Sew with me - Adding fabric to decorate a kitchen towel 

Beverley Simmons As we get closer to Christmas the malls are just going to get worse. I’m sewing towels for hubby’s chair. We like to use hand towels to cover the arms of our recliners and couch so they don’t get gunky from hands and the cats laying on them.

Jodie Roundtree Yes! Stockpile those gifts. It seems there’s always a last minute invite to something and no time to make a gift. Great way to use left over bits from jelly rolls or other projects.

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You’re very welcome. Bird’s nests are so annoying.

Thanks Bonnie!

Beverley Simmons I’m knitting a hat for my son’s friend. Black yarn at night is not easy.

I responded to your email :) I am all about simple and easy. We are supposed to get our first cold front on Wednesday this week. Probably only drop down to the 60's but that's lightweight hoodie weather for us. It will be a welcome change from the heat and humidity of the Florida summer. Good for my electric bill too ;)

Beverley Simmons Don’t worry about bugging me. It’s not like you’re knocking on my door, right? As long as you don’t mind waiting sometimes for me to respond go ahead and leave as many comments as you like. When I take a break I’ll pop in and answer everyone’s comments. If you need an answer right away just let me know because I do see most comments as they’re posted.

Bev Cote' Awww Thanks 😊

Beverley Simmons That’s a tough one. Sore fingers make it very hard to craft comfortably. I tend to curl up and read on tough days. I know we are getting rain and then a cold front next week. I’m looking forward to opening the windows and letting some fresh air in. I hope your fingers feel better.

Beverley Simmons I’m sorry I was a bit late today but it was a shopping day. I did an impromptu clothes shopping trip for hubby, dollar tree, and grocery shopping at Walmart. Our Kohl’s (clothing store) put a lot of their summer clothes on clearance and they had men’s shorts marked down from $40 to $8 so hubby now has 4 new pairs of shorts. Woohoo!! We tend to wear shorts year round. The house stays comfortable during the winter so we wear shorts unless we need to go out into the real world. Glad to hear you are back sewing again.

ggrozier I’m sorry, I should have explained that a bit. My 3 kids (18, 26, 29) all moved out together earlier this year. While they lived here I used to leave little treats like a mini candy bar or some Hershey kisses every now and then in their bedrooms. They all work in restaurants so there were times that they got home after midnight or times when I hardly saw them for days at a time so these were nice little mom is thinking of me treats. I thought it would be fun for them to open a little surprise each day before Christmas. Some days it will be a little pack of gummies or goldfish crackers but other days will be small gifts all leading up to their “big” Christmas gift(s). I was thinking things like new Christmas ornaments, nail clipper set, kitchen towels, kitchen thermometer, oven mitts, new kitchen broom. You get the idea. This way I can be part of their day and they can have fun trying to figure out what’s in each days gift. I was debating whether or not to do a little video when I wrap everything. Something not too long of course. Do you think that would make a good video?

RsIslandCrafts - Robin Yes, I think this would be a great video. I googled "Advent box" and of course it made a lot of sense. I'd been looking to make something for Advent but hadn't thought of a box. I am thinking of things for my aunt and my adult daughter, like ballpoint pens, kitchen things, scented soap, and the thought of leading up to the main gift is great. I guess you use Christmas wrapping paper. I would love to see how you do it. Thank you for a wonderful idea.

ggrozier That’s the exact idea I’m going with. My kids always say they don’t need anything and for the most part they’re right. If they want something they go out and get it. They have the big things covered but the little things like kitchen towels they don’t have lol. I happen to have oh maybe 10-15 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper that I bought at an after Christmas sale several years ago that I plan on using. You can use tissue paper, craft paper or whatever you want or have on hand. For now I’m thinking cardboard box wrapped in paper but if I find a basket, bin, or laundry basket that I think they would use I will switch to that. I don’t want to give them anything that takes up space because they won’t use it.

RsIslandCrafts - Robin Yesterday I ordered some nice hand cream from Amazon.. I'm interested in some cheaper t ideas and some things that I can make like the towels in this video. And in how you decorate the box. What a wonderful idea for people who can't be together for Christmas. Thanks!

ggrozier Decorating the box can be fun and inexpensive if you’re a little creative. Do you have a Dollar Tree type store near you? At my Dollar Tree I can buy wrapping paper, tissue paper, bows, ribbons, stamps, etc. You can take your box from Amazon and cover it with wrapping paper or brown craft/shipping paper. Then you can use a stamp or draw on the plain paper to cover it. Or just use a simple holiday wrapping paper. You can also find lots of little gifts at the Dollar Tree. My guys are getting new toothbrushes, hair brushes, combs, of cold medicine to get them through the night until they can get to a store I. The morning. The make up and nail polish is pretty good there too. If you don’t have a dollar type store look around towards the bottom shelves because that’s where they hide the inexpensive products. I’m hoping to make a video on how to make Christmas stockings soon. My plan is to make a few videos with simple handmade gifts like the towels. Something that won’t cost much but it’s practical and handmade. A new ornament for 2017 is always a good tuck in gift too. Either in the advent box or as a decoration on a gift. My family looks forward to a new ornament each year whether handmade or store bought. I try to do both 😉

Beverley Simmons I’m waiting for our cold front to come through this week. I was able to open the windows for a couple hours yesterday morning. Looking forward to leaving them open all day.

Beverley Simmons I thought so too. Just had to bring it home.

It is such a handy tool. I bought it for hemming pants.

Thanks for subscribing Bonnie! I have done a little bit of wool felt work but I would love to do some more. I think I could become addicted to wool applique. I really enjoy hand stitching. Maybe I can find a fun design to work on next year. If there is one you have had your eye on please put a link in the comments and I might work on that one since I haven't chosen a design yet.

I was surprised how easy the towels were to make and how nice they turned out on the first try. I think these are a great quick project for gift giving but also just to have in our own houses.

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Rosamunda Thank you! Pins have always been a necessary evil for me. I know I can’t sew over them and I don’t like having to stop sewing every little bit so this works for me. If you don’t know the rules you don’t know you’re breaking them right?. 😉 I’ve never been much of a rule follower anyways lol. Happy crafting!! Thanks for hanging with me in my craft room!!