Pointy Elf hats

I have another post about all the goings on lately, mostly photos.  We have been busy and invited all around to go and do and for now, all are well and able.  I do have plenty of knitting projects lined up though and this is one.  Kind of a primer for making some for my elfs for Christmas. These were made as gifts to friends for their birthdays, a brother and sister pair.  It is Joelle Holverson's Pointy Elf Hat.  See notes on Ravelry here and here.  The pattern does not pan out as it is written or maybe as I interpret it but I made it work.  Reminds me of Elsa Beskow's Forest Friends book.  I love these sweet elf hats and know that one day, they won't! 

Hope your days are slowed with a passion or handicraft that you love to do, in spite of schoolwork, laundry, oh, and what's for supper?  Yeah, I plan all that just so I can make sure I get time to knit.

Sew Necessary::Belleville, TX Market Day

Sew Necessary is a story about….

Two friends, with husbands and young children and some time to sew. This is a collection of stitches gathered here and there in between laundry, dishes, diapers, meal preparation, education, some rest and exercise and, any other small thing that women do to make the day smoother for those they love. While we could do without sewing, we enjoy the time taken aside to make something by hand. We could show our children that we are consumers and not producers but we opt out of that when we take time to sew. Just like making bread by hand or crafting a hearty stew that nourishes the body, this practice and routine is vital to our soul, our children and our culture. In many ways, we feel more connected to pioneer women by taking part in a heritage that to them was indeed “sew” necessary while for us, it seems somewhat optional.

All items handmade, embroidered, appliqued and/or quilted by Cheryl Amelang and Traci Mueller who to their families and to each other are Sew Necessary. Please come out and browse a variety of baby clothing and slings, home décor, women’s apparel and accessories as well as handmade cards ~ all made with love this Saturday at the Belleville, Texas Market Day on the square from 9am to 4pm. The bluebonnets are still blooming!

Christmas mess and craft ~ with love, the Muellers

handmade scrappy bookmarks

taking a rest in my sewing stash

lavender sachets

The Nativity ~ by Gunnar

scrappy bookmark making

boy gift wrapping by foot

mixed nuts in the shell available with cobble stones for little hands to crack them open

~ lots of shells around these days

homemade cereal box gift tags

I wish I could give anyone reading this blog and praying for my family some of our homemade gifts but I can give you this note to share with you the goings on around here. I do truly love this time of year. I love the crafting, creating energy that goes on around here. Mostly motivated and prepared by moi. I don't know what I would do if the littles did not want to join in...although, it gets messy. That is the part that I don't really enjoy..If I am totally honest here. With each child, with each passing year, it gets easier but I have seen other mamas handle the messes so much more gracefully. Maybe I get more worn down, maybe I just begin to ignore the crumbs, paper bits and beads and glitter on the floor. It just becomes part of the house eventually. Maybe it is the payoff. Wonderful things created by my own and my children's own precious, curious little fumbly hands. Yes. That is the reason for it. I want that happening in my home no matter the cost of mess. I want it to happen more and will endeavor to create more opportunities for it.

I know I am not unlike any other "Elf" mama (or daddy) this time of year. The cooking, cleaning (seriously?...the swipe of this and that as I go is more like it), diapering and toy messes galore are there as usual but add to that more crafting than usual and gift wrapping and you have an entire home school with just all that on its own! Especially with the under 7 age set. At least we can cuddle up and read some favorite winter and Christmas storybooks too.

Some favorite ideas gleaned from the web are lavender/herbal sachets, scrappy bookmarks, peppermint lip balm (coming soon), and some knitting which I think I will post after Christmas. I want these things and other homemade ideas as they come, to be regular Christmas time traditions. Things that we want to do each year that never get old..well, while the children are young at least. Or maybe they would miss if I stopped? Kind of like if I stopped hugging and kissing my oldest boy....he acts like it is yucky but I know, he would just be hurt if I stopped. I want things we can be excited about making, wrapping and gifting to our friends and family and doing together. I can get so busy in making, buying, creating for my own that I have to take time to teach them to give as well and it is no small task. It does take lots of patience on my part but that would be another entire post on that subject alone. Children are a blessing and my own test me daily in a good way.

This time of year has a special caveat. Daddy is home and healing and mostly, he is home and we are together a lot...I like it this way. We are all well and together. We are all healthy and ready to celebrate again this year the timeless reality of our Saviour. The one gift that never gets worn out, never gets lost, never gets old, we never outgrow and it never disappoints or ever lets us go. (thank you Cornelia for that reminder)

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ you can rest in these words:

"I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." ~John 10:28

Merry Christmas!!

MD Anderson Adopt-A-Family Holiday Wreath Auction

I have seen these wreathes in person when we were in the hospital almost two weeks ago. Some are fun, some are beautiful and some are wacky. Some are even cute. I had my eye on a few of them myself. While taking a lift on the shuttle one time through the Skybridge, the driver gave me the website to bid! Yippee! So, if you want to support MD Anderson, please look at the wreathes for bid here and have fun. They are artificial to enjoy again next year too and about 20" or standard wreath size I would say. You can read more about it on the link too.

The best part? Martin and I have an appointment for him on December 20th which is the date to pick up your wreath if you win. Nice eh? Of course, you will need to email me or post here if you win...I may forget to check! You can come visit us at home for coffee and pick it up. :-) Thank you for looking and Merry Christmas!

Crafting Christmas

our favorite indoor spot to which I added to on Christmas Eve when I found more things I had stored away year before last..our last Christmas at White Bluff Reserve

for my parents

for T1's first Christmas

from Oma years ago

gift for cousin

story stones

gift wrapped for my sister

Sugar cookies sprinkled with colorful sugar are tempting two boys to forgo my simple Christmas dinner of pintos with corn, onions, kale and spinach over brown rice with diced avocado and french onion dip on top. (very unplanned meal for a special occasion)

Christmas Eve day donation

making herbal sachets filled with wool, yarn and, cloves

This is our first handmade Christmas in our new home on Cobble Lane. All things here were made by our hands. Thank you Red Bird Crafts, Soulemama and other friends who share my re-found passion for hand crafts and needlework. The Gingerbread house was not totally made by us.

Children's stockings may or may not make it to the mantle this year due to a naughty sewing machine. We will use last year's. Although most of the work was hand sewn. All the buttons are from my grandmother's stash leftover from sewing projects.

For our favorite almost one year old.

New found fun...stitching herbal sachets.

stocking in progress

little guy needs lacing cards...these were too frustrating for a three year old ( saved it though...this mama could not resist his sweet, sloppy first time baby stitches )

I had plans to craft so much more. I have limits. I am the teacher of things including the true meaning of Christmas over and over to blunt the constant barrage of Santa Claus and presents....the laundry lady, cookie, nurse, playmate, etc. afterall...however, adding constant crafter to my list of items is a pure pleasure.

Last year, I promised my husband to grow my hair long and I did it. For next year, I vowed to knit my husband a sweater for Christmas. I will begin to teach myself to knit soon. This will be a new year. A new year to learn more about needlework and natural crafts to enjoy and teach to my children. Amanda Blake Souleman has inspired me to the core!