New Years ReSEWlution at Me Sew Crazy

I’m sharing a project at Me Sew Crazy today—have you been following Jessica’s reSEWlution series? She invited bloggers to make a sewing resolution for the New Year and share their goal/project on her blog . . . there have been so many fun tutorials, refashions, organization ideas, and more so far. Click on over to see my reSEWlution for the new year, and my first step towards keeping it.

And, in case anyone comes to visit from Me Sew Crazy looking for proof of a certain claim I made about this skirt . . . behold:
You can’t see me! I’m camouflaged! (I swear, I think I have a Sesame Street clip that I could  use for just about every situation. Good ol’ Sesame Street, it never lets me down.)

Last-Minute DIY Christmas Gifts with Newly Woodwards

 Today is the final day of our little Handmade Holidays series--my goal with this series of posts was to share favorite meaningful gifts (both given and received), simple ideas for easy-to-make gifts you could create for someone you care about (even at the last minute!), and hopefully get you excited to make something of your own. Did it work? Have you made any handmade gifts this year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments (and I'm excited to show you a few things I've made to give this Christmas)!

Our final guest is Kim from Newly Woodwards--I've been following her blog for quite a long time. If I remember right, I think she found me on craigslist, where I'd put up an ad for some of my hats back in Iowa (is that right, Kim?) and I've loved reading her adventures ever since. She and her husband are master home renovators and always seem to have a great makeover or decor project in the works, and Kim sews and quilts and upcycles clothing and cooks delicious goodies (try her Happy Joe's-Inspired Taco  Pizza. You will love it. Guaranteed. If you don't, I will come to your house and eat it for you.). Plus she's just plain fun and lovable, and is a great taste of the good ol' Midwest!

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Hello, Maybe Matlida-ers! I'm Kim from NewlyWoodwards, and I'm thrilled to be here right before Christmas. Thanks so much to Rachel for having me!

Like many of you, I love to give handmade gifts for the holidays. I pin and bookmark ideas all year long in the hopes of finding the very best gifts for my family and friends.

And then, in spite of all my best-laid plans, I don't make half the gifts I hope to. Time always gets away from me. Can I get an amen?

So, I've begun to embrace the fact that I do better with smaller projects as gifts. They are much more manageable for my schedule and also allow me to enjoy the process, instead of stressing about it. I'm much more likely to finish handmade gifts that don't take more than a day or weekend (or even a few hours). So, here are some of my own favorite (quickie) handmade gifts that I've given over the years, including the favorites of my friends and family.

Lunch sack

E-reader sleeve

Custom photo frames

DIY hot/cold corn bags

Straight iron case

Colored pencil (or crayon) roll-up case

DIY advent calendar

Charm pack camera strap cover

Interchangeable framed holiday printables

I've also shared a few gifts from this year at NewlyWoodwards this week. (Including upcycled wool mittens, which may be my favorite new gift to give.)

I hope you are able to find a project or two that you could try. And, if you think it's too close to the holiday to begin, I'll tell you a secret. Nearly every gift I gave this year was started and finished within 24 hours of the gift exchange. ;) So, grab your supplies and get to making. (And I won't judge you if you give up laundry to make these gifts. It's a perfectly acceptable swap.)

Thanks again for having me, Rachel! And Merry Christmas!

Infinity Scarves and Homebaked Goodies with Sweet Verbena

I just love Katy of Sweet Verbena. She has such unique, creative sewing ideas and always puts such an original spin on projects. If I wasn't so horribly, horribly awkward in person, and bound to creep people out when meeting for the first time, I'd want to hang out with her and have a sewing playdate. The coolest thing about Katy, I think, is that she's a student and still puts aside time for sewing and baking and crafts--isn't that neat? I believe I spent all my college time being a nerd and trying to flirt unawkwardly (keyword: trying). Anyway, enjoy her handmade gifts she created for friends and family (I wish I was on her gift list!) and tasty-looking treat ideas!

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Why hello there. I'm so happy to be guest posting here at Maybe Matilda today! Rachel was one of the first to reach out to me when I first started blogging and besides that she is just plain awesome. She always has me cracking up with her witty posts and she has the best ideas! 

I blog over at Sweet Verbena, where I mostly share my passion for sewing. I'm a junior at Texas A&M University studying education. Christmas shopping on a college student's budget is no easy task. This year I finally feel confident enough in my sewing ability to hand make gifts for some of the people on my list. 

My easy, go-to for the ladies on my list is a Single Loop Infinity scarf (check out my tutorial here). I really enjoyed picking out the fabric with a friend in mind. This one is for my boyfriend's Mom who loves butterflies. 

I even lined it with micro-fiber fleece so that it will be extra cozy and warm!

This one is a soft flannel paired with silky, magenta voile. 

Last, a perfect plaid with my Mom in mind. 

I cranked these out assembly-line style and had 4 gifts good-to-go in no time!

But maybe you're not a sewer or you can't seem to think what  to make for anyone. So try wrapping up some home-baked goodies. I've found that those who don't usually bake themselves really appreciate this gift. 

These thumbprint jam cookies are among my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Find the recipe here.

Chocolate dipped pretzels are a bit of a chore to make, but such a treat! I love salty/sweet combos. (Here's a tip: If your chocolate is too thick, thin it out with a spoonful of Crisco. It thins it right up and doesn't leave a funny taste.)

Holy moly these are good! Peppermint Oreo truffles are like little drops of heaven! I found the recipe here.

Now just wrap 'em up!

Hooray for being almost done with Christmas "shopping" without even leaving your home! 

Thank you Rachel for having me. It's been such a pleasure (:

Homemade Jewelry Organizer Tutorial with Pretty Life Anonymous

Do you guys read any fashion blogs? I am crazy picky when it comes to style and fashion bloggers. I love the idea, but it must be executed perfectly for me to fall in love with them. I've added and deleted countless fashion blogs from my reading list and currently have three (no joke, 3 as in "1, 2 . . . 3. That's it? Yep, 3.") that I have remained hopelessly devoted to. On my list of 3 steadfast style blog survivors are the sisters of the Pretty Life Anonymous. Two headless sisters (I presume they do, in fact, have heads, but I haven't seen them yet) with fantastic fashion sense (and one with an adorable new baby belly) who crack me up on a daily basis, inspire me to spend that extra 5 minutes putting together a sweatpants-less outfit in the morning, and are always introducing me to great new music, recipes, and trends. These two are winners in my book. And that really means something, since they are among the lone survivors in the barren wasteland that is the style portion of my Google Reader.

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Well hi there, Maybe Matilda, friends! This is W from the Pretty Life Anonymous and I could not be more excited to be visiting Rachel's blog today, since I LOVE her and I don't care who knows it.  But listen, I'm not kidding you when I say, I NEVER make my presents. And I mean never. Not because I don't think that handmade gifts are awesome, but because when I try to make them I usually end up with multiple glue gun burns, a body part sewn to a piece of fabric, or a bunch of gunk that looks more like a lavender flower threw up, then the oh-so-thoughtful homemade lavender soap it was meant to be. These failed attempts have thus resulted in my becoming the BEST gift card giver ever at Christmastime. 

But this year, a Christmas miracle happened. Pinterest came into my life {cue choir's singing} and my desire to DIY was renewed. And you know what? I've had some failures, sure, but I got back up, dusted myself off, spent 13508 more hours on Pinterest, and eventually had some successes. And today I am going to show you one such success, one so simple, even the girl with the track record of mod-podging her hair together can do it. 

Here she is! A pretty little homemade jewelry holder. Isn't she just presh?: 

What you need: 

-An unfinished frame w/no back (see Hobby Lobby)

-A couple of any kind of knob or hardware hooks you find cute

-Enough wire mesh to fill in the hole of the frame you choose (see Home Depot)

-Scrapbook paper

-Modpodge

-Paint

-Ribbon

Here are the steps. There are only 7. And number 7 isn't really even a step. That's how easy this was: 

1. Drill two holes a couple of inches apart at the top of the frame. 

2. Paint frame front and back, let dry. And paint knobs if they are unfinished. 

3. Measure mesh to fill the hole of the frame, cut to size, then glue gun in from the back.

4. Cut scrapbook paper to cover the front of the frame. Attach with modpodge.

5. After the modpodge has dried, attach knobs across the bottom with glue gun or screws. 

6. String through ribbon and rough up the edges with some sandpaper. 

7. Done. 

Take a closer look: 

Cute, right? The perfect gift to make any jewelry loving friend or family member, and a craft so easy and safe you'll even have all of your limbs once you are finished. And, it's like I always say, having all of your limbs = a Merry Christmas. 

oxox/W. 

Christmas Baking and Quick DIY Decor with Two Twenty One!

I hope you guys are already familiar with Chelsea of two twenty one . . . if not, the "you owe me for this one" list just keeps growing, which is fine by me. I could use some Christmas goodies dropped anonymously at my door. Chelsea's blog is one  of those never-miss-a-post reads for me--she bakes the most delicious, beautiful treats (the cake batter blondies she'll share in a minute were such a hit at my house that I didn't even get to taste them. No kidding--Jeff ate the entire pan before I even got to try one), she decorates her home like a pro, and she creates really elegant, lovely DIY projects. Enjoy!

 Hi Maybe Matilda readers!  I'm Chelsea from two twenty one, where I blog about home diy projects, recipes, and newly wedded life.  

I'm super pumped (and honored) to be here today.  I consider Rachel to be one of my first blogger friends.  I mean, how could you not like Rachel and want to be her friend?  She's hilarious, creative, a crochet master, an amazing sewer (the thread and needle kind, not the underground conduit for carrying sewage kind), and she keeps it real.

Today I'm sharing some of my handmade projects and recipes that you can turn into your own handmade Christmas gifts.  These are things that you can easily make and bake in the comfort of your home.

Let's start with the wine lover in your family.  Don't think you can drink enough bottles of wine by Christmas to make this wine cork candle holder?  Don't worry, I can help. That's OK, stop by a local restaurant or winery and ask them if they could spare some unused corks.

Short on time like everyone else during the holidays?  You can make these thrifty hurricanes the day before Christmas.  Easy peasy.  Make them Christmastastic by swapping out the split peas (shown below) for Epsom salt.

Who wouldn't love a jute wrapped monogram wreath?  Monograms never go out of style, in my opinion.  It's probably because people love themselves, so of course they love their initials.  This puppy can be hung year-round!  Very functional.

Need to take a platter of sinful goodies to your office Christmas party, church, or the neighbors?  Look no further!

I've heard that these cake batter blondies are addictive.  Top with Christmasy sprinkles to make them even more addictive.  Tell your friends and family that you're not responsible for their blondie detox program.

Oreo Truffles.  All you need is oreos, cream cheese, and melting chocolate... and you don't even have to turn on your oven.

You might as well make two batches of these buttery cream cheese bars because you'll want to keep a batch for yourself.  I'm not kidding.

And there you have it!  I hope these handmade ideas are helpful to you.  Have a wonderful holiday season!  Thank you so much, Rachel, for having me!

The Gift of Sewing with Simple Simon and Company

 I sure hope you already know and love the ladies of Simple Simon & Co. (if you don't, you seriously owe me a cheesecake or something for informing you; dropoffs welcome anytime)--maybe you know them from their big win last season on Project Run & Play? Maybe you covet their gorgeous vintage style, serious sewing prowess, and eye for detail? (I do.)

Today we have liZ, one of the sisters (in-law) of Simple Simon & Co., sharing a gift that changed her life.

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Hello.

It's me, liZ.

Usually I'm over HERE but today I get to spend some time hanging out with Rachel.

(I really love Rachel---she's like one of those friends that you have that you secretly think is way too cool to be your friend and that if you didn't like her so much you'd have to hate her for being too perfect---yeah, that's Rachel: cool, perfect, and obviously nice.  Nice enough to be friends with the girl over there in the corner who is drawing in her notebook and listening to Neil Diamond---aka me.)

And speaking of nice, today I get to talk about one of my favorite Christmas gifts.  Actually it is a combination of two gifts I received the same year from my mom: a quilt and a sewing machine.

Years before this my mom had given me another sewing machine.  At the time I deemed it "Worst Gift Ever!"  (Why would I want a lame wad sewing machine?)  It sat collecting dust in a closet until someone borrowed and broke it.  Oh well, who needs a sewing machine?  Not me. (Or so I thought.)

Time passed....I mellowed....I had kids....and one day my mom invited me to attend a quilting class with her.  Skeptically I accepted but when I arrived at the class it was like a revelation---all those colors and patterns and designs! 

(I was currently an art teacher and a bit annoyed that my mom had been keeping this medium all to herself for so long.  Oh, wait, she hadn't.  I was just finally ready to appreciate it.)

A few months later Christmas arrived as did a new sewing machine and this quilt from my mom reminding me that all I needed to know was how to sew a straight line.

I love that quilt and that poor machine has more miles on it than my mini van.

Those gifts were positively inspired.  The reproduction fabrics got me thinking about all things vintage and the sewing machine gave me the tool I needed to start devouring all those fabrics.  And the rest as they say is history.

How thankful I am to my mother who waited for me and tried again---I think she knew I'd come around.  Mom's know these things.  And so the worst gift ever turned into the best gift ever and allows me to make gifts for others. 

And that my friends is where I'll end this post. 

Thanks again Rachel for inviting me.

(Oh, and just so you know.  Yes.  I really do listen to Neil Diamond.  In fact I'm listening to him right now----it's another little something I picked up from my mom.)

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It's almost eery how similar our "sewing stories" are--my poor mother also spent years trying to get me to sew, sitting with me at her machine while I ruined yard after yard of fabric. It wasn't until I was out on my own and bought myself a machine that I fell in love with sewing and realized how fun and creative and useful it could be. Thank goodness for patient moms who don't smack us in the rear with wooden spoons when we ask why they didn't teach us to sew sooner.

Thanks to liZ for visiting, and be sure to check out Simple Simon & Co. for more sewing inspiration! Here are some of my favorite projects from their blog:

Breakfast at Tiffany's outfits

Dolly dresses

"Up!" costumes

Handmade Gift Ideas from Made it on Monday

Today we have our first guest post for the Handmade Holidays series! If you haven't visited Jill from Made it on Monday, I think you're missing out--she's an amazing seamstress (I rarely, if ever, sew clothes completely from scratch, but Jill makes it look like a walk in the park), focuses in simple, quick projects that only look like they took forever, and always has an inspiring, optimistic, down-to-earth attitude. You'll love her.

(Before I let Jill take it away, the winner of the Sharp Crochet Hook is Rhonda from Quilter in the Gap! Congratulations to Rhonda, and thanks to everyone who entered--make sure to visit the Sharp Crochet Hook's website for ordering information!)
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Hello there! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to be here today. Rachel is seriously one of my favorite bloggers. If I have very little time (which translates to I shouldn’t even be on my computer in the first place), I’ll glance through my blog reader and if I notice a new post on Maybe Matilda, I read it first. In the bloggy bag of skittles, this one is the purple for me.

I’m Jill and I blog over at Made it on Monday. I do all sorts of crafting and sewing projects, and the bulk of them are quick and simple. Until a week ago, I’ve worked part time in addition to being a mom to an almost two year old and the wife to a civil engineer husband. Because of that (and my short attention span), my projects need to be started and finished in a day. I also have a little etsy shop called Ruffles ‘n Such. It full of fun accessories, but lately the emphasis has been infinity scarves.

All this crafting and creating has made the holidays a lot more affordable and fun. I’m really excited for this year’s gift giving. Between my husband and I we have seven siblings, five sibling spouses, and eight nieces and nephews. Handmade is a must if we want to be generous. I thought I’d break down a few categories for either what I’ve made in the past, or what’s inspiring me this year.

For the big girls…

A few years ago I made all the ladies in my husband’s family messenger bags. I chose fabrics that fit the ladies, and if she had a daughter, the little one got a small version of the bag too. You can read more about the messenger bags here.

This year I’ll be doing a lot of crocheting!

  

Thanks to Rachel’s Crochet Along, I’m HOOKED on crochet! I’ll be making head wraps and short versions of the time out cowl (from the CAL) for the girls in my husband’s family.

For the little girls…

I recently made one of my nieces Disney Princess Finger Puppets. She LOVES them. I think one of my other nieces will be needing these for Christmas.

The niece modeling the the finger puppets has a birthday right before Christmas, and she’ll be receiving felt paper dolls.

For the big boys…

Since it’s hard to come up with something the guys in our families will like, I give what every man is guaranteed to like: food! Each guy receives a can (upcycled formula cans were used last year) full of Christmas goodies.

For the little boys…

Felt books with finger puppets for the littler boys.

And I’ll be following Delia, from Delia Creates’ Lego belt buckle tutorial for the bigger boys.

For all our family friends…

Special families in our lives (pastors at church, neighbors, etc.) will be receiving a tree bread—a tradition in my husband’s family where you make a large cinnamon roll goodie in the shape of a Christmas tree. I shared a step by step tutorial on my blog here.

Wow! Now that I’ve listed all this out, I’m realizing just how much work I still have to do!

Thank you so much, Rachel, for having me. Happy crafting and Merry Christmas!
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I love seeing so many beautiful, creative ideas! The felt finger puppets are going on my Christmas to-make list for my nieces, and I want a messenger bag for myself!

Hop over and visit Jill at Made it on Monday for more great tutorials and ideas, and check out her etsy shop, Ruffles 'n Such, to find the perfect handmade accessory for someone on your list (or . . . for yourself!).

And if you're in the mood for more handmade goodness, check out my post at Simply Homemade today!