What we're making for Christmas, part three

The thing I made today was for Suzi. I made a cloak, using this pattern. Jordan and I spent all day at home with a sick Ivey, and Suzi has been at Grandma and Grandpa's, so it wasn't a bad time to work on it. I have to be honest, I did not have fun making this. It was so big, and I prefer to make things really little. I felt like I was playing Twister when I arranged and measured the fabric in the floor. Lots of pinning was involved, and in general, if you mess up something big you have a bigger mess. This cloak was only 32 inches or so long. I can't imagine making one for an adult!

I am fairly happy with it, all things considered, now that it's over. I hope Suzi likes it and that it fits okay. I may make one again someday, but if I do I am not going to line it. That was the worst part. I should have probably used crushed velvet like the lady recommended, but it's not my favorite fabric. I intended this to be an open-ended costume and also somewhat warm just in case Suzi wants to wear it to highland games sometimes. Probably she will mostly wear it while pretending to be Prince Philip. I do think this is a wonderful gift for a child, and it's empowering to know that it can be made at a very low cost. If you try it, be sure to take the tip at the bottom of the instructions page about folding the fabric in half to cut so the fold is in the middle of the back. It'll save a lot of trouble!

This doll, made by me and Megan on Friday, is not a Christmas gift for one of our kids. It's for a little girl who is in the hospital, but I do plan to make similar dolls for Suzi and Ivey. Megan already finished Evie's and it's adorable! These are not as hard to make as I thought they would be, and we managed to do pretty well for a first try even without all the recommended materials. I found a remnant at the fabric store for the face and hands, and we couldn't find wool stuffing so we used bamboo. Megan made Evie's doll hat and bunting out of a felted wool sweater, and it worked great. If you'd like to make a doll but don't really want to spend $15 a yard for two different organic fabrics, check out this lady's Dollar Store Dolly! Similar dolls retail for around $100, and she made it with stuff from a dollar store. Wow. Here are some good free instructions, too.

I have a long list of things to make still, but I feel ten times better having the cloak behind me! Now I can focus on arm warmers. An apron. Ivey's quilt. Flannel hankies. Finishing the girls' Waldorf babies. Pumpkin bread mini loaves. And I really want to try some felted wool slippers for the girls. As soon as I cross something off my list, it gets even longer. Oh boy, it's a good thing I'm nesting.

What are you making for Christmas?

Previous posts:

Part One

Part Two (and here's the pattern)

More later!