Anyone else running their own personal Christmas sweatshop?

[Leersia]

I can joke about it now that my sewing and felting is mostly done (well, the hard part anyway), but . . .

What was I thinking? :

6 rice-lavender bags
6 lined canvas tote bags
8 pairs of fleece slippers
2 felt stockings for stuffed animals
5 pairs of needle-felted Santa and Mrs. Claus

This, plus two small children, a big load of freelance editing, and lots of other Christmas crafty-stuff for the boys to give as presents (using ideas that I got on MDC).

I really think that because these gifts are homemade, I feel the need to overcompensate for not having spent a lot of money. For example, my mother is getting the felted Santa, a rice bag, a tote bag AND a pair of slippers. That leaves exactly nothing easy for next year !!!

How are your projects coming?

[mgilleran@earth-co]

Yes! I am about to have a nervous breakdown. My DH keeps saying "well, you could have just bought them something." Then I say "but look at the money I saved!"

Felt play food for DDs
2 baby doll carriers
2 cottage purses
2 baby doll diaper bags
2 baby doll nightgowns
2 DD pajamas to match doll nightgowns
Wooden play kitchen
7 Bed Pocket Organizers
2 fleece blankets
fleece pants & jacket
Plus a bible time costume & a lamb costume for church program. That is all I can think of right now. But I am sure there is more!
Good luck to all of you other sleep-deprived crafters out there. It is so hard to find time to sew when they aren't looking. I plan on binge-sewing Saturday to catch up.

[FillingMyQuiver]

This is definitely me... let's see... on my list to complete or to be completed is:
Sewing
8prs flannel pj bottoms (have 1pr done : )
3prs Darling Diapers Mini Mocs (DONE)
5 lavender eye pillows (DONE)
8 bean bags (DONE)
1 F&F holiday smock for DD (DONE)
4 hand warmers (small bean bags for FIL to heat up and use while working outside) (DONE)
Knitting
7prs LTK Stripey Slippers (6 DONE)
scarf (DONE)
lace pi shawl (DONE)
3 washcloths (DONE)
1 washmitt (DONE)
felted purse (just need to sew the lining)
knit fruits and veggies (2 left)
2 string bags (1 DONE)
Painting
2 terra cotta planters (DONE)
4 shirts w/ babes hand prints on them (3 DONE)

[rbriansgirl]

Originally Posted by FillingMyQuiver

:4 hand warmers (small bean bags for FIL to heat up and use while working outside)

Hey that is a great idea, can I ask how you made them, I am ALWAYS trying to think of good gift ideas for the men in my life! They seem so hard to buy for!

These are my "sweatshop" projects I have completed thus far:
Three waldorf dolls, one girl with a nightgown and a Christmas dress, two 12" boy dolls with shirts and overalls.
crocheted 15 pairs of mittens, three hats and four scarves.
Also, gearing up to do several craft projects with all 24 neices and nephews coming home for Christmas, YIKES !

[FillingMyQuiver]

Originally Posted by rbriansgirl

Hey that is a great idea, can I ask how you made them, I am ALWAYS trying to think of good gift ideas for the men in my life! They seem so hard to buy for!

I made a small square pattern, mine was 4x4 with 1/2" seam allowance for a finished size of 3x3. They're made of flannel and turned and topstitched. Their filled with rice. Essentially, they're like small rice bags that get heated up and put in the pocket. My thought is that the insulation from his coat or pants pocket or whatever will help keep them warm for a while and he'll be able to heat his hands w/out using those one-use ones.

FIL owns his own landscaping contracting business, so he's outside A LOT. I figure even if he just uses them at home, he can save his disposable ones for the job sites or whatever

[rbriansgirl]

Thats great, thanks for sharing. My IL's are all farmers and I think FIL would love those and my little brother loves the disposable ones so I can make him one too. Thanks

[capemom]

Me too! My dh is starting to look annoyed with my attachment to my machines. Just finished a bunch of custom orders for my biz. Almost done so I can start on family stuff. Still to finish before Christmas:

1. fleece/flannel bag for birthday party tomorrow at 11:00 (haven't started it yet - yikes!)
2. two more fleece/flannel bags for last biz order
3. fleece/flannel bag for my niece
4. Waldorf doll (from kit) for dd
5. doll sling for dd
6. 2 fleece vests for my boys
7. sock monkey - really want to try one for dd

And I've ignored my house for the last week so I could sew. All the family is coming Sunday for dd's birthday party. I have to do a major cleaning tomorrow.

[Leersia]

OK, glad to know I'm not alone Mamas - good luck getting all of these beautiful handmade things done! I'm actually not doing too much sewing for my dc, as I sew and felt stuff for them all the time - I'm mostly making stuff for the extended family - the people I always agonize over gift-buying for. I must say that as I was packing some of this stuff up to mail to some family members, I did feel better about these gifts than presents that I've bought in the past. And I love to receive a simple, thoughtful, handmade gift. One of my favorite gifts to regularly receive is maple syrup from my SIL's family farm (that she and my brother live on). What could be nicer?

[Leersia]

Also, FillingMyQuiver, do you have any photos of those Waldorf dolls? I would LOVE to see them!! I would love to make some for my sons, someday (not for xmas! )

[FillingMyQuiver]

Originally Posted by Leersia

Also, FillingMyQuiver, do you have any photos of those Waldorf dolls? I would LOVE to see them!! I would love to make some for my sons, someday (not for xmas! )

Actually, I think capemom is the one making the dolls. I'm not ready to take those on yet I'm thinking next yr for DD's b-day I'll do dolls. You can find kits for the dolls here:
www.joyswaldorfdolls.com

[goosysmom]

Ooo me....and it feels like summer in my house bc our building turns off the AC when we get a week straight of below zero....We had that week and since then it's been spring like...My apt right now is 77 degrees with all the windows open and the patio door (locked screen of course..)...LOL

So far I have made:

5 fleece hoodies from 3T-7
5 nightgowns...5 in flannel and l/s
3 pairs of jammies (tops and bottoms)...in size 6x/7
4 Christmas dresses with gathered skirts and sleeves....3T-7
4 no tie fleece blankets..2 at 2yds each and 2 at 1yd each
8 infant gowns for my friends new twins born a few weeks ago..snap front with elastic bottom..3-6mo size
1 superhero cape in red velvet lined with cream satin...for a special little boy

What I have left:

3 nightgowns...s/s in a silky poly cotton...4T and 5T
2 Christmas dresses but these just need the buttons sewn on
1 red Christmas shirt..tunic style for me....hope to get this done\
1 recycled wool blanket for my friend....now I remember why I don't quilt but it's cute
Skirt for Christmas tree.
2 shirts for DH....happy he only wears polo style with s/s at this point...

DD would like some dolly clothes but that will wait until april for her birthday...my eyes are not happy with me bc we don't have the right lighting in the house for sewing.....lol

I think that's it....I hope to have it all done midweek. DH wants the dining room table back and is tired of thread, scraps, pins, chalk, you name it all over the table and covering the floor (thread and scraps)...I tell him at least it's all confined to one area and the pins and chalk are in their containers.

Whoosh....yeah, I could've bought but we don't have the money this year and I HAD to clean out my fabric stash....darn the Jo-Ann 50% off clearence price sales....I can go with my $15 and buy about $60 worth of fabric sometimes.....but the drawers are nearing empty....We need the storage...

[weeirishlass]

Wow, I'm not as ambitious as you! I've got a couple projects:
1 pouch sling that I have been putting off since October, but now the baby is 1 month and needs it!
1 ring sling
curtains for my kitchen that I'd like done for dd's b-day on the 30th
2 high chair covers, one since we lost ours and one for nephew for c-mas
And I guess that's it... I just finished one of the cart covers and I'm wasting time on here. Back to work!

[courtenay_e]

Um, yes...and a week left to do it all in...

two more curtains/sheers for doorwall (we've been without for three years, and I've finally got two done, which cover the doorwall when they're pulled shut, but don't look PRETTY, or AS pretty as they would more gathered with the two extra ones on the cutting table. I mean really, how long does it take to run hems and the pockets for the rods?...)

fleece tic-tac-toe board and bean bags to go with

teddy bear eared coat for brand new neice

super-fuzzy-cozy jammies for dd

uhhhhh, christmas dress for dd (yeah, sounding kind of like my mom here, but I totally see myself staying up all night on the 23rd finishing this one...)

ABC for dear friend/client who's due on christmas day

two I spy bags for my kids out of the same cool fabric as the tic tac toe bean bags...

bathrobes to leave on the ends of their beds for christmas morning (for dd and ds)

The only reason I can even pretend to expect that I'll get even MOST of this done is that dh is staying home all week. Now, if said client goes into labor all is lost...

[majazama]

I prefer to call it "cottage industry"

~I'm being real laid back about it all. My kids have plenty of toys, except for stocking stuffers, which I will be braving the malls to scavenge on monday :doh: there will be no one else around, except for my mom and dad, and stepdad.

I'm making PJ's, rice-lavendar pillows, mittens, pillows... hats, blankets, quilts..

I'm not trying to get everything made by x-mas, as you can probably tell. I just want to send things out sometime soon. I feel so productive on the crafting side during this time of the year.

[antannie]

I have sent one package off to a MIN with a gnome baby and some needlefelted things, stitch markers and I can't remember what else. I have another package going Monday morning to Ontario with needlefelted things, stitchmarkers. candlesticks I got in trade for a gnome, felt and pipecleaner gnomes, gnome baby.

I have still to knit a headwarmer thing with skull and crossbones, the feet of a pair of socks (and I have to spin the yarn for them first) and a pair of wristwarmers.

I need to sew 3 pairs of jammie bottoms.

I need to make 2 simple puppets.

I have finished one pirate bendy and hope to make another and have several bags of tiny cloth and wool babies done (3 to a bag)

Some baking to do

Hey that is not so bad!

oh and extra needlefelted gnomes and santas to sell. I have a few knit and felt orders to finish too but not necessarily before Christmas.

[nitemarehippygirl]

i've been joking about this for a while. i 've been working on christmas gifts since the middle of october. i'm so tired of crocheting. i think i have arthritis in one of my fingers...it's all stiff and sore now. here's what i've done so far...

dh: tye dyed boxer shorts

ds: scarf, finger puppets, felt food, felt board nativity set, tye dyed play cloths, mesh bag for play food, veggie tales throw pillow, pillow case

mom: scarf, crocheted bag

stepdad: scarf

sister #1: scarf, bath salts, soap, book of mom's recipes

bil #1:scarf

nephew: scarf

nephew: crocheted lap blanket

sister #2: crocheted bag, bath salt, soap, book of mom's recipes, stocking

bil #2: scarf

niece: refinished baby doll cradle, pillow, "mattress", and quilt for cradle, soap, pretend restaurant kit, stocking

niece: scarf, tye dye socks, bath salt, soap, stocking

niece: scarf, tye dye socks, bath salt, soap, stocking

sil: scarf, bath salts, soap

niece: scarf, bath salt, soap, stocking

niece: scarf, bath salt, soap

niece: scarf, bath salt, soap

friend: scarf, bath salt, soap

also bil #1 "commissioned" me to make 2 scarves for some of his relatives. one is done, one is partially done.

i also did some photo calendars, and collage frames with pics of levi "from" the baby to relatives

so here's what i have to finish:

aforementioned scarf
fleece throw w/tied fringe for ds
a few more photo calendars
and TONS of baking (i'm dreading that...)

it looks like i will be done in time. i can't believe it.

[EricaLeigh]

As far as sewing goes I have made 5 sewn snowman christmas cards, 1 fabric batted baby book. I'm making 8 ring doll slings, I'm making 1 bean bag chair. I'm making felt food to go with the kitchen that my dh & I are almost done making (so far 4 fried eggs, 1 pizza, 4 tea bags). I made 1 diaper for my DD's build-a bear, & have enough fabric (velour remnant) for a couple more, but perhaps not enough time! I've made my chocolate dipped pretzels & both spicy & sweet nuts. I have yet to bake all of my cookies & finish sewing. I have a dozen play silks just waiting for me to remember to pick up kool-aid at the market, so that I can dye them. I suppose I should sign of so that I finish in time for Christmas!

[callmeluci]

Woo Hoo! As of 30 minutes ago, my sweatshop is officially closed!
Here's the list of all of the items that I embroidered.
10 bath towels
3 afghans
4 shirts
7 tooth fairy pillows

[goosysmom]

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I CAN'T find my LARGE Jo-Ann bag of felt, glitter glue, and tacky glue....:

I CAN'T find my LEFT HANDED dressmaker shears OR my general CRAFT scissors......:

I've spent the past 2 hours scouring my apartment for them...... 2 hours that I could've made 2 dresses or 2 nightgowns or my top.....:

HOW DOES ONE LOSE THESE THINGS????

DH cleaned (not complaining) the other day....I took a break from everything. He tends to be OCD in his cleaning sometimes.....

I only ask that if he's going to do that, stay away from my sewing area please.......

There is a method to my madness and disorginzation there during the holidays.

I still have some felt sets for friends to make (luckily craft swap ones are on their way....), 3 nightgowns, 2 dresses and a top for myself by Monday...

I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT MY SCISSORS OR FELT....SIGH......

I asked him if he knew where they were and I got a blank stare like I was speaking Yiddish or Gaelic or Latin......

I don't have any extra $$ to go get new scissors (even the cheapo ones to get me through) or felt, glues, glitter.....


My "sweatshop" is at a standstill.........:

[Leersia]

goosysmom,
bummer! I sure hope that you find that stuff. I am always losing my sewing stuff. Some little gremlins in my house love my seam gage, and what's the deal with the fascination with the seam ripper? Must be that it looks like a small weapon. Boys . . .(sigh).

Hope you find your stuff!
****************
As the OP, I must announe that my sweatshop has closed down, and my projects are finished. I'm glad that I busted my rear to get stuff done in anticipation of our Christmas travel, only to have it get canned due to a blizzard in Denver, and cancelled flights with no chance of rebooking in time. (another sigh)