Thursday, November 20, 2014

Twas the Night Blog Hop

Oh my! Would you look at all this yummy goodness.  I must say Jeanie from Gracie Oliver Arts sure spoiled me.  Everything was wrapped so beautifully.

Here is everything fresh out of the packaging. Jeanie has such wonderful craftsmanship and I am happy to be the recipient of all this wonderful goodness.

  She handcrafted me four wonderful items:
1. A Christmas themed Matryoshka Bin, filled with some wonderful sewing themed fat quarters.
2. A coffee Koozie, which will come in handy for that cup of hot Chocolate and Christmas Wassail.
3. Four festive fabric coasters.  I love these little beauties and my hubby has already claimed one for his computer desk.
4. A 10 minute Table Topper. She picked out the perfect fabrics!
Jeanie also added some extra goodies, I oohed and awwed for each package: A lovely little snowman ornament, wonderful scented hand soap, gingerbread buttons, a 2015 Calendar, and a wonderful Gooseberry tote to carry everything in. (It has a lovely snowman print and is folded up in the picture behind the soap).

  And to top everything off, she sent me printed instructions on  how to make each gift! That is a gift in itself.  Thank you so much Jeanie!  I am one lucky gal!



For my quick gifts I started with something for my knitting friends.
It is a Triangular knitting needle case and the pattern came from the book Sew Gifts! by Martingale.
This case is pretty long so it will hold your longest knitting needles.

Knitted dishcloths also make quick gifts.
Two of my favorite patterns are the Ball Band dishcloth and the Knitted Basketweave pattern.


For my young friends I made a Card and Key Wallet. Perfect for giving gift cards or cash. This pattern is also from the book Sew Gifts!  I don't usually buy books unless I like at least half of the patterns and this book didn't disappoint. There are several other small gifts on my "to do" list from this book.


For my adult friends who like to bargain shop I made some Loyalty Card Wallets. This was a free tutorial from Nancy's Couture.  I altered the pattern several ways by adding interfacing in the pocket sections, extending the width of the pieces by half an inch, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and adding a button/ponytail holder closure.  
I even made one of these for myself.  It holds all my loyalty cards and fits nicely in my purse.
No more rummaging through my stack of cards.  The fabric bowl can also be make pretty quick.  I made this one a long time ago from start to finish in a four hour class.

Next up is a gift for anyone who wants a unique way to charge and store their little devices.
I used the free tutorial at Positively Splendid.  She had a clever idea to use a command strip hook to hang the pocket on the wall next to the outlet.  I am going to do that too, that way I can use the charger holder for my android devices. Those chargers are too wide to fit through the grommet.


Last up is a small Christmas themed Cross Stitch. Right now I am deciding what I want to do with it. I have narrowed it down to either an ornament, the front of a Christmas pouch, or the focal point of a notepad holder.  I suppose I could make two more  trees and then I won't have to pick which project to use it with  ;)

  What was really helpful in stitching this tree was my new toy, the Beam and Read.  You can read all about it here.  I like how it gave me that little extra light to see my stitches better. It even came with a red or orange cover to give you a little different glow.  In the picture above I have it clicked on three light bulbs, but for my stitching I liked using all six.

Another thing the Beam and Read is good for is extra lighting for photo shoots.  Particularly when you play on the weekends and keep forgetting to take photos of your projects when the sun is shining so you have to take photos after you get off work in the evening when it is dark outside.
 
I turned on all the lights in the room and added an extra lamp, but I was still getting some shadows I didn't like. With the Beam and Read I was able to move the lighting where ever I needed it. Thus it saved my photos from being too dark and grainy.  I think I may take this light camping with me too. It's lightweight and super bright.

Make sure you head on over to Jane's Quilting to see what I sent her and check out the other hoppers as well to get inspired.


Thursday, Nov. 20
Quilted Delights - Me  :)


Thanks to Mdm Samm and Marlene for hosting a fun and inspiring hop!


=^..^=

55 comments:

  1. What a wonderful variety of gift ideas! I love making the fabric baskets. Thank you for sharing and Happy Holidays!!!

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  2. Wow! You sure were spoilt with the gifts you received! Thanks for showing us such great ideas to make more gifts - wonderful!

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  3. Your cross stitch Christmas tree is adorable!
    You received so nice gifts and you made so many nice projects yourself. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. ooohhh.. I love all of the little gifts you have made! The cross stitched tree is so cute, you should make 2 more :)

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  5. woooooow you certainly hit a jackpot of delightful gifts from Jeanie....I would have fainted lol
    your projects as always are a blessing to the eyes....you really create such excitement..thank you ..x

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  6. I'm glad that you liked your gifts.... I certainly enjoyed making them for you. Love your other ideas, especially the little charger pouch. Hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas!

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  7. Leah you got so many wonderful gifts I'm just blown away! What a sweet friend! And now I'm adding more things to my I-have-to-make-this list - that loyalty card wallet and the charger bag are both calling my name! Thank you so much for including the links for those! blessings, marlene

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  8. Your projects are delightful Leah, and oh my goodness what a haul from Jeanie !

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  9. Wonderful gifts you received. Love the knitting needles bag. My daughter could certainly use one of those. Thanks for some great ideas.

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  10. Thank you for sharing your project ideas. Each one is great. The gifts you received are wonderful.

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  11. What great projects! Jeanie certainly spoiled you, but I think whomever receives your gifts will be spoiled as well!

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  12. Wow, a wealth of goodies there. Lovely gifts you received. And great gift ideas. Thank you.

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  13. Great ideas here, your little tree is gorgeous, I am hoping my Beam n Read will make my first cross-stitch go well :)

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  14. What great gifts you received. Useful and so cute too! You gave us a lot of great ideas too. Love the phone charger bag. That is a great idea. As are all the others. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy your holidays.

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  15. Wooziers what a beautiful package Jeanie sent you. Filled to the brim with delights! I love your gift ideas. Those loyalty card holders have been on my list of things to do for awhile now. Thanks for the tips of improving on them! ;-)

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  16. So many beautiful projects! I really loved the needle case (even though I can't knit!), and the cross stitched tree is so pretty. Whichever project you end up using it for it will be perfect.

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  17. This is my second attempt to leave a comment..hope I am not duplicating. Love the gifts you received and the way they were packaged....certainly looks like Santa arrived early at your house. I much prefer your knitting needle case than the one I made for Lixie in Japan. I borrowed all of your tutorial links. Thanks. I have been using a Beam and Read for about 20 years. But, I definitely need an upgrade. Mine comes with only one tiny bulb. Merry Holiday Season.

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  18. That Jeanie definitely sent you a package of sweet gifts! Great gift ideas posted here...love the wallet for all those loyalty cards!

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  19. What treats!! Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful ideas and such beautiful presents you received too... have a super day!

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  20. What fun that must have been opening each pkg. I too have made some dishcloths just to have on hand and it also used up those left over bits of yarn!

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  21. You certainly did get spoiled from Grace. What a wonderful package to unwrap! I have seen that holder for devices before and boy, would that come in handy around my house! Merry Christmas, Leah!

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  22. I like each and every gift you made--without a favorite. I could make up thar knitting needle case for myself. It's always good not to forget me. Ha ha. I will be keeping yor ideas for my to do list.

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  23. So many lovely gifts and ideas!! ^^

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  24. Great projects, Leah!! Looks like you have quite a bit of your shopping done now!

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  25. Nice haul, wrapped and everything. Wish I had wrapped mine. And the recharger pocket always makes a nice gift. Good ideas.

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  26. Wow! A wonderful assortment of gifts and gift ideas! Thank you for sharing :)

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  27. Such wonderful gift ideas. I really like the phone holder while charging.

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  28. You received such a wonderful assortment of gifts and you've shared some really good gift ideas as well. Sew gifts sounds like a good book to have! I like gifts that are both pretty and useful and your gifts fit the bill!

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  29. Oh wow! Cute gifts. Love the projects. I think I will make some of those phone charger holders. Thanks for sharing.

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  30. All your items are so neatly done. I like your small wallets, and your needle keeper. And mine....I get sooo many compliments on the little snap bag. Thanks again.

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  31. Leah, those are all great ideas! love that little charger.

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  32. Wow, Leah, you really got a lot of beautiful presents from Jeanie.
    You made a lot of cute things that will be on my to do list. I love the card wallets and the charger bag. Thank you for sharing today.

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  33. That loyalty card case is brilliant, I think everyone could use something like that! I love your knitting needle holder, the shape of it is so neat. And I really like the cross-stitch Christmas tree, it would end up as an ornament at my house. Thank you for the ideas!
    ~Brandy

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  34. Jeannie really did spoil you. Lots of wonderful gifts. The gifts you made are so practical. Love them. Especially the hanging android changer holder. Thanks for the link.

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  35. What a nice bunch of gifts you received! We have all been spoiled on this hop! The knitting needle case and the little charging hanger are both going on my list. Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays!

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  36. Wow, you sure received a bunch of great gifts. Love all of your quick gift ideas, especially the charging pouch. Thank you for sharing.

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  37. Oh, lovely line-up of great gift ideas! I'm adding to my "must sew" list, thanks to you. :o) Thinking I may have to make your idea for the knitting needles just for me - it's so cute.

    Enjoy those sweet gifts from Jeanie and thanks so much for sharing your inspiring ideas!

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  38. What a bundle you received. NICE!!! Leah, you always inspire me and your pictures are always so clear and pretty. Love all your ideas. The key chain is one I may need to tackle this weekend. Thank you.

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  39. Very nice..your stocking has been stuffed. Thanks for the knitting pattern links. Great projects all around.

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  40. What a wonderful assortment of goodies you received, lucky girl. I also love what your made. The knitting needle pouch is a wonderful idea.

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  41. Hi Leah! Your post was a bonanza for me! Lots of things I would like to make and you gave me lots of links too! My favs were the triangular knitting case, which I have never seen before and I just love, and the hanging charger device holder....awesome. Now the card and key wallet and the card holder were also sweeeet, and something I will actually make! Thanks for a terrific post :)

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  42. Wowee! Santa was really good to you! You have some really nice surprises!

    I love that loyalty card holder and will be making myself one of those. I hate digging through my wallet to find the one I need when I am in the stores. I just wonder why they can't just give everyone the sale prices without having to have these blankity blank cards in the first place. grrr

    Your rope bowl is gorgeous.. My MIL and I have bought all of the supplies.. we just need to make the bowl... :)

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  43. You received some wonderful gifts - I love the table runner. Great ideas for quick gifts - those little wallets are wonderful!

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  44. What a wonderful crop of gifts that you received! I really like that loyalty card idea. Very nice.

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  45. You received some wonderful gifts! Really enjoyed your gift ideas especially the charging pouch. Thanks for sharing!

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  46. What fun presents you received and made. It is lots of fun to see all those gifts.

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  47. You received some awesome gifts and you've been busy making lots of wonderful gifts too. Great job!

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  48. Leah, you made some beautiful little gifts. The wall charger is great. Santa Jeanie was sew good to you. Have a wonderful holiday season!

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  49. Jeanie sent some wonderful gifts, and your gift ideas are terrific! More great ideas for quick gifts. Love the Beam n' Read.

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  50. You received lots of great gifts...and how nice that she sent the directions so you could make some too! You have given me more ideas of little gifts to make. I especially have my eye on the charger. Need one of those for me! :)

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  51. Great gifts. Love the card wallet and thanks for sharing the link to the tutorial.

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  52. I was visiting Janes and saw the wonderful pot scrubbies. Wherever did you find the pattern for it?

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  53. Wow...what a awesome parade of sweet gifts from Jeanie!! Love all your quick and easy gift ideas...especially the loyalty card holder. Thanks for sharing!! Happy Holidays!!

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  54. Hello Leah,
    you recived wonderful gifts and you made great gifts too. Thanks for sharing!
    Bente

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