Radical Christmas Tree Alternative: Bunting Flags

We're going to be "that" family. The family that has an alternative Christmas tree. Post-last-Christmas season, I shared the crazy that goes down in our house with the arrival of a Christmas tree. To sum up: a small disaster. So for this year, I decided to re-think the whole situation and try something new.

Enter the idea of bunting flags. (For those not into crafting/sewing trends, these are strings of flags of the type that I associate with used car lots, and nicer versions of these are remarkably hot right now as whimsical decor.) I still wanted greenery, and opted to combine the flags with a cedar garland.

I had hoped to add lights and ornaments (this was in lieu of a tree, after all), but given the December we had I got Realistic and decided they could wait for next year.

If you'd like to DIY, here's my method for Bunting Flags:

1. Make a template of the size flag desired including a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Mine was approximately 12 inches long x 6 inches wide at the top.

2. Using the template, cut out a selection of flags, two pieces for each finished flag you want. (I did wash and iron my fabric prior, just in case I ever need to launder our flags. Weird stuff happens in our house.)

TIP: Using a rotary cutter with a long acrylic ruler and cutting mat really makes this step go quickly.

I got fancy with some and combined different fabrics.

3. If the flags will be hung in a doorway or window, you may want to add a liner piece to any light-coloured patterned flags so that the pattern from one side doesn't show through on the other side. I simply cut plain white pieces from an old sheet using the same flag template.

4. With right sides of the fabric (i.e. patterned sides) together, join two flag pieces by sewing along the two long sides. If including a liner piece, just add it on top of one of the flag pieces before sewing and stitch all three layers at one time.

TIP: At the "V" where the two side seams meet, sew one stitch straight across instead of making a point. Oddly, this makes it easier to produce a sharp point when you turn the flag right-side out.

5. Trim the seam allowance close to the seam near the point. Then turn the sewn flag right-side out. (I used a wooden skewer to gently prod the narrow end into a point.) Press.

6. Repeat the above steps until you have enough flags for your desired length. Using double-folded bias tape (available at a sewing supply store), insert the flag tops into the centre of the folded tape and sew close along the bottom edge of the tape.

7. Hang and enjoy!

Did you re-imagine any of your Christmas traditions this year?

I Think Homer Simpson May Be On To Something

The weeks leading up to the holidays were exceptionally busy for our family (which explains my blogging silence), with the top-3 developments being: 1) we adopted a second dog (yes, we're crazy); 2) all 4 kids were truly ill, and have continued to be for the past month; and 3) I got a job!

Perhaps it was all this extra stress on top of the usual holiday busyness, or maybe my kids are just going through a really annoying phase, but this Christmas season I did not have "peace" and "joy" at the forefront of my thoughts. Nope. Rather, the past few weeks I've wanted to throttle my young'uns more than at any other time.

Please understand that we did enjoy many moments of fun preparing for and celebrating Christmas --it wasn't a total wash. And, most important, I did not in any way actually throttle my kids. I just really, really wanted to. I even began to understand Homer Simpson and the impetus for his over-the-top methods of discipline.

I've reached previously-unknown levels of anger before in response to my boys' periodic misdeeds --you know, all that stuff that makes parents crazy, like non-stop complaining, outrageous fickleness, baiting you to see how you react... But for the past few weeks it has seemed that we spend all day, every day mired in these behaviours.

And this affliction of sour-puss-ness has beset not just one, but all of the boys. So I've been trying to deal with one insolent lad and have had the others, one after another, add their own needs to the mix, always things that require my immediate intervention. The net result is that I feel like I whirl from one problem to the next until we finally wrestle the kids into bed.

I admit that I found this year's holiday a bit disappointing, as a lot of things didn't get done or felt rushed due to everyone's crankiness or low energies. But the reason I share our experience is to let anyone else who needs it know that sometimes family celebrations fall a little short of the Norman Rockwell ideal, and that in those moments we all identify a little with Homer Simpson. (*Though we never behave like Homer Simpson, because we are the adults, we know better and that would never be okay.)

So... how was your holiday?

The Quilt: Get A Life

Some of you may wonder, why a quilt? Well, last winter I was taking stock of my life (a terrible idea, by the way) and I realized that I have no hobbies. Yes, I have activities, memberships and interests --which I see as all being purpose-driven.

But I wanted something that's just for fun, that I can daydream about, that's stimulating without adding pressure.

Fascinating, you say, but it still doesn't explain why a quilt? Well, I opted to make a quilt to help me get a life because: 

• I can sew (note I did not say I love to sew. Some people do; I, on the other hand, have a functional --and sometimes antagonistic-- relationship with my sewing machine);
• I can work on a quilt in little, tiny increments in between interruptions;
• I am attracted to the historicity of quilting and its place in women's experiences;
• and, finally, I feel no urgency to complete such a project (other than meeting a self-imposed deadline), as no one will suffer if it takes me until eternity.

Plus, I like pretty fabric. Another added bonus is that there's a large (very large, it turns out) community of quilters and fabric artists online. Inspiration, tutorials and encouragement abound.

In case you're wondering what kind of quilt I'm making, the design is called "Liberty Coins" from the book Quilts Galore by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes (1991).

If you've embarked on a similar journey, share! I'd love to hear about it! What are you doing, and where do you find encouragement?

amazon.ca

(My quilting will have to take a break for the next month, as I'll be occupied with Christmas-related projects. Details to come!)

We're Still Cool, Right? Check This Out...

A little cheater post today: check out this Parent Rap video from Bluefish TV. If your self-esteem needs a boost, this is it! Yes, put anything in slow-motion and it looks really cool. Anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_NspDWssIY

Boy/Girl Tea Party, Part 2

Much delayed, but here is the second instalment on our boy/girl inclusive tea party! (If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.)

Setting the Table


Knowing that I was likely to host several more kiddie tea parties, I left my "grown-up" finery safe in the cupboard, and instead checked the thrift store for cheap and child-sized tableware. Our table boasted:

• assorted small "tea" cups and saucers, which I think were originally intended as espresso cups, but that happened to be a nice small size;
• assorted mini glass dishes --some were probably punch glasses, others were tiny dessert glasses, and I think one was an oversized jigger;
• colourful paper napkins that we already had on hand;
• and a lovely tablecloth, hand-embroidered with ... teapots! (Okay, I admit, the tablecloth I picked up in the summer. I just couldn't let that nice stitch-work languish in a thrift store!)

No joke, the cups/saucers and glassware totalled less than $1 per guest, and the tablecloth was the most expensive single item at $7.99.

Food

Although our theme was "a cupcake tea party," we decided to offer more fare than just sweets. And because I wanted to try the "Mad Hatter" tea party game, we served the food in courses. Our menu was:

• thinly-sliced veggie sticks --carrot, celery and red pepper-- served upright in the individual glassware with a small shot of dressing in the bottom;
• a combination of cubed fruit on skewers;
• and, last but not least, cupcakes and two kinds of tea, both herbal --one camomile, and one chocolate spice.

Cupcakes

My boys requested that we make "bat" cupcakes (another idea from Chirp magazine), and I thought they'd be nicely complemented by some "butterfly" cupcakes, inspired by those found in the kids' cookbook Cook It Together by Annabel Karmel. Both were a hit!

We decorated the bats with Smarties eyes, jelly bean mouth with sunflower seeds for fangs and dried mango as the wings. The butterflies had two half-cookie "wings" piped with a butterfly outline in chocolate.

The party was such fun, and I'm looking forward to inviting guests for a springtime tea party!