December 2016 Accomplishments

I always like to do a year in review post, but before I do that, I want to cover the projects I worked on in December. I got the bug early in the month to make some Christmas gifts and had to get going quickly. It was good motivation for me to spend some time sewing. I made lots of bags (my favorite thing to make!): 
- A tote bag for Jack's teacher 

- A "Whatcha Got" bag for my admin assistant at work - she's fantastic and she loves to bicycle, so the fabric was perfect. 

- A couple more "Whatcha Got" bags for my boss and a friend, both of whom love purple. 

And then, I made an apron - also another Christmas gift, that hasn't yet been gifted (but will be soon!). 

After I was done with all the gift-making, I thought I'd like to end the year with a couple of finished projects. The reindeer that I started at retreat last year was partially quilted, so was an easy target! I got the quilting finished in the first sitting, then got back a few days later and got the binding made and attached. I worked feverishly to hand sew on the back by New Year's Eve - I lost steam before the ball dropped, but finished it up New Year's Day afternoon, so I am counting it as a 2016 finish! 

In Crocheting, I started a new hat in late November called Everyday People. I searched for a pattern that would work with yarn I already had and got it finished up just a few days ago. I wore it today for a walk and it is perfect! 

I also finished a few stitching items in December. First is White Christmas from the Just Cross Stitch 2015 magazine, finishing my 12th ornament for the year and completing the challenge from the JCS Stitch Along Facebook group. I love how this one turned out, but I cut it really close on my fabric (that's what you get for using scraps!) and also the thread - you can see in the picture how little is left! 

With half a month left after I finished this one, I decided to work on an old kit - the Foxwood Crossing sleds that I've had in my stash for years! I stitched the three snow friends and love them! They will get added to my ornament stash. I also did some finishing on a couple of the JCS ornaments in the last few days, and have a few more still to do. I am looking forward to having even more done before it is time to decorate the tree next year! 

In addition to all that stuff, our family had a great Christmas, with new bikes for the kids, lots of legos, some great meals with friends and family, and plenty of time off for sleeping in. I hope you all had a good December and a joyous holiday season.