December 1st: Christmas Countdown

I've never been much of a Black Friday enthusiast.  Something about the traffic, lines, pressure, and aisle rage just doesn't appeal to me.  Until this year I didn't even know Small-Business Saturday or Cyber Monday existed.  When did they arrive on the scene?!?  It makes we wonder if names will be given to all the days after Thanksgiving -- Get It Before It's Gone 5th, Cuttin' It Close 20th, Last Ditch Effort 23rd.  Or worse...Forget-Giving-Thanks-Just-Shop Fourth Thursday of November.  Ugh, I sure hope not.  Call me a traditionalist, but I happen to think Thanksgiving should be digested before Christmas makes it on the scene.  I have a sister who's adamant (in her gentle way) that no Christmas music, decorations, or movies make an appearance until after Thanksgiving is properly acknowledged and celebrated with feasting, family, and actual Thanks-Giving.  Novel concept.  She doesn't have to convince me, I'm already game.  If I ruled the world, the only exception I'd make would be for craft-type stores who supply us homemade gift-givers with fuel for the fire.  I get hyped thinking about gifts for people throughout the entire year.  Ultimately, my husband and I decide together who gets what, but we always settle on some homemade, some experiences, some serendipitous finds at random places, and a few that were actually asked for. This year we came up with a dozen or so homemade ideas. One might think that these would be completed early on to get a jump on things...but nah, it's December 1st and I've got five yet to start!  If you're anything like me, you're counting down the days til Christmas, managing the calendar like a game of Tetris, clanging the pots and pans with a bit of Yuletide prep, and whirring at the craft table (amid all the other normal responsibilities of life). Before we arrive at Cuttin' It Close 20th, I thought I'd share one of my homemade gifts for little girls this season as a help to anyone else out there who's searching for the perfect thing.  It's A Cutesy Fleece Poncho.  So adorable -- I wish I had little models to wear them in the photos, but alas...that'd ruin the surprise!  

What's left of my Living Room...

I'm a sucker for practical gifts and love the idea of creating something that someone will use and cherish for a long while (hopefully!).  Let's be honest, one important side-note to making a little girl's gift is to make sure her mom likes it, too.  That drum-harmonica-cymbal number might get "misplaced" relatively quickly, but a cute hooded towel with homemade, healthy soap or a nifty hairbow and matching earrings could linger as long as little Susie is into them.  Here's hoping that my fleece ponchos will stick around for a while (and that they fit to begin with!)  And to the mom's of the little ones receiving these this year:  Sorry to leak what some of your girlies are getting -- I hope you like them!

Cutesy Fleece Poncho
The beauty of fleece is that it's forgiving and generally doesn't require hemming. I'm a novice seamstress, so this particular project requires very little sewing. Whew! The process is not a hard one, but visualizing how the neckline should be cut and then hemmed is KEY.  My best suggestion is to read and re-read the steps.  Do not panic -- this is easier done than explained.  Remember: measure twice, cut once!

You will need:
- 2 styles of complimentary no-pill fleece. For the size I made (approximately 2-3T), you will want a rectangle that is roughly 36" x 38".  See note below.
- (Optional Tie Tassels) Braided fleece, Yarn, Lace, Cotton Fabric, or even Rawhide can be used for this. Length is variable to your tastes, but I chose 6-strand braided chenille yarn in 20-inch lengths.

Note: This project is easy to scale up or down for smaller or larger sizes.  Essentially, a poncho is a square of fabric with a hole for the head in the center. Corners will fall down the front, back, and down each arm. There should be enough length at all corners to ensure warmth. Use your judgement considering the bolt of fleece -- you may need a larger bolt for older girls or women.

1. Place the pieces of fleece on a clean table or flat surface making sure the corners match up and trim any excess so that you have a rectangle measuring approximately 36" x 38".

2. Holding both pieces as one, fold one corner to the opposite corner making a triangle.  Turn this triangle so the point faces you and the folded side is opposite you. The showy outer layer should be on top.

3.  Measure & Mark the Neck Hole:  Measure and place a pin at the center of the fold.  From the center pin, measure along the fold and pin 3-1/2" one each side  Again from the center pin, measure and pin  3" down toward the opposite point of the fleece.  You should now have an oblong "T" pinned onto your fleece.  Note: Adjustments should be made for older girls or women. Use the neckline measurements from a t-shirt to gauge the width and tail of your "T" as needed.

4.  Carefully place one hand under the top two pieces of fleece until it reaches the fold.  Cut on the fold along the three pins, using your hand inside the fleece as a guide.  Cut down the tail using your inside hand as a guide to be sure you're cutting only the top two pieces of fleece (not all four).   The tail of the "T" will become the front of the poncho.  Remove Pins.

5. Tie Tassels: There's no necessity to have ties, but I like the look of them and think it's best for little necks to have the warmth as close to them as possible. Whether you've got a ready-made material or are braiding like I did, you need them ready before for the next step.

6. Sewing the neckline & tassels:  Next face the right sides of the fleece to one another, lining up the necklines. Place them back on your work surface, Fold in the same triangle with the front "T" of the poncho facing you (your liner layer should now be facing you).  Line up the neckline "T" once more.  Insert the tie tassels between the fleece layers so that the knotted top of your tassel comes through the corner of the "T" neckline.  Pin a 1/2" seem around the edge.

7:  Sew only the front of the poncho neckline.  Then turn the fleece layers right side out so your outer layer faces you,  the tassels are visible, and the lining is inside.  At this point, only the back of the neckline should be left unhemmed.

8: Here's the TRICKY PART: Hold both layers of the unhemmed neckline in one hand as if grabbing the kid by back of the collar from behind. With the other hand, pull up the corner of only the outer layer until it is over your other hand (as if pulling this layer over the wearer's head).  To sew the back neckline, make sure that the right sides of the fleece face one another.  With a 1/2" hem, sew the layers of fleece together.  Then pull the outer layer of fleece back over the wearer's head to reveal the almost complete poncho!

9:  Cut 1" wide by 1-1/2" long "fringe" along all four bottom edges of the poncho and knot the two layers of fleece together.  Ta Da!

Can't you see the Snow Bunnies bouncing around in these?!?

I expect the next few weeks to be fun-filled, extra-exciting, and rather hectic, but there's always something interesting happening on the homestead.  It may (or may not) be jolly and bright, but it'll be posted non-the-less.  Best wishes to you as you begin your own countdown -- Happy Homemade Gifts!