Homemade from the Heart

[honeyzeke]

Is anyone in the process of crafting for the upcoming holidays?
I am making rag quilts for everyone, as well as crocheting warm slippers. I am also compiling a cookbook of all my favorite recipes for the ladies in the family.
To be specific:

Rag quilts:
* I have been hording all the old jeans I can get my hands on. I receive them from family
members, at yard sales ( I never pay over .50 cents a pair), and thrift stores. A few things to consider;
the larger, the better. You will have more "fabric" to work with.
If you find a pair of jeans at a yard sale with a stain or rip on them, ask if they will take less for them! you can always cut out and discard the stain or rip.
Be sure to save the pockets! they add a really cute embellishment to rag quilts.
* I also look for and save colorful cotton shirts, skirts ect. to use in my rag quilts.
Same goes for flannel. I like to use the flannel for the backing on the squares.
* When combining flannel, cotton and denim, you will end up with a very warm quilt without having to add batting to it. They are also easy to make!
A link to get you started:

http://www.rag-quilts.com/free-rag-quilt-patterns.html

Check out the denim rag quilt pattern! Absolutely adorable!

Crochet Slippers

There are a kazillion free crochet and knit patterns on the web for slippers (men, women, children and babies). The one I am using for the women:

http://thelittlehousebythesea.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/free-pattern-for-mary-jane-slippers/
These are so quick and easy to make! Very warm also!

Cookbook

http://www.cookbooktree.com/c/add_recipe/?cb_number=2194
This site is free to use! I am almost finished with mine.
Consider adding recipes for make-your-own-mixes, frugal recipes, once-a-month-recipes ect. With the economy getting worse by the minute and the dollar not going as far as it did, these recipes will be appreciated by the recipients. Who knows, maybe it will inspire someone to start buying in bulk to make the mixes, which will in turn help them in their food preps! At the very least it will help them to learn to cook so they CAN use their preps!

What are you all doing for a frugal, yet thoughtful Christmas? I would love to have some new and creative ideas!

[Disastercat]

I just joined the cookbook site, looks like fun.

Also, I've been saying for years that old blue jeans will make the best "patchwork" or "re-formed" garments if TEOTWASKI ever happens. That's because, unlike most modern clothing (from a shop) they are no knit wear, they are sturdy, WOVEN, twill fabrics. Twill is a better weave than plain weave (threads are crossed in patterns rather than just in an out) so it lasts longer.

I've heard many women just say "oh if I could not get fabric I'd just do patchwork" (I mean ladies who have never done any, not experienced folks) and I ask them what they will use, they say "oh old clothing.." Not realizing that most of today's polyester-knit fabrics will just tear and stretch. Some would work OK for things like pillows or quilt lining, but for hard wearing clothing most won't. Exceptions would be things made from polar fleeces, other woven cotton/poly mixes or some sweaters.

But Jeans, you can re-make jeans into skirts, purses, quilts, vests and even tough garden bags (for harvesting apples etc). Really old ones will have weak spots to cut around, but you can patch those.

I have not done much jean stuff since I was a teenager, but I remember how to work with the fabric. Now that I'm a weaver, I can also see why it works. But so many people are likely to be staring at their knit tee shirts as they dissolve into shreds and not have a clue what to do next.

I just finished James Kunstler's World Made By Hand, and this is a problem for the townies. He does not address the fabric problem directly, just talks about the clothing falling apart etc.

Happy Homemade Holidays!

[SheWoff]

I saved jeans upon jean upon jeans. I wanted to make a couple of rag quilts too with the flannel backing. I made one lol. All that snipping along all the edges even with the fiskars snippers was just too much for my hands to do. But if you don't have arthritis and plenty of time, they would be fun to do. It only took a day to sew it all together and two days to snip it. I did mine while watching TV lol. Maybe if you have kids around they could help snip too?

Doing the slipper thing here this year also. I got all the yarn out last Friday for it. Pink varigated for the girls and blue varigated for the boys.

She

[grower]

I am crocheting a wool scarf for my 19-year-old daughter, to match a stocking-type cap ("boggan") I made earlier in the year for her birthday. I am also working on a baby-size cap for the grandson due Dec. 15. :)

[honeyzeke]

Shewolf
It does take a little time to do all the snipping for the rag quilts. I like to snip-as-I-go. But I think on the next one I will save the snipping for evening down time. I don't like to sit around and do nothing and this will give me a break from crocheting of the evenings.

Last Christmas was a real bummer for us all. We were still numb with grief for our Son's death. It is still unbelievably hard to deal with, but we must keep-on-a-keeping-on. I know that our Son is with our Saviour Jesus and that really helps us with our grief; actually, I am glad Chad isn't going through what all of us on earth are having to go through!
But anyway, I want this year to be joyful for my family. That is one way that we can honor Chad's memory.

Oops! Birdwalking here, aren't I!
Honeyzeke

[Animal Lover]

My heart goes out to you honezeke. It is a devastating thing for a family to go through as we have this to share too. Remember Chad is smiling as he watches the family get together and he wants you all to be as happy as he is. He is still with you, you just can't see him, but I believe, with all my heart, that he sees you all as does our son too. God bless you all, AL

[MamaTiger]

I made hats and scarfs for all family members the first couple months of this year using the knifty knitter.

I am working on a afghan/blanket for the boys and have one for the girls already.

I have a bunch of craft stuff up in the attic that one of my daughters will get. And I have scrapbooking supplies of my own that I will share with my other daughter as she has recently shown an interest in that.

And sorry about your loss. For me, that second Christmas after the loss of my son was in some ways even harder than the first one. May our Father fill your hearts with peace this season and comfort you.