That’s right, my 12-week leave is almost over.  I’m excited, sad and nervous to return but it’s a choice that I have made.  I love what I do and know that my work is appreciated since getting a promotion before going on maternity leave.

It’s such a blessing that we have family close by and that my Mom will be able to watch the little guy for a few weeks before I go back full-time.  The company I work for has a “phase-back” program.  It allows new Mom’s to return to work part-time for four weeks in order to make an easier transition.  It’s a wonderful perk!

Before long, I’m sure that I will be back to my crafty ways.  Mostly making cute kid stuff I’m sure but for now here’s a look at the ever changing little man.

www.Bellababyphotography.com

First up are these adorable crocheted loafers.  The pattern is by Hook Candy.  They work up really fast and make a great holiday gift for any new mom or mom-to-be.  The yarn I used is Red Heart’s new Eco-ways and the little buttons are genunie leather for an added dapper look!

For my niece, I whipped up this cute little reversible apron to go with some Easy Bake Oven accessories I purchased for her this Christmas. The fabric is part of the Wild Thyme fabric line by Carolyn Gavin.  Since my niece is only 8 I’m pretty sure she’s not reading this (I hope) so I thought I would share a pic before it gets wrapped.  The classic apron pattern is free and can be found here.  I made the child’s size but there’s also measurements for an adult size.  It was another quick and easy project.  The “B” monogram was made with felt and hand-stitched to the front before sewing.

My current and probably final craft project for a while is this knitted basketweave blanket.  Also a free pattern found on Lionbrand.com its being made with Vanna’s Choice in Silver Blue and Linen.  I chose to alternate the colors to make it a little more interesting. It’s only 18 by 24 and will make for a nice small car seat blanket.  Which given the impending winter will come in handy.

What are some of your favorite quick and easy craft projects this holiday season?

1. Roasted Turkey recipe. We’ve been using this recipe for the last 3 years and it never disappoints! Forget the whole turkey and just use fresh turkey breast. This option is quick, easy and very juicy. Carving a whole turkey is so over-rated!

2. Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Pecan Caramel Sauce. I made this dessert for a dinner party back in February and it was a big hit.  It’s so easy and the best part is, it can be made a day ahead of time.  I’m always up for a time saver!

3. Sausage stuffed mushrooms. A new recipe for this year. I saw it being made on an episode of The Barefoot Contessa and it looks really good.  I haven’t made a turkey day app so this will be a nice change.

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes?

The yarn is something I’ve had in my stash for a while.  Mom brought it back from England on one of her six trips this year.  Holy cow can you say frequent flier miles!  Anyway, I like how this turned out and can’t wait to put it on the little guy with a pair of cords.  How cute would that look?

Thanks to all the new visitors that have stopped by and left comments.  It’s great to hear that you will be adding my little project to your holiday gift list.

All month long SMS will be featuring handmade gift ideas and tutorials so if you’re part of a holiday gift exchange or just want some fun ideas be sure to check it out. If you not an avid sewer don’t worry!  There are recipes, printables and lots of giveways! 

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/

Even with all the housework I was able to work on a small knitting project for myself.  I found this Easy Lace Scarf pattern via Ravelry.com.  It’s a very easy to follow pattern but I realized I didn’t have enough yarn to make the scarf long enough so I improvised!

A lot of knitted hand warmers are worked in rounds.  This prevents the piece from having a seam. But if you don’t have supplies like double pointed needles or aren’t into knitting rounds just yet this is a great beginners option.

Lace scarf turned hand warmers. Here’s how:

Needle size: US 8
Yarn: Worsted weight

Lace pattern from Knittersreview.com
Cast on 22 stitches and knit 2 rows.

Now you’re ready to begin the lace pattern, which is as follows.
Row 1: (RS): K all sts.
Row 2: K2, p18, k2. (Those 2 border stitches on either end will always be knit in garter stitch—their role is to keep your fabric from curling.)
Row 3: K2, (K2Tog) 3 times, (YO,K1) 6 times, (K2Tog) 3 times, k2.
Row 4: K all sts.

Repeat rows 1- 4  10 times or till the piece measures 6 inches, then knit 3 more rows before binding off.  Create another piece the same size.

Once complete place them on top of each other with right sides together and hand stitch up one side. Doesn’t matter which side as they are identical.

The next step is to figure out where to place the thumb hole.  For that, place the piece over your hand and use stitch markers to figured out where to leave the opening.

Once again place the two piece on top of each other right sides together and hand stitched to the stitch markers and that was it. Turn right side out and your done.  Pretty easy and the seam isn’t even noticeable!

The yarn I used was a silk/cashmere blend so it had a lot of stretch to it which made them a little on the big side.  Nothing a warm wash can’t fix.

However, if I made them again I would keep the pattern the same but perhap use an acrylic yarn and smaller needles (US 7) so they don’t stretch as much.

The necklace perfectly matches these earrings that are also from her collection.  So, when I asked Beth what she would like in return she suggested a crochet bobble pouch much like the one I made for her sister Holly last year.

Finished size 9 by 5 in

It’s based on a pattern from the One Skein book by Leigh Radford but I made this version wider and a little shorter so it looked more like a clutch. I also added a patchwork lining with some Swell fabric I had in my stash. I thought the fabric went well with the grass green yarn from Knitpicks.com.   Their cotton worsted weight yarn named Shine is by far my favorite to work with.

I hope that Beth enjoys this as much as I enjoyed making it.  The textile of the bobble or popcorn stitch really makes this a sturdy and unique looking piece.

The Tragedy of Macbeth trailer

There appeared to be some wear and tear on the arms so we cleaned them up by sanding them down and applying a clear coat of varnish.  They look brand new. The legs could use the same treatment but for now they’ll do.

I found some durable microsuede fabric in a solid light blue color called Spa.  I chose a solid rather than a print fabric as it could work well in any room of our house but for now it will be part of the baby’s room.

Since it was a little more complicated than adding some padding and a few staples I contacted a local reupholstery guy to do the work for us and now its back at the Casa de Buscher!

He was recommended to us by a friend and was very reasonably priced.  I think he did a great job and I look foward to using it A LOT this winter.  If only there was time to make a matching ottoman cover…hum.  How hard can that be, right?

As a way of sharing the special day I created a pdf of Bookworm Bookplates for you to download and print.  You can either print on regular cardstock and use doublesided tape to adhere to the book or you can print this straight to label paper. Enjoy!

Baby Shower Details
Sunday’s shower was a wonderful low-key afternoon with the girls.  We played a baby name game using scrabble letters that gave everyone a laugh.  The names Axl and Zorro found there way onto one teams list.  Awe-some!  I don’t see either names making the final list but A for effort.

As for the books there was a great selection and I’m so thrilled that everyone got into the idea. The books ranged from the classics like Green Eggs and Ham and Best Mother Goose Ever  to modern sculpture art books.  Cool developmental Infant books like White on Black made it into the stack and no childrens collection is complete without Everybody Poops!

E did a fantastic job organizing and I can’t thank her enough!  So, if you’re looking for a non-traditional shower idea I highly reccomend this one.  It allows friends and family to personalize their selection while building a library that the little one will enjoy for years to come.