A Handmade Christmas for Our Children - Doxie Dogs

Now that I have found my camera charger, I've been able to take some pics to share with you all my last minute handmade Christmas presents I made last year.

For our 2013 Christmas we decided to cut costs and make the kids their Christmas presents, that and reduce the amount of cheap plastic crap entering our home!

Mike had the two eldest boys to make for, and I made for the two youngest.

All the boys got to be part of the process, deciding what they would like.  I have to say I may have had a mild panic attack when a particular wish list was compiled!....but I'll tell you more about that another day..

For my Lil Miss though I decided to keep it a surprise, because afterall she's still little, and the mystery of presents are so much fun!

So I compiled a list and set to making all these things a few days before christmas.......yip, I left it till the last minute again! But I've figured, I do work best under pressure.

My little girl is dog crazy! so when I remembered this little Doxie Dog Necklace that I pinned on Pinterest a while ago, I knew I had to add that to the last minute to do list!

This took a couple of hours sitting on the couch in the evening handsewing, which was very satisfying!

That night as I was heading off to dream land, I thought up an idea for a doxie dog pillow.

It wasn't on the list but I just couldn't get it out of my head so the next day when I saw a pink doily that Cat had sent me in a little package, the ideas came flooding in, before I had time to rationlise adding yet another present onto the list, I had drafted a pattern up, sewed it together and my two legged dog was born!

 Mike keeps mocking me about that fact! The two legged dog probably would have been better off with four.....but hey it was a last minute rush and all, supposed to be a pillow...therefore I reckon it works.

My favourite part is the vintage button eyes, they are from my Nana's button jar.

Mum reminisced once she saw them, remembering one of Nana's garments that they once adorned.

 And for my dog mad girl it was a success! 

She loved, and still loves it!

Joining in with Leonie this week from Sunshine x 3

December is over Phew!

Its been a rush here, with the end of school and

getting ready for Mikes Mum and sister to stay over Christmas at my Mums all the while Mum is having renovations.  

Feeling blessed to receive these lovely handmade decorations from the two Leonies!! Left This lovely house from Leonie at Kiwi at Heart blog and Right Leonie from Sunshine x 3 blog  creating six of these cute crochet baubles for our tree

   The original plan was for them to stay at ours, but time crept up on us and our garage/office/guestroom was and is still far from finished.

  sneaky peeking at the first of the presents

Then we entered into a new year with a great gathering at our neighbours.....carrying sleeping children back into their beds at 2am on New Years day!!.....plus during these weeks there were the many various visitors dropping in to see us, and a neglected garden going crazy with all the rain....huge marrows and cucumbers coming out of our ears!

And with all this, straight after school finished one by one all the children and Mike succumbed to some nasty bugs that have been floating around

 

 Quiet reading time on Christmas day

 and then I of course was the last to fall sick on Boxing day, with a nasty strep throat......urgh!!

 

 playing against Nana with his new hockey puck table made by Dad

I put my downfall down to too many late late nights into the wee hours before Christmas day as I stitched up a storm creating Handmade Christmas presents for my kiddos 

(last minute crafting is the way I roll )

The sore throat sucked! but getting my creativity back was AWESOME!

So I have soooo much to show you.....but here is just little a sneak peek till next time......