Making Stuff

I'm officially reporting success on the vow to put all home improvement projects on hold for the month of December. In fact, I may well extend the hiatus through January. But what am I filling all those extra hours with? Other projects, of course! Too much sanding, patching, priming, painting, staining, tiling, and grouting led, apparently, to serious withdrawal from sewing, knitting, and other creative pursuits. As soon as I got my spare-bedroom crafting corner in order, I went a bit crazy.

My sister-in-law Courtney suggested that perhaps I ought to join Projects Anonymous. I suspect she may be on to something. But I prefer to remain in denial a while longer - I'm having too much fun to quit. Indulge me in a bit of show-and-tell, if you will.

Star toy for Maisie from recycled fleece, stuffed with the filling from previously disemboweled dog toys:

Toasty handwarmers for Courtney (pattern here):

Super-soft alpaca scarf for Mom. Hers is orange, actually, and finished, but otherwise it's just like this work-in-progress:

Failed to take a photo, but I also made pajama pants for Jeff (with pockets, by request). And promised Dad custom pajama pants, too (pockets no, fly yes). But not only have I not taken a photo, I haven't actually started them yet. Soon!

But first, preparations for a west coast trip, which is fast approaching on the heels of the holidays. Five little girls to meet means lots of fun possibilities. For baby Lucie, the youngest of the bunch, a stripy hat with a pointy top:

And for the other four girls, Opal (4.5), Helen (3), Nell (3), and Iva (2), coloring kits. Each holds a set of crayons and colored pencils and a refillable stack of paper. It folds up, snugs closed with velcro, and is ready for on-the-go art. Here are the various combinations:

Finally, a couple things to round out my own collection of travel gear. A little zippered pouch whipped up quick from a colorful woven strip I bought in Guatemala years ago:

And a new bag, fashioned after a store-bought one that I borrowed from cousin Sarah to copy. Modified it just a bit to hold my computer in the main compartment and various other essentials in the various pockets:

Patching holes and scraping paint are satisfying in their own way, but this is a whole different kind of satisfaction - and a kind that I was in need of, it seems!