Christmas Stockings

When making 46 Christmas stockings, a good process helps make fun, attractive stockings without taking a massive amount of time, or expense.

The expense was reasonable (about $.65/stocking) for burlap and flannel, plus using Christmas material in my stash for the heal and toe appliqué. The body of the stocking is burlap, on sale, and the lining and cuff are different colors (red, green, blue, white) flannel, also on sale PLUS the additional 25% off coupon. Love coupons!

I Spy Packets

These packets are pretty quick to make and can be inexpensive. No I can't bring myself to using a pencil case, loading it up with the "inners" and then glueing it shut. That's the quickest, but I want sturdy. I do it the old-fashioned way.

Since I'm making these for seniors with dementia and my grandchildren, I like to be over-cautious. Every seam has at least one back-up or additional seam, like top-stitching. The inside seams are serged and then stitched. Told ya, overkill. I don't want these small pieces inside to get out and cause any problems.

Fidget Lap Quilt (M)

Quilting is something that intrigues me. There are so many blocks to try and quilting techniques, the challenges are endless. I especially want to learn free motion quilting on my Brother sewing machine. I'm also enjoying machine embroidery and appliqué. Lately, I have been reading about fidget quilts and the calming benefits they provide dementia patients, so I put together a basic plan to incorporate some new challenges in quilting to make a fidget lap quilt.

Broomstick Lace (M)

Sometimes craft projects are more than just making something. Whether it's a special gift, a challenging project, or a comforting stitch to release some stress, emotions pour into each item.