If I can, I avoid having to make button holes, adding zippers to outfits instead. Perhaps I come by it naturally as my mother also used to avoid making button holes ... even to the point of causing me one rather embarrassing moment in grade school. She opted not to put a button hole & button in a waistband of a skirt and instead used a couple snaps, which everyone knows hold quite well when there is no exertion. However, taking a deep breath in preparation to sing the national anthem one morning in school caused the snaps to let loose and the skirt to drop .... and the said owner of the skirt (12 year old me) to drop as well clutching the side of the skirt closed.
Enough said ... a few months ago my daughter saw a cute pattern to make for her daughter; it was called a "grandfather sweater" and I randomly said .. "Oh, isn't that cute; she could match her great-grandfather". Well, it wasn't long before my daughter sent me a link to a similar pattern for an adult ... a buttonholed sweater.
Here's C's sweater that my daughter made from knitted-looking fleece before adding buttons. I'll see if I can get both recipients in the same picture when they open their Christmas gifts on the weekend.
And the sweater I made for Dad ... (unfortunately, I only have a female mannequin, so it didn't fit quite right.) The sweaters don't quite match, but since this one is called the "Newcastle" sweater and my dad lives on Newcastle Street, it seemed appropriate. The three practice button holes I did were perfect; kind of messed up the first one on the actual sweater and had to rip it out. Big buttons can cover any other irregularities - ha ha.
A neighbour (who I made the 'weather' baby quilt for 9 months ago) needed some teething covers for her son's crib as the top rails were becoming a little chewed.
They look better on the crib than on the floor when I first took the picture! It is unlikely he will attack the back rail since it is difficult to lean his head into the wall to get his mouth on the top railing.
And then, I needed another small Christmas present for my son-in-law's parents who will be coming to stay at my house for a couple days ... and Englishman and a Nova Scotian lady who both like tea. I wasn't sure how big their teapot is, but a Nova Scotian themed tea cozy seemed like the best bet.
I had a beautiful piece of fabric left from the background of my Europe quilt that gives the misty - foggy look of Peggy's Cove. I sketched the outline lightly on the fabric and then machine stitched over every line 4 - 6 times to get the outline to stand out. Please note, don't get too far ahead in sketching with a fabric pencil that fades as you are sewing it!!
Last but not least, my father is creating a doll crib for his great-granddaughter and it looks like it might be done in time for Christmas. He gave me the base measurements and I have created a small covered foam pad mattress (with left over material from the crib railing covers) as well as finishing up a small quilt for Charlotte to wrap her dolls
Busy with small projects ... and done in time for Christmas.
