December 30 ~ Pillows, traditions, bags, tutorials & more

As we finish with 2007 we’re looking forward to a new year full of sewing, inspired by so many of our Handmade Holidays tutorials and by all of you. It’s hard to look at some of these images without immediately hopping up to cut fabric for a patchwork pillow or Flea Market Fancy bag!

We also wanted you to note: Cocoa finished her Reversible Handbag Tutorial in record time and just for you! We know many of you were waiting for the tutorial after you saw Cocoa’s bags last week. Enjoy!

Great Aunt Irma Patchwork Pillow By Malka, a stitch in dye Malka used flowers from an unfinished quilt top created by her husband’s Great Aunt Irma in this pillow’s design. She embroidered and appliquéd the flowers in this, the first pillow of a series. Enjoy more in Malka’s blog, a stitch in dye, and try your hand at a patchwork pillow with Dacia’s Log Cabin-ish Tutorial.

Handcrafters’ Holidays Meme The Annigurumi blog shares a favorite holiday tradition: cookie baking! She also made several eye pillows inspired by Kristin’s, and used Lauren’s gift tags to wrap them all up (tags which would, incidentally, be nice to use all year long!). Mary from Confessions of a Craft Addict shares her meme answers, including links to lots of photos of the handcrafted gifts she made. These felt cookies are just one gift of many (and would be fun with the cupcake and donut in our Whimsy tutorials!). Mary shares lots of wonderful family traditions, her recipe for Oatmeal Creme Brulee and touching story about how she completed an afghan this year that her mother made as a Christmas gift before she passed away six years ago. It’s a thoughtful message about giving handmade, letting go and sharing kindness.

Flea Market Bags By CaRho, The Fruid’s Forest CaRho used some of our favorite fabrics in these bags for her mother and sister, created with the Grand Revival Flea Market Bag pattern. Enjoy CaRho’s blog, The Fruid’s Forest, and be sure to check out her cute version of the Vanilla House Friday Night Apron.

Handcrafters’ Holidays Meme, continued. We should have shared Meg’s holiday traditions post with you when we showed her incredible 100% handmade photo the other day! Meg’s elsie marley blog is worth a second (third, fourth…) look though and you should head over to read about her family’s hidden bird’s nest tradition and more. As many of you noted in the comments the other day Meg has a great Pattern for a Half Eaten Gingerbread Man, just like the one in her holiday traditions post. You might be inspired to get a head start on next year’s ornaments today!

Kristine shares her Party Potatoes recipe (sounds fun for New Years!) and her serendipitous gift making/finding process on her blog Mudmuffins and Woogiemonsters. Visit and be sure to take a look at “Mom’s Christmas Present,” a preview of which you can find in the first link!

Want more handcraft inspiration? Visit the Handmade Holidays photo pool and don’t forget about our Handmade Holidays Tutorials.

We respect the copyright of all crafters.
All links and photos from blogs on our Handcrafters’ Holidays posts are used with permission.

40 Responses to “December 30 ~ Pillows, traditions, bags, tutorials & more”

1. Julie responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 10:14 am →

   I love love love the fleamarket bag and that gingerbread man is too funny!

2. Thien-Kim Lam responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 10:16 am →

   That pillow is beautiful. I have some holiday projects but just haven’t had time to take pictures yet. Thanks for all the eye candy.

3. Teresa responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 10:43 am →

   I love both the bags and the Friday night apron. What fun to make for myself or someone else.
   Thanks for sharing.

4. Talya responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 11:15 am →

   The adjustable straps on the flea market bag are such a great idea! They came out beautifully.

5. sharon responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 12:11 pm →

   ooh that gingerbread man is too sweet (clearly!)

6. Alisha responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 1:25 pm →

   I’ve been thinking about getting the Friday Night Apron or Sunday Dinner Apron pattern, so it was nice to see a completed apron from one of these patterns. I’d love to see a pattern review in the new year!

7. Carrie responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 1:27 pm →

   What a beautiful pillow!!! Also love the fleamarket bags. So many talented ladies out there!!!

8. mama k responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 1:42 pm →

   Love those cookies! Methinks I am going to make some for ornaments next year.

9. Amy Hodge responds:
   Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 1:52 pm →

   That gingerbread man made me laugh out loud. Reminds me of the wooden apples my father makes — and the wooden apple cores. He pulled the bait and switch on my grandfather with them once and it was hilarious. Someone didn’t REALLY eat a wooden apple, did they? I think a pair of uneaten and half-eaten gingerbread men would be a lot of fun as well!

10. kathie Holland responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 1:52 pm →

    I love this flea market bag….will have to order it soon.
    Would be perfect for gifts this coming year.
    Kathie

11. Rebecca responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 2:01 pm →

    I love that gingerbread ornament! I’m going to get started on a bunch for next year!

12. Rebecca responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 2:02 pm →

    The ornament idea is so creative! I’m going to get started on a bunch for next year!

13. Samantha responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 3:13 pm →

    Love those bags!

14. renee responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 3:31 pm →

    love those cookies!

15. Carol responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 3:34 pm →

    Malka’s site is great and I had to visit her etsy store!

16. Jennifer Ladd responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 4:51 pm →

    I am off to order the pattern for the flea market bag right now – too cute!!

17. Mrs.Strizzay responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 5:18 pm →

    I wish I had some skills. I have no patience to get skills. You need to use skills to make those awesome bags.

18. andrea Heinz responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 5:33 pm →

    oh, I have been trying to find old quilts that I can cut up and use for projects just like that pillow. I love it.

19. Lynne H. responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 5:37 pm →

    Those bags and the pillow are just lovely! So many fantastic fabrics and ideas!

20. Libby responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 8:06 pm →

    i definitely want to make the flea market bag.

21. jen responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 8:14 pm →

    i saw those handbags on Flickr and looooved them (the flea market ones). they’re SO colourful and fun!

22. Jennifer responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 8:19 pm →

    Love the bags, can’t wait to get my pattern to make some for gifts!

23. Lindsey responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 8:45 pm →

    i LOVE the flea market bags!

24. Susan responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 9:03 pm →

    I just love Cocoa’s bags and her tutorial. Going to get some new fabric and sew one soon! Thank you!

25. Kim H. responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 9:22 pm →

    mmm, those cookies look good enough to eat!

26. Alex responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 9:24 pm →

    Good picks! I actually did just buy brown felt and white rick rack to start next year’s half-eaten/mutant gingerbread men ornaments! My bros-in-law are going to have to leave the nest one of these days and I want them to have some cool holiday decorations to take with them.

27. Lil' d responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 9:28 pm →

    Such lovely work

28. Ginny responds:
    Posted: December 30th, 2007 at 11:29 pm →

    I tracked back to your tutorial on what I call a ” rice bag” and the eye pillows. Please be aware that many essential oils are indeed flammable. I would be very cautious about putting items scented with them into the microwave!

29. Heather B responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 6:53 am →

    Good stuff! Everyone has made such beautiful and awe inspiring gifts this holiday season. I think I need to start now for holiday 2008!

30. Christy responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 7:51 am →

    The pillow is amazing!

31. Mia responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 8:48 am →

    The half eaten gingerbread ornaments are to cute!

32. Ekioart responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 8:52 am →

    The gingerbread man cracks me up! I’ll have to make one ^=^

    I’ve been pondering a bag and that pattern looks like fun and I love those fabrics!

33. Lisa thedomesticdiva responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 10:06 am →

    oh my! those cookies are too yummy!

    With friendship,
    Lisa

34. Susan Fisher responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 11:41 am →

    I love the gingerbreadman!!! How funny is that?

35. Becca responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 4:38 pm →

    I bought some cute “flea-market-bag-worthy” fabric a couple weeks ago!

36. janet responds:
    Posted: December 31st, 2007 at 8:56 pm →

    Love the donut and cupcake. My niece would love to play with those.

37. amy w responds:
    Posted: January 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm →

    I love the flea market bag as well, I might need to buy that pattern!

38. Stacy responds:
    Posted: January 1st, 2008 at 7:00 pm →

    The gingerbread man is adorable!

39. Michele responds:
    Posted: January 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 am →

    Love the flea market bag!

40. Sarah responds:
    Posted: January 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm →

    Thanks for this! Sarah