share with you.  It is great pattern to make up for someone else as it doesn't require much fitting, and is super comfy and snuggly for the colder months - I felt like I was gifting my Mom a big hug.

Anyway, I am really happy with the way these turned out and they are both getting weekly wear. I will definitely be making more.

What's your winter wardrobe staple?

The Liberty Print Archers

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I have become a bit Archer crazy this month (and you'll also know that I now have blue hair), actually you can probably just tell that from my blog too. Back in my pre-sewing days, I always had trouble finding button-up shirts that fit me well. It seemed that if they fit me well in the shoulders, then they didn't really fit across the bust (or sometimes across my belly), and if I found one that fit across my boobs, then I was swimming in it everywhere else. I think that's why I love sewing these shirts so much. It's a real accomplishment (in my mind anyway) to have such a great fitting button-down - so maybe it's not an obsession, maybe it's love. Anyway, a couple of months ago, I saw a photo from Kelly's (of Cut Cut Sew) instagram feed of an Archer assembly line. She had FIVE shirts all cut out and ready to sew. FIVE!! For some reason that had never occurred to me. Cut out and sew multiple complex garments all at the same time? Yes please!! So I picked out 4 fabrics from my stash (actually I picked out 6, but decided that might be a little extreme), and proceeded to cut out 4 shirts.

Unfortunately, I didn't consider thread. There is a considerable amount of topstitching with this pattern, and I couldn't decide on a thread colour to match all four, so I decided to do them two at a time. So without further ado, I present my first two Archers of 2015 (don't be surprised to see many more this year):

Have I told you how much I freakin' love this pattern? It took me a few tries (and some research) to get the fit just right, but now that I have it, I definitely consider this a TNT pattern. In fact, it's my uniform. This shirt and a pair of Ginger jeans and I'm set!

Both fabrics are Liberty Tana Lawns that I got at Shaukat Fabrics in London. I've had a number of Liberty tana lawns in my stash for quite sometime, but I haven't had the courage to cut into them. I am so glad I finally took the plunge as they were a dream to sew with and they are even nicer to wear. So soft and dreamy - I finally get what everyone has been raving about.

I've already talked about fitting in a previous post, but here's a recap. My tried and true version of this pattern is a size 6 (chosen based on my high bust measurement) with a full bust adjustment that adds about 1" and a bust dart. This gives me a nice fit all over and it's still very comfy. I also shortened the sleeves by about an inch and a half.

For the peachy floral one, I went with teal pearl snaps from Snap Source (have you tried snaps yet, cause they really are the bomb), and for the navy floral  one, I used some shiny buttons I bought at my local Fabricland. I also played with the pockets a bit. For the peachy one, I made pointy pockets (you can barely see them) and for the navy one, I went with the regular ones that come with the pattern.

So there you have it - my first projects of the new year! It was fun to make them like this, and I also mixed and matched fabrics so that they all have contrasting inner yokes, under collars and collar stands. I realize now that I didn't really get any good shots of that, but I'll get some for when I post about the other two.

Hope this New Year is treating you all well so far.

PS: Are any of you sewing friends participating in #rigelbomberjacketjanuary? If not, it's not too late to jump on board. 

Top 5 Hits of 2014 (+ reflections & goals)

This was a tough list for me to make. I have been lucky to have a number of hits this year, although a lot of them have come in the last six months or so. I really love making a garment that fits me well and looks nice, but that I also wear a lot. So anyway enough blabbing, here are my top 5 hits of 2014:

1. Self-drafted Beetle Blouse - before you get too excited, I drafted this blouse with a pattern-maker template, so it was pretty easy. It was the first button down shirt I ever made, and I still love it to death. I wore in once or twice a week all summer and it still gets a bit of wear this winter with a cardigan thrown over top.

2. Sleeveless Moneta - the sleeveless part of this dress isn't the greatest as there is a lot of gaping, but throw a sweater or a jean jacket on top and you would never know. I wore this dress a ton in the summer and then I paired it with boots and tights for the colder months. It is super comfy and so easy to throw on. Plus I find it goes with everything. 

3. Grainline Studio's Archer - Dudes!! So far, this is my all time favourite pattern - to make and to wear. The buffalo check one was my first attempt - a bit of a wearable muslin. And then my Crazy Cat Lady version is where I really perfected the fit. I have made this shirt up 5 times for myself already (with 2 more in process right now) and once for my Mom. Now that I have my pattern altered perfectly, it is a cinch to make up. I have done an FBA and added a bust dart for my TNT version. I know some of you don't like bust darts, but it make a world of difference in the fit and look of a garment - I promise you it's worth the effort to add one. Someday I may try a dart less FBA, but for now I'm quite happy with how this baby turns out.

4. Ginger Jeans - I have made 2 pairs of Gingers so far (here and here) and I love both of them. I wear them all the time. I honestly can't rave about this pattern enough. It fit me pretty much perfectly right off the bat and the instructions are fantastic. I see many, many more pairs in my future, and I have a really hard time seeing myself buy another pair of RTW pants again.

5. Holiday Party Anna - okay, so this dress isn't really a wardrobe staple, but I absolutely love it. And everybody needs a good party dress, right? I felt so amazing wearing this at my husband's work Christmas party, and I was so proud that I made it myself. I think the colour really suited me, and the border print worked out amazingly. (If I do say so myself LOL.)

So as I said before, this was a tough list for me to make, so I also wanted to include some honourable mentions. I love my Nettie bodysuit and Chardon skirt, I love my Sutton blouses, and I love my Hudsons (see below). I have actually made 4 pairs of Hudsons and they are my go to lounge pant.

I also have to mention my Pyjama Eaters. I had so much fun making them (and posing them, photographing them, and writing about them), and every time I look  at them I smile.

Okay, time for a recap and some goals now: I have had a ton of fun sewing this year and I have learned a ton. I really feel like I have found my calling. It seems I have been searching and searching for a hobby my whole life, and this is one of the first times that I have stayed really passionate and thrilled about something for such a long time (well a year anyway but I'm just as excited about it, or maybe more than the day I started so I think that's pretty good). I look forward to fine tuning the skills I have learned so far and also tackling more complex patterns this year. I am trying really hard not to be intimidated by anything (especially patterns labelled intermediate or gasp! advanced), because I am one of those people who has to do it to learn it. I would also like to attempt making a coat or a jacket this year (hello #rigelbomberjacketjanuary!), and I would really like to make more jeans and some shorts. I am hoping to eventually have a complete handmade wardrobe, but we'll see.  I would also like to make my husband some things - maybe a shirt or two and some lounge pants. I'm trying not to set lofty goals as that seems to make me want to do the opposite - apparently I have a thing about rebelling against rules.

So there you have it - I am finished my wrap up for 2014. I have a bit of a backlog of projects to show you, so I'll get on that soon too! Hope you had a fabulous 2014 and I look forward to sharing my 2015 with you!

Top 5 Misses of 2014

So I might be a little late to the party, but I wanted to join in on Gillian's year end round up. I had lots of fun discovering sewing blogs last January and I especially loved reading everyone's round ups. I only just started sewing at the beginning of 2014 so I did have a number of projects that didn't quite work out. A lot of them have long been forgotten (I do keep a sewing notebook however and have written about pretty much every garment I've made this year), but I thought I would share a few of the ones I have photos of. Really even if I am saying these garments are fails in this post, they really aren't. Even if they didn't work out I did still have fun sewing them up and with every project I sew, I learn - and that's all good.

Anyway, with out further ado, here are my top 5 misses:

1) Megan Nielsen's Tania Culottes - This is a great pattern, and I had lots of fun making it up, but the finished product just didn't suit my figure. I had hoped that they would fit a lot like a circle skirt and become a summer staple, but they looked horrible on me (so horrible that you will never see me in them). I did however have fun learning how to use the rolled hem feature on my serger. The fabric was a cheap but cute polyester I picked up in the clearance section of Fabricland. I've seen lots of great versions of this pattern online, and it looks great on some people, but it's not for me.

2) Bluegingerdoll's Winifred Dress - This one was actually really heart-breaking. I was confident that it was going to fit my shape well based on the pattern description, but after two failed attempts, and lots of Instagram advice, I left it behind. I wasted some gorgeous fabric I got on Goldhawk Road in London, and learned my lesson about making muslin. I still really wish this dress fit me, as I love the style and the bold print, but I just couldn't make it work.  I have however taken extensive notes, so I may try it again someday when I'm feeling more confident about fitting.

3) Grainline Studio's Scout Tee - I have made this pattern a number of times now, and to be completely honest, I have never really been happy with the fit. I have one floral version that I wear every once in a while, but usually only when everything else is in the laundry. It's okay, but not good enough for me to get a lot of wear out of. I think that I really need to add a bust dart for it to work on me. I'm a bit too curvy to not have a bit more shape. I still probably would have worn this top as is, but the fabric makes it look like a scrub top. It doesn't look too bad in the photo, but in person it looks awful.

4) Jalie Pattern's Dolman Tops - I actually made 5 of these. I wear 2 of them frequently, but this one just did not turn out. The combination of stripes and long sleeves makes me look like a circus tent. I did end up cutting off the long sleeves which made it better, but I still count it as a fail. I think the look on my face says it all. LOL

5) Christine Hayne's Emery Dress - this is a fantastic pattern and I love all the versions of it around the interwebs, but this version I made just does not work. I was inspired by Lauren's version, and I should have read her post about it more carefully, because she had the same feelings about hers when she was done, as I did about mine. I wore this dress the day I took the pictures, but that was it. It doesn't look too bad in the photos, but the fit is awful. The bodice is super tight, my boobs are squished, and I think the check is just generally unflattering. I made another version in different fabric that I am much happier with. And truth be told, I will probably make another one someday with some more fit adjustments.

So there you go, my misses for 2014. I have learned so much this year and I am now making more garments that I wear more often. My first projects were pretty much all dresses, but now I'm making button-d0wns and jeans! JEANS!!! I'm thrilled! When John gifted me a serger last year at Christmas, I had no idea how this little hobby would take over my life, my blog and introduce me to so many new internet friends. I love this community of sewers and bloggers, and a year later I still can't get enough.

Next up will be my Top 5 Hits. I'm having a hard time narrowing it done.

How was your 2014? 

Handmade Christmas Part 2: Dude Sewing

So I have fallen super behind in blogland. I contracted the plague and spent close to 5 days cuddled up in bed with the pugs and Netflix. I wouldn't say it's the worst cold I've ever had, but it is definitely the most persistent (and I'm a huge baby). I thought I would spend 2 days in bed and feel better, but I actually felt worse after the first two days and decided to spend a couple more days in bed. Yuck! Anyway, I have just finished catching up on reading everything in my feed, so now it's time to update. I really want to do a year-end post, but first I wanted to share the rest of my handmade Christmas gifts with you. First off, the shirts I made for the boys:

Don't they look handsome? I had so much fun making these shirts. John and I picked out the fabric last spring on Goldhawk Road. The boys love to have matching shirts for some reason, and when we saw this map fabric we both thought it would be perfect. I used McCall's 6044 and I made them all the same size. Matt's could stand to be size smaller, but otherwise I am super happy with the fit right out of the envelope. The boys were thrilled to, and impressed that I actually made them. I'm thinking it may end up being a bit of a tradition!

Next up, I made a shirt for my Dad:

For this shirt, I used Jalie's Men's Polo Shirt pattern, and I opted for a collared long sleeve version with no pockets. I have never made a collar or button placket in jersey, and I have to say, it was difficult. I unpicked the button placket twice, and to be honest, I'm still not thrilled with it. The fabric is a super soft, and super stretchy cotton lycra from Girl Charlee. It's really nice and the colour is gorgeous, but it was tough to work with for this type of project. Next time, I will interface all the placket and collar pieces which I really think would help. Anyway, my Dad is thrilled with it, and has worn it a ton already.

Next up I thought I would show you the shirts I made for our little Shanny. They weren't really for Christmas, but I think they go along with the unselfish sewing theme I have going here. Shanny had to have a couple of lumps removed from her chest/neck, and the best way to keep her from scratching at the stitches was to have her wear a little shirt. The first one I made her fit pretty well, but it didn't come up far enough, so I had to make her a second one.

Both shirts are made from super soft jersey remnants that I bought from Girl Charlee. I have no idea why I bought them, but I thought they worked really well for this project. Both shirts sewed up super quick and they did their job, plus Shanny really doesn't mind wearing them. I am also happy to report, that while one of the lumps was cancerous, they got it and she is now cancer free. Hooray!

That's pretty much it for the Christmas sewing. I made my Mom a Linden Sweatshirt too, but I somehow didn't get any pictures of it.

How is your holiday season going?

Handmade Christmas Part 1

So this year, I really wanted to at least try to make some handmade gifts. I know there are a few people on my list that would really appreciate a handmade gift, so I wanted to make sure I took advantage of that fact, because a) I love sewing and b) I hate going to the mall during the Christmas shopping season. Also, I  personally love receiving handmade gifts. It means so much to me when people take the time and put in effort to actually make me a gift. So hopefully, the people who are receiving handmade gifts from me, will feel the same way. Fingers crossed anyway. I made a few things that I can't share with you quite yet, but I have a couple of things that I can. When I saw the LBG Studio Leather Accent Pouch pattern on Indiesew, I knew it would be the perfect thing for two of my girlfriends. I really loved the leather accent details and I thought it would be a good foray into sewing with leather too.

For the first one, I used some upholstery fabric and for the accents I bought a tiny piece of brown suede, both found at my local Fabricland.

The construction was quite straight forward, and you could probably make this without a pattern, but I felt like I needed some hand holding, and I am always much to nervous and lazy to figure out dimensions on my own.

This was my first go at sewing with leather, and I think it went pretty well. I made sure to use a leather needle in my machine, but I don't have a teflon foot. My Pfaff has IDT built in which is basically a walking foot and it worked really well.

For both bags I used a printed quilting cotton from my stash for the lining and a jeans zipper.

The second bag was a little trickier to sew.

The leather came from a used leather jacket that I picked up at an estate sale. It is super buttery soft, and I found that it stretched around at bit and it stuck to my machine a bit more than the other leather did. A teflon foot may have helped and I might pick one up next time they're on sale.

I think this leather looks a bit nicer than the Fabricland stuff though. The main fabric is more upholstery fabric. The upholstery fabric worked out really well. It added a bit more structure to the bags and I am hoping that it will be a bit more durable over time.

These were pretty quick projects and I am super happy with how they turned out. I felt really good giving them as gifts, and hopefully the receivers get lots of use out of them.

How about you? Are you ready for Christmas yet? How do you feel about handmade gifts?