Green Crafting

Today, I finally felt like I started to get into the holiday spirit. Keith and I did a little Christmas shopping, and I got to do a little bit of Christmas crafting!

Last week, my mother sent me an email suggesting fabric gift bags for holiday gift wrapping, with the idea that reusable bags would cut down on the time we spend wrapping gifts. Earlier this week, I read on MegaCrafty about all the waste that is caused by holiday gift wrap. According to the EPA, between Thanksgiving and New Years, Americans generate 25% more waste than normal. I read here that during this period, Americans buy 2.65 BILLION Christmas cards, and there is a 40% spike in the purchase of batteries. Most gift wrap, apparently, is not recyclable, so it all goes directly to the landfill.

So, I decided to take a tiny baby step towards reducing waste. (Side note: check out our baby tree! Our place is too small for a real one, but it doesn't quite feel like Christmas without one. For some reason, the cat LOVES this tree...by which I mean loves to eat it...which is odd because it's plastic!)

I looked at a tutorial here, but honestly, it was pretty easy to figure out. I had some holiday fabric left over from last year, and cut it to fit some gifts I have already bought. Then I made a few more for gifts I intend to purchase...or because I think it will be useful to just have some on hand. The most time consuming part was just cutting things properly, and that's probably just because I am completely incapable of cutting in a straight line. Each bag probably took 10-15 minutes to make.

So this year, after Christmas when holiday fabric goes on sale, I'm going to buy a bunch and make some more. They're just as pretty as paper gift wrap, and so much more practical!

Something I'd like to try...

Anybody ever seen these before?

Sailor's Valentines were originally made (or brought home) in the 1800s by sailors traveling long distances who wanted something beautiful to bring home for a loved one. Sailors would decorate octagonal boxes with local seashells, often including a sentimental message ("Forget-me-not" was understandably a popular theme). The island of Barbados, often a stopping point on long voyages, became a popular place to buy Sailor's Valentines for those who did not make their own.

The one in the picture above was made by my grandmother, with a sailing ship scrimshaw in the center.This one is my favorite. The center is a picture of my grandfather, which was actually printed in National Geographic magazine after he went on a sailing trip with them. The shells spell out "Love is Forever".

As a history teacher, I love when creativity and history intersect. I like knowing that I'm part of a continuum of people who make stuff - although my reasons for making things might be different, I like to think about why people made things and what significance the things they made held for them. I can only imagine what a cherished gift a valentine like this would have been, brought home by a loved one who had spent years away at sea. I think the history of these beautiful valentines is fascinating, and I definitely want to try and make one - perhaps as a valentine for my sweetie?

Has anyone out there ever made one before? I'd love to hear about your experience.

Some other things I've been up to...

The odds and ends of my craftiness...

This sweater started out as a baby size...it ended up almost big enough for me to wear. (Yet another lesson in the importance of knitting a gauge swatch...but since it wasn't intended for anyone in particular, I just left it). The yarn is nice and fluffy, though!

Some tiny socks for a friend having a baby!
And, to use up the last of that yarn, some tiny Christmas ornaments :)

I donated the sweater and ornaments, among other things, to my church's annual fair. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year for us, and I'm always amazed at the incredible stuff people make and donate!
I just love these little bags shaped like fruit!And personalized marshmallow roasters...Keith and I are in charge of the book room (I always take home boxes of them...which I mostly read and then give away or donate back the next year). Isn't he cute?
So many books...

The fair is, for me, the beginning of the holiday season, and one of my favorite parts of getting ready for Christmas. Anybody else out there in blogland have any fun, crafty pre-Christmas traditions?

Today, I want to share a little bit about my crafty roots!

This is my nana in her studio.
Since 1984, she has been making and selling Nantucket baskets, as well as offering classes through her home studio, known as Peg Hall Studios. The name of her studio comes from her mother-in-law, Margaret (Peg) Hall, an accomplished author and artist in her own right (I'll have to blog about her another time).

Nantucket lightship baskets originated in the 1860s, when "light ships" were commissioned to warn ships of the dangerous shoals off the southern coast of Nantucket. Life on a lightship was tedious, so the men on the ships took up basketmaking to relieve the boredom. The resulting baskets are strong and beautiful, and are now made in a wide variety of styles and colors, including purses, often known as "friendship" purses. Nantucket baskets last so long that they are often described by the rhyme:

"I was made on Nantucket, I'm strong and I'm stout, don't lose me or burn me and I'll never wear out!"

I recently decided that I wanted to learn how to make baskets like my grandmother, and have been impressed by how detailed the work is and how strong the finished product is. I just finished my first basket! (Actually, I made one when I was a kid...I started it when I was 8, and finished when I was 18...so I don't really count that one :)

Here are some of my Nana's designs:


And here's the plug: Peg Hall Studios has joined the 21st century by setting up an Etsy shop! Please check it out here - Nantucket baskets make beautiful, timeless gifts for the holiday season!

Babies!

Since lots of people I know are having babies this year, it's time to busy making presents!

These were easy to make, and all out of things I had in the house - a towel I no longer use, and some cute jungle fabric I picked up in the bargain bin at JoAnn's awhile back. Baby can never have too many burp cloths!

Wedding gifts

The pictures aren't great, but these are the quilts I made for my parents and Keith's parents as a thank-you for helping plan our wedding.

I followed Obsessively Stitching's First Quilt Ever tutorial for both, and it made the whole process so clear! It's amazing what you can learn from the internet...

I also wanted to share some AMAZING wedding presents we received from Carole Ann of Connect the Dots Crafts...personalized aprons! Each one has an applique of our initials.

Rufio says, "Happy Halloween!"

Some fun stuff...

Thanks to Maiden Jane for these awards!

I guess I'm supposed to share seven things about me. Hmmm...

1. I just got married!!! 10/10/10 :)
2. My hubby and I have a giant cat named the baron Rufio Houdini von Wolfenbach (the middle name comes from his amazing ability to escape...)
3. I got a slowcooker as a wedding gift and it is AMAZING.
4. I love crime tv shows - Law and Order, NCIS, Bones...
5. I teach high school. Kids are hilarious.
6. I love snow and can't WAIT for ski season.
7. I love a neat house, but hate to clean. This is a fundamental problem with my life.

I would like to pass this award along to the bloggers listed below. If you wish to participate, the rules are:

a) Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
b) Share 7 things about yourself.
c) Pass the award along to 10 bloggers who you have discovered and who you think are fantastic.
d) Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award

Connect the Dots Crafts
My Inner Old Lady
Obsessively Stitching
Sewtakeahike
The Train to Crazy
TikkiFabricAddict
Adventures in Dressmaking
MayaMade

Ok that's only eight but I'm picky :)

Clicky clicky!