Unfinished Object

More than a few years ago I decided to do a ‘handmade’ Christmas and I started collecting patterns of things that I thought might make nice gifts. My handmade Christmas really didn’t happen due to overly lofty goals and procrastination, but I saved all of those patterns. Some were purchased patterns, others were printed from online sites but most were copied from library books. Oddly enough when I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to make something for my toddler step-niece and nephew I did not first turn to that file full of patterns, but to Ebay, as I knew exactly what I wanted to make but the pattern was discontinued. A few days ago I received that pattern and reading through it realized that I had made a mistake. The fleece polar bears were huge! Not only did I not have enough of any one fabric in my stash to complete one, but I would need eleven pounds of fiber fill. ELEVEN POUNDS! The bears would run $50+ each to make. My step brothers’ kids are cute, but they ain’t that cute!

I started racking my brain for ideas of what else I could make, better yet, what I could make from the stash. My brain finally stumbled on the memory of those collected patterns, and specifically a rag-doll pattern I have always wanted to make but never had much reason. I dug that pattern out last night, carefully traced it onto Graphics 360 paper* and cut out pieces for the doll, dress and pinafore.

This morning my work phone rang at 4am. It took forty minutes to resolve the problem and there was no point going back to sleep at that point so I started sewing. By the time my alarm clock went off I’d finished arms, legs, boots, and most of the head ... and I think I am in love. Three dimensional things aren’t my forte, just ask my 3D instructor from college (nightmare class!), but this rag doll is going along well. Despite being in pieces and not having a face she is already cute, which I’m taking as a good sign - though I haven’t uncrossed my fingers yet.

The gift for the boy is proving more difficult. Right now I am planning to strike out on my own and make a smaller version of the polar bear, using fleece and batting that I already have on hand. Striking out without a pattern is also not one of my strong points, so there could be a last minute run to Target or dig through the pattern box.

Either way I’m sure I’ll work something out. I’m really not too stressed over it as I had hoped to be caught up enough with everything to spend the weekend sewing anyway. Sure there’s a cake to bake Saturday for a party Saturday night, and house cleaning and cooking for Christmas Eve with my mom, and more cooking for Christmas day with the rest of my family, but I’ve planned well. The cake will be the same Pumpkin Clove cake I made for Thanksgiving, and I’ll bake it off Friday night. Saturday I’ll make the frosting and plop it on the cake ... it is a seriously casual cake, I’ll take photos this time. Sunday’s dinner will be cheese fondu with chocolate fondu for dessert (easy peasy), and Christmas day I’m taking a jello salad (yep, Kim, my great aunt’s recipe) and sweet potato casserole - both of which I’ll put together Sunday. It sounds like a long list, but it really isn’t. There are no over achieving Marthaesque projects on it, at least not with the cooking and cleaning, I’ll let you know how the sewing goes.

So, what’s left on your list?

*I still have several tablets of this left over from college. Yeah, I know, I graduated in ‘91. Fabric isn’t the only thing I stash.

Posted by Shan on 12/21 at 04:20 PM
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