With the early arrival of Advent this year and the fact that December 1st falls in the middle of the week, I’ve been frantically trying to get my house in order.  Call me crazy, but I do like to set up all the Christmasy stuff at the beginning of the month.  I love Christmas.  I love the lights, the food, family, friends, company and general excitement and anticipation that’s in the air, especially in a house with 3 children.  So my house is (almost) decorated and the girls all helped with the first round of Christmas baking.  I’ve decided this year to let them do most of it, since my youngest is 8 and exists to work in the kitchen.  It’s just her thing.  Whenever she hears a pot bang, up she pops beside me.

“What are you making?  Can I help?”

And my eldest sanguinely saunters into the kitchen at random times, looking for a project, “Can I do anything, mommy?”

So, the baking exercises are their responsibility this year.  That means I’ll be able to get my gifts finished in time.

I’ve never done a “handmade” Christmas before.  I do remember as an 18 year old university student wondering what I would get my little brother for Christmas (he’s all of 12 months younger than me).  My mom suggested making him a pair of dress pants, since he needed them.  Yikes!  Never made a pair of men’s anything at that point in my life, but as an 18 year old, I was up for any challenge.  And that’s the last time I made anything for anyone for Christmas.  I think it’s because I’m shy of giving people things I’ve made.  It’s all well and dandy to sew up little pretty things for babies or children, but what do you sew for adults that they would remotely use, never mind appreciate?

But the year 2011 is going to be different.  A discussion with my girls about what to buy the cousins that have everything and more, combined with reading the Little House on the Prairie series aloud at lunch to my DD3, resulted in the fun decision that we would all make the gifts we’re giving this year.  DD1 is going to crochet all her gifts, DD3 is going to hand-stitch little fairy purses, and DD2 is going along for the ride, because fine motor projects are incredibly frustrating for her.

BTW, that “we” includes me.  So I’ve a lot of sewing to do, and nothing is cut yet because I’m trying to finish up a couple of projects already on my sewing table.

And to ease all of this required labour, my iron decided to die last week.  Now how annoying is that, in the middle of everything that needs to be done?  My DH has purchased a Rowenta Steamium for me in April.  It’s profoundly heavy and I love it.  But when little people want to sew and use my equipment, dials can pop off and buttons cease to work.  I had to purchase a replacement while the original is off being repaired for 10 days or so.  I can’t go TEN DAYS without sewing a seam.  So I bought a little cheapy Black & Decker model that the kids can use when I get my *real* iron back.  Ha!

And on top of all that, I’ve become completely overwhelmed with my stash.  I guess this happens when I actually sit back, take stock of the state of my house, and realize that there is too much fabric in my life.  More than I will ever sew up before I die.  But more of that in a post to come, because I’m hoping some of you fellow sewers will be happy to take some of it off my hands……